Microsoft announces the new SideWinder Mouse

Microsoft's legendary SideWinder line is back, with a new mouse announced this morning at the Games Convention in Liepzig, Germany. The SideWinder Mouse has been designed from the ground up for superior gaming performance, and is brimming with top-end features:

• A "macro record" button, for binding a string of commands to a single button
• Five other buttons that can be mapped to your choice of function
• Removable weights for perfect balance
• A "quick turn" function, enabling you to spin on the spot with a touch of a button
• On-the-fly DPI switching, as already seen in Microsoft's Habu Razr: click a button to choose between three sensitivity levels
• A built-in LCD screen that shows the DPI setting and macro record icons
• Changeable feet, so it'll glide perfectly over any surface
• A dedicated Game Explorer button, giving instant access to the Games Explorer in Windows Vista.

It's wired - no chance of missing a vital shot thanks to a tricky wireless signal - but it comes with a cable anchor, so the cable is weighed down on the desk and you don't have to worry about hauling it throught the mass of cabling lurking behind your gaming rig.

That would be just about every excuse for losing at Quake busted in one single product, and it's all wrapped up in a black-and-red chassis with metal switches that should perfectly complement the pimped-out, blue-lit gaming rig without looking too out of place next to a slightly more normal PC. It's out on September 27th, and will be $79.95 in the US; we'll update this when the UK price is confirmed.