Last Updated: August 6, 2021
Here at WePC, we’ve had the privilege of testing some of the best gaming mice on the market in the quest to find the ultimate, all-round gaming mouse. Every mouse we recommend has been purchased, unpacked, and used extensively with various grip styles and within a selection of gaming genres. We are continually testing new mice to see whether they have what it takes to break into our very competitive best gaming mouse roundup for 2021.
Best Gaming Mouse: First Look
Modern times are great for the gaming mouse, we now see the vast majority of options include top optical sensors, switches, and cables. Due to the incredible features and performance, we concluded that the Logitech G Pro Wireless is still the best gaming mouse money can currently buy. Under the shell sits the HERO sensor, which is essentially a more efficient PWM336x and it’s housed inside one of the comfiest, fully ambidextrous shapes we have ever used.
If all this talk of grips, sensors, and ergonomics is a little confusing, don’t worry, the following article is going to explain everything you need to know when buying a new gaming mouse.
Without further ado, let’s have a little look at some of the contenders and see what makes a mouse “the best”.
The Logitech G Pro Wireless is equipped with an advanced HERO sensor which, in laymen’s terms, is a slightly tweaked PWM 336x. This sensor is widely considered to be one of the best available thanks to its pinpoint accuracy and energy-efficient makeup
Other than the advanced sensor, the mouse boasts Logitech’s Lightspeed technology which essentially gives the user unlimited power when paired with the Logitech G Powerplay mousepad.
The BenQ Zowie EC2-B Divina is basically the EC1/2-B with an upgraded sensor. Alongside its fancy new sensor, the EC2-B Divina comes in two new color options, baby blue or baby pink.
It may sound lazy for a mouse manufacturer to just release a mouse with an updated sensor. However, the ergonomic design Zowie has developed is one of the best available and doesn’t need changing.
The old PWM 3310 has been replaced with an extremely accurate PWM 3360 optical sensor. This now gives you a feeling of complete control with those wild flick shots all the way down to the tiny micro-adjustments.
You get the added benefit of the mouse being ready right-out-the-box, just plug it in and play without the need of drivers or logging into any software.
One thing we noticed when testing MMO mice was the build quality of the Scimitar. This gaming mouse features some of the best build quality in MMO mice and comes equipped with a top optical sensor.
It’s accurate, responsive, and has 12 mechanical thumb-buttons with a distinct design for a smooth no-look combo.
The Deathadder V2 comes equipped with Razer’s award-winning design, but also now features the Focus+ optical sensor. The sensor is still as accurate as the older PWM3389, only now it is more efficient.
This refresh of the Deathadder Elite is now even lighter, weighing just 80 grams. The new cable is very flexible and is a vast improvement than the previous braided cables we have seen.
The versatile Cooler Master MM710 is one of the best ambidextrous mice on the market. It has top components, a reliable sensor, and is one of the lightest on our list. The design is very simple but if you like the design and want a little more you can always go for the MM711, which includes RGB illumination.
How We Choose
Regardless of the product, choosing the right piece of kit can be a painstakingly slow process.
We have selected each of these gaming mice for a reason, every selection offers top tier specs for the price. Choosing can be tricky so we scoured the web to ensure only quality mice make our selection process.
Once we have made our selections we narrow our lists down and get hands-on with the products we recommend.
How We Test
Testing the mice is a huge part of the overall process in our best of guides. Testing ensures we can conclude that our recommendations are the best out there for the job.
So how do we test gaming mice? Well to ensure a product is the best and displays better qualities than the competition we simply game! That’s right, we test these gaming mice in a number of different gaming titles, with a variety of hand sizes and grip styles.
We are looking for flawless accuracy, ergonomic shapes, and clever design, to ultimately find the best gaming mouse on the market.
Best Gaming Mice: Things To Consider
It’s important to familiarise yourself with the key aspects of what makes a good gaming mouse a great one. These key features will not only affect the price of the mouse but, more importantly, your in-game performance. Whether you’re interested in buying a gaming mouse under $30 or wireless gaming mouse, you want the best of the best and knowing what to look for will always go a long way.
We found that the following are the most important factors when looking to purchase a gaming mouse:
Size
When choosing a gaming mouse, choose one that fits your hand size. Depending on your grip, you can get away with a slightly bigger/smaller mouse, but it is worth measuring your hand and looking at comparisons to see if a mouse will fit your hand nicely.
We’ve split our gaming mouse recommendations into three groups – small, medium and large hand sizes. Gaming mice are categorized based on the size of the mouse and general consensus regarding which size mouse will be most comfortable/effective for particular hand sizes.
I personally have a hand size of 19.5cm x 10cm which does seem quite common, so I personally find a medium to large mice the most comfortable.
Best Gaming Mice For Small Hands
- Razer Viper
- Finalmouse Ultralight 2
- Cooler Master MM710/ MM711
- SteelSeries Rival 110
- Logitech G203
- Logitech G Pro Wired
- Endgame XM1
- Logitech G305
- Logitech G Pro
- Roccat Kone Pure
- Razer Abyssus V2
- Zowie FK2
- Zowie S2
Best Gaming Mice For Medium Hands
- Logitech G Pro
- Zowie S1
- Zowie EC2-B
- Roccat Kain 122 AIMO
- Roccat Kone Pure
- Razer Deathadder Elite
- Razer Deathadder V2
- Razer Mamba Elite
- Razer Basilisk
- Razer Basilisk V2
Best Gaming Mice For Large Hands
- Razer Mamba Elite
- Zowie FK1
- Logitech MX518 Legendary
- Razer Deathadder Elite
- Razer Deathadder V2
- Logitech G403, G603, G703
- SteelSeries Rival 650
- EC1-B
- Logitech G502 HERO
Note: this is a work in progress, we have reviewed approximately 50 gaming mice so far, but we still have a long way to go to get any conclusive answer to the best gaming mouse and of course, it is completely based on personal preference. Fortunately for us though, we work as a team and create our recommendations as a team, based on our own personal feedback for each individual gaming mouse.
Weight
The weight might be a highly subjective part of a mouse, but it can greatly affect accuracy.
Weight is largely down to preference, and any gamer will eventually get used to the weight of a new mouse after a bit of usage. It’s still a huge concern when shopping for a wireless gaming mouse though, the majority of wireless gaming mice are quite heavy due to the additional hardware the mouse includes for wireless connectivity and battery power. The wireless technology in gaming mice is being optimized with every passing day, meaning it will only be a matter of time before most wireless mice are as light as wired ones. For example, take the Logitech G Pro, which only weighs in at 80 grams (that is lighter than a lot of wired mice).
Sensor
Gaming mice have two types of sensors: Optical or Laser.
The main difference boils down to the illumination source. It’s also the reason why some mice work fine on smooth surfaces while others don’t. The optical sensor uses LED light as the source of illumination while the laser sensor uses, well, a laser.
Although they differ in terms of the illumination source, they both use a CMOS image sensor, a type of low-resolution video camera that you can find in smartphones. This image sensor captures images of the surface it’s on and uses it to determine how movement reflects in real-time use.
The majority of modern gaming mice include good sensors such as the Pixart 3366; there are very few gaming mice with poor sensors on the market these days.
Polling Rate
The polling rate is the rate of data transfer and response from the mouse to the computer. It is measured in hertz and ranges from 250Hz to 1000Hz.
A mouse with a 500Hz rate means that the computer receives updates about its position every two milliseconds. While 1000Hz is technically twice as fast at only 1ms, it’s still very hard to determine the difference, especially to most average gamers. Despite not being able to see this difference, most gamers will prefer the more responsive 1ms unless they are saving battery while working.
CPI or DPI
Technically speaking, CPI (Counts Per Inch) is the same as DPI (Dots Per Inch).
DPI is used to measure the distance traveled by the mouse by counting the “dots” within the span of a one-inch space. DPI is better used in reference to the printing world and CPI is actually the correct term to use.
Despite this, manufacturers use DPI for marketing purposes as DPI is more widely known.
Software And Profiles
Most gaming mice have some programmable buttons, but you are going to need Software that lets you re-map them.
Available for download below:
The vast majority of mice will come with software to help you assign macros, change your DPI, lift-off distance, and in some cases customize your RGB lighting. Gamers now expect mouse software to save custom profiles for easy on the fly changes, custom polling rates and compatibility with both Windows and Mac OS.
Usually an afterthought, the software which a particular mouse uses can be the difference between loving a mouse and simply liking a mouse. For example, SteelSeries mice on a whole are pretty good, but their software lacks the intuitiveness that competitors such as Logitech offers. In the case of the smaller brands such as Fnatic and HyperX, their software leaves a lot to be desired.
