How To Pick The Right Gaming Mouse

How do you choose the right gaming mouse? Actually, what makes it the right one for you? What factors should you consider when deciding on your next gaming mouse?. I tried to find answers to these questions based on my own experiences. With years of gaming, I have purchased tones of mice, including regular ones and gaming-grade ones. Let’s take a look at some of the finest mice on the market today and try to understand what makes a perfect mouse.

What Makes A Gaming Mouse Perfect (-For you)

Last weekend I was at the mall looking for a new gaming mouse for myself. I think I spent well over two hours and then decided to go home without getting one. I still own a G5, a G300 and a Razer Naga so I didn't really need one. I was only looking for something new. I guess that is my own desperate attempt to blame my recent failure in RTS games on the mouse. 

It's not hard to find a gaming mouse today. I remember how difficult it was to find a decent mouse 10 years ago. Now we have Razer manufacturing tones of different models, Logitech the same, and then MadCatz, Roccat and several other manufacturers producing several gaming mice specifically for gamers.

Technical Specifications...

Most of the time, these manufacturers show off with the number of buttons, laser sensors, reporting rate, sensitivity and how great their mouse glides and works on any surface. Of course they also manufacture their own stylish gaming mouse mats to go with the gaming mouse. 

Today, I will take a look at some of the better gaming mice you can find online and will try to give you some hints on choosing the right gaming mouse. Forget about the technical specifications, I believe the most important factor to consider when buying a new gaming mouse, is to find one that fits well in your hand. And because we don't have same hands, we can't be buying the same mouse. 2nd important factor is what you really expect from the mouse. Are you looking for more buttons, or are you looking for high sensitivity. Even if the mouse has a 5700dpi laser sensor, you still will need to switch between several settings if you play different types of games, or if you also use the game mouse for different applications.

So, let's take a look at some of the most popular gaming mice. Let me say this now, this is not a Top 5 Gaming Mouse list. I picked these models because I know they are pretty decent and have their advantages and disadvantages.

Deathadder looks cool, doesn't it!

Razer Deathadder has been one of the popular gaming mice. It’s got up to 3500 DPI that’s powered by the 3.5G infrared sensor. 5 programmable buttons is suitable for most gamers except for those who need more and more. 1ms response time make it extremely responsive to your commands where every fraction of a second matters. These are the positives. As for the negatives, some players might need more programmable buttons. The mouse is very ergonomic but it takes time to get used to it. The sides of the mouse are piano black material and it tends to get dirty if not cleaned regularly. Price: $49.99

Logitech G700 is not for every hand. 

Logitech G700 wireless is ideal if you are looking for a wireless gaming mouse. G700’s ergonomic design is a little different and it may feel weird at first but you get used to it in about a week. Its design was still too different for me and I couldn't feel comfortable with it. But even if you don’t trust a wireless mouse, G700 gives you the option to connect it with its optional data wire. It can also get charged while you are playing a game. The mouse has 13 programmable buttons and this is where Logitech’s software comes in handy. You can create multiple game profiles (up to 5) and set these 13 buttons to different functions for each game. Its 5700 DPI Laser Sensor is perfect for any type of game. You can either set it at 2000 or 3500 for different sensitivity levels, whatever you prefer! Price: $79.99

;
The New Razer Naga - 2012 edition

Razer Naga 2012 Expert MMO Mouse, as the name speaks for itself, is for the hardcore MMO gamer who needs tones of buttons. This one is like the most professional mouse you have ever seen! If you know about the mouse gripping styles, this mouse offers a solution for all styles. If you are one of the Claw Grippers, change the side panel to Claw Grip, or do the same for the other two  Grip Styles: Classic and Palm Grip. The mouse supports 17 programmable buttons and 12 of them are on the left side as thumb-grid. Now if you plan to use these buttons, Razer has a training software to get used to it. It’s not child’s play. I have tried to get used to the 12 buttons myself and it really takes time. Imagine going through those 12 buttons while you are looking for enemies in Blacklight Retribution or any other MMOFPS.  Razer Naga is incredibly comfortable and with the introduction of the interchangeable side panels, this will be a perfect fit for any user. Price is a little high but is not higher than G700 and is probably the only negative with this product if you have a limited budget. Price: $79.99

Logitech's attempt to make MMO mouse : G600

Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse: Logitech G600 is Logitech’s first real attempt at producing an MMO gaming mouse. The side panel looks exactly like Naga with 12 thumb buttons, making it 20 buttons in total on the Mouse. Yes! There are 20 buttons on one mouse. The side panel thumb buttons come with customizable RGB illumination which makes it even easier to guess which button your thumb is on. It’s probably the biggest challenge if you are going to buy an MMO mouse with thumb buttons like this. What makes G600 unique is the all new feature: G-button. It Works like a SHIFT button of a keyboard doubling the functions of the buttons on the mouse. It’s seriously a very advanced feature that I believe would take hundreds of hours to get used to. But it’s still a very unique feature. Logitech says the mouse is extremely durable, and that they have tested the mouse buttons up to 20 million clicks. There is your gaming mouse if you are looking for durability over anything else. Just like Deathadder, it has 1ms response rate and low friction feet or perfect glide. Price: $79.99

Logitech G300 is affordable

Logitech G300 is the cheapest gaming mouse on this list, if not the most affordable quality gaming mouse on the market today. Well, that’s what I think personally. I have been personally using G300 along with my Razer Naga for a few months and I have not been able to find too many negatives. It’s not very large and it is very ergonomic, fits in your hand perfectly. It doesn’t have too many buttons but it has got 9 programmable buttons that you can manage via Logitech’s software. The symmetric shape will make life easier for the left-handed gamers as G300 is perfect for both hands. You can customize and then select the sensitivity profile on-fly with the two buttons on top. You can also set a color for each sensitivity level so you can tell which setting is active by looking at the color of the side of the mouse. The mouse has an optical sensor but it doesn’t really feel too much worse than other gaming mice with laser sensors. One negative to note about the mouse is because of its symmetrical design, despite being perfect for use with each hands, it’s still not the right design for the best grip. G300 is still perfect for the money you pay for it. The price is $39.99 and is cheaper than all the other mice on the list.

This is just a basic comparison of the mice we have listed. Make your own list before you buy one!

At the end of the day, choosing a gaming mouse purely depends on your budget, gaming style, grip style, and ultimately your hand size along with your needs from it. If you are a casual gamer, you don't even need a gaming-grade mouse. If you spend a lot of time on the computer and play games as well, you will have to choose a mouse that fits both the games and applications. If you use applications like Photoshop, Premiere or any other graphics or video software, you will need something that is highly customizable, something that comes with an advanced software. Razer and Logitech make great software so you won't have any problems with either brands. And then comes the need for programmable buttons. MMO gamers prefer to have 10+ buttons but then it takes a lot of time to get used to it. Choose your gaming mouse based on your needs, don't buy one because your friend told you it's great. 

Useful links:

Logitech Gaming Equipment webpage

Razer official website