A great gaming mouse can exponentially level up your experience with any title. You can fine-tune your headshots, improve your response time, and even play longer with better, more ergonomic equipment. But which mouse do you choose from a sea of the peripherals out on the market? It can be difficult to discern which features are helpful and which are gimmickry to help sell RGB lighting in a plastic package. Luckily, we’ve compiled this guide to help you figure out the best gaming mice to help fine-tune your mousing methods and gaming abilities.
There are some important things to consider when you’re in the market for a gaming mouse. For one thing, you’ll want to decide whether you want a wired or wireless option. Wired mice will help to eliminate latency if you’re thinking of going pro, but wireless mice offer freedom from yet another cord on your desktop. There’s also RGB lighting, connectivity, the “crispy” feeling of each click, and how the mouse feels in your hand, depending on what kind of mousing style you use.
You should also consider how much money you want to spend on a new mouse. There are types of mice (including some that aren’t branded for gaming) that can go for a couple hundred dollars, and there are budget picks that don’t come with as many bells and whistles, but still get the job done. You’ll want to keep your budget in mind when you start your search for the best gaming mouse for you.
It’s time to dive into our picks for the best gaming mice. Alternatively, check out our guides on the best computer mice and on the best wireless gaming headsets.
Best gaming mouse overall: Razer DeathAdder V2
Pros: Affordable, great sensor, ergonomic shape
Cons: Buttons feel a bit less sturdy than others on the market, few bells and whistles
Razer is known for its reliable and quality peripherals, and the DeathAdder V2 is no different. It’s an excellent overall gaming mouse, with an ergonomic shape in mind that should work for any gamer and their grip style. This is the latest iteration of the mouse in a long line from Razer. It remains sturdy, with a great, comfortable form factor for gaming, browsing the web, or even getting some work done.
One key to the DeathAdder V2’s satisfying functionality is its 20,000 DPI Razer Focus+ optical sensor. It delivers an excellent tracking experience, no matter how quick or slow your mouse movements are. That makes it an ideal candidate for fast-paced first-person shooters, slower MOBA titles, and everything in between.
Beyond its more than capable sensor, the DeathAdder V2’s design is ergonomic. It has a body shape that works well with claw and hybrid claw/palm grips. The buttons feel clicky and crispy, and the two thumb buttons are extremely versatile. It also comes in a wireless option if the cord feels too suffocating. The only issue with the DeathAdder V2 is that the buttons can feel a bit too plasticky. But that doesn’t keep it from being the ultimate, all-purpose gaming mouse otherwise.
Best wireless gaming mouse: Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro Wireless
Pros: Plenty of customizable options, low latency, versatile RGB lighting
Cons: Not ideal for claw grip gamers, somewhat clunky
A great wireless gaming mouse needs two things: low latency and reliability. The hefty Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro Wireless mouse delivers in both respects. Its sub-1ms speed, surprisingly low latency, and 18,000 DPI make it an excellent choice for gamers who want to ditch the cord. That’s something more and more players are keen on doing these days.
This is an extremely quick, accurate, and comfortable gaming mouse that delivers several times over in responsiveness. It also comes with dynamic RGB lighting and eight programmable buttons that you can customize with the included Corsair software. It has a robust set of options that make transforming the mouse into your own personal piece of equipment a cinch. Its charging cable is rugged as well, offering hours of gameplay on a single charge when you need it.
There are a couple of trade-offs for this type of performance, though. It can feel a bit bulky in the hand. Also, it’s absolutely not for gamers who prefer a claw grip style of play. For everyone else, it should more than fit the bill when it comes to wireless connectivity. Whether you’re spending time practicing to go pro or gaming casually, this Corsair mouse knocks it out of the park.
Best wired gaming mouse: Glorious Model O
Pros: Lightweight, solidly built, comfortable, cool in the hand
Cons: Cord may be too short for some
Glorious may be a newer name in the gaming mouse game, but it’s certainly no slouch. Its Model O wired gaming mouse is a surprisingly lightweight option, at just 68 grams. Everything about the mouse is unconventional, with its honeycomb design and its rainbow RGB lighting you can see along the sides as well as within its internals. That’s precisely why it makes such an excellent choice for anyone looking for a wired mouse.
The Model O feels sturdy in the hand. Its design also makes for a comfortable experience during prolonged use. It’s light enough to move around at a breakneck pace for faster games like Counter-Strike or Valorant, but deliberate enough for better aiming in games like Call of Duty: Vanguard. It also features natural, great-feeling, clicky Omron buttons and a lightning-fast, accurate optical sensor.
Even the cord feels premium. It skips the typical braided or rubber wired options for a paracord-esque material that would take some considerable work to destroy. It’s also incredibly lightweight, just like the mouse itself. The cord is a bit short, but that’s hardly a reason to pass up this wired wonder. Glorious has an excellent design here worth exploring, even for wireless gaming mouse fans.
Best budget gaming mouse: Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC
Pros: Ambidextrous design, additional programmable buttons, well-built
Cons: Cable can be inflexible
Not only does this Logitech mouse look like a slick, professional option for gaming, but it’s an affordable model that will exceed expectations. It’s a wired mouse with extremely low latency. So, it’s great for fast-paced games and other similar tasks of the sort. Its CPI can be adjusted as well. This makes for a great choice for anyone who likes to customize their gaming equipment.
The mouse buttons feel appropriately responsive, with a rubbery scroll wheel that clicks as it moves. Its middle mouse button is resilent and sturdy as well. Its side buttons can be programmed to your liking, as can the RGB lighting around the mouse’s outside. The external plastic itself is comfortably smooth yet grippy. It covers a body that works for both left- and right-handed users who opt for most grip types.
Its Logitech G HUB software is surprisingly simple to use. It’s less of a pain to use to customize buttons and functions than you might think. There’s nothing about this mouse that actually screams “budget,” in fact, beyond its somewhat thin and inflexible cord. Overall, it’s an excellent entry-level or cheap mouse. This model is perfect for anyone who needs an alternative to their main mouse or something to break in with.
Best gaming mouse for MMOs: Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB
Pros: Low latency, easily programmable buttons, sturdy built
Cons: Stiff cable, can feel like too many buttons for some
Most gaming mice will work well across the board in different games. When it comes to MMOs, buying a mouse that speaks exactly to what those titles ask of players is a good idea. The Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB is a great-looking, well-built mouse that offers a variety of features for players looking to make sessions in their favorite MMOs more streamlined and comfortable.
This mouse comes with an adjustable 12-button side panel. They’re meant to assign special macros and game functions in addition to its typical two-button setup. Its thumb buttons are small enough as not to be intrusive, while large enough to discern which button is which without having to look. They’re perfect for saving time and making each game easier. You can even move the number pad around on the mouse to slide it up and down around two inches.
Otherwise, the mouse is a large, comfortable mouse that works perfectly for claw and palm-grip players. The left and right buttons, as well as the clickable scroll wheel, feel appropriately responsive. And with the included Corsair Utility Engine (iCUE) software, you can change up the RGB lighting surrounding them all. This is an excellent mouse that should please both MMO fans and anyone looking for a set of fun, useful gimmicks.