You can read our individual software guides right here:
- Logitech Gaming Software
- Razer Synapse Gaming Software
- Roccat Swarm Gaming Software
- SteelSeries Engine Gaming Software
It is worth noting that there are gaming mice that do not require any software what-so-ever and remain highly functional. These sorts of mice will simply allow you to change between pre-determined DPI and polling rate stages.
Material And Durability
Generally speaking, gaming mice are made out of plastic thanks to its light-weight, sturdy properties. Some mice could feature a matte-like coating and others a silky smooth plastic coating, so it’s important to know your preferences on the material before you buy.
Gaming mice are rated for the number of clicks they’re projected to perform before breaking. This can normally be found in the specifications but you can expect 20 million-plus clicks before one of these is going to break down.
Regardless, if you want a durable gaming mouse, then you usually can’t go wrong with most reputable manufacturers in the game.
Comfort
When it comes to comfort, there are a few key areas to look at as hand sizes and grip styles differ significantly from gamer to gamer. A mouse being comfortable is highly important whether you are using it for a short or long period of time. If you don’t get a comfortable mouse this could negatively impact your gaming performance and even cause hand discomfort in rare cases.
Battery Life (Wireless Gaming Mice)
The technology behind wireless gaming mice has gotten to the point where some sports pros have begun to use them at LAN tournaments. Gone are the days where lag plagues your gameplay, or your gaming comes to an end as you have to re-charge the extremely heavy battery.
Mice now come with a rechargeable lithium battery compared to affordable wireless mice such as the Logitech G305 which uses a single AA battery.
Grip Styles
A player’s grip style comes down to a number of different factors; hand size, comfort, mouse, and accuracy. There are three dominant grip styles, which include palm, claw, and fingertip. Everyone has their own individual grip, with some gamers even having a cross of two styles.
The three main types of mouse gripping:
- Palm Grip – A palm grip style is one where your entire hand is in contact and resting on the mouse. This kind of grip offers maximum stability and solid accuracy too.
- Claw Grip – The claw grip is somewhat of a strange grip where your palm is in contact with the bottom of the mouse and the fingers and arched up over the buttons. This is a great grip for people playing FPS as it promotes reaction speed and accuracy.
- Fingertip Grip -This is an almost hybrid grip consisting of both the palm and claw grips. The hand hovers in the air with your fingertips being the only thing in contact with the mouse. Since your palm doesn’t rest on the mouse, this gives you the most precise control.
Now we have gone over the jargon, let’s jump in and see the ins and outs of our five best gaming mice.
Related Gaming Mice Pages
If you are still struggling to find the perfect gaming mouse, why not check out some of our more thorough guides to buying a gaming mouse.
- Wireless Gaming Mice
- Best White Gaming Mouse
- Under $50
- Under $30
- Gaming Mouse & Keyboard Combo
- FPS Mice
- MMO Mice
Also, once you’ve figured out which mouse you want, eliminate cable drag (unless you go wireless) with an effective mouse bungee.
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Final Word
Our featured selections are some of the very best gaming mice in their respective categories. We hope this in-depth guide has now simplified your selection process, getting you back into the server quick time.
All of these gaming mice have top tier specs and well-designed shapes, offering comfort and unrelenting accuracy.
The Logitech G Pro Wireless is one of the best mice on the market and offers gamers unlimited power when paired with the G powerplay mousepad. The lightweight design and brilliant HERO Sensor, make this our best gaming mouse winner.
If you want the best-wired mouse money can buy we don’t think you can go wrong with the BenQ Zowie EC2-B Divina. This mouse is as precise as they come and works straight out of the box.
On the other hand, if you’re a hardcore WoW player, or you mostly play MMO games, get the tried and tested Corsair Scimitar Pro.
If you play a lot of First Person Shooter games like CS: GO, PUBG, and Fortnite but want to spend a bit less and prefer a matte coating then the Razer Deathadder V2 is the one for you.
A lightweight mouse, that not only looks good but performs as good as the rest, the MM710 is a top tier mouse for an affordable price.
So, there you have it, our list of the best gaming mice money can buy. Hopefully, one of our selections meets your specific needs. However, if none do, always remember the following tips when looking to buy a gaming mouse:
- Measure your hand so you can get a mouse that is sufficient in size
- Figure out your grip style
- Think about what games you will most likely play
- Ask yourself whether or not you will be using this mouse on a day to day basis
- Figure out what materials you would like the mouse to be built from
Those are the sort of things you should be doing before going out to buy a new mouse. Once you have figured that out, you can narrow down your search and use our trusty guide to pick a mouse that has some of our key criteria areas ticked off.
Other peripheral guides:
