The best gaming mice of today are leaps and bounds ahead of their predecessors. They have high, and wide-ranging sensitivity options; lightweight designs; wired and wireless configurations; comfortable ergonomic grips that cater to a range of hand shapes and sizes, and robust RGB lighting to match the rest of your gaming gear.
They’re worth upgrading to if your gaming mouse is old, or worth considering as an alternative if you typically play with a gamepad or controller. But the right mouse for you might not be the right mouse for someone else, and even the best mouse is no good if it doesn’t fit within your budget.
To help you pick the right gaming mouse for your next upgrade, we’ve put together a list of some of the top models you can buy today, covering a range of different styles, looks, and budgets.
Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro
The Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro is the culmination of decades of design, innovation, and incremental improvements. It builds on the success of the original DeathAdder’s now iconic shape, with wireless connectivity, the ability to pair with multiple devices, and mechanical switches for the left and right mouse buttons, making it more durable than ever.
The end result is a mouse that’s comfortable, has very fast and responsive buttons, and features deep customization options in the Razer software. You can remap all of the buttons, adjust the lift-off distance, and with Razer’s Hypershift, you can add even more commands. All of this makes this a versatile mouse for games with heaps of button controls, like MMOs and MOBAs.
Its 20,000 DPI sensor might be overkill for most games, but the option is there if you’re playing something with a slow-moving turret – you can easily change up the DPI on the fly using the dedicated button.
At just 88g, this is one light gaming mouse, and though there are lighter ones out there, it’s impressive to get so far below 100g whilst still fitting all of the wireless connectivity inside, as well as a dedicated battery. That battery will last for over 70 hours when using Razer’s Hyperspeed wireless technology, or over 120 hours when using Bluetooth. The battery charges fast either way, though, and you can play with the wire plugged in, so you never have to stop gaming.
If you like the look of this mouse but wish it was lighter with a longer battery life, keep your eyes peeled for the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro which is just around the corner. It will be more expensive, but if you’re willing to pay for it, it could well be the best gaming mouse money can buy.
SteelSeries Sensei 10 Gaming Mouse
For finger grip gamers, heavily ergonomic mice can be particularly uncomfortable. Ambidextrous designs like the SteelSeries Sensei 10 are a great solution to that problem, giving plenty of space for finger tips to grip the very bottom edges of the mouse for comfort and control.
The symmetrical design of this mouse also makes it perfect for left-handed gamers. All you need to do is remap the buttons and it works just as well for a left-handed player as it does for a right-handed one.
Under the hood, this mouse employs the excellent TrueMove Pro sensor which offers an 18,000 DPI sensitivity, adjustable in minor steps throughout the range so you can tweak it to be the perfect DPI for your play style. The onboard memory stores up to five different sensitivities too, so you can always have your favourites just a click away, whether you’re gaming on your usual PC or taking your mouse with you somewhere new.
The mechanical switches on the left and right mouse buttons are rated for up to 60 million clicks, and the shell was built from a high-grade polymer that is extremely durable, so this is a mouse that should last you for many years to come.
At 92g, it’s not the lightest gaming mouse out there, but it’s much lighter than gaming mice of yesteryear. So, if you don’t need a mouse that’s ultra-competitive but want something that’s a real upgrade on your ageing rodent, this mouse could be the one for you.
Logitech G502 Hero
Logitech’s G502 is one of the most lauded gaming mice of recent years and it’s still hotly competitive today. It features Logitech’s excellent Hero 25K sensor which is both highly sensitive, and highly accurate, with deep customization options that let you nail down the right sensitivity for you.
With zero smoothing or acceleration, this is a gaming mouse that lets you get down to the metal, so if you’re an accurate gamer, this mouse will be your perfect right hand companion.
It features 11 programmable buttons, so you can tweak everything to control your game character(s) exactly how you like, and there’s a “sniper button” too so that you can quickly drop your sensitivity down for improved accuracy when needed.
It also comes with five 3.6g weights that give you minute control over the balance and weighting of the mouse. Its default weight is 121g, though, so while this isn’t a heavy mouse, it’s much more so than the latest crop of ultralight gaming mice, so bear that in mind before buying.
There is RGB lighting with this mouse, though it’s subtle. There’s the Logitech G logo on the palm rest and the three lines to indicate the current sensitivity, and each of them can be customized to any colour you like in the Logitech G Suite software, along with button remappings and sensitivity adjustments.
The scroll wheel is a real treat for anyone who’s used to dealing with long web pages and documents. You can unlock it for infinite fast scrolling, then quickly lock it in place again for more controlled navigation.
Roccat Burst Core
If you want a straightforward, no-nonsense gaming mouse for an affordable price, the Roccat Burst Core is the mouse for the job. At around £25, it’s one of the cheapest real gaming mice you can buy in 2022, and it still offers excellent features.
It’s extremely lightweight at just 68g, despite having a full shell design, and with an accurate optical sensor that can reach 8,500 DPI, it’s sensitive enough for any gamer. It also has the standard PTFE (non-branded Teflon) feet, making it silky smooth to use on a variety of surfaces. The mechanical-like switches are fast and responsive, and though they may not be quite as durable as more expensive designs, Roccat stands by them and claims they’ll last for many millions of clicks before degrading.
The symmetrical design makes this gaming mouse equally usable by left and right-handed gamers and that means it’s great for a range of grip types, too, including claw and fingertip. It’s not quite as well suited to palm grippers, although it would hardly be uncomfortable for that sort of gamer.
This budget gaming mouse is available in white or black, and has some subtle RGB lighting around the scroll wheel too, which can be customized in the Roccat companion application on your gaming PC.
Razer Viper 8KHz Gaming Mouse
All of the gaming mice on this list are excellent for high-speed gaming, but for those looking for the pinnacle in esports gaming performance, the Razer Viper 8KHz is truly special. It has a high-speed optical sensor for fast and accurate tracking, optical switches for the fastest click registrations, and a super-light 71g frame that enables faster mouse movement.
But the real selling point of this mouse is its polling rate. Where most gaming mice offer a 1,000 Hz polling rate that checks for your inputs 1,000 times a second, the Razer Viper 8KHz has a polling rate of 8,000 Hz. That shaves down microseconds of input lag from every movement and every click you make.
If you want a gaming mouse that will absolutely help you be the best and most competitive gamer you can be, then this is the mouse for you.
Alongside its high-speed credentials, the Razer Viper 8KHz has a comfortable, ergonomic shell that’s well suited to all grip types. It’s also ambidextrous, so is just as suited to left-handed gamers as it is right-handed gamers. It has a capable onboard memory system for taking your sensitivity and settings profiles with you wherever you go and whatever system you connect to, and its cable is designed to minimize drag, so nothing gets in the way of your game.
Logitech G Pro X Superlight Wireless
Logitech hasn’t been left out of the ultralight revolution that has overtaken the gaming mouse scene in recent years. Where other manufacturers have switched to a honeycomb shell design, Logitech has instead trimmed the weight of its internal components, cutting down the size of the PCB and other hardware to bring the weight of this high-end mouse down to an incredibly low 63g.
This mouse also utilizes Logitech’s excellent Hero optical sensor, which provides a wide range of sensitivity options, and is lauded for its accuracy and responsiveness. This mouse might lack the ultra-high polling rate of the Razer Viper 8KHz, but it still has a 1,000 Hz polling rate, and it’s completely wireless.
It utilizes Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless transmission system for an incredibly fast gaming mouse, with minimal input lag. It’s also part of Logitech’s G Powerplay wireless charging system, so if you have the compatible mousemat, you can charge your Logitech G Pro X Superlight Wireless while you play. No need to plug in the charger, ever!
Even if you don’t have that admittedly expensive accessory, though, you’ll still get up to 70 hours of battery life with this mouse from a full charge, and it charges quickly using the USB-C cable. It can also be used while charging, so you’ll not experience any gaming downtime with this mouse.
Part of the reason this mouse can last so long on a single charge is because it lacks any kind of RGB lighting, so bear that in mind when considering this mouse if that’s an important feature for you.
It comes in both white and black colour options, and it’s fully compatible with Nvidia’s Reflex technology, so you can fine-tune your system’s responsiveness and input lag to give you the best gaming experience possible for competitive play.
SteelSeries Aerox 9 Gaming Mouse
If you’re looking for a gaming mouse to play MMOs, MOBAs, or other games which require a lot of distinct inputs and commands, then the SteelSeries Aerox 9 is the best gaming mouse for the job. It features the same diamond-cut shell design as other ultralight SteelSeries mice, but comes with 12 additional side buttons that can be mapped to anything you want.
Combining the honeycomb shell with a lightweight battery, and thin PCB, the Aerox 9 comes in at a svelte 89g, making it fast and versatile for all kinds of high-paced play. It’s not as light as some of the FPS-focused mice, but it’s still one of the lightest mice you can buy today, and it’s far more manoeuvrable than other MMO gaming mice.
The Aerox 9 is completely wireless, leveraging SteelSeries Quantum 2.0 wireless system for low latency, low-input lag gaming. It also supports Bluetooth 5.0, which lets you connect to all sorts of devices. The switches are super fast too, with an 80 million click durability, and full IP54 protection to prevent against any kind of dust or perspiration from damaging any of the internal components.
The battery can last as long as 180 hours on a single charge, but with fast charging you’ll have it up and running again in no time at all, so you’ll never find yourself waiting for it to be ready.
If you like the idea of this SteelSeries ultralight mouse but don’t need all those extra buttons, you could opt for the Aerox 5 instead. It’s even lighter and faster, making it perfectly suited for high-paced FPS and esports play. It’s available with and without wires, so caters to all sorts of gamers.
