The best gaming mouse for you ranks among this list, so what will it be?
The best gaming mouse of 2017 differs from one person to the next. While some of us demand the low latency and minimal charging maintenance of a wired rodent, others prefer a gaming mouse sporting cutting-edge and convenient 2.4GHz wireless technologies. Either way, we all crave a handful of customizable macro keys and flashy, color-coded LEDs.
Even as consoles become more powerful, PC gaming shall remain. In fact, we would argue that your money is better spent on upgraded PC hardware than on the new iPhone X. Although that’s not to say that everyone agrees with us, computers designed for gaming have clear cut advantages over other devices, the best gaming mouse being one of them.
The question remains, however: what makes a gaming mouse the best gaming mouse? That’s a question that will be carefully answered in the proceeding paragraphs, arranged in the form of a list. Included are the top gaming mice we could get our hands on, each of which has been thoroughly vetted despite the fact that some entries lack full-length reviews.
Although you’re bound to determine the best gaming mouse for you based on our rankings, doing so is no seamless task. There are a lot of complicated technical specifications that go into gaming mice, the bulk of which we hope to clear up here. In each of our review synopses featured on this list, we’ve highlighted both the DPI rating and the key facets of each mouse.
For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, DPI stands for “dots per inch.” It’s a term that deals with sensitivity, which most gamers typically seek a higher amount of. That’s because with a higher DPI comes greater precision and accuracy in your movements. Plus, if you’re working with a high resolution monitor, you’ll need a mouse that navigates more pixels per inch.
As far as features go, the best gaming mouse might offer an extensive lifespan, a high polling rate frequency for faster response times, RGB lighting and an ergonomic design. Some of the top gaming mice even boast macro keys that can be assigned to any in-game action. What works for you really just depends on how much cash you’re willing to part with.
The best gaming mouse we’ve reviewed
The SteelSeries Sensei 310 is an unparalleled gaming mouse, both in price and performance. The low cost keeps it in line with what you would otherwise pay for a new, triple-A game release on Steam while its exclusive TrueMove 3 optical sensor, produced in collaboration with mouse sensor monopolist Pixart, makes it nigh-impossible to compete with. That’s because this mouse, with no preference when it comes to dexterity, exhibits some impressive real-world sensitivity results. What’s more, the jitter reduction component of the SteelSeries Sensei 310 aims to keep you from making erroneous moves after chugging an entire 2-liter of your preferred citrus-flavored soft drink.
A G900 makeover with an electrifying mouse pad
Undeterred by years of ridicule for their comparatively higher latency, the Logitech G900 of yesteryear proved once and for all that wireless gaming mice don’t have to suck. Though it’s merely a subtle iteration on that model, the Logitech G903 only reassures us of that conviction. Gracing a slightly altered G900 design with Logitech’s own PowerPlay mouse pad that doubles as a wireless charger, the Logitech G903 is an expensive, yet rewarding investment. On one hand, the cost might deter someone who wasn’t likely to buy it anyway, but on the other, you’re getting a high-DPI wireless gaming mouse that contends with even Razer’s best.
This gaming mouse is a real looker
Flashy and desirable, there’s no confusion as to why the Asus ROG Gladius II is a bit pricier than other gaming mice in its class. Boasting swappable buttons, a clickable scroll wheel and a sensitivity toggle, this mouse has all the bits gamers crave. There’s even top-to-bottom RGB lighting for an extension of its already-handy customization. Although it doesn’t feature the swappable weights that many others in its price range do, everything else feels comfortable and up to snuff. Better suited for first-person shooters than MMOs, the high DPI rating and 50g acceleration make the Asus ROG Gladius a feat to behold despite lacking features in areas where cheaper mice have conquered.
A healthy balance of comfort, function and suave looks
It’s obvious from the moment you look at the price tag that the Corsair Glaive RGB mouse was designed to go head to head with the Razer DeathAdder Elite. And while Corsair has had a ton of luck with its PC cases, keyboards, RAM, power supplies and cooling systems, a Corsair mouse is automatically a tough sell due to a lack of history alone. Luckily, the company’s latest gaming mouse effort is built for comfort, featuring a coating of soft touch paint and interchangeable thumb grips that augment ergonomics even further. At that point, the nearly perfect three-zone backlighting system and high-DPI Pixart sensor (not to mention the niftily included DPI status lights) are a mere bonus.
Precise and stylish enough to rival Razer and Logitech
It’s not everyday that we see a company known for its sound cards try to take on companies as renowned as Razer and Logitech with a competent gaming mouse of its own. Creative’s Sound BlasterX M04 is exactly that, however, and it’s actually fairly impressive. The 12,000 DPI rating means you won’t need to use pointer acceleration to use the mouse successfully. The RGB lighting scheme, which is controlled using Creative’s own Sound Blaster Connect software, is displayed across a subtle accent at the base of the mouse. Clearly, the Sound BlasterX Siege M04 is a winner in both function and style.
Razer’s most responsive DeathAdder ever
You know what you’re getting with a Razer DeathAdder mouse, and this year’s Elite model adds a new eSports-grade sensor and features the same right-handed ergonomic design as its predecessor that moulds into your hand, all while adding two new buttons beneath the mouse’s scroll wheel to change DPI (or dots-per-inch) on-the-fly. While the DeathAdder Elite misses out on more advanced features such as the free-spinning scroll wheel that you’ll find on Logitech’s Proteus Core, the Razer’s pretty RGB lighting (customizable lighting with 16.8 million color options through Razer’s synapse software), big and accessible left-mounted buttons and grippable scroll wheel make it the best mice available in the price tier below.
A mouse with a side-mounted display
SteelSeries has ventured where few gaming mice have dared by adding a black-and-white OLED display to its Rival 700. Of course, you can’t just add a screen to something without implementing some sort of functionality. That’s why, in Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Minecraft, this rampant rodent can be used as a customizable tool to enhance your play sessions. In its less utilitarian form, it can also be used to display animated GIFs. Better yet, the Rival 700 hardware is modular, too, giving users the autonomy to snap covers on and off and even swap between a three- and six-foot USB cable.
