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Gaming mice have changed a lot in the past few years, and we're at the point where wireless gaming mice have the same or even lower latency than some wired models. You might still prefer the reliability of a wired connection, but the difference isn't noticeable in most cases. When looking for the right gaming mouse, you'll want to find one that fits your hand size and is suitable for your preferred grip type. It should also have a high polling rate and low click latency. Mice aren't one size fits all, and you'll want to choose a mouse that complements the games you like. For example, you may prefer a lightweight option for FPS games or a more versatile mouse with many side buttons if you play MOBAs, MMOs, or Battle Royales.
We've tested over 325 mice, most of which are gaming mice, so if you're looking for the best wireless or the best wired gaming mouse, we've listed our top picks below. If you're only interested in wireless options, see our picks for the best wireless gaming mice, or if you're looking for a mouse not entirely dedicated to gaming, see our recommendations for the best mice or the best wireless mice.
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Best Gaming Mouse
Razer Viper V3 Pro 41
Video Games (FPS)
9.5
Video Games (MMO)
8.3
Raw Performance
9.8
Work
7.3
Ambidextrous
Shape OnlyDefault Weight
53.8 gConnectivity Wireless
See all our test results
The Razer Viper V3 Pro is the best gaming mouse we've tested. It's the successor to the Razer Viper V2 Pro, our previous top pick, improvingon it in several ways. It features a new, more subdued design and a familiar shape that's ideal for a wide variety of hand sizes and grip types. It's now even lighter and sports Razer's updated Focus Pro 35K sensor, one of the most accurate and consistent sensors we've ever tested. It supports a maximum wireless polling rate of 8000Hz out of the box and delivers some of the lowest click and sensor latency figures available, providing an incredibly responsive gaming experience.
If you don't mind missing out onabsolutely bleeding-edge performance, Razer's previous generation Viper V2 Pro is still an outstanding choice, and it's currently available for cheaper than ever. Lastly, we couldn't forgive ourselves for not mentioning the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro as a possible alternative. It delivers outstanding raw performance similar to our top pick,butit's designed exclusively for right-handed users and is a better option for larger-sized hands, especially if you prefer using a palm grip.
See our review
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Best Upper Mid-Range Gaming Mouse
Pulsar X2V2 19
Video Games (FPS)
9.2
Video Games (MMO)
7.9
Raw Performance
9.4
Work
7.2
Ambidextrous
Shape OnlyDefault Weight
54.2 gConnectivity Wireless
See all our test results
We recommend the Pulsar X2V2 as the bestupper mid-rangegaming mouse. It has a simple yet attractive design that won't look out of place on any desk setup. It feels good in your hand, with a comfortable medium-sized symmetrical shape and a fairly wide rear hump that makes it well-suited for most hand sizes and grip types. It's also very lightweight, coming in at just over 54g, making it incredibly easy to make fast and accurate movements. Its performance is top-notch, too. It uses PixArt's flagship PAW 3395 sensor, delivering outstanding wireless performance that almost matches the gaming performance offered by our top pick, the Razer Viper V3 Pro. It also supports up to a 4000Hzpolling rateif you buy the 4K Dongle, which is sold separately.
Overall, this is a superb lightweight gaming mouse that's ideal for making quick and precise movements in fast-paced and competitive titles where every millisecond counts. It only has a few downsides compared to the V3 Pro. For starters, it uses optical switches, which help it achieve those low click latency results, but they don't feel quite as satisfying as the Razer's implementation. Also, the mouse has an unconventional baseplate design that leaves the inside open to dust and debris.
The newly released Pulsar Xlite V3 is an excellent alternative if you'd like a mouse with a right-handed shape. It has all the same internal parts and even weighs virtually the same as the X2V2, but it has a comfortable shape that's designed specifically for right-handed users.
See our review
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Best Mid-Range Gaming Mouse
Fantech Aria XD7 3
Video Games (FPS)
8.7
Video Games (MMO)
7.7
Raw Performance
9.0
Work
7.3
Ambidextrous
NoDefault Weight
60.4 gConnectivity Wireless
See all our test results
At a mid-range price point, we recommend the Fantech Aria XD7. Its symmetrical, egg-like shape provides a comfortable fit for most hand sizes and grip type preferences. Despite its more affordable price tag, it's only a bit heavier than our top pick, the Razer Viper V3 Pro. It has PixArt's flagship sensor, the PAW 3395, which is closely related to the sensor in the Razer and offerssuperior performance across the board. It's pictured in its lightest configuration with a modular back plate with small cutouts to save weight. That said, it also comes with a solid back plate option that's only slightly heavier if you prefer the look and feel of a solid plastic body.
If this mouse has a weakness, the battery life sits at a maximum of around 30 hours between charges. While this won't present any problems if you get into a regular recharging schedule, it may be annoying if your usage is more variable. If battery life is a concern for you, the Razer Orochi V2 is worth checking out. It has an egg-like shape similar to the Fantech, but it uses AA or AAA batteries for power, which helps it achieve a much longer battery life. Disposable batteries are heavy, making the Razer noticeably heavier than the Fantech.
