Look down at whatever mouse or trackpad you’re using to navigate this page (touchscreen users will just have to imagine). It probably has two buttons and moves the pointer across the screen accurately enough, but it’s not something you’d consider as a specialist tool.
Gaming mice are exactly that kind of tool. If you regularly click on digital people’s heads to make them explode in a first-person shooter, or round up hordes of troops to rush the enemy in a strategy game, then your choice of mouse matters. It can mean the difference between completing a section of the game and seeing the restart screen. It’s even more important if you play competitive games online, where reaction speeds and the ability to use an extra button on your mouse to pull off a special move can make a real difference to the outcome of the game for you and your team.
A gaming mouse typically has more buttons than the standard model, and will come with software to program them for specific outcomes depending on which game you’re playing. They also tend to have faster polling rates - the speed at which the sensor underneath returns data on its position - and can be more sensitive, so the pointer moves faster on the screen. They can be better built, so that they can be treated a bit more harshly than a standard mouse as you thrash them around the desk, and some come with replaceable parts, or even a set of little weights so you can adjust their balance.
You can spend a lot of money on a gaming mouse, up to several hundred pounds, but there are cheaper alternatives that make good general-use devices as well as help you pull off headshots with ease. These are some of the best.
Best cheap gaming mice at a glance:
- Best for wired simplicity: Logitech G203 Lightsync - £39.99, Amazon
- Best for comfortable ergonomics: Razer DeathAdder Essential - £29.99, Amazon
- Best for lighting and lightness: SteelSeries Rival 3 - £35, Amazon
- Best for wireless gaming: Logitech G305 Lightspeed - £60, Amazon
- Best for a bargain: Roccat Burst Core - £25, Amazon
- Best for a comfortable wrist: Corsair Harpoon Pro - £28, Amazon
- Best for MMO gaming: Redragon M908 Impact - £34, Amazon
- Best for claw grippers: Cooler Master MM720 - £25, Amazon
Shop below
Logitech G203 Lightsync
Best for: wired simplicity
Logitech makes an awful lot of gaming peripherals, and sorting through its collection of mice can take a while. This one stands out not only because of its price tag, but also due to the three zones of RGB lighting it contains, which can display up to 16.8 million colours while you’re playing.
This isn’t to everyone’s taste, and takes a moment to set up in the Logitech app (and sync it across other compatible Logitech products) if you don’t want it flashing away on its default settings, but there's plenty more to admire about the mouse, including its six programmable buttons, 8,000 DPI laser sensor, and the simplicity of the wired USB connection.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
Razer DeathAdder Essential
Best for: comfortable ergonomics
Razer’s DeathAdder series of gaming mice are very popular but can get a bit expensive, so the Essential strips all that back and presents us with the core of the gaming mouse experience without any of the fluff.
It’s nicely shaped to fit comfortably in your hand, uses a wire so you don’t have to worry about Bluetooth or a dongle, and only drops behind the Logitech thanks to its five programmable buttons and 6400 DPI sensitivity. Still, it’s a great mouse, the sort of thing you could use for many years without complaint.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
SteelSeries Rival 3
Best for: lighting and lightness
The Rival 3 is particularly light, at 77g, and can be used in either hand, though only one side has extra buttons. It comes with lighting that illuminates not just the Steelseries logo that is covered by your palm in use, but also the underside of the mouse so it appears to ride on a cushion of light on the desktop.
It’s rather nice to look at, and with six programmable buttons and a maximum sensitivity of 8500 DPI, it’s a great choice for a wired gaming mouse.
Buy now £35.00, Amazon
Logitech G305 Lightspeed
Best for: wireless gaming
Another Logitech model, this time wireless and slightly more expensive than the wired models on this list, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed offers a remarkable 12000 DPI sensitivity from the brand’s popular Hero optical sensor. There is also up to 250 hours of use from a single AA battery.
Helpfully, the USB wireless dongle that can be stored within the mouse itself if you need to take it anywhere, and its crisp plastic shell construction means it weighs just 99g.
Buy now £60.00, Amazon
Roccat Burst Core
Best for: a bargain
Remarkably cheap, the Burst Core is a wired gaming mouse from Roccat that really does strip things down to the basics. There are two small thumb buttons in addition to the main buttons, wheel and DPI adjuster, while the honeycomb shell under the casing helps reduce weight. There is adjustable lighting, though only around the scroll wheel, and the sensor tops out at 8500 DPI - a very respectable figure for a mouse that might otherwise be unexciting.
Buy now £25.00, Amazon
Corsair Harpoon Pro
Best for: a comfortable wrist
There are both wired and wireless versions of the Corsair Harpoon, but this is the wired Pro version which is about half the price of its cable-free cousin. Weighing 85g and with a 12,000 DPI optical sensor, it offers six programmable buttons and a dash of RGB lighting, plus a shape that’s a bit more raised at the back than many other gaming mice, which may endear it to gamers who prefer to keep their wrists in a higher position.
Buy now £28.00, Amazon
Redragon M908 Impact
Best for: MMO gaming
The MMO mouse is a strange blend of mouse and calculator that’s designed for online games that have a lot of keyboard shortcuts. These can be mapped to mouse buttons for easier and faster use, leading to a mouse with an array of buttons on its side where your thumb can easily reach it.
There are 20 programmable buttons on the Redragon in total, and it also comes with some weights to adjust its balance, a 12400 DPI sensor, RGB lighting and rubberised grip pads at a price you wouldn’t expect to be so low.
Buy now £34.00, Amazon
Cooler Master MM720
Best for: claw grippers
The way you hold your mouse can define how you play games, and some prefer a claw-like grip rather than one that places the palm over the top of the mouse's body. This model from Cooler Master caters to those who prefer the claw, offering a rounded honeycomb body that’s ideal for holding between your fingers.
It’s wired, with a 16000 DPI optical sensor and weighs just 49 grams. There's some RGB lighting, and it’s certified IP58 against water and dust ingress.
Buy now £25.00, Amazon
Verdict
PC gaming can be an expensive hobby, and getting the right mouse that suits your hands and the way you like to play can take some trial and error. The budget models on this list from Logitech, Razer, Steelseries and more, show that while gaming mice can be pricey purchases, you don’t have to completely break the bank to get something that fits your style. Whether it’s wired or wireless, with RGB lighting or an MMO-style array of buttons, there's something out there for every budget.
