The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small is an exceptional ultra-lightweight, wireless gaming mouse. It has a honeycomb top shell made of a magnesium alloy, which not only makes it exceptionally lightweight but very sturdy-feeling. It has a fairly comfortable ambidextrous shape, but it's very small. It's well suited for all grip types for small and medium-sized hands. However, it should be comfortable for large hands using a fingertip grip as well. Performance-wise it has a high polling rate, a very low lift-off distance, and a very consistent sensor. Unfortunately, there isn't any companion software for customizing settings or programming buttons. Also, there are only four CPI presets to choose from, and while the click latency is good overall, it isn't as low as most other high-end wireless gaming mice.
Note: Finalmouse releases its mice in drops, meaning they're only available until stock runs out. At the time of publishing, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 drop is over, and all units were sold. Although Finalmouse has pledged to produce more, it's unclear when this will be, and right now, you can only purchase them from third-party resellers, which is how we had to buy our unit.
Our Verdict
Though not intended for this use, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small is adequate for office and multimedia work. It feels well-built and has a comfortable ambidextrous shape well-suited for smaller hands using all grip types. It connects either wired or wirelessly with its receiver, though it doesn't support Bluetooth. Unfortunately, it doesn't have companion software for programming buttons. Also, the scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
- Feels very sturdy.
- All default controls work on macOS and Windows.
- Connects either wired or wirelessly with its receiver.
- Lacks Bluetooth support.
- No customization software for programming buttons.
- Scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small is a great FPS gaming mouse. It's extremely lightweight, feels well-built, and has an ambidextrous shape suitable for smaller hands and all grip types. It connects wired or wirelessly with its receiver, and its mouse feet glide very smoothly on mousepads or desks. It also has a high polling rate and a very low lift-off distance. Unfortunately, there are only four preset CPI settings you can cycle between, and while the click latency is good, it isn't as low as most other premium wireless gaming mice.
- Feels very sturdy.
- Extremely lightweight.
- Good click latency.
- Mouse feet glide very smoothly on mousepads and desks.
- Only four CPI presets.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small passable for MMO gaming, though it doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO mouse, and you can't program any of its buttons as there isn't any companion software for customization. That said, it fees well-built and has an ambidextrous shape well-suited for smaller hands using any grip type. Unfortunately, it only has four preset CPI settings, and while its click latency is good, it's higher than most other premium wireless gaming mice.
- Feels very sturdy.
- Good click latency.
- Mouse feet glide very smoothly on mousepads and desks.
- Not nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO mouse.
- No customization software for programming buttons or adjusting sensor settings.
- Only four CPI presets.
- Feels very sturdy.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 19, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.5.1. This update removes less relevant or redundant elements, including several videos. We've also adjusted our Sensor Latency testing, resulting in minor score changes. See our full 1.5.1 changelog for details.
- Updated Jan 05, 2024: We've updated the CPI graph displayed in the Sensor Latency section of this review. Our results remain the same, but these graphs have two new columns with results from the Delay At Half Movement and Delay To End Of Movement tests.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.5. This update adds a new Main Button test group, which provides button actuation data and switch information. We've also made minor changes to how we calculate the Office usage score. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Mar 01, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.4. This update modifies our Hand Size Recommendation test, adding a more granular hand size recommendation chart. We've moved several minor tests into different test groups, removed the Travel usage, and added a new Raw Performance usage. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small we tested is the Gold/Silver Archilles color variant. It's also available in a Red/Silver Ares variant, a Black/Gold Hades variant, and a Silver/Gold Zeus variant. There is also a larger version of this mouse, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Medium, which is available in the same colorways. Our unit number is 122/2500, and you can see the label here.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small is an outstanding ultra-light gaming mouse that carries on in the footsteps of Finalmouse's last release, the Finalmouse Ultralight 2 - Cape Town, by continuing to push the technological limits of lightweight gaming mice. The Starlight-12 has a magnesium alloy top shell that makes it lighter than its predecessor and substantially sturdier-feeling. Even more impressive, though, is the added rechargeable battery and wireless capability, making this mouse an excellent choice for anyone interested in a lightweight wireless option.
For other options, see our recommendations for the best wireless gaming mouse, the best gaming mouse, and the best mouse.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small is a better ultra-light gaming mouse than the Finalmouse Ultralight 2 - Cape Town. The Starlight-12 Small is lighter and has a magnesium alloy body that feels sturdier. It connects either wired or wirelessly with its receiver. It also has a more consistent sensor, a higher polling rate, and a lower lift-off distance. Comparatively, the Cape Town has a lower click latency. Both mice are best-suited for smaller hands using any grip type.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Medium is the larger version of the Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small. In addition to being slightly larger, the Medium is 5g heavier and has a marginally lower click latency. It's also more suitable for a wider range of hand sizes. On the other hand, the Starlight-12 Small is only suitable for smaller hands using a palm or claw grip and small to large-sized hands using a fingertip grip.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small and the GLORIOUS Model O Wireless are comparable ultra-lightweight gaming mice. The Finalmouse is significantly lighter and feels sturdier. Unfortunately, it only has four preset CPI settings. Comparatively, the GLORIOUS has lower click latency, a much wider CPI range, a CPI you can adjust precisely by increments of 50, RGB lighting, and companion software for customization. Both mice are well-suited for all grip types. However, the GLORIOUS is better-suited for larger hands, while the Finalmouse is best-suited for smaller hands.
The Finalmouse Starlight-12 Small is a better ultra-light gaming mouse than the Razer Viper Mini. The Finalmouse is significantly lighter and feels sturdier. It also has a more flexible cable, a more consistent sensor, and a lower lift-off distance. Unfortunately, it only has four preset CPI settings and lacks customization software. On the other hand, the Razer has a wider CPI range, a CPI you can adjust by increments of 100, a lower click latency, and customization software for Windows. Both mice are ideally suited for smaller hands using any grip type, but they're also suitable for larger hands using a fingertip grip.
Test Results
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