Best gaming mice 2023: Find your perfect match

Price When Reviewed:

69.99

The Logitech G502, which so wowed gamers back in 2014 has evolved into a new model, the Logitech G502X, which boasts several big improvements over its predecessor. These include: a higher-resolution 25K sensor, a new rubberized thumb grip, and lightning-fast hybrid optical-mechanical switches.

Admittedly, its 89-gram weight means it’s not the lightest gaming mouse on the market. However, any concerns about performance fall by the wayside because of the larger and more accessible buttons. You still get 13 programmable options, including the side trigger button and DPI buttons cut into the left main click, but the trigger is now closer to your thumb and easier to reach, and the DPI buttons are longer and harder to misclick. This ultimately means the G502X has arguably the best all-rounder button setup you can get.

Price When Reviewed:

129.99

The Razer Cobra Pro is an excellent all-round gaming mouse with a very sensitive 30K sensor that will give the best esports mice a run for their money. While its 79-gram weight makes it a little heavier than many competitive FPS mice, it boasts features that most don’t have. Indeed, features like its up / down DPI buttons that allow you to switch DPI on the fly, its gorgeous 11 zones of RGB lighting and Tri-Mode connectivity (wired, 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) make it a highly versatile and sought after gaming mouse.

Its one drawback, however, is its compact size, which comfortably fits small to medium sized hands but is a little too small for some large hands. Of course, this won’t affect players who prefer to use a claw grip, so this mouse is especially suited to them.

Few gaming mice can cater to a gamer’s varying connectivity needs, which is why the Keychron M3 is so unique. It sports not one, but three connectivity options, including low-latency 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, and wired connectivity via a USB cable, so that you can connect it up to just about any device in your home. What’s even more impressive is that the Keychron M3 weighs a lowly 79 grams, which makes it one of the lightest gaming-grade mice with wireless connectivity you can get.

In the hardware department too, the M3 is very fortunate, sporting an extremely quick 26,000 DPI sensor with flawless tracking. It proved just ideal for precision moving and aiming in my playtesting. This sensor is backed up by some of the quickest buttons I’ve ever used; they’re powered by Kailh GM 8.0 micro switches.

The M3’s buttons have also been designed with gamer convenience in mind. You get nine in total, but four allow you to change various settings like the polling rate, RGB lighting, connectivity mode, and DPI settings on the fly without having to go into Keychron’s M3 companion software app. It’s hard to believe, but you get all this for just $49, which makes the Keychron M3 an exceptional value buy that’s likely to quickly run off shelves this year.

Price When Reviewed:

$76.08

The Mad Catz R.A.T 8+ is about as customizable as gaming mice come, featuring a modular design that allows you to change up its component parts exactly as you wish to find your ideal mouse shape and weight. Doing so requires you to pull discrete levers and turn knobs integrated into the mouse’s body, so there’s a fairly steep learning curve before you know what you’re doing.

Still, if you love tinkering, this mouse will keep you entertained for hours at a time. It also doesn’t skimp in the button department, providing 10 buttons all told, orientated in some pretty original positions for extra convenience. With a stripped-back, bare-bones look, the Mad Catz R.A.T 8+ also stands out in the crowd, making it an obvious talking point at any group gaming sessions.

Read our Mad Catz R.A.T 8+ review

Price When Reviewed:

$179.99

The Razer Naga V2 Pro does one better than just let you program your buttons how you like them—it features three swappable side-button plates that you can change out to tailor your mouse’s physical button setup to your game’s command load. Consequently, it makes a great all-around gaming mouse. In my playtesting I found it was especially perfect for MOBA and MMO games since you get a total of 22 commands with the 12-button plate attached, so there’s lots of options.

As well as a very comfortable design, the V2 Pro also sports an accurate and precise 30,000 DPI sensor and Razer Gen 3 Optical Switches in the buttons that actuate in just 0.2 milliseconds. In our review, its 134-gram weight made it a little heavy for achieving top performance in FPS games, but in MMO games this extra weightiness made weapons play feel extremely authentic and highly satisfying.

Price When Reviewed:

$149.99

The more buttons, the heavier and slower gaming mice tend to be, but the SteelSereis Aerox 9 bucks this trend with a whopping 18 buttons and weighing just 89 grams. Needless to say, having 18 buttons at your disposal rather than 6, 8 or 12, gives you a little more firepower to launch commands and macros in games where quick deployment is needed—especially in MMOs and MOBAs like The Elder Scrolls Online or Final Fantasy XIV.

