Even if you aren’t buying a mouse today, we hope this article proves educational on the high-end mouse market. If you aren’t shopping high-end, you can check out this more general mouse buying guide.
Features to Look for in High-End Mice
What kind of features are you getting when you opt for a high-end mouse? Let’s talk about a few that are most useful to you. One big feature in high-end mice is low-latency wireless connectivity. Your typical wireless mouse comes with a great deal of input lag, but high-end wireless gaming mice from the likes of Logitech and Razer have recently introduced a near-lagless wireless experience. Another feature you may be on the prowl for is a mouse with lots of extra buttons – or even an embedded keypad. These are useful for storing macros and setting custom binds, for both productivity and gaming uses.
Does High DPI Actually Matter?
A long time ago it used to, but these days, actually not as much. One reason is that trying to use some of the astronomically high DPI numbers available on modern mice results in near impossible-to-control sensitivity in most games. You don’t need super-high DPI to have accurate mouse input. Once you hit about 1600 DPI and higher, any worry of pixel-jumping should be gone. Make no mistake, DPI still matters, but you don’t need to pick the mouse with the highest DPI number if you’re concerned about accuracy. Even then, many pro players with possibly twenty times your skill are still using old 800 DPI mice, so DPI by itself obviously doesn’t scale to accuracy in real-world mouse usage. What matters much more than that is your sensor.
What Sets Apart Optical From Laser Sensors?
The sensor of a mouse is arguably the most important part since it’s responsible for reading all of your movements as inputs. There are two main kinds of mouse sensors: laser and optical. Laser mouse sensors boast compatibility with the most surfaces and can be cheaper but also suffer from built-in mouse acceleration that can’t be disabled. While you can still certainly play games with a laser mouse, built-in acceleration is a no-go for any competitively-oriented player since it adds a great deal of inconsistency to the equation. Optical mouse sensors may not work on all surfaces, but they do not suffer from built-in mouse acceleration. With modern optical sensors from the likes of Logitech, Razer, and others, superb accuracy with no acceleration has become the norm, as long as you stick with an optical mouse. We especially recommend doing this for gamers.
Why Do Some Newer Mice Have Holes Cut into Them?
The answer is to reduce weight! While we haven’t put any of the mice out there that use holes to reduce weight in our best-of list, they’re certainly worth checking out if a lightweight experience is your top priority. You won’t get all the best features, and you’ll be stuck with wired mice, but many users swear by mice adopting this design philosophy. If you’re interested in this kind of mouse, we recommend the Glorious Model O on the high-end and the Cooler Master MM710 on a budget.
Best High-End Mouse for FPS Gaming
Our pick for best high-end mouse for FPS Gaming is the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, but you can find a cheaper alternative in the regular Logitech G Pro Wireless or Razer Viper Ultimate. Our main pick and its alternatives all have a symmetrical shape ideal for FPS grips and a completely wireless interface with no noticeable input lag. The G Pro X Superlight achieves this while being the absolute lightest of the three at 63 grams, though the Viper Ultimate is a close second at 74 grams. The regular G Pro Wireless is the heaviest at 80 grams. A lightweight, wireless, low-latency mouse with the right shape is the dream mouse of any FPS pro. The G Pro Wireless, G Pro X Superlight, and the Viper Ultimate should all achieve this goal with ease.
Best High-End Mouse for Productivity and MOBAs/MMOs
Right now, the best choice for a mouse with macro keys in mind can be found in the Razer Naga Trinity. Whether you’re a professional who wants access to many macros or an MMO/MOBA gamer who wants access to many macros, you should be pretty well-covered here. You can also swap out the side panel if you ever have a desire for LESS keys, but the bulky form factor of this mouse makes it less ideal for shooters and other games. And yes, gaming mice do tend to make good productivity mice, too. If you want a bump up in build quality and wireless connectivity, you can go up to the Naga Pro. Alternatively, you can downgrade to a Logitech G600 if you just want the extra macro keys and don’t need wireless or other extra features.
Parting Words
Even if you don’t end up buying a mouse or one of our picks, we hope our picks made sense to you and that the knowledge we shared will help you pick the best high-end mouse for your needs in the future. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below! Image Credit: Harikrishnanskt
