Lexip Gaming Mouse Has Two Joysticks For All Your Movement Needs

The venerable computer mouse was never really envisioned to be anything beyond a pointing device. It definitely wasn't envisioned to be a gaming input device. And yet the mouse, along with the keyboard, has practically defined and differentiated PC gaming from other forms of gaming. That, however, doesn't mean it's not in dire need of an innovation. But while most gaming mice simply throw in more buttons, more sensitivity, or more light into the equation, Lexip is doing something different. It is, instead, throwing in not one but two joysticks inside the mouse.

When you hear of joysticks, your brain probably switches immediately to think of those long (sometimes short) sticks with a nub on top that's used to control movement in 4 to 8 directions. You won't get that here, at least not visually speaking. You do get that freedom of movement, but one of them is almost invisible.

One joystick does fit the bill of a traditional joystick and it's located where your thumb would be. It can be used to, for example, scroll through item selections, fine-tune a target crosshair, or any other function you assign to it. But more interesting perhaps is the second joystick, which is practically your entire mouse. Yes, you can tilt the Lexip forward, backwards, or sideways just like you would on any joystick. Except you keep your hand on the mouse.

To an extent, the Lexip mouse tries to be your all in one game controller, most of which have two analog joysticks. And while it might not have as many buttons as a gamepad, it does have programmable ones, so you can pick what happens in which programs.

Sounds great? Over 1,000 Kickstarter backers think so too. And because it's a crowdfunded product, Lexip can offer one thing almost all mice, gaming or otherwise, don't: a left-handed version. If all goes well, the 2-joystick Lexip Gaming Mouse will ship to backers in June.