Glorious Model D Review

Glorious Model D

Pros:

• Lightweight, effortless gliding experience
• Low latency
• Punchy RGB

Cons:

• No button layers
• Scroll wheel click isn't great

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Glorious Model D specs

Alternatives

If you want to upgrade performance and build quality: The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro uses a similar design but is better in several areas. It’s lighter, has lower latency, has a higher DPI sensor that is more accurate, and the switches are more durable. But it’s far more expensive.

If you want a wireless gaming mouse: The Glorious Model D Wireless is mostly the same gaming mouse but without a wire. You’ll also get a wider DPI range and a better sensor.

If you want a lighter gaming mouse: The Pulsar Xlite V2 shaves off a few grams and has a similar shape.

Performance

Weight

The Glorious Model D is an extremely lightweight gaming mouse at 69 grams, making it nearly disappear in your hand and glide effortlessly on a mousepad. The body has honeycomb-shaped holes on the top and bottom, partly explaining how it cuts weight.

Going much below this weight gets you into the ultralight category, where you start to make sacrifices in features. The Razer Viper V2 Pro is a good alternative if you’re looking for an S-tier gaming mouse that weighs less.

Sensor

The PixArt PMW3360 sensor in the Glorious Model D is accurate and fast compared to some gaming mice with a similar price tag. The sensor maxes out at 12,000 DPI. The max DPI may be a letdown for some gamers who are used to seeing high-end mice with 30,000 DPIs. But in practice, high DPIs are more marketing hype than game advantages.

It’s better to focus on whether the sensor has at least a 1000 Hz polling rate to help reduce latency and the IPS rating for accurate tracking at speed. The Model D tracks at up to 250 inches per second (IPS), which is more than fast enough for the quickest mouse flicks but can be beaten by models notching 500-plus IPS ratings.

Check out the Glorious Model D Wireless if you want a higher DPI sensor with a higher IPS rating.

Polling rate

The Glorious Model D has a max 1000 Hz polling rate that matches what is commonly found in the best gaming mice. While you can select a lower polling rate in Glorious’s software, there’s little reason to slow down your mouse.

Reporting actions back to your computer at 1,000 times per second improves latency, and there’s now battery drainage concern with a high polling rate since this is a wired gaming mouse.

There are few gaming mice available with higher polling rates. The Razer Viper 8K Hz maxes out at an 8000 Hz polling rate. Many flagship Razer gaming mice can also be paired with Razer’s aftermarket HyperPolling dongle to increase polling rates from 1000 Hz to 4000 Hz.

Button performance and sound

Glorious has made a name for itself among gamers who like tactile-feeling peripherals and stuck to this winning formula with the Model D. The Omron mechanical switches feel great if you want a mouse with tactile feedback.

Some reviewers noted some wobble with the L/R buttons, but we didn’t experience that with the model we tested. Chalk it up to random chance, or Glorious made some design updates from early versions to fix this issue.

One letdown is the durability of the Omron switches. The switches are rated for 20 million clicks, nearly unpassable, while other mid-range gaming mice are rated for at least 40 million clicks. But we’ll forgive Glorious a smidge since the Model D is well-built otherwise.

Gliding

The Glorious Model D glides on a mousepad like a puck on freshly-surfaced ice. It’s practically unmatched.

We’ve tested endless lightweight gaming mice, which all glide well. But the Glorious Model D is in its own class, and we can’t pinpoint why. Perhaps it’s some special PTFE used with Glorious’s G-Skates. Maybe it’s the weight. It could be the strategically-placed feet. It’s likely all of these features that combine for such a smooth gliding experience.

The cable is lightweight, so there isn’t any noticeable drag.

Design

Buttons

The Glorious Model D isn’t built for MMO and MOBA gaming, so don’t expect a ton of configurable buttons. Glorious kept things simple with a standard six-button layout that is common with the best FPS gaming mice.

