The Best Gaming Mouse - Winter 2023 Mice Reviews

The best gaming mouse available is the Razer Viper V2 Pro, the newest entry in Razer's successful Viper lineup. It shares the same shape as previous models, which makes it ideal for using a claw or fingertip grip. However, it's now significantly lighter and features Razer's updated Focus Pro 30K sensor, the most advanced sensor available. Additionally, its click buttons use optical switches designed to prevent double-clicking and last longer than standard mechanical switches.

While this version is much lighter, it's gotten rid of a few features that characterized previous models in the lineup. It now lacks rubber side grips, RGB lighting, and, most notably, only has side buttons on the left. If you're more interested in weight savings, you may feel these changes are for the best. If you're more a fan of some of the legacy features and don't mind a heavier mouse, now is a great time to check out the previous generation Razer Viper Ultimate, which is currently available for cheaper than ever.

Lastly, we couldn't forgive ourselves if we didn't mention the updated Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro as a possible alternative. It has the same internal components as the Viper V2 Pro and is virtually the same weight. However, it's designed exclusively for right-handed users and is a better option for larger-sized hands, especially if you prefer using a palm grip.

At an upper mid-range price point, we recommend the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED. Lately, its price has been pretty volatile, but it frequently goes on sale and can sometimes dip closer to the price of our mid-range pick below. This mouse has an ergonomic, right-handed shape with a thumb rest, and it's bristling with a total of 12 programmable buttons. It delivers excellent click latency and outstanding sensor performance, and its scroll wheel has left and right tilt inputs and lets you switch between a regular notched scrolling mode and a much faster free-scrolling mode.

All these features make this mouse significantly heavier than most gaming mice designed for fast-paced experiences like FPS games. However, it's a terrific choice if you play a wide range of games in different genres and prefer a heavier mouse. This mouse even has a set of optional weights you can add to customize the weight distribution to your liking.

Logitech has just released new versions of this mouse called the Logitech G502 X LIGHTSPEED and the Logitech G502 X PLUS (the PLUS features RGB lighting). These new entries have a softer visual look and are lighter. The button placement has also been adjusted slightly, and they feature new quiet optical switches. However, they're substantially more expensive, so unless these minor additions are priorities for you, we still recommend previous-generation models.

The best gaming mouse at a mid-range price is the LAMZU Atlantis. Note that due to its popularity since its release in December of last year, some North American retailers have had difficulty keeping it in stock. However, LAMZU has been quick about restocking. This mouse has a symmetrical shape with a wide back, making it especially well-suited for a claw grip for most hand sizes. Performance-wise, this mouse has excellent click latency, and it's loaded with PixArt's new flagship sensor, the PAW 3395. This sensor is closely related to the sensor in our top pick, the Razer Viper V2 Pro, and offers superior performance across the board.

This mouse has a unique bottom plate design that's made of transparent plastic and helps keep down the weight of the mouse, but it also leaves the interior more open to collecting dust and debris. Unlike many gaming options, you can get this mouse in a range of vibrant colorways to suit your setup, although it doesn't have RGB lighting.

If you'd prefer a mouse that has a more pronounced right-handed shape for larger hands, check out the Pulsar Xlite V2 Wireless. It offers roughly the same high-end gaming performance, but it's typically a bit less expensive. That said, it's also a bit heavier, and in addition to having a similar weight-saving baseplate design, it has small pill-shaped cutouts on the palm rest.

For a mouse at a lower mid-range price point, we recommend the Razer Basilisk V3. There's a fairly large gap in the price of our budget pick to our mid-range pick, but this is representative of the price of gaming mice at the moment. There are options between these two picks, but spending a bit more or a bit less will get you a better mouse overall. This mouse is similar to the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED in many ways. The biggest difference is that this is a wired-only model. Otherwise, they share nearly identical ergonomic shapes, an impressive array of customizable controls, and outstanding sensor performance and click latency. The scroll wheel also has left and right tilt inputs and the ability to switch between regular notched mode and a much faster free-scrolling mode.

This mouse offers a notable advantage if you don't mind or even prefer a wired mouse. Because it doesn't need to hold a rechargeable battery, it's significantly lighter, making it an excellent option for handling faster-paced titles like FPS games that require quick mouse movements. Altogether, this is a standout pick if you're interested in a high-performance, versatile gaming mouse but don't need the flexibility of a wireless connection.

At a budget price point, we recommend the Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED. Its symmetrical, egg-shaped body is very comfortable and accommodating for nearly all hand sizes using a claw or fingertip grip. The build quality is also impressive. There's no creaking or flexibility in the body, and despite being significantly more affordable, it feels nearly as premium as the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED. It connects wirelessly with Logitech's LIGHTSPEED USB receiver and gets an impressive advertised battery life of up to 250 hours from a single AA battery.

Last but not least, this mouse has excellent click latency and consistent sensor performance. Its major downside is its weight, making it harder to make snappy, responsive mouse movements for faster-paced games. If you prefer a wired alternative, the Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC shares the same shape and build quality. It's also considerably lighter and has customizable RGB lighting. However, its sensor doesn't perform quite as well.

All the mice on this list have superior performance to satisfy nearly everyone, but the Razer Viper 8KHz is pushing the limits of current technology and is geared toward a truly performance-obsessed gamer. It isn't the lightest model available and doesn't connect wirelessly. However, it offers the best raw performance currently available at a solidly mid-range price point. While most gaming mice have a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz, this mouse supports higher polling rates with a maximum of 8000Hz. Higher polling rates produce slightly smoother cursor movements and marginally improved latency, even compared to flagship mice. However, it's important to note that these higher polling rates consume considerable system resources. The performance gains are small but noticeable, and you'll need a fairly powerful rig to take full advantage of the feature.

Polling rates aside, this mouse shares much of the same DNA as our top pick in this article, the Razer Viper V2 Pro. It has the same low-profile, symmetrical shape, but the Viper 8KHz version has a pair of side buttons on either side, making it an outstanding choice for right- or left-handed gamers. Its cable is slightly thicker than other models in the lineup, but it's just as lightweight and flexible.