On top of the generous button selection, the Aerox 9 features a quick 18,000 DPI sensor and dual 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, so it’s highly versatile and portable. Design-wise, the Aerox 9 looks and feels fantastic thanks to a futuristic honeycomb-shaped back with RGB lighting. Additionally, since it weighs under 100 grams, it’s fast enough to keep you competitive in first-person shooters.

Price When Reviewed:

69.99

The Basilisk V3 resembles the Razer Basilisk V2 in size and shape, sporting similar right-handed curves and a slightly arched thumb rest. Among its best features are an 11 button layout, 26,000 DPI Razer Focus+ sensor, and second-generation Razer optical switches that are fast enough for all kinds of gaming—whether that’s casual or serious. But the real magic lies in the Basilisk V3’s HyperScroll Tilt Wheel, which is a fancy name for its mouse wheel. This tilts in four directions and triggers downwards to put five commands at your fingertips, ideal for tactical FPS games like Rainbow Six.

Impressively, the HyperScroll Tilt Wheel also has extra AI scrolling modes that make your scrolling and browsing a lot easier. In our testing we enjoyed toggling between “Tactile” and “Free-Spin” modes, which allowed us to switch between a slow, precise scrolling action and a faster, smoother scrolling action that was useful for getting to the end of long websites more easily.

Price When Reviewed:

149.99

This mouse is the result of a collaboration by two big names in pro gaming: Asus’s ROG brand and the aim trainer, Aim Labs. Suffice to say, pro gamers have had a huge amount of input into its design and it really shows. To achieve a lofty 54 grams — just ideal for esports — it features a symmetrical body made out nylon instead of plastic. You wouldn’t know that from using it, though, since it feels remarkably tough and grippy.

The hardware too is expertly primed for pro gamers. Despite its ultra-light weight, the Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition features all three connectivity types — wired, low-latency Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth — so that you have the convenience of the lowest-latency connection when you want it and the versatility of wireless connectivity to use it anywhere. Additionally, its 36,000 DPI sensor is one of the quickest and most accurate we’ve used.

The Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition’s design will comfortably fit all hand types — from small to large. That said, some gamers with large hands may find its rather small left side buttons a little hard to reach.

Price When Reviewed:

149.99

Weighing just 63 grams, the five-button DeathAdder V3 Pro is ultra-lightweight and exceptionally quick off the mark in FPS games. It also sports a symmetrical streamlined body that fits perfectly into the contours of any medium to large hand. But what really sets it apart, is its pro-grade 30,000 DPI optical sensor, the likes of which you’d be hard pressed to find an equal. The V3 Pro’s sensor not only tracks your movements flawlessly, but it’s also capable of hyper polling up to a whopping 4,000Hz.

You can also set a lift-off and landing distance to one of 26 granular levels, which is 23 more than what you get in many rivals. Admittedly, as good as it is, there are still a few drawbacks. The DPI button is located on the underside, which means changing DPIs on the fly can be a little slow, and for the privilege of hyper polling you’ll need to purchase a Razer HyperPolling dongle for an additional $29.99. Still, with the V3 Pro you’re getting a top-notch device that will serve you extremely well when the heat is on.

Price When Reviewed:

59.99

If you’re merely a good gamer HyperX’s Pulsefire Haste Wireless is the kind of mouse that can elevate you to the status of excellence. Weighing just 61 grams, it’s the lightest and quickest mouse I’ve had the pleasure of gaming with, feeling barely-there in my hands.

Just looking at the specifications, you’d be mistaken for thinking its PAW3355 16,000 DPI sensor is a little underpowered—it’s not, proving incredibly accurate in shooters like Overwatch and CounterStrike: Global Offensive, especially with the DPI profile set to the lowest setting. Other things that make this mouse a class act include its quick 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, futuristic and comfortable honeycomb-shaped back, and the extra grips and PTFE glide skates that come supplied in the box.

Price When Reviewed:

$69.99

The MM830 differentiates itself from other budget gaming mice with fun features like a built-in D-pad and tiny OLED display that you can set up to show information like your RAM, CPU, and GPU usage stats. But looking beyond these novelties, it also performs well in games, which is infinitely more important. Powering that performance is a top-end 24,000 DPI PMW3360 sensor, which for comparison’s sake, is the same as the premium Logitech Hero sensor just with a higher power draw.

On top of the mouse’s body the MM830’s sports a textured plastic exterior that provides plenty of grip for your hand. A gentle right-hand scoop also makes it incredibly comfy to use even for long gaming stints.

Price When Reviewed:

$39.99

Few devices offer as much bang for buck as this wired RGB gaming mouse that combines comfort, style and decent performance but without a hefty price tag. The Logitech G203 resembles more expensive esports mice with its simple 6-button configuration, small body and ambidextrous shape, but despite being substantially cheaper than rivals, it still feels sturdy and well-built. The G203’s 8,000 DPI sensor isn’t the quickest you’ll find, but for causal gamers it’s still a more than adequate performer that tracks accurately.

The G203 isn’t lacking style either. It features a signature rounded back design with colorful RGB band and Logitech logo that lights up your gaming den with pops of color. The RGB band is also customizable in the Logitech G Hub app, with the option to personalize three separate lighting zones.

Price When Reviewed:

74.99

There are ordinary RGB gaming mice and then there’s the wired ROCCAT Kone XP whose dazzling RGB lighting is something else. More precisely, it features eight internal lighting “pipelines” powered by 22 individual LEDs that diffuse light throughout the mouse’s transparent plastic top. That much RGB is a bold statement that you’re either going to love or hate. But either way, it’s hard to deny the Kone XP points for originality.

Despite its flashiness, the ROCCAT Kone XP is also a very capable performer in games. It sports a 15-button layout—programmable to 29 functions—that makes it ideal for MMO, RPG, and RTS gaming, where you can rarely have enough options for commands. What’s more, a 19,000 DPI Owl-Eye optical sensor and quick optical switches ensure the Kone XP is suitably fast and responsive when you need to fire off commands quickly and accurately.

Price When Reviewed:

79.99

The ROCCAT Burst Pro Air’s four dedicated RGB lighting zones shine colored light through its semi-transparent body, creating a mesmerizing sheen-like glow that looks totally stunning from any angle. If the semi-transparent shell is your canvas, then ROCCAT’s Swarm app provides your painter’s palette, letting you go to town customizing each zone with up to 16.8 million colors and a range of stunning effects.

But as any gamer knows, looks aren’t everything. Consequently, we also chose the Pro Air because of its excellent gaming performance, which in our play testing we attributed to its comfortable eight-button design, powerful 19,000 DPI Owl-Eye optical sensor, and low-latency optical switches, which are rated for 100 million clicks.

The Pro Air also scores big points for its excellent connectivity options, which includes low-latency 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless options, and a USB-A to USB-C cable for wired connectivity.

Price When Reviewed:

$59.99

The Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed combines features for gaming as well as productivity, making it ideal for both. In the boardroom it syncs stealthily with its surroundings thanks to an all-black design with no RGB lighting zones. But beneath its modest exterior it hides a highly sensitive 14,000 DPI sensor, which is a solid performer in AAA games.

Dual 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity lets you switch between your gaming PC and work laptop just by flicking a switch underneath the mouse’s body. Unlike some gaming mice, the Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed is powered by either an AA or AAA battery, making it ultraportable. It can stay powered a whopping 235 hours in Wi-Fi mode and 615 hours in Bluetooth mode just on a single AA battery.

Price When Reviewed:

$119.99

Two features stand out to make the SteelSeries Rival 650 a top choice for gamers. The first is a dual sensor system comprised of a TrueMove 3 sensor and a dedicated depth sensor. The depth sensor allows the Rival 650 to detect lift-off at a distance as small as half a millimeter, which is double the sensitivity of rival gaming mice. Needless to say, if you’re prone to lifting, the Rival 650 should help steady your aim.

The second feature highlighted by our PCWorld reviewer is its fast-charging capability that gets you back gaming sooner when the battery runs out. SteelSeries claims just 15 minutes charging time is enough to power the mouse for 10 (or more) hours of battery. On top of these two useful innovations the Rival 650 sports an elegant design that lets you peel of the left and right side panels and adjust it to your preferred weight.

It used to be generally well accepted that wired gaming mice had the edge over their wireless counterparts, providing gamers with a much faster and more accurate signal between mice and PCs. However, that’s less true today thanks to the popularity of 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technologies, which have almost levelled the playing field.

I say almost, because there’s no denying that wired gaming mice still deliver the fastest and most secure connections you can get. That said, whether you choose one type over the other should come down to your gaming priorities.

If you’re a serious competitive gamer or esports player, where winning or losing sits on a knife’s edge, opting for a wired mouse over a wireless one is a good decision, since it’s less likely a signal dropout or interference will disrupt your play. Every competitive edge counts. However, wireless mice are infinitely more portable and allow you to switch between devices at a whim, so if nimbleness and portability is more important, a wireless mouse will be a better fit.

Hands, just like gaming mice, come in all different shapes and sizes, and for comfort reasons it pays to match like with like. While categorizing sizes of hands can be highly subjective, chances are you’ll be able to guess whether your hand is on average small, medium, or large. You can then find a mouse that best fits from among the size categories below:

• Small gaming mouse: Length: Less than 6.7 inches; width: 2.9 to 3.3 inches
• Medium gaming mouse: Length: 6.7 to 7.9 inches; width: 3.3 to 3.9 inches
• Large gaming mouse: Length: 7.9 inches; width: 3.9 to 4.3 inches

Gaming mice generally come in three shapes: left-handed, right-handed, and ambidextrous. Ambidextrous mice are designed to be neutral in that they can be just as easily used by your left or right hand. Alternatively, left-handed and right-handed mice are tailor-made for the dominant hands specified by their namesakes, often sporting bespoke curves and button placements for one or the other. Unless you switch between hands, using a gaming mouse that matches your dominant hand will go a long way to improving your performance and comfort.

Your preferred grip type should also be considered when selecting a suitably shaped mouse. Here’s a rough guide for matching grip types with mouse shapes:

• Palm grip: Long, flat mice tend to be a better fit and more comfortable
• Claw grip: Narrower and smaller mice tend to suit this grip style
• Fingertip grip: Lighter mice are often preferred by fingertip grippers to reduce strain

Gaming mice weights have been gradually trending downwards over the years as players look for lighter options that are quicker to move and prevent arms and wrists getting overly tired or sore in long play sessions. FPS (first-person shooter) gamers in particular tend to go for the lightest mice possible, seeing every millisecond of speed advantage as worth chasing.

Despite this, there’s no ideal gaming mouse weight for all gamers, but rather a deeply personal preference. In fact, some gamers—often those with larger hands or stronger arms—actually prefer heavier mice for the extra stability they get. Still if you are one of those looking for the lightest mouse possible, anything under 70 grams will be among the lightest on the market.

Your mouse’s sensor is the essential hardware component that relays movement to your PC. Mice sensors are rated for DPI, or dots per inch, which tells us how far a cursor moves per inch of mouse movement—that is, how sensitive it is. Manufacturers really hype up the importance of high DPIs, which can be a bit misleading because they don’t necessarily equate to better gaming performance (they can, but not in all circumstances).

For example, if you play a lot of FPS and want the absolute best accuracy while targeting opponents, a lower DPI (between 800-1,000) is preferable, since this allows you to make short, sharp, and precise movements more easily. However, if you make a lot of wide, sweeping hand movements, or if your display is a very high resolution, a mouse with a high DPI (between 12,000-30,000 DPI) can be an advantage.

The great thing about most modern gaming mice is that they can switch between DPI profiles just by clicking a small button behind the mouse wheel. That said, our advice is to opt for a gaming mouse with the highest DPI your budget allows, and then choose your preferred setting for different gaming scenarios by using this handy DPI-switching feature.

Optical sensors are the most popular with gamers since they tend to have less jitter and smoothing problems. These sensors work by casting down infrared or LED light onto your mousepad and capturing thousands of digital images per second, that then reveals the precise location of the mouse to the PC.

On the other hand, laser sensors use a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diode to determine positioning. In most cases an optical sensor will do just fine. However, if you plan on using your mouse on a translucent surface (like glass), a laser sensor is preferable since it will have better sensitivity to a variety of surface textures.

The type of games you play should help you determine how many buttons you need. For example, if you’re a big fan of real time strategy (RTS), role-playing games (RPG), or massively multiplayer online (MMOs) games, you’d be we’ll advised to choose a mouse with between 10 and18 buttons—like the Razer Naga Pro or the SteelSeries Aerox 9. These games typically require you to fire off a lot of commands quickly, so the more buttons you have to program commands and macros in, the better.

On the flipside, if FPS is your go-to game type, you’ll probably want to keep your button count to between 6 and 8 buttons. Chances are you won’t need the higher button-count for your smaller list of commands. Plus, buttons tend to increase a mouse’s weight, so opting for a mouse with fewer will most likely mean it’s lighter and quicker to move in the frantic FPS action.

RGB lighting is a fun feature to have in any gaming device that can brighten up your gaming den with pops of color. It can also be pretty useful, allowing you to see your device better in dimly lit rooms or at night. And yet, there may be times when you opt to use a mouse that has only a minimal RGB, or none at all.

The most common example is if you plan on using your gaming mouse covertly at work. In this case, mice like the Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed, that have no RGB lighting zones and can convincingly pass as standard black office mice, are ideal because your colleagues will be none the wiser.