The L/R buttons are scalloped and slightly pointed on the exteriors, helping to center your fingers. One design cue that stands out is the size and placement of the two side buttons. The two side buttons are placed perfectly on the inward curve of the body and are impossible to miss. Some gaming mice with smaller and slimmer side buttons have a learning curve, but that’s not the case here.

Scroll wheel

The scroll wheel has big notches surrounding the wheel, and the notches are spaced out farther and are deeper than most other gaming mice. The result is better grip-ability, enhanced with the rubberized material wrapping the scroll wheel.

I have a minor gripe with the scroll wheel. Actuating a wheel click takes more downward pressure than other competing models. I missed clicking the wheel when applying too little pressure in several gaming instances. That may not be an issue for others, but it is noticeably different from other models.

As is expected in this category, there is no L/R tilt functionality.

Shape

The Glorious Model D is ergonomically-shaped and plays it safe without sharp curves or aggressive points that we can’t say for other popular gaming mice. We’re looking at you Logitech G502 Hero.

The subtle design approach is appreciated, partly because it makes our job as tech reviewers easier. Safe designs fit more hand shapes and grip styles, are comfortable, and are easily recommended.

The shape resembles a Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro and the older, populist mainstay, the Logitech G703. The top hump is balanced well toward the middle, albeit higher than many models, and there is a slight downward, left-to-right slant on top for better ergonomics. It’s comfortable without having an aggressive ergonomic shape, like The Razer Basilisk V3 or any Logitech gaming mice in the G502 series.

Hand size and grip style

You’ll like the Glorious Model D if you have medium to large hands. The top hump is somewhat high and provides good palm support. It is also a comparatively long gaming mouse at 127 cm. Jump over to the Glorious Model D- if you like everything about the Model D but want a smaller gaming mouse.

The Model D accommodates palm, claw, and fingertip grip styles well but isn’t purpose-built for claw, like the Cooler Master MM720. The top hump provides the necessary palm support for palm grips without being too high and obstructing your palm when using a fingertip grip.

The recessed curves and scalloped L/R buttons offer additional grip and easily center your fingers, which is excellent for claw grips.

Customization and software

RGB

RGB won’t make you a better gamer, but it’s hard to ignore the eye candy it provides and how a punchy RGB array move units. Glorious knows this, so the Model D is wrapped in RGB and defaults to a vibrant rainbow when plugging it in the first time.

There are strips of RGB spanning the length on both sides, plus in the scroll wheel. While it’s a letdown that there’s only one zone to customize, Glorious does soften the blow with some solid lighting effects.

Profiles

You can carry onboard up to four profiles customized in Glorious’s companion software. The most obvious way to take advantage of the personalized profiles is to remap the button behind the scroll wheel that cycles through DPIs by default.

Multiple onboard profiles can be convenient when using the Model D across software programs where custom configurations help with productivity or if you frequently change roles in specific games and want to change configurations on the fly.

Seamlessly switching profiles becomes necessary with the Model D since no auto-profile switching feature automatically changes customized configurations based on the game or program being used.

Glorious software

Glorious’s companion mouse software has most of the features most gamers will need, but it is missing some features that are either “must-haves” or “nice-to-haves,” depending on the gamer.

You can remap the buttons, customize the RGB, and save multiple profiles, all table stakes. One feature that stands out is adjusting the debounce time to up to 10 ms.

The few missing features are auto-profile switching and not including button layers. Auto-profile switching seamlessly changes the profile based on the current windowed program, and button layers add shift-like functionality for more input actions. Here’s more on what you can do with the Model D and Glorious’s software.

• Remap your mouse buttons, including assigning macros to specific buttons.
• Adjust the DPI presets in increments of 50 from 400 to 12,000
• Adjust the polling rate from a list including 125, 250, 500, and 1000 Hz presets
• Set a custom debounce time
• Customize the RGB effects

The full suite of customization options is only available in Windows. The Glorious software doesn’t work in macOS, though you can use the Glorious Model D on a Mac. You’ll just need to rely on the preset configuration or customize your mouse in Windows first.

In the box

• Glorious Model D with cable (2m)
• Extra mouse skates
• Sticker
• Product card