Logitech G502 Lightspeed overview: a gaming mouse for the ages

The authentic G502 gaming mouse was launched virtually 5 years in the past now. In tech years that makes it virtually a pensioner. But it’s a much-loved pensioner and one that may nonetheless go toe-to-toe with the most effective of the digital rodents launched into the market. It has at all times remained a resolutely wired mouse, nevertheless, even as soon as it was up to date with Logitech’s in-house Hero sensor.

And that’s been a difficulty for many individuals. Indeed Logitech, and even its exterior company individuals, inform me for each analysis occasion, social, or discussion board posting the corporate places on the market will at all times be a minimum of one particular person responding with the identical query. When are you going to launch a wi-fi model of the G502? And that’s whether or not they’re researching VR, gaming, or sensible residence stuff.

The G502 is, apparently, the best-selling gaming mouse on the planet – probably due to the intervening years making its authentic excessive price ticket now far decrease – and it might seem to be a no brainer to easily drop a wi-fi sensor into place and ship it out into the wild. But these items, they aren’t so easy to do, the truth is Logitech’s principal optical engineer defined the G502 Lightspeed to me as a “mechanical miracle.”

The downside is that, regardless of being the most well-liked mouse since Danger, the G502 was additionally one which spawned its personal meme tradition, principally surrounding the burden of the design. At round 120g, not together with the cable, the G502 wasn’t precisely a heifer, nevertheless it was nonetheless seen as a heavy mouse, a ‘brick’ if you will.

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And whenever you come to creating an current design wi-fi you’ve received so as to add in a second sensor to deal with the wi-fi communication in addition to a battery, and that’s solely going so as to add to the burden. Which is one thing Logitech actually didn’t need to do, however fortunately the corporate has been working to create a set of mouse applied sciences – such because the Hero sensor and the Lightspeed wi-fi tech – which have now made it doable to create a wi-fi model of the G502… and crucially make one which’s truly lighter too.

The undertaking as an entire has been labored on for years, with completely different advances making the creation of the G502 Lightspeed ever extra doable. And the superb Logitech G Pro Wireless appears to have been the ultimate proving floor for just about all of them.

	G502 Lightspeed	G Pro Wireless
Sensor	Hero 16Ok	Hero 16Ok
DPI	100 – 16,000	100 – 16,000
Battery life	48 – 60hrs	48 – 60hrs
PowerPlay help
Ambidextrous
Programmable buttons	11	4 – 8
Max. velocity	400 IPS	400 IPS
Weight	114g (plus 16g weights)	80g
Price	$150 (£130)	$150 (£130)

It’s the Hero 16Ok sensor used within the Pro Wireless which has allowed Logitech’s engineers to suit the G502 out with a battery a fraction of the scale of the one which provides the G900 the longevity it presently enjoys. And to take action whereas nonetheless rising that battery life. The G502 is knocking round 48 hours with the default lighting mode – the place the G900 began out at round 30 hours – and as much as 60 hours with the RGB LEDs deactivated.

But no-one’s going to deactivate the beautiful lights, clearly.

Then the Lightspeed wi-fi expertise has confirmed itself as a connection that’s each inch nearly as good as a daily wired connection, with the very fact skilled players are trusting Logitech when it issues most in-game breeding confidence among the many remainder of us.

But it’s the thinwall endo-skeleton expertise the corporate launched with the super-lightweight Pro Wireless which has allowed Logitech to provide its group the mouse they needed.

“We started by listening to G502 users,” Chris Pate, Logitech portfolio supervisor, advised me not too long ago, “and they had a very straightforward request, what they wanted was a G502. Exactly. But with all the latest technology.”

Only a few the mouse’s toes have escaped full redesign, although they’re truly the one place I’ve a priority with the newly made rodent. Depending in your mouse floor they will really feel a contact tough. With my workplace mat they glide fairly easily, but on my residence pad it generally feels prefer it’s dragging its heels.

It hasn’t made a distinction to the pinpoint accuracy of the G502, however does make for an disagreeable sound as you’re scraping your mouse round within the warmth of battle.

But Logitech has nonetheless managed to maintain the skin of G502 wanting each bit like the unique Proteus Spectrum, besides with out the silly identify, and with a totally redesigned inside. The really feel is simply barely completely different too, however for the higher. The precise button presses appear extra particular than earlier than, particularly on the additional programmable buttons.

There are a couple of tiny design modifications on the skin, to assist match the USB charging port and the PowerPlay puck within the underside, however you’d be onerous pushed to identify them at a look.

And but it does have all the newest mouse tech inside it, providing the identical 16,000DPI because the more-recent wired G502 Hero replace, albeit with a much less power-hungry model of the sensor, and that two-day Lightspeed wi-fi battery life.

So, how does it stack up towards the G Pro Wireless, our present decide for the most effective gaming mouse round as we speak? Well, that’s a toughie; they’re virtually completely different mice for various players. In phrases of the fundamental tech, they’re roughly an identical, although the Pro is way lighter. Which means it comes right down to your aesthetic choice in addition to simply how a lot you want a couple of further buttons.

They’re additionally the identical worth at $150 (£130)… making them each gratingly costly for a mouse. Sure, the wi-fi expertise is unsurpassed, however that’s some huge cash to spend on a rodent, gaming, wi-fi, or no matter. And if you happen to have been to issue within the elective PowerPlay wi-fi charging bundle too, you’re taking a look at a $250 gaming mouse, and that’s simply unconscionably dear.

The G502 has a way more ‘gamer’ aesthetic, all angles and targeted right-handed design notes. But it additionally comes with extra programmable buttons in addition to an FPS must-have, the sniper button. The G Pro has a far cleaner, extra easy, ambidextrous design, and I’ve to confess I’m much more drawn to that look.

“I think the pro-aesthetic is a little bit more restrained,” says Pate, “and I think that shows in the Pro Wireless mouse, but our goal is not to have a particular signature design language. Everything needs to look like it came to come from a similar family, but we’re going to continue to make gear for as wide of a range of gamers as we can. No one product, not even the G502, can be for everybody.”

But there may be one deal-breaker of a function the G Pro doesn’t have, and that’s the fantastic infinite free-wheeling scrollwheel. I’ve been obsessive about it since I first laid fingers on the Logitech G9, my favorite mouse of all time, and that’s going to have me retaining the spectacular G502 Lightspeed near my aspect. Though if the G Pro had the identical wheel, it might be my decide, in spite of everything, its clear, restrained aesthetic is way more my jam.