Other Good Gaming Mice to Consider
Photograph: Henri Robbins
Corsair Sabre V2 Pro Ultralight for $130: When I first reviewed the new 36-gram Sabre, I was wowed by its weight but critical of its overly thin shell and flimsy construction. However, I accepted these as being a part of its innate nature as the lightest-possible mouse, and I’m incredibly glad that it exists. It’s a great option if you’re willing to sacrifice everything in the name of “simplifying and adding lightness,” as car designer Colin Chapman put it. But it’s probably not the right choice if you want something that feels substantial or meaningful beyond that.
Corsair Sabre V2 Carbon Fiber and Magnesium for $170: While neither of these carry the same groundbreaking lightness of their predecessor (they both hover just below the 60-gram mark), they offer a much more refined design with premium materials and rigidity that’s unmatched by Corsair’s mainstream competitors. While they lag a bit behind in performance, they both feel fantastic to fling around a desk while providing a much more sturdy chassis that gives the impression they can withstand some serious use. Unless you really love the looks or science of carbon fiber, the less-expensive magnesium chassis is definitely the way to go in terms of both sturdiness and on-desk appeal.
Logitech Pro X Superlight 2 Dex for $160: This sculpted mouse predates the Deathadder V4 Pro by over a year and, because of this, the specs lag slightly behind it. However, the shape is just as comfortable, and the internals are still fantastic for anyone except the absolute most-discerning. The best part of this mouse is that, these days, it can easily be found on a significant discount. If you don’t want to shell out the extra cash for Razer’s latest model, or if you prefer Logitech’s software and styling, this is the mouse for you.
Photograph: Henri Robbins
Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE for $80: While MMO-focused mice aren’t finding themselves in the spotlight anymore (much like many of the MMOs that required numpads, and even numpads themselves, for that matter), there are still a few new models kicking around. The Scimitar is one of the most modern ones, adding adjustability to the classic numpad-on-the-side formula with a sliding rail to accommodate different grip styles and hand sizes. While this mouse obviously doesn’t compete with other models on this list in terms of technical specs or weight, it’s a really great mouse for the kinds of games that still necessitate having swathes of macros at your fingertips.
Steelseries Aerox 3 for $100: While it doesn’t have nearly the same weight or speed advantages as offerings from Razer and Logitech, the Aerox 3 is still a great mouse in its own special way. Weighing in at only 66 grams and being one of the only waterproof mice on this list (I literally ran it under a sink for a couple minutes to test this), this mouse is great for multi-user gaming computers, accident-prone individuals, and/or the poolside gaming setup of your dreams. Plus, built-in Bluetooth connectivity means you aren’t stuck with a dongle! However, 1000 Hz polling and 18,000 DPI do mean that, if you aren’t looking for something that’s more durable than average, you may be able to get a good bit more performance for a comparable price.
Logitech G203 for $27: Budget gaming mice often forgo a lot of the conveniences and performance you get out of nicer models, but the Logitech G203 never feels like it’s lacking. The sensor has a lower maximum sensitivity than you’ll get out of a more expensive offering—8,000 dots per inch—so if you need that top-end sensitivity, you’ll want to look elsewhere, but it features six buttons, compatibility with Logitech’s G Hub software, and, most importantly, has RGB lighting. Those are all things you’d typically expect to pay more for.
Photograph: Henri Robbins
Razer Viper V3 Pro for $100: The previous-gen Viper V3 Pro remains a solid choice, especially since it’s selling for much less than the newer model. It remains an uncompromising mouse for lightweight, high-speed gaming performance. Despite being a couple of years old at this point, it still has competitive specs, the same great symmetrical shape, and some of the best-feeling buttons on the market. The battery lasts an incredibly long time (it’s rated for over 95 hours, and I didn’t need to charge it once during my testing). And with the included HyperPolling dongle, the mouse is capable of up to 8,000-Hz polling.
Sony Inzone Mouse-A for $148: Sony’s Inzone line is meant for a relatively upmarket audience, as evidenced by the price and build quality of both this mouse and its companion KBD-H75 keyboard. They are both incredibly well-made, with premium build quality and competitive specs. The Mouse-A is one of the lightest on this list, weighing only 48 grams. Despite this, it feels far more premium than other mice of comparable weight, using soft-touch plastics and feeling incredibly rigid during use. The mouse buttons feel good, with a subtle click, and the overall shape is simple and non-sculpted, comfortable for both left- and right-handed use (although it only has side buttons for right-handed users). This mouse has issues with wireless connectivity and battery life (between tests, I found it drained the entire battery life while disconnected), and I didn’t like the mouse wheel—there was a lot of space between each “bump” on the wheel, and I regularly found myself getting stuck between bumps when trying to scroll, resulting in a missed input. Like anything using a soft-touch coating, there is a concern that it will wear away and leave unsightly spots of exposed plastic with continuous use.
Great Mousepads
One of the cheapest things you can do to upgrade your PC gaming experience is to invest in a high-quality mousepad. If you’re a mouse-and-keyboard gamer, having the right surface for your trusty little rodent can be super helpful. Not only do you have a nice little area of your desk cordoned off for mouse use, but you also get a surface designed to be as friction-free and slick as possible—so you’ll be as quick as possible.
