Finest PC gaming mouse 2020: Critiques and shopping for recommendation

If you wish to be aggressive in PC video games lately you’ll be able to neglect about utilizing a run-of-the-mill workplace mouse. As a substitute, you’ll want a robust gadget that’s optimized only for gaming.

Producers go to nice pains to design specialist units that give gamers an edge, with enhancements like distinctive physique dimensions and shapes, customizable weight, and further grips to extend pace and accuracy. On prime of that, the most effective gaming mice have distinctive {hardware} enhancements like extremely delicate sensors and complicated button configurations to maintain up with quick paced video games.

Deciding on the suitable mouse is a extremely private choice that wants cautious consideration. Components like the scale and form of your hand, your most well-liked grip type, the forms of video games you play, and the variety of buttons you want, are all components that you simply’ll need to ponder in your quest for the most effective gaming mouse.

Beneath you’ll discover a checklist of tried-and-tested units chosen by PCWorld reviewers that sit among the many vanguard of gaming mice. For a rundown on how they have been chosen and additional shopping for recommendation, learn our useful recommendation beneath our checklist of suggestions.

Table of Contents

1. Logitech G502 Hero – Finest wired gaming mouse / Finest general

Professionals

• Extremely snug
• Buttons now rated for 50 million clicks
• Hero sensor performs in addition to the PWM3366

Cons

• Costlier than the earlier mannequin, however not a lot has modified
• Pretty heavy, which could dissuade some customers
• Nonetheless no wi-fi choice

Logitech’s G502 mouse has gained a legendary standing right here at PCWorld by making our ‘Better of’ checklist yearly for the final 4 years, hitting the suitable notes for energy, consolation, and sturdiness. Beneath the hood the G502 is powered by a really correct Logitech Hero sensor, whose exact efficiency is very wanted by critical avid gamers.

Within the design division, it gives up dollops of consolation with an elongated pill-shaped physique and excessive scoop that’s equally appropriate for palm, claw, or fingertip customers. MMO and MOBA avid gamers are effectively catered to with 11 well-placed buttons that reply rapidly and are rated for as much as 50 million clicks. Admittedly, the mouse’s 121 gram weight doesn’t make it the lightest choice obtainable, however but it feels and performs simply in addition to lighter alternate options.

Learn our full
Logitech G502 Hero evaluate

2. Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ – Finest gaming mouse for tinkerers

Professionals

• Eminently customizable
• Makes use of a dependable PMW3389 sensor
• Feels sturdy

Cons

• Customization choices aren’t at all times intuitive
• Heavy, even with the weights eliminated
• Laborious to know whether or not Mad Catz peripherals are the extra dependable these days

The Mad Catz R.A.T 8+ is about as customizable as gaming mice come, that includes a modular design that lets you change up its part elements precisely as you want to discover your superb mouse form and weight. Doing so requires you to drag discrete levers and switch knobs built-in into the mouse’s physique, so there’s a reasonably steep studying curve earlier than you understand what you’re doing.

Nonetheless, when you love tinkering, this mouse will hold you entertained for hours at a time. It additionally doesn’t skimp within the button division, offering 10 buttons all advised, oriented in some fairly authentic positions for additional comfort. With a stripped-back, bare-bones look, the Mad Catz R.A.T 8+ additionally stands out within the crowd, making it an apparent speaking level at any group gaming classes.

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Mad Catz R.A.T. 8+ evaluate

3. SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wi-fi – Finest wi-fi / Finest for MOBA and MMO video games

Professionals

• 18 simply programmable buttons
• Weighs solely 89 grams
• Fast and responsive
• Twin Bluetooth 5.0 and a couple of.4GHz wi-fi

Cons

• Some buttons on the facet grid are onerous to achieve

The extra buttons, the heavier and slower gaming mice are usually, however the SteelSereis Aerox 9 bucks this development with a whopping 18 buttons and weighing simply 89 grams. Evidently, having 18 buttons at your disposal relatively than 6, 8 or 12, provides you a bit of extra firepower to launch instructions and macros in video games the place fast deployment is required—particularly in MMOs and MOBAs like The Elder Scrolls On-line or Closing Fantasy XIV.

On prime of the beneficiant button choice, the Aerox 9 incorporates a fast 18,000 DPI sensor and twin 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, so it’s extremely versatile and transportable. Design-wise, the Aerox 9 appears to be like and feels incredible because of a futuristic honeycomb-shaped again with RGB lighting. Moreover, because it weighs underneath 100 grams, it’s quick sufficient to maintain you aggressive in first-person shooters.

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SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wi-fi evaluate

4. HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wi-fi – Finest for esports / first-person shooters

Professionals

• Weighs simply 61 grams
• Has a extremely correct sensor
• Design is snug and aids efficiency

Cons

• Lacks Bluetooth
• Button configuration is boring
• Has just one RGB lighting zone

In case you’re merely an excellent gamer HyperX’s Pulsefire Haste Wi-fi is the type of mouse that may elevate you to the standing of excellence. Weighing simply 61 grams, it’s the lightest and quickest mouse I’ve had the pleasure of gaming with, feeling barely-there in my arms.

Simply wanting on the specs, you’d be mistaken for pondering its PAW3355 16,000 DPI sensor is a bit of underpowered—it’s not, proving extremely correct in shooters like Overwatch and CounterStrike: World Offensive, particularly with the DPI profile set to the bottom setting. Different issues that make this mouse a category act embrace its fast 2.4GHz wi-fi connectivity, futuristic and cozy honeycomb-shaped again, and the additional grips and PTFE glide skates that come equipped within the field.

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HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wi-fi evaluate

5. Cooler Grasp MM830 – Finest finances gaming mouse

Professionals

• Extremely snug and sturdy
• High-tier efficiency, with a PMW3360 sensor
• You may put a gun in your mouse, I assume

Cons

• D-pad is essentially the identical as some other thumb buttons
• OLED display screen is superfluous at greatest
• PWM3360 cranked to 24,000 DPI for no motive

The MM830 differentiates itself from different finances gaming mice with enjoyable options like a built-in D-pad and tiny OLED show which you could set as much as present info like your RAM, CPU, and GPU utilization stats. However wanting past these novelties, it additionally performs effectively in video games, which is infinitely extra necessary. Powering that efficiency is a top-end 24,000 DPI PMW3360 sensor, which for comparability’s sake, is identical because the premium Logitech Hero sensor simply with a better energy draw.

On prime of the mouse’s physique the MM830’s sports activities a textured plastic exterior that gives loads of grip in your hand. A delicate right-hand scoop additionally makes it extremely comfortable to make use of even for lengthy gaming stints.

Learn our full
Cooler Grasp MM830 evaluate

6. Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed – Finest dual-purpose gaming and productiveness mouse

Professionals

• Snug, ergonomic design
• Twin Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
• Lengthy battery life

Cons

• No RGB lighting
• Barely slower than top-shelf gaming mice

The Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed combines options for gaming in addition to productiveness, making it superb for each. Within the boardroom it syncs stealthily with its environment because of an all-black design with no RGB lighting zones. However beneath its modest exterior it hides a extremely delicate 14,000 DPI sensor, which is a stable performer in AAA video games.

Twin 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity helps you to change between your gaming PC and work laptop computer simply by flicking a change beneath the mouse’s physique. In contrast to some gaming mice, the Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed is powered by both an AA or AAA battery, making it ultraportable. It will possibly keep powered a whopping 235 hours in Wi-Fi mode and 615 hours in Bluetooth mode simply on a single AA battery.

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DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed evaluate

7. SteelSeries Rival 650 – Finest rechargeable wi-fi gaming mouse

Professionals

• Get 10 hours of cost in solely quarter-hour
• Snug and enticing design
• Detachable weight system offers loads of choices

Cons

• Heavier than some would possibly like
• Costly
• Third thumb button is small and awkwardly positioned

Two options stand out to make the SteelSeries Rival 650 a best choice for avid gamers. The primary is a twin sensor system comprised of a TrueMove 3 sensor and a devoted depth sensor. The depth sensor permits the Rival 650 to detect lift-off at a distance as small as half a millimeter, which is double the sensitivity of rival gaming mice. Evidently, when you’re susceptible to lifting, the Rival 650 ought to assist regular your goal.

The second characteristic highlighted by our PCWorld reviewer is its fast-charging functionality that will get you again gaming sooner when the battery runs out. SteelSeries claims simply quarter-hour charging time is sufficient to energy the mouse for 10 (or extra) hours of battery. On prime of those two helpful improvements the Rival 650 sports activities a sublime design that permits you to peel of the left and proper facet panels and regulate it to your most well-liked weight.

Learn our full
SteelSeries Rival 650 evaluate

How we take a look at gaming mice

To make sure that our gaming mice choices are the choose of the crop, the PCWorld staff topics them to in depth play testing in addition to a legion of different assessments. We scrutinize every thing from how effectively a mouse carry out in video games, to the scale and form of it within the hand, to consolation and ergonomics, to customizations. Listed below are the primary classes our assessments fall underneath:

• Gaming efficiency: On the finish of the day it doesn’t matter how a mouse appears to be like; it’s the way it performs that issues. To guage a mouse’s efficiency we glance particularly at how delicate and responsive its sensor is and likewise how effectively the sensor tracks motion. Precision can be a key consideration, with mice which might be extra correct usually scoring higher in our evaluations than those who aren’t. In wi-fi mice we additionally consider the pace and energy of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth alerts, conserving a glance out for purple flags like sign dropouts or interference. Some mice additionally include software program enhancements that decide the mouse’s lift-off distance, which we additionally look at in our testing.
• Design and ergonomics: You gained’t discover one other tech gadget for which design performs a extra essential a part of a consumer’s expertise. And, whereas it’s true that there’s nobody form, measurement, or configuration that matches each gamer, there’s sufficient variation on the market for each gamer to seek out their very own excellent match. When design, we take into account the scale and form of the gadget itself and the kind of hand it suits. Avid gamers have a tendency to make use of one among three widespread grip varieties—palm, claw, or fingertip—so a mouse’s compatibility with one or all of these varieties is an enormous consideration.
• Software program: Having the ability to tweak settings like your mouse’s DPI and polling fee and create particular profiles in your favourite video games could make or break your gaming expertise, which is why a mouse’s software program assist is so necessary. Our PCWorld reviewers’ focus right here is to think about the vary and scope of software program assist and the way readily settings will be modified, modified, and saved for future use.

What to search for in a gaming mouse

Connectivity: Wired versus wi-fi?

It was once usually effectively accepted that wired gaming mice had the sting over their wi-fi counterparts, offering avid gamers with a a lot sooner and extra correct sign between mice and PCs. Nevertheless, that’s much less true than it was once because of the recognition of two.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wi-fi applied sciences, which have virtually levelled the enjoying discipline.

I say virtually, as a result of there’s no denying that wired gaming mice nonetheless ship the quickest and most safe connections you may get. That mentioned, whether or not or not you select one sort over the opposite ought to come all the way down to your gaming priorities.

In case you’re a critical aggressive gamer or esports participant, the place profitable or shedding sits on a knife’s edge, choosing a wired mouse over a wi-fi one is an efficient choice, because it’s much less possible a sign dropout or interference will disrupt your play. Each aggressive edge counts. Nevertheless, wi-fi mice are infinitely extra transportable and will let you change between units at a whim, so if nimbleness and portability is extra necessary, a wi-fi mouse can be a greater match.

What measurement and form ought to I get?

Palms, identical to gaming mice, are available all completely different sizes and styles and for consolation causes it pays to match like with like. Whereas categorizing sizes of arms will be extremely subjective, chances are high you’ll be capable of guess whether or not your hand is on common small, medium, or massive. You may then discover a mouse that most closely fits from among the many measurement classes beneath:

• Small gaming mouse: Size: Lower than 6.7 inches; width: 2.9 to three.3 inches
• Medium gaming mouse: Size: 6.7 to 7.9 inches; width: 3.3 to three.9 inches
• Giant gaming mouse: Size: 7.9 inches; width: 3.9 to 4.3 inches

Gaming mice usually are available three shapes: left-handed, right-handed, and ambidextrous. Ambidextrous mice are designed to be impartial in that they are often simply as simply utilized by your left or proper hand. Alternatively, left-handed and right-handed mice are tailored for the dominant arms specified by their namesakes, typically sporting bespoke curves and button placements for one or the opposite. Except you turn between arms, utilizing a gaming mouse that matches your dominant hand will go a protracted strategy to bettering your efficiency and luxury.

Your most well-liked grip sort also needs to be thought-about when choosing a suitably formed mouse. Right here’s a tough information for matching grip varieties with mouse shapes:

• Palm grip: Lengthy, flat mice are usually a greater match and extra snug
• Claw grip: Narrower and smaller mice are inclined to swimsuit this grip type
• Fingertip grip: Lighter mice are sometimes most well-liked by fingertip grippers to scale back pressure

How mild ought to my mouse be?

Gaming mice weights have been steadily trending downwards over time as gamers search for lighter choices which might be faster to maneuver and stop arms and wrists getting overly drained or sore in lengthy play classes. FPS (first-person shooter) avid gamers particularly are inclined to go for the lightest mice doable, seeing each millisecond of pace benefit as value chasing.

Regardless of this, there’s no superb gaming mouse weight for all avid gamers, however relatively a deeply private choice. The truth is, some avid gamers—typically these with bigger arms or stronger arms—truly desire heavier mice for the additional stability they get. Nonetheless if you’re a kind of searching for the lightest mouse doable, something underneath 100 grams can be among the many lightest in the marketplace.

Does DPI actually matter?

Your mouse’s sensor is the important {hardware} part that relays motion to your PC. Mice sensors are rated for DPI, or dots per inch, which tells us how far a cursor strikes per inch of mouse motion—that’s, how delicate it’s. Producers actually hype up the significance of excessive DPIs, which could be a bit deceptive as a result of they don’t essentially equate to higher gaming efficiency (they will, however not in all circumstances).

For instance, when you play numerous FPS and wish the best possible accuracy whereas focusing on opponents, a decrease DPI (between 800-1,000) is preferable, since this lets you make brief, sharp, and exact actions extra simply. Nevertheless, when you make numerous vast, sweeping hand actions, or in case your show is a really excessive decision, a mouse with a excessive DPI (between 12,000-30,000 DPI) will be a bonus.

The beauty of most fashionable gaming mice is that they will change between DPI profiles simply by clicking a small button behind the mouse wheel. That mentioned, our recommendation is to go for a gaming mouse with the best DPI your finances permits, after which select your most well-liked setting for various gaming situations through the use of this useful DPI-switching characteristic.

Is an optical or laser sensor higher?

Optical sensors are the preferred with avid gamers since they have an inclination to have much less jitter and smoothing issues. These sensors work by casting down infrared or LED mild onto your mousepad and capturing hundreds of digital photographs per second, that then reveals the exact location of the mouse to the PC.

Alternatively, laser sensors use a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diode to find out positioning. Most often an optical sensor will do exactly effective. Nevertheless, when you plan on utilizing your mouse on a translucent floor (like glass), a laser sensor is preferable since it would have higher sensitivity to quite a lot of floor textures.

Button depend: What number of do I want?

The kind of video games you play ought to assist you decide what number of buttons you want. For instance, when you’re an enormous fan of actual time technique (RTS), role-playing video games (RPG), or massively multiplayer on-line (MMOs) video games, you’d be we’ll suggested to decide on a mouse with between 10 and18 buttons—just like the Razer Naga Professional or the SteelSeries Aerox 9. These video games usually require you to fireplace off numerous instructions rapidly, so the extra buttons it’s a must to program instructions and macros in, the higher.

On the flipside, if FPS is your go-to sport sort, you’ll most likely need to hold your button depend to between 6 and eight buttons. Chances are high you gained’t want the upper button-count in your smaller checklist of instructions. Plus, buttons have a tendency to extend a mouse’s weight, so choosing a mouse with fewer will most definitely imply it’s lighter and faster to maneuver within the frantic FPS motion.

RGB lighting or no?

RGB lighting is a enjoyable characteristic to have in any gaming gadget that may brighten up your gaming den with pops of colour. It will also be fairly helpful, permitting you to see your gadget higher in dimly lit rooms or at night time. And but, there could also be instances while you decide to make use of a mouse that has solely a minimal RGB, or none in any respect.

The most typical instance is when you plan on utilizing your gaming mouse covertly at work. On this case, mice just like the Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed, that haven’t any RGB lighting zones and might convincingly go as commonplace black workplace mice, are superb as a result of your colleagues can be none the wiser.