Glorious Model D 2 Pro Review

In the world of professional esports, the right equipment can mean the difference between spectacular victory or crushing defeat. So players in this highly competitive gaming scene have long sought out lighter mice to limit wrist strain and extend their gaming time before they need to rest. The Glorious Model D 2 Pro ($129.99) gaming mouse meets this need. A lightweight frame, a comfortable sculpt, and an extraordinarily high polling rate make it an excellent competitive tool. While it has a lower DPI ceiling than the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, it can achieve polling rates up to 8,000Hz, which makes it easy for us to hand it an Editors’ Choice award for esports mice.

The Design: Gloriously Simple Sculpting

If you’re interested in the Glorious Model D 2 Pro, you actually have two models to choose between: a 1,000Hz version and an 8,000Hz version. These numbers refer to the maximum polling rate, which measures how many signals are sent to the computer per second. While the 1,000Hz version is a more affordable $100, it’s actually not a great value, as many other mice offer similar maximums at lower prices. An 8,000Hz polling rate, however, is one of the highest rates we’ve seen, and at only a $30 premium, it makes it the easier recommendation of the two if you’re deadly serious about mouse response. (We tested the 8,000Hz version for this review.)

Whichever version you choose, the Model D 2 Pro is an ergonomically designed mouse with a five-button layout. With the side buttons on the left side of the frame, the D 2 Pro would be most comfortable in the right hand. While not as ergonomic as the Kensington Pro Fit Ergo we recently reviewed, the Model D 2 Pro is fairly comfortable.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

At 1.7 by 2.6 by 5 inches (HWD), the mouse is a tad narrow for average-size hands to hold in a palm-style grip. That being said, if you’re more comfortable with a claw-style grip, you’ll find the curves of the D 2 Pro much easier to grab than those of rounder mice.

Compared with the Glorious Model O 2 we reviewed last year, the Model D 2 Pro feels sturdier, and it weighs in at 2.2 ounces. That’s impressive for a mouse without holes cut into its frame, which is how many other esports mice manage their weight savings (including the Model O 2, which is slightly heavier at 2.4 ounces despite its porous shell). The PTFE feet on the underside of the Model D 2 Pro glide easily across the surface of a mouse pad, and Glorious includes an extra set of replacement stick-on feet.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The mouse can connect in either wired or 2.4GHz wireless modes, but it does not support Bluetooth. The internal battery has a rated length of 80 hours using the default 1,000Hz polling rate, and 35 hours at 4,000Hz (more on polling rates below).

A braided USB-C-to-USB-A cable is included, both to charge the battery and to use the mouse in wired mode. The cable is designed with notches on the USB-C end that fit snugly into the front USB port on the mouse, meant to help limit strain on the contacts.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

To use the 2.4GHz wireless connection, you need to connect the included dongle to your PC via the USB-C cable. The dongle features the same cutout as the mouse, to comfortably fit the USB-C end of the cable. The dongle allows polling rates of up to 4,000Hz, while the mouse’s 8,000Hz maximum requires a direct wired connection.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

A word of warning if you’re planning to operate this mouse at its 8,000Hz maximum, though: High polling rates are really only useful when paired with high-refresh monitors that can keep up with the performance increase. To make the best use of an 8,000Hz polling rate, we recommend at least a 240Hz monitor like the LG 27 UltraGear Gaming Monitor (27GR83Q).

Software: To Get Glorious Performance, Use the App

Downloading the Glorious Core software utility is essential, since it lets you change the polling rate and DPI settings (100dpi to 26,000dpi) of the Model D 2 Pro. Without the utility, you can only cycle through the four default DPI presets (400dpi, 800dpi, 1,600dpi, and 3,200dpi), and that using a button on the mouse.

(Credit: Glorious)

Glorious Core also allows customization of any other Glorious products you might own, along with facilitating firmware updates. The Model D 2 Pro has no RGB lighting to be controlled via software, but you can assign new key bindings to all its buttons using the utility.

Glorious Core can store three settings profiles, and it allows you to export or import those settings to a separate storage device. Features like this are handy for swapping mouse use between computers (say, in a tournament environment), or if you need a different group of settings tweaks for different games or users.

(Credit: Glorious)

You can even fine-tune the lift-off distance of the mouse, changing how far above your desk the sensor begins to detect movement.

Verdict: Competitive Performance for a Competitive Price

The Glorious Model D 2 Pro is a prime example of what we expect from a “professional” piece of PC-gaming hardware. Its comfortable shape and top-tier features make it a crucial part of the setup of a competitive player who is trying to optimize every PC touch point for victory. You’ll need a modern gaming monitor to make full use of that peak polling rate, but that’s the cost of remaining competitive in this field.