For years I by no means gave a lot thought to the type of mouse I had on my desk, however I’ve since realised that having a couple of additional buttons and a better number of sensitivity speeds cannot solely make games really feel much more responsive, but in addition extra enjoyable – which is why I’ve gathered up all the very best gaming mice I’ve examined over the past yr to convey you my high suggestions for greatest gaming mouse.
Of course, as somebody who spent most likely the higher a part of a decade simply utilizing a bog-standard Dell mouse, I’m aware that not everyone desires to spend £50 / $50+ on a gaming mouse – least of all me. As such I’ve structured my suggestions into tough value classes, supplying you with a spread of choices that (hopefully) cowl a wide range of totally different budgets. I’ve additionally obtained suggestions for left-handed gaming mice in addition to wi-fi ones.
Best gaming mouse information
What makes a superb gaming mouse? For me, consolation is excessive on the record, however flexibility is one other key consideration, whether or not that’s a large sensitivity / DPI (dots per inch) vary or a number of, configurable buttons. That mentioned, generally much less is extra. Just as a result of a mouse has a DPI vary up within the 10,000s doesn’t imply it’s essentially higher than one with a most of 7200 (typically, something above 3000 DPI is so blisteringly fast you’d want bionic eyes to maintain observe of it). The similar goes for buttons. Instead, it’s all about how one can profit from what the mouse has to supply.
I’m additionally not too anxious about what kind of sensor a mouse has both. Some could possibly inform the distinction between one type of sensor and one other, similar to how a lot lift-off one has in addition to the type of acceleration and deceleration speeds you possibly can anticipate if you put the mouse again down once more, however for me they’re all a lot of a muchness. I’ve by no means encountered one which felt horrible to make use of or felt much less responsive than one other, and for normal gaming functions I’d say they’re all of an equally excessive commonplace. As such, my greatest gaming mouse picks focus much less on the sensor and extra on what you possibly can really do with them.
Best gaming mouse beneath £30 / $30: Steelseries Rival 110
For an entry-level gaming mouse, the Steelseries Rival 110 will get quite a bit proper. It’s fairly small, which is ideal for my spindly fingers, but it surely’s additionally exceedingly mild, making it really feel pretty and easy to maneuver spherical your mouse mat. I don’t have something in opposition to huge mice per se, however they are often extra of a chore to maneuver rapidly, I’ve discovered.
The principal left and proper clicks are additionally rated for 30 million clicks over the course of the Rival 110’s lifetime, which is a rarity at this finish of the value spectrum the place you typically get no assure in anyway, and also you get two additional side-buttons on the left hand aspect of the mouse, which might be configured to all types of various features. These embody keyboard buttons, macros and media controls, in addition to a bunch of Steelseries Engine apps for aggressive games similar to CS:GO and Dota 2 – a pleasant additional in the event you occur to be a fan of these explicit games.
The solely draw back to the Rival 110 is that its central DPI button solely permits you to swap between two totally different sensitivity speeds. More costly mice typically provide as many as 4 or 5, however not less than right here you could have the choice of setting them your self. Other mice at this finish of the value spectrum (such because the HyperX Pulsefire FPS) typically aren’t so beneficiant, making you set up with fastened presets with no method customisation. You additionally get all of the acceleration and deceleration choices you’d usually anticipate to see on dearer mice, making the Steelseries Rival 110 nice worth for cash.
For extra information, learn our Steelseries Rival 110 review.
Best gaming mouse beneath £50 / $60: Steelseries Rival 310
Another Steelseries, you say? It seems to be virtually an identical to the Rival 110! Well, I say, there may be actually a component of reality to that (they’re, in any case, from the identical Rival household), however the principle factor you’re paying additional for right here is added consolation and aspect buttons which can be a lot nicer to make use of frequently. Oh, and a extra upmarket sensor as nicely.
I’m additionally a giant fan of its unassuming form and design. Unlike the similarly-priced Logitech G502 Hero (and common G502, by extension – which I additionally fairly appreciated, for the report) with its arduous angles and copious patchwork of matt and gloss finishes, the Rival 310 seems to be way more like an strange mouse moderately than a souped-up, licensed ‘gamer’ one. That’s a plus in my books, and whereas there’s nonetheless a splash of RGB lighting to take care of, more often than not it’s fully hidden by your hand.
The Rival 310 additionally offers you a a lot wider DPI vary to play with than the Rival 110, particularly on the decrease finish of the size for these all-important dead-slow sniper sights trails you could or could not need to make use of. You nonetheless solely get two DPI profiles to select from on its central button sadly (not less than another would have been a pleasant improve right here), however you continue to get all the identical acceleration and deceleration choices and Engine game app compatibility as you probably did on the Rival 110. The Logitech G502 does, admittedly, offer you much more buttons and configuration choices, however these after a barely simpler-looking mouse will discover a lot to love with the Rival 310.
