The wireless mouse, once a symbol of technological advancement and an eater of batteries, is now as normal as a TV remote or mobile phone.
The devices, which can connect via Bluetooth or using a proprietary wireless dongle that slips into one of your computer’s USB ports, appear on desktops and in laptop bags worldwide, whether the computer is portable or not.
There is one group of people who may prefer a wired mouse, however, and that’s gamers. Wireless connections are great in theory, and generally work well alongside being tidier and more convenient, but if it’s the ultimate speed of response and stability of connection you’re looking for, then nothing beats a wire.
Wired gaming mice are therefore very much still with us, and come with the bonus that they are often cheaper to buy than their wireless counterparts.
And like everything marketed to gamers, there are some very aggressive designs to be found, all weird angles and light-up parts. It doesn’t have to be that way, however, as symmetrical mouse designs aren’t dead yet.
There are more important things to look for in a wired gaming mouse than merely how good it looks - not only does it need to be comfortable in your hand, whatever shape or size they are, but it has to track responsively across the surface you’re using and the buttons need to be perfectly positioned under your fingertips so that you can use them in-game without even thinking about it.
Two buttons and a wheel is the standard gaming mouse configuration, and the one that’s most likely to be supported by a particular game, but extra buttons come in handy (especially if you’re doing things with your mouse that aren’t gaming), and some models come in specific configurations with particular types of game in mind.
Here are some of the best wired gaming mice.
Best corded gaming mouse at a glance:
- Best for a versatile choice: Logitech G502 X - £80, Amazon
- Best for a comfortable game: Razer Basilisk V3 - £80, Amazon
- Best for a great budget option: Logitech G203 Lightsync - £40, Amazon
- Best for no cable snagging: Endgame Gear OP1 8K - £70, Amazon
- Best for getting the basics right: Corsair Katar Pro XT - £35, Amazon
- Best for claw grippers: Cooler Master MM720 - £50, Amazon
- Best for the lightest possible mouse: Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air - £56, Amazon
- Best for an MMO mouse: Razer Naga Trinity - £90, Amazon
Logitech G502 X
Best for: a versatile choice
Available in black or white, this wired gaming mouse from Logitech has a comfortable right-handed shape that’s been refined over many iterations. It’s light and well-built, as well as housing 13 programmable buttons that sit on the new hybrid optical-mechanical switch that Logitech calls Lightforce.
The scroll wheel can be switched between high-speed free spinning or a ratchet mechanism that gives it a tactile click as it rotates. The Hero sensor underneath has the ability to reach a whopping 25,000 DPI sensitivity level, making it the ideal mouse for all types of gaming.
Buy now £80.00, Amazon
Razer Basilisk V3
Best for: a comfortable game
This right-handed mouse has the classic gaming mouse shape, with a thumb rest on the left that’s positioned directly under some of the 11 programmable buttons. It’s another super-fast 25,000 DPI sensor underneath, which is so high you’ll probably never use it, and the overall design is long rather than wide, meaning it sits comfortably in your palm.
It’s heavier than the Logitech G502 X, and has Razor’s trademark green lighting on-board, but it’s an excellent gaming mouse with all the benefits of the wired connection.
Buy now £80.00, Amazon
Logitech G203 Lightsync
Best for: a great budget option
At half the price of the two mice above it in this list, Logitech’s colourful mouse comes in blue or purple in addition to the more common black and white. It also has a rainbow band of RGB lighting across its rear, which will mostly be covered by your palm but shows up when you release the mouse.
As a cheaper option, there are some high-end features missing - you only get six buttons and the sensor is only capable of 8,000 DPI (which is more than enough), but the G203 Lightsync is comfortable to use, looks good, and could save you some cash.
Buy now £40.00, Amazon
Endgame Gear OP1 8K
Best for: no cable snagging
This super-fast (up to 26,000 DPI from the Pixart sensor) and light (50.5g) wired gaming mouse has a clever but simple trick that helps prevent the cable from catching on things as you move it about: the wire exits the body of the mouse in an upward direction, rather than being flat. It doesn’t sound like much, but if you’ve ever missed a shot or been unable to select a unit in a game because your mouse wire was snagged, then this could save you from doing it again.
Otherwise, it’s a fairly plain mouse, with no lighting, and while it’s symmetrical in shape it’s not really ambidextrous in use, as the buttons are set up for a right-handed. It’s also quite small and slim, so those with larger hands might like to look elsewhere.
Buy now £70.00, Amazon
Corsair Katar Pro XT
Best for: getting the basics right
With six programmable buttons and an 18,000 DPI sensor, this budget mouse is light at just 50g. It manages this through a honeycomb structure under its thin plastic shell, and by keeping things simple. Where other mice have programmable lighting integrated into their bodies, the Katar Pro XT keeps that kind of thing just to its scroll wheel.
The body design is simple too. It is broadly symmetrical but puts its extra buttons on the left where they can be easily accessed by a right-hander’s thumb. The cable is covered in paracord to help it move smoothly across the desktop, but otherwise this is a good basic offering.
Buy now £35.00, Amazon
Cooler Master MM720
Best for: claw grippers
With its internal LEDs kept behind a honeycomb exterior that allows the light to leak out in interesting ways, this is a really good-looking mouse. It comes in white or black, with glossy variants of each if you don’t like the matte colours, and is designed for right-handed gamers who prefer to get a claw-like grip on their devices, with a finger rest on the right-hand side. Accuracy can go as high as 16000 DPI, and thanks to the holes in that honeycomb construction, it weighs just 49g.
Buy now £50.00, Amazon
Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air
Best for: the lightest possible mouse
None of the mice on this list are particularly heavy, thanks to not requiring wireless communication chips inside, but at 47g the TUF Gaming M4 Air takes the crown for the lightest of all. It’s another honeycomb structure with a paracord-coated cable, but somehow, despite being covered in holes, it claims IPX6 splash resistance for those times your coffee goes flying or your hand gets too hot, and it’s also coated in an antibacterial substance.
Six programmable buttons and a 16,000 DPI sensor round out the package.
Buy now £56.00, Amazon
Razer Naga Trinity
Best for: an MMO mouse
The MMO mouse is a strange beast, looking rather like some deranged scientist who melded a pocket calculator to the side of an innocent pointing device. The Trinity offers as many as 19 programmable buttons, and comes with three interchangeable side plates so you can set it up in the way that you feel most comfortable with.
All the buttons are used to play massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, which often use lines of keys on the keyboard to trigger attacks, items and spells, in a more efficient way. The Trinity also brings with it a 16,000 DPI sensor and Razor's usual colourful built-in lighting, so you won’t mind that it weighs 120g - twice the weight of many others on this list.
Buy now £90.00, Amazon
Verdict
The benefits of using a wired gaming mouse are found in its responsiveness, the stability of the connection between the device and your PC, you don’t need to charge it, and also in your wallet. A mouse like the Logitech G502 X isn’t cheap, but to get the same level of features in a wireless mouse would add cost and weight, and for something that stays on your desk, only moving in a limited area, having a wire tethering your mouse to your PC is no hardship at all. Especially when the mouse is as good as this.
