What motivates Fortnite gamers to compete in a battle where survival is determined by split-second differences is the desire to win and be the last person standing. This instinct is also what pushes you to continue playing and to look for ways to up your skills.
Evolving as a Fortnite player means working on things like strategically choosing your initial landing spot, collecting weapons, gathering building mats, rotating towards the gradually shrinking safe zone, building defenses, taking high ground, and finally gunplay. But outside of these strictly gameplay elements, the hardware that a player uses will also significantly impact their performance. This is because having the right hardware will help a player optimize their performance when it matters the most. The type of gear that can help enhance a player’s performance include their monitor, large or extended mousepads, and/or keyboard (tilted or pushed to the left), but the piece of hardware that plays a central role in Fortnite gameplay is the mouse, so a player’s choice of mouse has added importance in helping them in their quest to win.
The things players usually examine when picking a mouse include its shape, hand size, grip style, comfort, sensor, and DPI settings, among others. But something that a player should also give weight to when choosing a mouse is the specifics of the actual game, namely the scenarios that they will encounter and the mechanics that they use, since they directly impact a player’s performance within the game.
Here are some of the most common scenarios and in-game mechanics a player will face in Fortnite:
· Rotating to or moving through different zones via tarping (e.g., using triangle tarps, snake tarps, starlight tarps and/or upwards tarps).
· Taking or retaking the high ground by building 90s.
· Editing and then resetting builds using scroll wheel resets, which requires free building practice.
· Fight practices where you repetitively work on things like player movements/peeks, boxing, wall builds, and gun delays (for both swapping and recoils).
Almost all of the scenarios described above require a mix of various mechanics with your mouse in order to execute them successfully. The mechanics that are most important in these scenarios include multi-angle movements, lifting, and tracking. This then allows a Fortnite player who becomes more adept at these mechanics to perform better. To get a better sense of the matter, ZOWIE’s Human & Machine Innovation Lab conducted motion capture and electromyography (EMG) tests to obtain objective data that measured how players performed in each of these mechanics.
Our tests showed that claw-grippers were able to perform multi-angle movement exceptionally well when using the U series of mice. This is because the U series mice feature an inward-curved design on both sides which allowed for more agility. The curved design of the left-side when combined with the overall curve of the back was also proven in the lab to support faster clicking with the index finger. Finally, the curve on the right side promotes a more balanced exertion of force on both sides of the palm leading to more stability when moving the mouse.
Tests that involved lifting found that the S series of mice produced notable results. This is due to the fact that these series of mice feature larger left and right tilt angles, while also integrating finger support points, which altogether allowed the players to apply upward force more easily. This means that players using the S series are able to lift the mouse quickly and then seamlessly transition into their next motion.
The results from tracking tests showed that the S series of mice allowed for the most stable mouse movements by the players tested, which in turn produced higher accuracy percentages compared to the other mice that were tested. The better performance is due to the S series’ shorter overall design which together with the left and right curves let the palm muscles on both sides of the hand control the mouse with more stability and flexibility when tracking.
For more in-depth information on the various series of Sports Science Mice offered by ZOWIE, including the data from our tests check the links below:
