Best gaming mouse rundown
PC gamers have never had it so good. The e-sports scene is enjoying unprecedented popularity, with plenty of (not entirely frivolous) talk about how gaming should be added to the Olympics roster.
Whether you fancy becoming the next League of Legends or Call of Duty superstar, or something more sedate, like leading a vicarious virtual life in an MMO or RPG, one thing is for sure: you will be at an instant disadvantage if you skimp on your choice of mouse.
And there's no excuse for that if you've lashed out eye-watering sums on an overclocked, water-cooled rig festooned with neon lights, or a top-of-the-range gaming laptop.
How to choose the best gaming mouse
Your choice of mouse depends very much on your gaming preferences: if you're into first-person shooters, say, finding the right balance of sensitivity and responsiveness is vital, so you'll need to pay attention to DPI ratings and decide between optical or laser sensors (fear not – leave the technical stuff to us). Whereas if you're into real-time strategy, MMOs or MOBAs, it's vital to pick a mouse that lets you map macros triggering the actions you use most to specially configured buttons.
So, we've picked the 10 best gaming mice: whatever your gaming preferences or needs, one of these will complete your ultimate PC or Mac gaming setup.
1. Razer DeathAdder Chroma
Sports a classic design and has an insane DPI
DPI: 10,000 | Interface: USB Wired | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Yes | Features: Textured rubber side grips, Chroma lighting, 1000Hz Ultrapolling, On-the-fly sensitivity adjustment, Always-on mode
See more Razer DeathAdder Chroma deals
High DPI Grips well Pedestrian design No macro buttons
Many pro gamers swear by Razer's PC peripherals, and the Death Adder Chroma mouse is one of the most popular gaming mice around. There's nothing too flash about it (except for the ability to make various bits of it glow in different colours), but it feels right in the hand, is light, the rubber side-grips come in handy at frenzied moments, its optical sensor is tried-and-tested and it goes up to an insane 10,000DPI (probably too sensitive for mere mortals, but it's there if you need it). MMO fans may be slightly disappointed by a less-than-generous allocation of macro buttons, though. But in the world of gaming mice, it's considered something of a design classic.
Read the full review: Razer DeathAdder Chroma
2. Roccat Kone XTD
With a clever easy-shift system that effectively doubles the number of its buttons, Roccat's Kone XTD scores particularly highly with those who crave macros at their fingertips. But it's a great all-rounder which is built to last, with easily adjustable sensitivity and a rugged wheel. With a 32-bit processor and ability to analyse your mouse-pad and automatically set lift-distance, it might just be the most high-tech mouse on the market. Plus it looks and feels spot-on. Some of the software may be a tad gimmicky, but it provides all the customisability any serious MMO, MOBA or RTS gamer could desire, and can hold its own on the first-person shooter scene.
3. Mad Catz R.A.T.TE
Sure, Mad Catz's R.A.T.TE may look like some kind of deconstructed micro-cyborg, but there's method in its futuristic-looking madness. If you have particularly large, or weird-shaped hands, its ability to change shape – both width-wise and in its palm-extension – will prove a boon. It's a decent all-rounder, perhaps more skewed to first-person shooters with 8,200DPI sensitivity and the not overly generous total of two macro buttons. Plus it's super-light, accurate and responsive. May prove a bit flash for some, but it's quite decently priced, too.
4. Cougar 600M
The Cougar 600M isn't for shrinking violets – it's very, um, orange (OK, you can get it in black, too). But at least it has the specifications to back up the paint-job. 8,200DPI sensitivity (with on-the-fly adjustment) allied to a "sniper" button on the wing that extends below your thumb should wow the first-person shooter crowd, while a possible eight macro buttons render it equally appealing to fans of MMOs and MOBAs. Plus it has the requisite light weight, and an LED that displays your sensitivity settingvia colour-coding. Its unusual matt finish feels good to the touch, too. An impressive slice of German engineering.
5. Turtle Beach Grip 500
Turtle Beach is best known for its gaming headsets, but the Grip 500 suggests it's ready to muscle its way into the gaming mouse market. It's competitively priced, but a decent all-rounder, with 8,200DPI sensitivity for the first-person shooter brigade, and the ability to load several different macro setups into its own memory, which you can switch between on the fly with the help of colour-coded LEDs. With a maximum of 45 macros possible, it's ideal for those who favour MMOs and MOBAs. And aesthetically, it's a bit more discreet than some of its rivals.
6. Mad Catz R.A.T.M
Finding the right mouse is a perennial problem for gamers who prefer laptops to PCs, but Mad Catz's R.A.T.M has been specifically designed to solve that conundrum. As is typical for laptop-specific mice, it's tiny (which could prove problematic for the giant-handed), but at least it's size-adjustable, and packs surprisingly decent specifications for such a tiny package, with 6,400DPI sensitivity and a clever four-way button that can run five macros. And it's wireless – with a built-in Bluetooth dongle so it works even if your laptop doesn't have native Bluetooth. Worth considering for those who place portability at a premium, but like to play MMOs and MOBAs.
7. SteelSeries Sensei
SteelSeries peripherals have a huge following among the professional gaming community, and many pros swear by the Sensei. With 11,400DPI sensitivity and a handy eight macro buttons, it comfortably straddles the first-person shooter/MMO/MOBA divide. Meanwhile, underneath its deceptively conventional looks, it's precision-engineered for all the precision and sensitivity you could desire. And it even lets you customise its "lift distance" – so whatever surface you use it on, you can get it performing perfectly. We can't vouch for your general level of talent, but the SteelSeries Sensei will at least put you on a par with the pros in terms of equipment.
Read our SteelSeries Sensei Pro Grade Laser Mouse review
8. Logitech G602
If, for whatever reason, you can't cope with cables, then Logitech's wireless G602 is worthy of consideration. With low 2,500DPI sensitivity, it probably isn't up to the rigours of hardcore first-person shooter action, but with 11 programmable macro buttons, it's perfect for MMOs, MOBAs and real-time strategy games. Battery life (often a bugbear with wireless mice) is claimed to be an impressive 250 hours, and it's handsome, beautifully made and pleasantly tactile. The best choice if you need to go wireless and don't play first-person shooters.
9. SteelSeries Sensei [RAW]
The Sensei [RAW] is a cut-down, and considerably cheaper, version of the classic Sensei, which keeps all the Sensei's most important attributes, but does away with some more exotic features – notably the 32-bit ARM processor and the LCD display. In terms of all its mechanical bits, though, it's the same as the Sensei. So you get that tournament-honed feel and precision (and it's available in a nice rubberised finish, too). Worth considering if you're pretty sure that you don't possess the raw talent to make it to the very top of the online gaming world, and happen to be a tad impecunious – yet still want a mouse that handles impeccably.
10. Logitech G502 Proteus Core
If you like a bit of weight in the hand, as it were, Logitech's bombastically named G502 Proteus Core is undoubtedly the mouse for you. That's because its weight is customisable: it comes with five weights that you can add and reposition (making it nose-heavy, say) to your heart's content. Beyond that, its specification is sufficiently tasty for it to have made inroads into the pro-gaming community, with 12,000DPI sensitivity (adjustable on the fly) and 11 programmable macro buttons. And even its wheel can be adjusted between clicking and scrolling. A top-notch all-rounder.
Read our Logitech G502 Proteus Core gaming mouse review
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Original source: Updated: Buying guide: Best gaming mouse: top 10 gaming mice reviewed.
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