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I'm not a competitive player, but I've logged so many hours in Apex Legends and CS2 trying to find the best gaming mouse models that I might as well be. Most rodents that pass my desk these days are built with one thing and one thing only in mind; winning elite-level tournaments. The only problem is, most players have far more on their minds.
High-speed 8,000Hz polling rates, incredibly low weights, and the same two side buttons have come to dominate the flagship landscape. We've stagnated in one corner of the market, and the same attention isn't being paid to the players who make up the majority.
I don't have millions of dollars riding on a millisecond of reaction time, and it's likely you don't either. I just want a comfortable gaming mouse that gives me more in-game.
I don't want to pay $160 for features I won't need or even notice, but of all the gaming mice I reviewed last year only seven came in under $100. It seems like every new pointer hitting the market has to justify itself as an esports tool in order to feel worthwhile. Take the Turtle Beach Burst 2 Pro, for example.
It's positioned as a professional esports mouse, with all its marketing tailored towards its 8,000Hz wireless polling rate and 'performance perfected' tagline. But at its core it's a wide-set mouse that prioritizes comfort in a palm grip from its chassis design.
The original Roccat Burst Pro (before the brand was purchased) launched as a wired, lightweight alternative to chunky button-laden options. It was the AIMO lighting features, UV-coated durability, and ambidextrous design that pushed the Burst Pro into public consciousness.
There's a reason the Logitech G502 is such an iconic pointer. It adds features and functions that everyday players will actually benefit from; extra buttons, a dual-mode scroll wheel, swappable weights, and a generous form factor.
With sensors hitting 30K DPI and 750 IPS like it's nothing these days, casual players don't need esports-level speeds and we don't want to pay for them.
And yet every mouse released has to tick these boxes to seem relevant. An 8,000Hz polling rate is going to do nothing for 99% of players' reactions, and yet we have to pay for it to pick up a new release, because it's an aspirational product.
Either that or brands have run out of ways of innovating on gaming mouse features and it's simply easier to lean into the 'faster = better' mentality.
Even the Glorious Model O 3 Wireless, a chunky gaming mouse with a hot-swappable battery feather in its cap, proudly boasts its own 8,000Hz polling rate and a far-too-high price tag.
Granted, there's a lot going into rising prices at the moment - I'd be shouting at clouds to suggest the $160 MSRPs we're seeing these days are solely down to this esports-ification of gaming mice. I know this stuff costs more these days, but I'm far more willing to pay more for features I'd actually use.
That's partly why I found the Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE so refreshing. This is a $139.99 MMO-focused pointer, so it was never going to over-extend itself into FPS-gameplay territory. However, its combination of Stream Deck layering and that 12-button side panel meant it provided a real tangible benefit both in-game at during everyday use. 2
It's extra functionality that's actually being picked up, experimented with, and personalized by casual players, making their games feel better rather than just cutting down the milliseconds.
Gaming mice have always been about speed, and that was ok when sensor and reporting technology was still behind display and human response times.
Now that we've got faster report rates than many will actually keep up with, we seem to have hit a ceiling. Rather than thinking about how the majority actually use their rodents, though, it seems most brands are content with lifting the roof and convincing us we need the extra height.
- See all gaming mouse deals at Amazon
I'm rounding up all the best wireless gaming mouse models available now, but if you've already got a brand allegiance it's time to check out the best Razer mice and best Logitech gaming mice on the market.