For extra information, learn our Steelseries Rival 310 review.
Best gaming mouse beneath £100 / $100: Razer Naga Trinity
Personally, I don’t assume I’ve ever spend near £100 on a gaming mouse, however for these after true high-end perfection, the Razer Naga Trinity makes a reasonably compelling case for itself. Essentially three mice in a single, the Naga Trinity’s occasion trick is its interchangeable aspect panel, supplying you with as much as 19 totally different buttons to play with relying in your play model.
The primary aspect panel offers you an ordinary two additional buttons, whereas the second and third begin piling them on like no person’s enterprise, giving as much as 19 in whole. These will little question come in useful in the event you’re a eager MMO or MOBA one who likes having dozens of macro instructions at your disposal, however even in the event you’re not there are many different issues you would use them for as nicely, similar to each media management beneath the solar, or a barrage of keyboard shortcuts.
You additionally get a alternative of 5 DPI profiles on its central button beneath the scroll wheel, however this may simply be remapped to a different one which’s simpler to succeed in in the event you obtain Razer’s Synapse software program. I notably like that you’ve got the choice of having the ability to change your DPI on the fly, too, permitting you to get again to the motion sooner with out the faff of getting to press one other button. Instead, you possibly can merely maintain one all the way down to gradual issues down, after which let go once more if you need to return to regular pace. There are, admittedly, loads of cheaper mice which have devoted ‘sniper’ buttons for this form of factor, such because the Asus ROG Gladius II and the Logitech G502, however not less than right here you could have the choice to assigning this perform to any button you want.
For extra information, learn our Razer Naga Trinity review.
Best gaming mouse for lefties: Asus ROG Pugio
This entry was so very practically the Steelseries Sensei 310, however the equally glorious Asus ROG Pugio has come down quite a bit in value lately (not less than within the UK), placing it neck-and-neck with its ambidextrous Steelseries rival. The Pugio does quite a bit to earn its maintain, too. Not solely is it a really snug mouse to make use of on a day-to-day foundation, no matter whether or not you’re really left-handed or not, but it surely additionally comes with a great deal of additional goodies within the field, together with two replaceable Omron switches (simply in case the 50 million click-rated ones it comes with occur to wear down), and a pair of aspect button covers.
The Pugio is one other comparatively small mouse, standing simply 37mm tall, but it surely does imply it’s a heck of quite a bit simpler to succeed in its aspect buttons. Its central DPI button as soon as once more solely permits you to swap between two totally different DPI profiles, however Asus’ Armoury software program permits you to decide wherever from a lethal gradual 50 DPI all the best way as much as 7200. You may also modify them in increments of 50 as nicely – most mice make you accept chunks of 100, however the Pugio offers you simply that additional little bit of fine-tuning.
The Pugio does have a good quantity of LED lighting to take care of, admittedly, however not less than you should utilize Armoury to show it off altogether if it proves too distracting. Those with a number of Asus ROG parts of their PC could need to depart it on, nevertheless, as its Aura Sync help means you possibly can have all of them flashing the identical multi-coloured mild present in unison.
For extra information, learn our Asus ROG Pugio review.
Best wi-fi gaming mouse: Logitech G903+ PowerPlay
I’ve to confess the variety of wi-fi gaming mice which have handed throughout my desk are far fewer in quantity than the quantity of wired ones I’ve examined, however of the small pool we have checked out within the RPS Treehouse, Logitech’s G903 and accompanying PowerPlay mat are by far the very best worth for cash combo we’ve seen to date – not less than in comparison with the extortionate Razer Mamba + Firefly Hyperflux, that’s. Our Alec was actually a fan, notably because the mouse fees itself when sat on its magic PowerPlay mat.
Buying the flowery mouse mat clearly provides a substantial additional chunk of change onto the G903’s total value (you possibly can simply purchase the mouse by itself if you want), but it surely does not less than take the effort out of creating certain it’s charged everytime you come to make use of it after a protracted time period away out of your desk. Without it, you’d need to plug it again it through USB, which form of defeats the purpose of getting a wi-fi mouse within the first place in my books.
Otherwise, Alec discovered its design to be good when it comes to consolation. It’s obtained fairly a taper on it, however he mentioned it was neither too heavy or too mild, and its pace and responsiveness had been high notch. The G903 can be ambidextrous, making it an incredible decide for proper and left-handed PC peeps alike.
For extra information, learn our Logitech G903 + Powerplay review.
