Mouse Buyer's Guide - PC Guide https://www.pcguide.com Practical Guides to PC & Tech at Home, Work, and Play Sat, 20 Apr 2024 15:02:33 +0000 en-US https://www.pcguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/PCguide-favicon-75x75.png Mouse Buyer's Guide - PC Guide https://www.pcguide.com 32 32 Best left-handed gaming mouse 2023 – ambidextrous, wireless https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-left-handed-gaming/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=275223 Mon, 04 Dec 2023 17:45:10 +0000 Best wireless mouse: top overall, gaming, budget picks https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-wireless/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=273083 Wed, 29 Nov 2023 15:48:47 +0000 Best gaming mouse for Modern Warfare 3: top overall, wireless, budget and high-performance picks https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-for-modern-warfare-3/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=239585 Thu, 05 Oct 2023 11:20:16 +0100 Best Trackball Mouse in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-trackball/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=21677 Mon, 12 Jun 2023 16:50:08 +0100 Best Corsair Mouse in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-corsair/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=22909 Mon, 15 May 2023 16:09:18 +0100 Best Mouse For Fortnite in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-for-fortnite/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=23215 Wed, 26 Apr 2023 16:21:27 +0100 Best Vertical Mouse in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-vertical/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=23126 Wed, 26 Apr 2023 15:40:01 +0100 Best Macbook Pro mouse in 2023 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-for-macbook-pro/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=22814 Sat, 22 Apr 2023 08:53:03 +0100 Best Silent Mouse in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-silent/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=21787 Tue, 18 Apr 2023 13:44:23 +0100 Best Mouse For Carpal Tunnel in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-for-carpal-tunnel/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=23137 Fri, 03 Feb 2023 17:17:00 +0000 Best Ergonomic Mouse in 2023 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-ergonomic/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=21357 Wed, 01 Feb 2023 14:12:00 +0000 Best mice for Macbook Pro in 2023 https://www.pcguide.com/reviews/the-3-best-mice-for-your-macbook-pro/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=10840 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:06:51 +0100 Best mouse bungee in 2024 https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-bungee/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=10500 Fri, 17 Apr 2020 12:20:27 +0100 Best Gaming Mouse Under $50 In 2024 Extremely comfortable

Razer DeathAdder Elite CPI: 16,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 7 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 105gView Latest DealRead Full Review

Best Budget

SteelSeries Rival 310 CPI: 12,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 6 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 88.3gView Latest DealRead Full Review

TrueMove3 sensor

Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless CPI: 12,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: Wireless (250 Hour battery life) Number of Buttons: 6 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 99gView Latest DealRead Full Review

Best For Shooters

CORSAIR M65 Pro RGB CPI: 12,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 8 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 115gView Latest DealRead Full Review

most innovative

Logitech G300s CPI: 2,500 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 9 Ergonomic: Ambidextrous Weight: 82gView Latest DealRead Full Review

1- Razer DeathAdder Elite

Undeniably The Best Gaming Mouse Under $50 CPI: 16,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 7 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 105g Extremely comfortable shape Uses the most advanced optical sensor No onboard memory for switching profilesCheck Price on AmazonRazer is among the best companies in the peripheral market. In particular, their products are well-known for having dazzling aesthetics thanks to Razer Chroma RGB lighting. As far as RGB goes, however, this is one of the more muted Razer products only having RGB around the logo and mouse wheel. These can be customized using Razer Synapse.The Razer DeathAdder Elite may be considered a budget gaming mouse (it is under $50 after all) but it is widely used by professional esports gamers thanks to its tried and true shape and extremely accurate sensor. Despite its traditional look, it does have textured grips on both sides, which accomplish what they set out to do.Both the left and the right click buttons provide the same sound and offer smooth but tactile feedback. Razer uses their own mechanical switches which are, in fact, customized Omron switches, and are rated for 50M clicks.The mouse offers two big side buttons, which are easily accessible. The side buttons offer tactile feedback and feel really good, unlike some other mice which provide mushy feedback. All of the seven buttons are programmable and their functionality can be customized through the software. The scroll wheel keeps a great balance between smoothness and distinct steps and provides a textured surface for better grip.As far as the sensor is concerned, the mouse uses a customized optical sensor, with a 16,000 CPI and is considered one of the best optical sensors out there.Sadly, there isn’t any onboard memory, so you won’t be carrying around any custom profiles, as such we recommend this mouse to those who aren’t interested in LAN parties. However, if you are looking for great performance along with nice aesthetics then this mouse is definitely one of the best gaming mice under $50.

2- SteelSeries Rival 310

The Best Budget Gaming Mouse For esports Gaming CPI: 12,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 6 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 88.3g The TrueMove3 sensor offers optimized tracking Among the lightest mice for competitive gaming A bit small for palm-grip usersCheck Price on AmazonSteelSeries is a master of peripherals with their mice being their most praised products. The SteelSeries Rival 310 is a high-end gaming mouse that is used by many professional esports gamers.The mouse offers an ergonomic shape with big textured silicon grips on both sides which give it a soft feel. The SteelSeries logo on the back of the mouse and the scroll wheel are RGB-lit and the lighting can be customized through the SteelSeries software along with CPI and polling rate controls.The mouse has two side buttons, one CPI button behind the scroll wheel and the two main click buttons. The side buttons on this mouse are a tad longer than other mice making them easier to press, which is a small but much-appreciated detail. The scroll wheel uses the same silicon material as the sides of the mouse, which ensures your finger won’t slip while using it.The CPI button can be used to toggle CPI settings, but only between two settings… and there is no indicator for the current CPI, which is arguably the mouse’s biggest flaw. Honestly, it is sad that such a large oversite was allowed to dampen this mouse because TrueMove3 sensor is great. In fact, thanks to its 12,000 CPI limit, the mouse provides 1:1 tracking for up to 3,500 CPI.Thanks to its grip, light weight, and great sensor the Rival 310 is a great esports mouse… assuming it fits in your hand properly (it’s kind of small).

3- Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless

The Best Wireless Gaming Mouse Under $50 CPI: 12,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: Wireless (250 Hour battery life) Number of Buttons: 6 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 99g The TrueMove3 sensor offers optimized tracking Among the lightest mice for competitive gaming A bit small for palm-grip usersCheck Price on AmazonLogitech mice are famous for their wireless capabilities, which became possible due to their LIGHTSPEED technology. The Logitech G305 is one of their latest wireless mice and is quite similar to Logitech G-Pro in terms of shape, although it is a bit smaller.This mouse could’ve easily qualified as ambidextrous had it not been for the two side buttons on the left. Going by the body of the mouse, it technically is… just don’t expect to use those extra buttons as a left handed user.Either way, since the body doesn’t have any sort of rubber, if you’re a person with sweaty hands, then you might find it annoying. RGB is also lacking on this mouse, although there is a (non-RGB) Logitech logo on the back of the mouse.The mouse offers two slim side buttons. While they work well, they only actuate after a long travel distance. This could have been better if the actuation point was earlier while having a similar travel distance.As for the scroll wheel, the wheel offers hard texture on the top, which is irritable at first but offers smooth rotation, although it doesn’t have the Infinite Scroll feature that some of Logitech’s other mice, like the G302, do. The main clicks are only rated for 10M clicks and are quite loud.The mouse uses Logitech’s latest Hero sensor which is a big improvement in terms of efficiency when compared to the Logitech’s G203 sensor (Mercury). The performance of this sensor is more similar to the PixArt 3366, which our next mouse uses.The battery life is respectable. With one AA battery you can get around 250 hours. Logitech also claims it can last as long as nine months when using the mouse in Endurance mode. Speaking of batteries, while the mouse weighs around 99g, you can make it slightly lighter by using a  Lithium-Ion battery.Overall, one cannot get a better wireless mouse at this price point (although we have gathered more wireless mice if that’s what you’re after). If the slim side buttons aren’t a deal breaker for you, then this can be your ultimate wireless companion.

4- CORSAIR M65 Pro RGB

One Of The Best Gaming Mice Under $50 For Shooters CPI: 12,000 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 8 Ergonomic: Right-handed Weight: 115g The side-button aids a lot in sniping Allows weight adjustments The corner may bother some usersCheck Price on AmazonHonestly, this would have been a strange list without any Corsair products. Corsair is an enthusiast-class company and their mice are famous for their build quality and the Corsair M65 Pro RGB-- which targets FPS gamers-- is built like a tank.The top of the mouse offers a beautifully crafted scroll wheel and two up and down CPI buttons. The scroll wheel and the Corsair logo on the back are RGB-lit and support the Corsair iCue technology. There is also an RGB lighting spot between the CPI buttons which indicate the current CPI settings (it has 5 presets).The left side of the mouse offers two small side buttons along with the (in)famous Sniper button. The sniper button can be used to lower the CPI settings while zooming in with a sniper rifle, which is great. However, if you hold the side of your mouse with a lot of pressure, then you might find yourself accidentally hitting this button from time to time.The bottom also provides three additional weights. While the mouse is slightly on the larger side, it’s not particularly heavy. However, it might not be suitable for people with small hands or those who want to use the fingertip grip.The mouse uses the famous PixArt 3360 sensor which is a flawless sensor and we found no tracking issues. Overall, this is one of the best gaming mice for competitive FPS gaming.

5- Logitech G300s

The most innovative mouse in terms of ergonomics CPI: 2,500 Sensor: Optical Connectivity: USB Number of Buttons: 9 Ergonomic: Ambidextrous Weight: 82g Provides three onboard profiles Offers multi-purpose usage No side buttonsCheck Price on AmazonThe Logitech G300s is one of the cheapest gaming mice out there but that doesn’t mean it’s short on quality. The mouse features a unique ambidextrous shape with lighting bars and grips on both sides.These bars aren’t RGB, sadly, but you can use the Logitech software to switch between 7 different colors. The Logitech logo on the top-- nor any other spot on the mouse, for that matter-- is not lit by any sort of lighting.The mouse does not feature any side buttons, instead opting to have them all on the top. There are two buttons on each side of the main clicks and two more below the scroll wheel for a total of six. Honestly, this layout is somewhat awkward. The two buttons below the scroll wheel require you to completely alter your grip. Meanwhile, the buttons that are in the same top corner as your dominant hand (top right for right handed people and top left for left handed people) are slightly awkward to hit since moving your fingers away from your body is less natural.The sensor used in this mouse is also the weakest on this list at only 2,500 CPI and offers slight jitter during lift-off but does not pose any other tracking issues.All of this being said, this is still a really good mouse for its price point. It should be reliable and while the buttons are somewhat awkward, six programmable buttons (outside of the scroll wheel and main clicks) is the most you will actually get on this list. Overall, we believe this is a good, cheap gaming mouse.

Buyer’s Guide

A mouse is one of the most critical components of any gaming setup. While you may perform well without a good gaming keyboard, it is very difficult to perform well without a good gaming mouse. Since choosing a mouse is so important, we went ahead and put together the below guide to help you understand the ins and outs of gaming mice.

Shape, Size, and Grip Styles

The most important part of a mouse is its shape since it determines how you can hold it. You should also be aware of the grip style you usually use.Before buying your new gaming mouse, try to figure out the shape of the mouse. (There’s not any official nomenclature, you just sort of have to eyeball it.) For instance, it shouldn’t have any sharp corners which might cause discomfort during use. A lot of Chinese mice have very discomforting designs that look good aesthetically but are distressing in real world use. Palm Grip - Palm grippers rest their entire hand on the mouse. They should look for a larger mouse with a high back so that the whole palm properly fits the mouse. Claw Grip - The claw grip is similar to the palm grip, except you arch your fingers to click the buttons. Claw-grip users should look for a mouse with less back, but still enough to support the back of the palm. Fingertip Grip - With the fingertip grip, your hand hovers over the mouse and only makes contact with the tips of your fingers. Smaller mice-- both length and width wise-- are better for this grip as it gives you more control; larger mice will force your palm to make contact to comfortably use the mouse buttons.

Mouse Sensor & DPI

The mouse’s sensor plays an important role in its performance since it is directly responsible for tracking. If there are issues with the sensor, you’ll have a hard time aiming (or doing much of anything, really).The CPI/DPI is an important mouse specification. CPI stands for counts per inch and indicates the number of increments to the cursor per inch (DPI is often used interchangeably although they aren’t exactly the same thing). Therefore, higher CPI leads to increased sensitivity and faster mouse movement in general.But often, people (mistakenly) think a higher CPI makes for a great mouse. Higher CPI doesn’t improve the whole integrity of a mouse, it just means you’ll have more pronounced cursor movement. Some flawed mice sensors even jitter at higher CPI.However, CPI still plays a role, like when you need to quickly 180 degree turn to eliminate shoot your opponent.You should also do some research to make sure that the particular sensor being used by the mouse you’re looking at does not have known issues with tracking, especially during lift-off or acceleration.

Buttons

Gaming mice come with all sorts of unique button arrangements and additions. You will always have the right and left click as well as a scroll wheel, but aside from that it’s kind of random.CPI buttons, which can adjust how sensitive your mouse is, are pretty common. Some just toggle between two modes, like the SteelSeries Rival 310, while others cycle through multiple different presets, like the Corsair M65 Pro.At least two side buttons is pretty common, but some go up to 12 or more side buttons (not on this list). Others, like the G300s place the buttons on top. Then you get unique side buttons, like the M65 Pro’s “Sniper” button.When looking for a mouse, you will want to think about the types of games you’ll be playing, how many buttons those games might demand, and how accessible the buttons are (ie do you need to move your hand to press them?)While side buttons are common offers many additional buttons, which greatly aid in a lot of games and the layout of these buttons play an important role in their usability. Therefore, always look for a mouse with buttons which are easily accessible.

Software Features

Most gaming mice are bundled with software that offer numerous features, such as: Allowing you to reconfigure programmable buttons Customize RGB lighting (or other lighting in the case of the Logitech G300s) Adjust lift-off distance Change CPI setting]]> https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-gaming-mouse-under-50/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=2630 Wed, 24 Jul 2019 10:50:18 +0100 Best budget gaming mouse 2023 – overall, wired, lightweight https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-budget-gaming/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=2403 Sat, 20 Jul 2019 18:32:49 +0100 Best Wireless Gaming Mouse 2023 Great battery life

Logitech MX Master DPI: 4000 Battery Life: 40 days Connections: 3 Bluetooth & 1 USB 2.4GHz receiver Number of Buttons: 7 Battery Type: RechargeableView Latest DealRead Full Review

simplicity and performance

Razer Mamba DPI: 16000 Battery Life: 50 hours (with lighting disabled) Connections: USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 7 Battery Type: RechargeableView Latest DealRead Full Review

Low latency mouse

Logitech G305 Lightspeed DPI: 12000 Battery Life: 250 Hours Connections: USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 6 Battery Type: Single AAView Latest DealRead Full Review

Best for MOBAs and MMOs

Razer Naga Epic Chroma DPI: 8200 Battery Life: 20 Hours Connections: USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 19 Battery Type: RechargeableView Latest DealRead Full Review

Highly ergonomic design

Logitech MX Vertical DPI: 4000 DPI Battery Life: 4 Months Connection: Bluetooth or USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 4 Battery Type: RechargeableView Latest DealRead Full Review

Best budget

Redragon M652 DPI: 2400 Battery Life: 15 Months Connection: 2.4GHz USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 6 Battery Type: Single AAView Latest DealRead Full Review

1. Logitech MX Master

Best wireless gaming mouse for work and play DPI: 4000 Battery Life: 40 days Connections: 3 Bluetooth & 1 USB 2.4GHz receiver Number of Buttons: 7 Battery Type: Rechargeable Great battery life Charges quick Easily switch between computers Low DPICheck Price on AmazonThe Logitech MX Master is not only high on our list for the title of top wireless gaming mouse, it’s arguably the best mouse period. Whether you’re trying to game late into the night or work the day away the MX Master has tons of features to offer.For starters, it has an exceptional rechargeable battery that can hold up to 40 days worth of charge. On top of the impressive capacity, the battery can be charged for a full day’s use in about 4 minutes.The MX Master also sports an interesting layout with a side scrolling thumb wheel on the left next to the forward and backward buttons. The thumb rest on the left side of the mouse is also a pressure sensitive button that is seamlessly built into the mouse. This button controls gestures by default which is awesome for productivity, but it can be programmed in the Logitech software to perform more gaming relevant tasks.This is also easily the best Bluetooth gaming mouse thanks to its ability to easily connect with and switch between multiple devices. The mouse comes with a 2.4GHz USB dongle but can also be synced with up to three Bluetooth devices at once. You can then switch between these connections easily with a single button at the bottom of the mouse.Logitech has also outfitted the MX Master with one of their awesome adaptive scroll wheels. The scroll wheel can be used normally or be switched to a free spinning mode with a single button.The final thing to note on is this mouse’s sensor. It uses an exceptionally sensitive dark field laser that can easily be used on any surface, even glass. However, the sensor is not as sensitive as some of the other options we’ll be looking at, with a top DPI of only 4000.

2. Razer Mamba

The ultimate in simplicity and performance DPI: 16000 Battery Life: 50 hours (with lighting disabled) Connections: USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 7 Battery Type: Rechargeable Highly accurate 5g sensor Programmable buttons and RGB Unimpressive battery lifeCheck Price on AmazonRazer is a unique company that has expertly crafted a brand for themselves by making high quality gamer oriented gear ranging from backpacks to keyboards and even their own laptops. The products often fetch a premium price tag, but rarely leave the customer wanting for more.This is the case with both of the Razer mice we’ll be checking out today. The first of which is the more plain of the two: the Razer Mamba. Despite being plain looking by Razer’s standards it certainly holds up to the level of quality we expect from them.The Mamba boasts the most sensitive and accurate sensor of any of the mice on our list. The 5G sensor can run at up to 16000 DPI, but can be configured in Razer’s software to run as low as 200. This incredibly high DPI can come in handy when gaming for quicker turns and more accurate movement, but is also nice to have with higher resolution screens since it can allow the mouse to move more quickly across their denser screen space.This mouse also features Razer’s chroma enabled lighting which lets you customize the color and look of your mouse. That being said, you might be best off leaving the lights off much of the time as they drain the battery.This brings us to our one real complaint about this mouse: the battery life. Even with the lights off, this rechargeable mouse only gets about 50 hours of use, with this being cut in half if the lights are on. While this isn’t terrible and amounts to three days of heavy use, it puts it near the bottom of the list in this regard. In fact, the only mouse with a worse battery life is the other Razer.

3. Logitech G305 Lightspeed

Low latency mouse for competitive gaming DPI: 12000 Battery Life: 250 Hours Connections: USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 6 Battery Type: Single AA Low latency connection High DPI Not rechargeableCheck Price on AmazonEvery gamer’s experienced it before in a competitive game. You see someone, shoot them, and then you are the one who dies. You plead with your friends over Discord that you know you got him, but get shot down anyways. Well, if you were using a wireless mouse, there’s a solid chance you were right.If you game on a wireless mouse then you could be suffering from some serious lag. Wireless connections take time to transmit data, for that data to be interpreted, and then be carried out by your computer. This is why Logitech developed its lightspeed wireless technology.The G305 Lightspeed is the best Logitech gaming mouse for those who play lots of competitive games like Rainbow 6, Overwatch, or CSGO. In competitive games like this the difference between victory and defeat is measured in milliseconds, so the G305 wastes none with it’s 1ms of latency. This is even less than most wired mice… at least according to Logitech.In addition to its incredibly low latency, the G305 also has a powerful sensor on it capable of running at up to 12000 DPI. The one negative thing we can remark on about the G305 is the lack of a rechargeable battery. Instead, Logitech opted to power this mouse with a AA battery that lasts for about 250 hours, so expect to be keeping some AAs on hand to keep the gaming going.

4. Razer Naga Epic Chroma

Best wireless gaming mouse for MOBAs and MMOs DPI: 8200 Battery Life: 20 Hours Connections: USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 19 Battery Type: Rechargeable Tons of programmable buttons Customizable RGB Decent sensor Weak battery lifeCheck Price on AmazonAs we mentioned when looking at the Razer Mamba, that mouse was the more conventional of the two offerings from Razer that we’d be looking at today. The second of the Razer mice we’ve included on our list of top wireless gaming mice is the Razer Naga, a mouse optimized for those who use tons of macros in their games.If you’re a big MMO player then you probably have at least a few macros set up on your keyboard or mouse. If you’ve never heard this term before, a macro is a key or button that is set up to automatically execute a series of commands or button presses. This simplifies and optimizes gameplay in many MMOs and some MOBAs.The Razer Naga comes with an impressive 19 total buttons, 12 of which are laid out on the left side of the mouse in four rows of three. This can give you quick access to tons of spells and abilities and can even make mouse only gameplay a possibility.Aside from the ludicrous amount of buttons, this mouse has a handful of other nice gaming features. While its sensor isn’t as powerful as that of the Mamba, it does have a decent one that runs at a respectable 8200DPI. The Naga also sports Razer Chroma support allowing you to customize the built in RGB lighting.Yet again, the main gripe we have about this mouse is its battery. While it does use a rechargeable battery, it only lasts about 20 hours on a full charge. This earns the Naga the distinction of worst battery life on our list.

5. Logitech MX Vertical

Ergonomic wireless gaming mouse DPI: 4000 DPI Battery Life: 4 Months Connection: Bluetooth or USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 4 Battery Type: Rechargeable Highly ergonomic design Great battery life Low DPI Takes getting used toCheck Price on AmazonWhile some people are looking for the most high performance gaming mouse on the market that will help them take on the competition, others are looking for the most ergonomic mouse on the market that will help them take on repetitive strain injuries and tendon pain. If you’re looking for a good wireless gaming mouse that can help reduce pain from strain injuries or help prevent them then the Logitech MX Vertical is the best mouse for you.This mouse features a unique shape that you hold with a grip more like a handshake than a traditional mouse. This vertical hand position is more natural and eliminates pronation, which is the act of turning your wrists so that your palms are facing toward the floor. This can lead to the bones in your forearm crossing over one another and pinching nerves.The ergonomic features are not the only thing that makes this mouse worth checking out though. The MX Vertical also sports one of the best batteries on our list and can go for up to 4 months on a single full charge. If you’re on the go, then a single minute of charging can offer about 3 hours of use.The MX Vertical starts to falter, however, when it comes to more standard functionality. The sensor used on the MX Vertical features a meager 4000 DPI and runs as low as 400. Also, this mouse only has 4 buttons, making it less than ideal for anyone planning on using any macros.It is also worth noting that the new hand angle certainly takes some getting used to. Expect your gaming performance to be hurt for about a week before you completely adjust to it. Of course, if you’re someone who can’t game at all due to tendon pain, a learning curve is certainly better than nothing.

6. Redragon M652

Best budget wireless gaming mouse DPI: 2400 Battery Life: 15 Months Connection: 2.4GHz USB Dongle Number of Buttons: 6 Battery Type: Single AA Very affordable Great battery life Subpar sensor Not rechargeableCheck Price on AmazonIf you’re on the hunt for the best cheap wireless gaming mouse, then look no further than the M652 from Redragon. Redragon is a brand we’ve looked at before in some of our roundups as they have a reputation for making surprisingly solid products at very low prices.While this is the most affordable mouse on our list, it also-- somewhat surprisingly-- sports the best battery life with a jaw-dropping 15 months on a single battery. That being said, it uses a AA battery rather than a rechargeable one so when it dies you’ll be needing to actually replace the battery.The DPI on this mouse is where things start to head downhill, with a maximum setting of only 2400. The DPI can easily be changed with a button on the top, but it also only goes down to 800 meaning you don’t have nearly as big of a DPI range to experiment with compared to any of the other mice on our list.

How to Pick the Best Wireless Gaming Mouse for Your Needs

Ultimately, there is no single best mouse. With all the options on the market today, there are enough options to find the perfect one for you (although it is still unreasonably hard to find a good left-handed mouse).To help you find the ideal mouse for your needs amongst all the choices, we've put together a short guide that should help you be able to identify the most crucial things to keep an eye on when shopping for a new wireless mouse.

DPI

Dots per inch, or DPI, is a measurement of how sensitive a mouse is. In literal terms, DPI is a measurement of how many pixels your mouse will move across the screen when the sensor of the mouse is moved 1 inch. This is why higher DPI mice are almost always preferred on very high-resolution monitors, such as 4K monitors, since the mouse has many more pixels to cover when being moved and will appear to move slower across the screen.In gaming, higher DPI makes for faster and more responsive turning. Very high DPI mice are generally more accurate, which is the reason some companies like Razer and Logitech produce mice with sensors well over 10000 DPI. While practically nobody would actually use a mouse with this high of a DPI, these sensors are more precise when turned down than inferior sensors.When it comes to DPI the Razer Mamba is the top dog on our list with its incredible range of 200 to 16000 DPI.

Battery Life and Type

Another thing to keep your eye on when shopping for a wireless mouse is the battery life and what kind of battery the mouse uses. Two of the wireless mice on our list actually use standard disposable AA batteries: the Redragon M265 and the Logitech G305 Lightspeed. Granted, both of these mice have an impressive battery life (especially the Redragon), so it's up to you to determine whether replacing the batteries once a year or recharging more often is better to you.When it comes to rechargeable batteries, performance is all over the place. The MX Master has a 40-day battery life and can charge up for a whole day of use in mere minutes. Even more impressively, the MX Vertical boasts months of use on a single charge.Meanwhile, Razer seemingly gave no damns about you being able to use your mouse for prolonged periods as their Mamba and Naga come in at an anemic 50 and 20 hours respectively.

Connectivity

Finally, it can be important to look at what kind of connections the mouse can use. All of the mice on our list come with a USB dongle to communicate with computers. However, some laptops and other devices these days are beginning to abandon traditional USB, so it might be worth keeping an eye out for Bluetooth compatible mice.The two Logitech mice we featured-- the MX Master and MX Vertical-- are the only Bluetooth compatible mice on this list and can easily switch between devices. That being said, Bluetooth is typically slower and has greater latency than other connections, meaning it isn’t usually preferred for gaming purposes.]]> https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-wireless-gaming/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=2256 Wed, 10 Jul 2019 04:51:46 +0100 Best gaming mouse for 2024 – overall, wireless and budget https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/best-gaming/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=1662 Sun, 30 Jun 2019 13:18:03 +0100 Gaming Mouse Setup Guide Get a Decent Mouse in Just a Few MinutesDon’t get overwhelmed by the list of details and instructions highlighted in this article – trust us, you’ll get the hang of it in just a few minutes! As one of your most important gaming peripherals, you’ll soon learn everything there is to know about the ins and outs of your gaming mouse. The right settings will make or break your entire experience, and you’ll catch on quick if you want to survive in your heavy combat matches with friends.Before we get started, we feel obliged to state the obvious: If you don’t already have a somewhat decent gaming mouse, now is really the best time to invest in one. Take a look out our guide for the best gaming mice in 2019 for a quick glance at some of the best options available on the market today. Even if you don’t have a great budget to start out with, you can find some really great mice that won’t make you dump your entire savings account. So before reading this guide, go take a look at some great gaming mice available and get your hands on one so you can start playing around the right way.

An Overview of Windows Settings

It’s safe to assume that most PC gamers are using a Windows operating system. For those of you who play on a Mac, you can find that a lot of these settings and features are compatible or comparable to certain settings you’ll find on your own computer. But in this article we’ll be looking mostly at Windows options that pertain particularly to your gaming mouse. You are free to get in touch with us if you ever have any further questions or concerns!

