Level up your game in a big way with these tested, specialized computer mice that let you trigger hotkeys and macros without touching your keyboard.
Do you like buttons? Do you wish your mouse had more of them? How about a full number pad’s worth? If so, consider the not-so-humble MMO mouse. MMORPGs have largely fallen out of gaming’s zeitgeist, but the mouse design created in their heyday still has a wide utility. While the best esports mice are shedding features to minimize weight, the MMO mouse is wide, relatively heavy, and features as many buttons as possible. With MMOs, not to mention city-builders and strategy games, you can assign most, if not all, of your keyboard shortcuts to the keypad on the mouse’s side. Even MOBAs, with their many hotkeys, pair well with one of these devices. Depending on the game, you can offload all your inputs onto your mouse, and play in one-handed fashion. If you’re less concerned about your quickdraw, and more focused on comfortably playing games that require many inputs, a top-flight MMO mouse may be for you. MMO Mouse Buttons: How Many Is Too Many? MMO mice frequently make consumer tech oddities lists because of their defining trait, a whole mess of buttons on their thumb sides. Instead of adding the usual Back and Forward side buttons, a “traditional” MMO mouse features a button grid on the side. The actual button count varies quite a bit. Our recommendations include products with as few as six buttons and as many as 12 buttons, factoring in the non-side-pad buttons. As a result, most MMO mice total between 15 and 19 customizable inputs. By contrast, the most feature-rich gaming mice outside the category generally top out at 10 or 11 buttons. As a general rule, more is better. Even with six buttons, you must learn how to maneuver around the pad, so why not go all the way? In theory, 10 or 12 buttons lets you assign the full number row or function keys, respectively, so you could argue that’s the sweet spot. Not all buttons are created equal, however. The difference between a good MMO mouse and a bad one comes down to the side pad design. A great MMO mouse needs buttons that are large enough for you to press without accidentally pressing their neighbors. They should have discernible gaps and edges, too, so you can feel the buttons as your thumb moves across the side pad. Also, many modern MMO mice provide some type of tactile guide, like a bump or textured center key, to help you find your way around without looking.
