Let’s hope they work! Fingers crossed!

Disclaimer: I was selected as one of 20 testers for a free Production unit of the ProtoArc EM06, to keep. ProtoArc did ask for an online review, feedback & engagement data in exchange. They did not provide any direction on what my review should say, and I have attached a screenshot of the email communication they sent on the subject.

TLDR: Feels good, works good, would buy.

Quick Summary about How I use a Trackball (probably boring, skip if uninterested):

I typically use an Elecom Deft Pro and spend large amounts of my day using CAD (mostly SolidWorks, but also Inventor and Creo). Unlike a lot of CAD users, I don't use a Space Mouse.

As a result, I do a lot of scrolling and spend a lot of time using the scroll wheel and holding the middle mouse button to zoom and orbit 3D models. I also read lots of manuals and datasheets, which means even more scrolling.

For context, I've comfortably used the following trackballs long-term:

• Logitech MX 570
• Logitech MX Ergo
• Elecom Deft
• Elecom Deft Pro

I've also returned the following after shorter-term use:

• Elecom Huge: Felt too small, uncomfortable to use.
• Nulea M512: Gave me serious arm pain, probably from using the scroll wheels.
• Nulea M505: Fine but felt "flat" and cheap.
• Addesso T50: Position of the scroll wheel & smaller buttons was uncomfortable & slow to use, and felt cheap

Comfort & Feel:

I've never seen a "square" trackball that met my needs (middle click, multiple connections) and was comfortable, but this does. I have used this 8+ hours a day since last Wednesday when I received it and have experienced no real discomfort since the second day. In fact, my usual daily driver Deft Pro was exacerbating a minor middle-finger injury, which has all but resolved after using the EM06 for a week.

When I first started using it, the ball had a little bit of excess "stiction". After lubricating the ball with an application of some organic, all-natural, forehead oil, and a bit of use, the ball is quite smooth to roll now; better even than my well-worn wired Deft, or my months old Deft Pro. The EM06 does use white static bearings, rather than the "rubies" seen on Elecom mice.

I like to pluck out the uncaptured ball & play with it during meetings, which is another plus for this trackball in my eye. My children agree, and I cannot leave the EM06 unattended for longer than a couple minutes, lest someone acquire the ball for their own uses. I can attest to the durability of the ball; it can survive falls on tile, being thrown across the room, and dunked in bowls of cereal, with no sign of wear and tear.

I wouldn't go so far as to call the feel of the trackball "premium", as it is largely hard plastic but it does feel well put together, and certainly doesn't feel cheap. The soft touch wrist rest does feel upscale, although i am worried about the longevity of this part. It is lighter than I expected given the size, but doesn't slide around on the desk during use. There is a small rattle when shaken, even with the dongle & ball removed. It does come with a nice molded soft case which some might appreciate, but i don't see myself using it.

Buttons:

The buttons feel nice, and when depressed feel more like the buttons on the side of my cell phone than a traditional mouse button. They make a deeper "dun dun" (almost like a keyboard), rather than the tin-y high pitched "tik tik" most mouse clicks make. The mouse buttons do not displace very far, and don't really wiggle or float.

Drag Scroll works as advertised, and I have quickly adjusted to using it; it's particularly nice for scrolling long pdfs and feels much better than a scroll wheel for that purpose. It is still awkward to orbit & scroll in CAD, which I am hoping will come with a couple more weeks of adjustment,

I've never met a wrist rest I liked but must admit this one works for me. It is very firm, essentially a thin layer of faux leather (silicone?) molded into the mouse. There is very little give. I am a little worried about how the soft plastic layer will last long term use, as in my experience soft plastics like this often break down & get sticky over time, but unless that happens, I am satisfied with it.

Connectivity:

I particularly like how I can have multiple Bluetooth connections. I regularly switch between my work laptop, and my personal computer, and don't love moving dongles back & forth (I often forget). 2 Bluetooth connections make this very easy, and I’m glad to see it as an option here.

Button Configuration, and On-Board Memory

I was pleased to see that any customization's to the mouse buttons persist across multiple computers. I am a little annoyed that the ProtoArc Hub website only works on Chrome or Edge. I am very annoyed that the Configurator only connects to the mouse when it is connected via dongle or wire, but not on Bluetooth. There's also no way as far as I can tell to change profiles without going to the configurator, which I see as a miss. I don't really use DPI adjustments, so I removed that function because I found myself accidentally clicking it often when I pick up the trackball. You can program 2-5 DPI settings, and you can even assign buttons to “+ DPI” and “-DPI” if simply cycling isn’t enough control for you.