See our review
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Best Lower Mid-Range Gaming Mouse
Razer Basilisk V3 7
Video Games (FPS)
8.6
Video Games (MMO)
8.7
Raw Performance
9.5
Work
7.0
Ambidextrous
NoDefault Weight
99.9 gConnectivity Wired
See all our test results
The Razer Basilisk V3 is the best mouse for gaming that we've tested at a lower mid-range price point. This mouse is similar to the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED in many ways. The biggest difference is that this is a wired-only model. Otherwise, they share nearly identical ergonomic shapes, an impressive array of customizable controls, and outstanding sensor performance and click latency. The scroll wheel also has left and right tilt inputs and can switch between regular notched mode and a much faster free-scrolling mode.
Because it doesn't need to hold a rechargeable battery, it's significantly lighter than the G502 LIGHTSPEED. This is a notable advantage, making it easier to move quickly and accurately, which is handy for playing faster-paced games. Altogether, this is a standout pick if you're interested in a high-performance, versatile gaming mouse but don't need the flexibility of a wireless connection.
If you'd prefer a wireless alternative at this price point, check out the Keychron M3 Mini. It has a smaller, symmetrical shape, is significantly lighter, and offers outstanding wireless performance considering its price point. It also has fewer programmable buttons, its feet aren't as high-quality, and its scroll wheel lacks tilt inputs and free scrolling.
See our review
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Best Budget Gaming Mouse
Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED 10
Video Games (FPS)
8.4
Video Games (MMO)
7.8
Raw Performance
9.1
Work
7.0
Ambidextrous
Shape OnlyDefault Weight
101.7 gConnectivity Wireless
See all our test results
If you want to stick to a more budget price point, we recommend the Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED. Depending on the region of the world you live in, this mouse may be called the Logitech G304 LIGHTSPEED, but they're the same mouse. The G305's symmetrical, egg-shaped body is very comfortable and accommodating for nearly all hand sizes using a claw or fingertip grip. The build quality is also impressive. There's no creaking or flexibility in the body, and despite being significantly more affordable, it feels nearly as premium as the more expensive Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED. It connects wirelessly with Logitech's LIGHTSPEED USB receiver and gets an impressive advertised battery life of up to 250 hours from a single AA battery.
Last but not least, this mouse has excellent click latency and consistent sensor performance. Its major downside is its weight, making it harder to make snappy, responsive mouse movements for faster-paced games. Alternatively, if you're looking for the best wired mouse at this price point, we recommend checking out the Razer Cobra. While you're giving up wireless flexibility, it delivers better pure gaming performance and is significantly more lightweight, making it much better suited for playing fast-paced or competitive games. It also has more extensive RGB lighting.
See our review
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Best Mouse For Work And Play
Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED 5
Video Games (FPS)
8.1
Video Games (MMO)
8.6
Raw Performance
9.2
Work
8.3
Ambidextrous
NoDefault Weight
115.1 gConnectivity Wireless
See all our test results
If you want a gaming mouse but don't want to sacrifice useful work and productivity features, look no further than the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED. This mouse has an ergonomic, right-handed shape with a thumb rest, and it's bristling with 12 programmable buttons. It delivers excellent click latency and outstanding sensor performance. It has a versatile scroll wheel with left and right tilt inputs, a regular notched scrolling mode, and a much faster free-scrolling mode.
All these features make this mouse significantly heavier than most gaming mice designed for fast-paced experiences like FPS games. However, it's a terrific choice if you play various games in different genres and prefer a heavier mouse. This mouse even has a set of optional weights you can add to customize the weight distribution.
Logitech has recently released new versions of this mouse called the Logitech G502 X LIGHTSPEED and the Logitech G502 X PLUS (the PLUS features RGB lighting). These new entries have a softer visual design and are lighter. They also feature adjusted button placement, including quieter, more durable left- and right-click buttons. When these new entries launched, they were considerably more expensive, but they've started to come down in price and can sometimes be had for around the $100 mark, at which point we'd recommend them over the older G502 LIGHTSPEED.
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Recent Updates
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May 24, 2024: We've updated our top pick to the newly-released Razer Viper V3 Pro. We've also added the Ninjutso Sora V2 to our Notable Mentions section.
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Apr 24, 2024: We've confirmed all picks remain the best options for their respective categories and that all products are in stock and within their expected price ranges. We haven't made any changes with this update.
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Mar 26, 2024: We've reviewed this article for accuracy and relevance but haven't made any changes to our picks.
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Feb 26, 2024: We've removed our 'Best For Enthusiasts' category as the Razer Viper 8KHz is less relevant now that 8000Hz polling rates are becoming more common. We've also moved our upper mid-range pick, the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED, into a new category, 'Best For Work And Play,' because the mouse excels in productivity and gaming. Lastly, our new upper mid-range pick is the Pulsar X2V2, which performs almost as well as our top pick but is typically more affordable.
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Feb 02, 2024: We've verified our picks and haven't made any changes. Still, we've added a mention of the Razer Orochi V2 in our mid-range category and made some minor text changes for accuracy and readability.
All Reviews
Our recommendations aboveare what we think are currently the best gaming mice for gaming for most people, whether you're looking for the best wired gaming mouse or the best wireless gaming mouse. We factor in the price (a cheaper mousewins over apricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no micethat are difficult to findor almostout of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of our gaming mice reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While nomouse is perfect for every use, most miceare great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