Mouse Sensitivity Settings

Windows 10 has a specific setting for mouse sensitivity, and you can find it easily in the control panel. Our favorite way to find this is to simply hit the windows key, then type in “mouse settings” in the search bar. You should see “additional mouse options” pop up under the Related Settings tab.Once you’re in this window, tab on over to “Pointer Options”. There is a motion table at the very top. You can use the slider to select the speed of your speed, and in this case it should be at 6 out of 11. There are 11 total notches between “Slow” and “Fast”, so keep sliding until you hit notch number 6.

Turning Off Mouse Acceleration

Before you leave this window, make sure that “Enhance pointer precision” is NOT clicked. Mouse acceleration allows like-for-like movements, meaning that if you move your mouse an inch on the mouse pad, it will move your character a whole inch on your screen. Anybody with gaming experience knows that this is terrible! It can make you lose control of your control, and it might move your character way further in the map than you intended. We find mouse acceleration to be more than a little buggy in most games, which is why we recommend that you just keep it turned off for now.

Getting to Know Your Mouse DPI Settings

DPI is one of the most powerful components of your gaming mouse. DPI translates to mouse speed, and it is what will give you wizard-like powers and speeds when using your mouse in game. Right now, with an unformatted mouse in hand, it’s like you are standing at the train station. But after adjusting your DPI, it will be like you’ve finally boarded the bullet train to enhancement city.

The Deets About DPI

DPI means dots per inch. This dictates how quickly your mouse moves per dot, or per pixel on your screen. When you move the mouse, you are moving a lot of pixels around. The higher the DPI, the further the pointer will move on the screen, and at a more accelerated speed.However – and this is super important to keep in mind – there is such a thing as too much DPI. Unfortunately, a lot of gaming mice companies try to boast extremely high DPI numbers to try to get you to buy their mice. It’s gotten to the point where the importance of DPI has been significantly inflated in the marketing would, and a higher DPI level doesn’t necessarily make for a better mouse. So don’t be fooled by a brand that boasts high DPI, it’s all about how precisely you can adjust the DPI of your mouse that truly makes the difference.

Gaming DPI Settings

When it comes to the right DPI for your mouse, unfortunately there is no magic number. It all depends on the types of games you play, and even the role you play within those games. For example, if you’re playing a game where you need to be ultra precise to land a skillshot, a lower DPI may be more advantageous to you. On the other hand, if you’re going to be running around a map raining bullets on everyone in sight like a madman, a higher DPI setting will get you to the chop of the PvP charts a lot more quickly.We’ve tested a variety of different DPI settings over several different pro gaming mice, and it’s hard to come to a real conclusion. The best thing for you to do would be to start high and work your way down from there. Some gaming mice come with DPI settings as high as 1650 to start out with, but it’s rare that you will keep it that high. Just take it slow, adjust it as you go along, and eventually you’ll reach that happy spot. The improvements it will make to your gaming experience will surely be noticeable!

Is Screen Resolution Important When Factoring in DPI?

Screen resolution does actually play a contributing factor to how you want to adjust your DPI. Not a lot of people think about their monitors and mice being connected in that way, but remember that when it comes to gaming, it’s best to coordinate all of your specs to function as a singular awesome unit.The higher the resolution of your monitor, the more pixels it has. Naturally, this means that you’ll want to have a higher mouse DPI setting for those higher-resolution monitors. Technically, it’s because you are moving through more pixels at once, so it just makes sense, right? Raise your DPI so your pointer can more easily navigate the vast sea of pixels taking up your monitor screen.

Configuring the Most Optimal Gaming Settings

Again, while there is no magic number to create the perfectly optimized mouse, there are a lot of settings we can recommend you adjust to drastically improve your gaming performance. Everything takes a little bit of adjusting around, but ultimately you should be able to figure it out quite easily.Most of the games you play will have available options in their settings menu. And while not all games universally have these settings, the ones you play likely do. Here’s how you can make sense of them and adjust them individually so that you can increase your efforts towards improvement in that particular game.

Mouse Acceleration

This is the same kind of mouse acceleration we discussed earlier in our Windows settings section. It’s bad! Don’t click on it! Turn mouse acceleration off in the games you play to avoid making the character move way further or way faster than you need to.

In-Game Sensitivity

Although you can adjust your mouse’s sensitivity through the UI of the manufacturer, such as through the Razer Synapse window, you may still need to adjust it individually within each of the games you play as well. All games react differently to different mouse settings, and while this can be frustrating when you’re rapidly switching in between games, it is also good to get into the habit of remembering your specific settings for each game.With our years of gaming experience, we’ve found that typically the lower mouse sensitivities tend to work better than the higher sensitivities. On a base level, a higher sensitivity leads to faster movement. Lower sensitivities will allow for more precise movements. So again, it’s all about your playing style, your role in that game, and what feels best for you when you’re moving around on a map.

Raw Mouse Input

Another setting you might see come up on a lot of the games you play is “Raw Input”. What the heck is that, exactly?This is an input taken directly from your mouse, rather than from the operating system itself. Remember that while windows comes with a lot of built-in mouse sensitivity and adjustment settings features, the mouse itself is still a foreign piece of hardware capable of sending and receiving its own unique data.What raw input does is get rid of the potential for more lag. It cuts out the middleman of the operating system to get information directly from your mouse, which really blows lag potential out of the water. If the option exists to turn on raw input in your game, do it. Don’t hesitate!It’s a general rule of thumb to remember that:Mouse Acceleration = NO!Raw Mouse Input = YES!Remember this golden rule, and you’re already off to a good start! These are two important features that can help you see the real differences in your game. The only way to play with the pros is to adjust your mouse like one!

Polling Rate

A final feature of the mouse that you’ll need to adjust is the polling rate. Understanding what polling rate is and what it does can make all the difference in your game.The polling rate measures how often the clicks and movements of your mouse update your computer. This is typically measured in Hz. After doing some research, based on our numbers we’ve found that the highest rate typically rests at 1000Hz. Of course, this is another component of your gaming mouse that can be adjusted in your mouse’s settings window.

Finding the Best Polling Rate for Your Game

We wish we could offer a one-size-fits-all solution. But really, like the other settings mentioned here, it might take some adjustment to get it just right. The polling rate can directly affect the performance of your PC, especially if you have an older or less powerful rig. But if you’re confident in the performance capabilities of your tower, then by all means, crank up that polling rate!Nowadays, there really is no real harm done when increasing the polling rate. It can help you be more efficient for your mouse, and like we mentioned, it only affects your computer if you are running games on a real potato. Any modern gaming PC with a decent amount of parts shouldn’t take issue to you having a higher polling rate.Start by maxing out the polling rate on your mouse. If your computer still performs perfectly well with it, then feel free to leave it on that setting permanently! But if you are seeing a significant or even a slightly annoying drop in your computer’s frame rates, try slowly lowering the polling rate until the issue is fixed.

Factoring in Different Game Sensitivities

In-game mouse sensitivity is typically a lot different from mouse sensitivity outside of your game. And furthermore, the game sensitivities between different games can vary too. This might make it seem difficult to find the Goldilocks setting, but we promise this is something you can resolve and get used to right away.

How Gaming Sensitivity is Different

In-game mouse sensitivity uses the unique set of gaming software included in its installation to up the amount of pixels used when you move your mouse. And the more movements you make, the more pixels there are. In a way this is good, because it can help you increase your movement speed in the game. However, it might cause you to have to sacrifice movement precision or accuracy, which can sometimes be worse than having a slow game speed.You’ll likely experience varying results with the in-game mouse sensitivity. Sometimes, it may be perfect, and not bothersome at all. But in certain gaming situations, such as when you are suddenly in an MMORPG massive raid, you might need to quickly readjust the sensitivity to be more or less powerful when you’re playing.

Continuous Struggles with Gaming Sensitivity

If you are continuing to have constant issues with gaming sensitivity, there are a couple of solutions that you can employ. Before you give up, remember that it’s okay that your mouse takes some adjustment. And we understand how frustrating it can be to constantly have to fix the sensitivity settings. Apologies in advance if you find yourself having to read this particular section over and over. But we’re here to make this as easy of a fix as possible for you!Here are some things you can do: Raise your DPI as high as you possibly can. This works to counteract the sensitivity issues your particular game may be giving you. Lower your in-game sensitivity to its lowest setting. This won’t cause you to lag, and it won’t completely freeze your character. But it’s good to start from the lowest rung to see what the actual problem is. Slowly raise your sensitivity. After you’ve lowered it all the way, start raising it slowly to see if you can identify a threshold in which the problems start becoming more prominent.

Bottom Line: You’ll Get There!

After taking a look at the different mouse settings available, you can start toying around with them right away. Remember to take it one step at a time, and to remain consistent. Consistency is key across all of your gaming equipment. Plus, having a great gaming mouse and surface can help to resolve some of those sensitivity issues you might be having. Do you have any more questions about the settings of your gaming mouse? Do you have any advice or recommendation for us? We’d love to hear about your experiences below!]]> https://www.pcguide.com/mouse/guide/gaming-mouse-setup/ https://www.pcguide.com/?p=3940 Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:15:14 +0100