Harber London Professional Leather Desk Mat for $239: Despite more than a year of use, this Harber London leather desk mat still looks exquisite. The pebbled leather is supple and has a nice texture, but your mouse will glide over it effortlessly. It comes in three sizes and three colors.
SteelSeries QcK Mouse Pad for $11: SteelSeries’ QcK mousepad is one of my all-time favorites. The medium size is perfect for most desks, even small ones. It’s well-made and doesn’t fray easily—cheaper mousepads often fray at the edges, which ruins the aesthetic a good mousepad can lend to a workstation.
Photograph: Grovemade
Grovemade Wool Felt Desk Pad for $70: This doesn’t seem like your usual gaming accessory, because it’s not. It’s a wool felt pad from Portland, Oregon, company Grovemade, and it’s large enough to fit a keyboard and a mouse with room to spare. It feels soft and plush under your wrists, and all of the gaming mice on this list just glide over its surface; it’s like they’re sliding on glass. It’s a big surprise, honestly. Not to mention, a felt desk pad adds an air of sophistication and style to any desk, without making it seem too uptight. The color looks amazing under RGB lighting in a dark room. It’s an easy and affordable way to inject some unique style into your work (and play) space.
What Makes a Good Gaming Mouse?
Here are a few features that really separate a gaming mouse from a regular came-with-my-PC kind of mouse:
Extra-sensitive optical sensors: Gaming mice should have more sensitive optical sensors that can detect smaller movements more quickly than a standard mouse.
More buttons: At a minimum, a good gaming mouse should have a clickable scroll wheel, a button for adjusting sensitivity, and two buttons where your thumb rests. Those extra thumb buttons can be lifesavers in competitive games.
Better buttons: They should also have higher-quality buttons, and more of them, than a standard office mouse. The left and right buttons should have individual switches inside, tensioned to register rapid clicks and reinforced to withstand more frequent clicks than a normal mouse. Top-of-the-line gaming mice often feature proprietary mechanical switches inside that give them a more tactile feel when you click.
Polling rate: For most games, the typical 1,000-Hz polling rate will be sufficient, but if you play a lot of fast-paced competitive games, where split-second actions can be crucial to victory, than you may get some benefit out of mice with faster polling rates.
Don’t buy the DPI hype: Dots per inch (DPI) is a metric that describes a mouse’s overall sensitivity. A higher dpi means it can respond quicker, which is helpful in competitive online games. However, even if your mouse can go all the way up to, say, 20,000 dpi, most people (even in online games) keep their sensitivity around 1,000 to 1,600 dpi. More doesn’t necessarily mean better.
Your Palm Size and Grip Style Matters
A major aspect when shopping for a gaming mouse is size. Using a mouse that’s too small for your hand can cause strain on your hand and wrist, while a mouse that’s too large can feel unwieldy and be difficult to move precisely. It’s important to measure your hand and take into account the grip style you plan to use.
There are three primary mouse grips: Palm grip, claw grip, and fingertip grip. Palm grip is typically considered the most accurate but least agile, and it’s how most people use their mouse day-to-day. Your entire hand sits on the mouse, with your palm resting on the back half and your fingers laid along the mouse buttons. Claw grip is more agile, but will sacrifice some accuracy and stability. For this grip, you rest the bottom of your hand against the mouse while bending your fingers into a claw-like shape, leaving a significant amount of open air between your fingertips and the back of your hand. Fingertip grip has the least contact and allows for the most agility, but also sacrifices even more stability. With this grip, your hand will hover over the mouse, with your fingertips resting on the mouse buttons, and your thumb and pinky finger gripping the mouse from either side.
For a standard mouse used with a palm grip, the best way to determine the correct size is to measure the distance from the tip of your middle finger to the bottom of your palm, and compare those numbers to an online guide. Rocket Jump Ninja has a helpful tool for this, which also provides measurements of the recommended mice for cross-referencing. Alternatively, I’ve found it helpful to hold your hand in an arc as if you’re holding a mouse, and measure the distance from the bottom of your palm to your fingertips to get a measurement you can directly compare to mouse length. This method can also work for claw grip, but since the bottom of your palm will be resting directly on the mouse instead of sitting at the back, I find it better to err on the side of caution and pick a mouse that’s a few millimeters longer than you need.
Mouse sizing is dependent on the type of mouse you’re looking for: Whether chasing lightness or portability, there are quite a few short and small mice on the market. Compact or fingertip-grip mice like the Razer Basilisk Mobile or the G-Wolves Fenrir won’t fit the standard recommendations of mouse measurements. Instead, for a mouse like this (or any mouse you plan to use with a fingertip grip), I find it best to compare the mouse’s width to the distance between your thumb and your pinky finger (or your ring finger, depending on how you hold a mouse) in a comfortable gripping position. A mouse that’s too narrow can cause strain on your hand, while one that’s too wide can be difficult to properly grip and move.
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