Best Gaming Mouse: Six cutting-edge gaming mice. Which one belongs in your paw?
We tend to think of some PC components as having a longer
shelf life than others. A video card gets out of date faster than a
motherboard, which gets out of date faster than an optical drive, for
instance. Some people think that a mouse falls way down at the bottom
of that list, somewhere between a power supply and the screwdriver you
use to put the whole thing together, but those people have got it all
wrong.
Eeny, Meeny, Miny Mouse
Your mouse has a huge effect on how effectively you use
your computer,
and mouse technology evolves every year. Last year’s killer feature
becomes this year’s baseline. Performance that was once top-of-the-line
starts to make an appearance in the bargain bin. So if you’re still
using the same crusty old mouse from half a decade ago, or if you’ve
never made the jump to a true gaming mouse in the first place, you owe
it to yourself to take a look at what’s on the market right now.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up six premium
gaming mice spanning multiple price points and niches and put them to the test in an attempt to find the
best gaming mouse. Each one has been rated based on its features, build quality, performance, and
software support. Some of these mice are among the best we’ve ever tested, so read on and find out how you’re going to control your next PC.
Logitech G602
Is it time to cut the cord?
A lot of gamers still have the idea that a
true gaming mouse can’t be wireless—that wireless mice lag and are unreliable and
will totally wreck your K/D in
Call of Duty.
Fortunately, that idea has been proven wrong repeatedly recently, as
multiple companies have released high-quality wireless gaming mice. With
the G602, Logitech has pounded another nail in that myth’s coffin.
The G602 is a wireless mouse with a solid, all-purpose set
of features. It has plenty of buttons, including a bank of six bindable
keys accessible to your thumb, which allows it to work fairly well for
MMO or FPS gameplay.
It’s long, with a high-arched design that will work best for
those who prefer a full-palm grip, and the construction is top-notch. A
rubber pad on the palm makes the mouse easy to hold on to, and the
textured plastic around the sides
of the mouse feels very durable.
The G602 isn’t rechargeable, but it is designed for extreme longevity. Logitech claims that in gaming mode, a single
set of two
AA batteries will last for 250 hours. During our testing, we weren’t
able to make a dent in the battery meter, so we’re not inclined to
disagree.
In order to provide longer
battery
life, Logitech went with an optical sensor. We found the tracking to be
quite good, though the maximum 2,500 dpi and 500Hz polling rate might
be too low for some gamers. Logitech’s software is usually solid, and
the G602 is no exception.
The Logitech G602 features plenty of thumb buttons.
If you’re looking for a wireless-only mouse with plenty of features for any type of gaming, you
won’t be disappointed by the G602.
Logitech G602
Mad Catz R.A.T. M
A super-small mouse with some full-size problems
You’ve got to hand it to Mad Catz—the company is not afraid
to try new things with its peripherals. This derring-do was apparent
with the über-customizable R.A.T. 7, which was truly innovative. With
the R.A.T. M, Mad Catz tried something new again. This time, however, it
didn’t work out so well.
The R.A.T. M is a gaming mouse designed for
portable gaming.
It’s wireless, powered by two AAA batteries, and absolutely tiny, so
you can throw it in your laptop bag. It can be used as a Bluetooth
mouse, though it also comes with a low-profile USB dongle that stows
away under the mouse when not in use. As is usually the case, we found
the USB mode to be more dependable than Bluetooth. A laser sensor
provides great tracking on nearly any surface.
Unfortunately, for all its portable conveniences, the R.A.T.
M just isn’t comfortable to use. The palm rest on the mouse extends,
increasing the overall length, but even at its very longest, the mouse
is still quite small, leaving your hand in a cramp-inducing extreme arc.
Worse, the palm rest doesn’t lock into place, so during the course of
normal use it would almost constantly get shoved back into its shortest
setting, rendering the mouse incredibly uncomfortable to use for more
than a short while. There are plenty of buttons on the R.A.T. M, but
most of them are quite difficult to hit, due again to the mouse’s small
size.
With the R.A.T. M’s palm rest extended, the mouse is almost big enough to comfortably use.
A portable mouse is always going to be a compromise, but at $130 MSRP, the R.A.T. M asks too much, and offers too little.