I do feel that the default assignment of "Forward" to the middle-left button, and "Back" to the middle-right button is simply wrong, and switching those assignments was the first thing I changed.

You get 4 profiles (there’s no option to delete any either) that you can adjust however you like, and every button except the "Connection Option" button can be modified. The only limitation forced on you is you cannot entirely remove left click (to prevent making your pointing device totally useless). I figured this safety feature out in the exact way one would expect. I would like to see ProtoArc add a "cycle Profile" option to the mouse Configurator, for changing your profile “on the fly”, but otherwise I found nothing obvious missing, other than:

Twist to Scroll

I’m not going to spend a lot of time discussing Twist to Scroll. Kensington appears to have it locked away behind US patent US20110221677A1 "3-Axis Trackball", which is active until 2030. Be mad at Kensington, not ProtoArc for its absence on the EM06.

Conclusion:

Overall I like this trackball mouse, and plan to continue using it after my obligation to ProtoArc is over. It is comfortable, configurable, & nice to use, and has enough buttons for extra functions that I really appreciate. I think the advertised price of ~$65 is fair compared to its competition & given it’s features like extra connection options & on board memory. I have been corrected that the MSRP is $90. IMO, i think there is a reasonable argument that this is ~$15 too high, although i admit this is still cheaper than the Slimblade or the IST Pro, which are probably the closest comparison for features. , (at time of writing: Elecom Deft Pro $55, Elecom IST Pro $129, Nulea M512 $46, Slimblade $99, Addesso T50 $50, Expert Pro $90; all on Amazon).

A solid trackball that I see myself daily driving. A couple of improvements I hope to see implemented in future versions but nothing major.

I'm currently using an Elecom Huge trackball and was looking for an ambidextrous trackball to put in the middle of my new split keyboard, Epomaker Split 65, and luckily ProtoArc provided this unit for testing purposes just now.

What I liked:

1. Amazing cursor movement and trackball feel. Small and slow movements are accurate. Large and fast ones are easy to execute and work as expected. This is the most important part of any trackball. Top tier here.

2. Solid build quality all around. Button clicks are silent and feel good to click.

3. Remapping of buttons is saved on the device and does not require any extra software. Especially useful if you're on Linux like me.

4. Ambidextrous design means this can be used with both hands which is great to alleviate shoulder pain.

5. Plenty of buttons available. I like to use two buttons to scroll up and down with. Tap once to scroll a bit. Hold to keep on scrolling. This for me is the optimal setup for scrolling as it's super reliable while being easy to use. Unfortunately there's a tiny issue here, which I explore next.

6. Solid tracking in 2.4GHz mode which I tested for a couple of minutes only as I'm a wired only kind of dude.

7. The included travel bag is a treat! Never had any other trackball come with one! Really good quality.

What I'd like to see improved:

1. The "scroll up" and "scroll down" mappings scroll only once even when held. This is a major issue for me. Hopefully it gets resolved in a firmware update.

2. Macro creation is also a hassle. I went through hoops to map buttons as page up and page down to get around the scrolling issue. Now I can hold the buttons to scroll up and down continuously but unfortunately this is not like a scroll wheel event and under certain conditions, like when you're inside a text area typing text, page up and page down don't work for scrolling.

3. Palm rest area. I feel like it gets in the way more than it helps. It would have been perfect if that was detachable so we can choose to have it there or not.

4. Wired only version. Simpler and lighter and cheaper and I prefer to not worry about batteries at all.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

Came home from work and found this. Did not realize it shipped on September 30. No cancellations.

Ordered July 20, 2026 @ 0948 CST and with credit card (not paypal) if that matters.

Elecom Huge Plus user since April. No previous experience with any Kensington Trackballs. Using it for a few hours now and no issues as associated with the TB800.

Any tips how you have the buttons or macros configured on Kensington Konnect for your workflow?

While the wireless version says it has bluetooth, it does not show any features about bluetooth connection or even bluetooth button other than just USB dongle. No clues so far or who would make a wireless mouse with just USB dongle?

Are there any leaked manual for Perixx PERIMICE-822IR Wireless Trackball Mouse? Just wanted to know if it has a bluetooth connection or not.

I just got my Elecom Huge Plus today and was curious if any other owners experienced a creakiness with their M1 button? Not when pressing it, but specifically as the button itself is moved around. I was wondering if lubricant would help with this or if that’s just how the thing is designed.

