Only the best gaming mouse delivers the accuracy, speed and feature set you need for that competitive edge, especially when paired with the best gaming keyboard. Regardless of whether you’re a casual gamer or trying to go toe-to-toe in the latest esports, having one of the best gaming PCs is nothing without an amazing mouse. And, it’s just as essential to your gaming rig as the best graphics card if you want to be at the top of your game.
Though people spend so much effort, time and money on internals, the peripherals are just as important in getting an immersive experience as well as getting to the top of the leaderboards. The best gaming mouse is proof of this. Plus, it’ll save your wrist and arms from unnecessary chronic pain, as it typically offers excellent ergonomics.
Get the best gaming mouse that delivers durability, performance and speed, even if it’s the best wireless mouse you need. For a truly incredible gaming experience, pick up one of the best gaming mouse pads as well.
When it comes to the best gaming mouse, features, balance and performance are all present in equal measure in the SteelSeries Rival 710, securing it a top spot on our list. This behemoth of a gaming mouse – at least, in terms of power – is a bit expensive, but when you weigh that price against the customizable OLED display, haptic feedback (great for you MOBA players) and excellent build quality, the SteelSeries Rival 710 is still a very solid purchase. The kicker? Everything is modular, even down to the sensor, so you never have to feel like you’re missing out on the latest tech.
Read the full review: SteelSeries Rival 710
There are a couple reasons why Razer Viper is our new favorite esports gaming mouse. Along with its lightweight ambidextrous design, true 16,000 DPI and Razer Chroma lighting, this powerful little mouse also features 1000 Hz Ultrapolling, Optical Mouse Switches rated for 70 million clicks and 8 independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons. If you want a gaming mouse to give you that extra competitive edge, you’ve found it here.
Read the full review: Razer Viper
The best gaming mouse is always going to be the one that brings excellent performance at a reasonable price. And, the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless is the poster child for this ideal price-and-performance match. You’ll have a wireless mouse that has RGB lighting, touts a long battery life and doesn’t at all suck, for less than $50. The ergonomics unfortunately favor right-handed users, but at this price and with this impressive performance, there’s not much else to complain about.
Read the full review: Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless
Impressive wireless gaming mice are hardly a dime a dozen. Due to their latency, wireless mice are generally not ideal for gaming where every fraction of a second counts. This is why the Corsair Dark Core RGB has impressed us even more. With its sub-1ms speed, incredibly low latency, and reliability, this is truly a mouse we can game with, wireless or otherwise. And, that’s without mentioning its highly customizable RGB lighting and very robust software. There’s one catch: it’s not ideal for claw grip gamers as its palm rest is a bit flat. However, if you’re a palm gripper, you’ll love how it fits in your hand.
Read the full review: Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro Wireless
Its onboard profile customization and nice matte finish are just two of the things you’ll love about the SteelSeries Sensei Ten. Most importantly, this ambidextrous mouse boasts a top-of-the-line sensor, making it one of the best gaming mice we’ve tested. It delivers such impressive acceleration and deceleration customization options, as well as butter-smooth performance. SteelSeries tops it all off with Tilt Tracking, which essentially keeps tracking consistent and precise even when you’re lifting your mouse and putting it back down at tilted angles.
Read the full review: SteelSeries Sensei Ten
With up to 450 hours in Bluetooth mode, the Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed is one of the longest lasting wireless mouse on the market. But, it’s got more going for it than just longevity. It also boasts excellent performance with 450 IPS tracking speed and up to 40G acceleration. It’s key feature, however, is the HyperSpeed Wireless, which reduces the time it takes to send data between your mouse and PC so it’s 25% faster than any other wireless gaming technology.
Read the full review: Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed
A balanced mid-range gaming mouse that can handle a variety of situations, the MSI GM30 Clutch is an excellent mid-tier gaming mouse that boasts a lightweight build and extra, albeit modest, features. Among those features is the ability to configure up to three separate profiles in MSI’s DragonCenter app. This may not be good for input-heavy and fast-paced games. However, if you need an affordable and reliable mouse that can handle serious gaming as well as day-to-day computer usage, this one’s a shoo-in.
Read the full review: MSI GM30 Clutch
A solid gaming mouse at a decent price point, the Razer Basilisk V2 is the only choice if you’re looking for a mid-range gaming mouse. It allows you to effortlessly hop from game to game with minimal fuss, and has 11 programmable buttons, a tactile scroll wheel with a tension dial and up to five different sensitivity levels. On top of that, it has the Razer Speedflex Cable, which boasts incredible flexibility and produces minimal drag. And, for comfort, it’s well-suited for a palm grip, as well as claw and fingertip styles.
Read the full review: Razer Basilisk V2
The Kain 202 AIMO from Roccat is the perfect mouse for the gamer who likes to keep it simple. No wires, no weight adjustment, no-nonsense. The 202 is easy to set up, works like a charm and comes with a solid battery life, ensuring that you won’t need to be plugging it in too often. Overall sensitivity and physical feedback is good, with particular mention going to the rugged scroll wheel, which feels great to roll and click. It’s not the most portable of mice, but its anti-wear coating ensures that this mouse should remain looking fine for the duration of its life.
Read the full review: Roccat Kain 202 AIMO
The Razer Deathadder V2 may be a simple mouse with a simple design, but don’t let that fool you. This is one of the best gaming mice out there, touting a response time of 0.2ms, 650IPS tracking speed, 8 programmable buttons and Razer Speedflex Cable. It’s pretty lightweight as well, making it possible to reduce hand and wrist fatigue. And don’t knock that simple design, either, as it only makes this mouse look right at home in the office as much as it does in your gaming setup. Best yet, it boasts a 70M click durability, which means it’ll last you for a long, long time.
Read the full review: Razer Deathadder V2
How to choose the best gaming mouse
While you’ll definitely find the best gaming mouse of your gaming dreams, doing so might take some time and effort. That’s expected; there’s a ton of complicated technical jargon that goes into the best gaming mice – terms like polling rates and DPI ratings that a regular buyer may not be familiar with. For the record, you’ll want a higher number of both, even though these two terms mean very different things.
For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, when you come across the term DPI, that is shorthand for ‘dots per inch.’ The higher the number, the wider the range wherein you can specify how sensitive your mouse is. If you don’t have a lot of desk space available, but you still want accuracy and precision, then opt for the best gaming mouse with a higher DPI rating that can toggle to a lower DPI, in case you get a bigger desk.
Meanwhile, a high polling rate means you’re getting faster response times. The polling rate is measured in hertz, and it usually ranges from around 125 to 1,000Hz. The latter means that your mouse’s position is reported to your computer 1,000 times per second.
Other key gaming mouse factors you’ll want to keep in mind are ergonomics – particularly if you’re left-handed – and RGB lighting.
Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article