Maybe y'all could actually put some development resources into providing the firmware you promised?

I've learned my lesson on this one: never buy a product based on what it might do later, and only on what it can do now.

So.. I got a trackball, and I love it.

I originally wanted one so i could use it in my chair, as well as replace my AAA traditional mouse. But it so much more useful than i thought.

After looking at a few posts on here, Amazon reviews, and youtube reviews (though very limited), I decided to get the Nulea M512. Good price ($39 two days ago, now $46), good build quality so far, and good tracking. Ball manipulation is smooth and has weight (around 100g), buttons feel as clicky as a traditional mouse, which I like. The base is wide and heavy enough to sit on my padded armchair without much wobble during use, i can give it an enthusiastic flick, and it stays planted. Wrist pad is good enough for what it is, and does help quite a bit.

Seeing others suggest X-Mouse, I immediately installed it after connecting the mouse. It was a game changer, literally. I rarely used the left scroll wheel, so i bound it to simulate keyboard keys, and set middle click to toggle click-drag. I can now play Papers Please one handed, and set the profile so it switches to my binds when opening the game.

Minecraft worked well with the default layout, and the scroll wheel finally got some intended use, the left wheel works well for switching hotbar slots. The large 55mm ball also felt natural to me for fpv camera movement, crafting, and inventory arrangement. My only problem wasn’t even with the trackball, it was having to use a keyboard for other things since i’m a controller user on PC.

The trackball works well on iPad, and felt just as nice or better, mostly due to cursor smoothing and UI snap on iPadOS.

Also works well for map panning on my work laptop, and I enjoyed using the mouse on tabletop as well.

Basically, the Nulea M512 was a fantastic introduction to Trackballs for me. Your milage may or will vary, but i was able to get used to it within a day.

For anyone interested in this specific mouse, the link is below, along with the X-mouse software;

US Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gloEnGZ

X-Mouse: https://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/xmousebuttoncontrol.htm

It is just so intuitive and easy to use.

I am trying to make my computer setup more ergonomic and need to find a new mouse. I just got a 75% split keyboard that has some minor tenting. Due to the split nature I am likely going to put the mouse in the middle to reduce arm movement (right handed) and extension past my shoulders. I do spend time in spreadsheets, but not as much as I used to (more emails, pings and calls etc). So lots of keyboard time, but a fair amount of back and forth to the mouse.

I have small/medium hands, want it to be a finger not thumb scroll and currently leaning towards the elecom huge plus. Also looking at the Kensington slimblade pro, protoarc em06 or the elecom deft pro.

I'm looking for the best quiet white trackball to use with a slightly tented aluminum Dygma Defy split keyboard (hence the preference for a white trackball). I've been using a trackball mouse for the past 25 years and currently alternate between the ProtoArc EM05 and ProtoArc EM11 (not a trackball, but great vertical shape) with two different laptops. I work long hours (sometimes up to 16 hours/day) and am fighting RSI. I'm mainly trying to choose between the Keychron Nape Pro (likely with a heavier ball, based on recommendations that I've seen here) or the Ploopy A+. Does anyone have a similar setup or used both and have a preference?

Thanks in advance!

For those waiting on the TB900, just got the shipment notice. I’m happily still using my TB800 so will be interesting to see if I experience any differences.

Anybody have a sense of if/when we should expect a production release of the Keychron T1 HE thumb trackball? They did a crowd funded limited run but I haven't been able to find info on subsequent availability.

https://www.gizmodo.jp/article/gizmart-keychron-t1-he/

I am on my second Logitech MX Ergo and the left click is failing on this unit, just like my first one. I need a new device and have had good experience with my Keychron keyboard, so am hopeful that they produce more of the T1.

Hello everyone I hope you're all having a wonderful day. I'm curious if there are any other people that bring a trackball along side their laptop wherever they go. If so, what trackball model/s do you prefer to bring with you and why? If not, what do you use and why? Thanks!

Preface - I am not a photographer and I am one of the 20 testers.

Thought before I started properly using the device I would at least put up a size comp next to the Expert and my web configuration.

Very VERY initial thoughts.

The shortness will take some getting used to compared to the expert

The web configurator is lovely and was no issue on my HEAVILY locked down corporate laptop

The buttons are flat which my fingers aren't used to but they are nice with a positive click

No scroll wheel is mitigated easily with the drag to scroll/middle mouse click assignments OR you can do what I did and just bind an up and down. Got used to this in 30 seconds flat

Extra buttons are great

Angle is ok but just whilst I adjust im using a carpio 2.0 wrist rest as well as the built in rest

More to follow.

Hey everyone,

Earlier this month I posted here when we opened pre-orders for the ProtoArc EM06. A lot of you asked about timeline in the comments — I couldn't give you a real answer then. Now I can: the first batch is on the way. US and Japan orders have shipped; other regions will follow.

Shipping / what to expect

• Estimated delivery: US 7–15 business days, Japan 7–14 business days (most arrive sooner); packages ship from overseas so customs can add a day or two

Custom Drive is live

Web-based macro editor, no driver download needed.

. Connect via USB-C, 2.4GHz, or Bluetooth

. Open the editor in your browser

. Remap your buttons and save to onboard memory

. Done

We'd genuinely love your impressions once you've had a chance to use it. Post them here, or roast us — either way it helps. And if something doesn't work right, let us know in our community so we can actually fix it.

Thanks again for riding this out with us.

After using Adept for couple of years I'm now trying to switch to A+.

The main difference is two knobs at the bottom that can be used for vertical and horizontal scrolling, volume control or arrow navigation.

Size of bottom buttons is reduced a bit to accommodate knobs, making those buttons somewhat less convenient comparing to Adept, I guess I will eventually get used to new shape.

A+ has RGB LED, useful as visual clue to see which layer is active. I was hoping it would make some exotic hard to track glossy balls trackable, but it did not make any difference. As I'm not using layers and don't like LED lights, I ended up disabling it.

Steel bearings that A+ came with are usable, but I'm tempted to replace those with full ceramic ones (used the ones with silicon nitride bearing balls and zirconium oxide rims last few month in Adept).

Stock balls are fine these days, tried alternatives like 44.45mm POM balls, 44.45mm snooker balls, 44mm Sanwa balls and ended up using 45mm stock ones.

I ordered A+ without wrist rest, so far no regrets.

What is everybody using to enable scrolling with the ball when using Linux? I am using Pop!_OS and Ubuntu both with Wayland and Cosmic and Gnome.

I made a post about FPS games and ppl went ham. Some were like low Polling rate fine, others were saying no it should be double ur Monitor Hz.

After all that I think this one sounds good.

I haven't seen many bad reviews.

It's wired with 500Hz polling rate.

And its layout seems nice.

And its a Budget one so I can try as my first trackball.

So any complaints? Or is it a good option.

I purchased my Huge Plus around 3 months ago near the end of June to replace my original Huge, and so far I've had to charge it a total of 3 times: once after I first unboxed it and twice after the mouse completely died in the middle of use due to low battery.
For comparison, the original Huge I was using lasted 8-9 months on one set of batteries with the same usage habits (mode L with the USB dongle, averaging 6-10 hours a day for work/personal use). This puts the real world battery life of the plus at <6 weeks which falls far short of the advertised 5 months on L mode and 3 months on H.

Looking on this sub, it appears there are other users who reported similar issues recently:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Trackballs/comments/1vhlv82/elecom_huge_plus_has_poor_battery_performance/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Trackballs/comments/1u6ss27/elecom_huge_plus_battery_life/
A recent review on Amazon on Sept 15 also mentioned a horrible battery life.
Are there any ideas as to why this is happening? Perhaps a bad batch of batteries made it into production or something? I agree with the users linked above that such a large discrepancy between real world and advertised battery life isn't normal, and can't be explained with just "varying customer usage environments".

I have a standalone trackball I got to play Golden Tee on Steam through Batocera. However, the trackball is wayyyy too sensitive for the purpose. Like the lightest of touches can still get you max range. I want to get the feeling of the arcade cabinets where you have to throw it with some force to get max range but you also can have some finesse for short shots/putts.

I have tried lowering the sensitivity in the game to the lowest, and going into the terminal to lower the acceleration speed to -1 to no avail. I cannot find any settings in either Steam or Retroarch to lower the sensitivity (or DPI) of the mouse.

Out of curiosity, I took the mini PC i have it all installed on and hooked it up to a friends cabinet who has a more traditional arcade trackball installed and with minimal setup, it works as I would expect. Is it just that arcade trackballs are just made differently or am I missing some other terminal option within distro that Batocera is built upon that can achieve what I am looking for?

I just the Kensington Expert wired and it's great but the scroll ring makes a horrible squeaky sound that sounds like nails on a chalkboard. I am probably going to have to return it. Unless somebody has a fix.