Pick up a model from our best gaming mouse 2022 list and will make a substantial difference to your gaming experience – you'll get a more responsive, accurate experience, and your all-around gaming capabilities should go up several notches.
These are our choices for the best gaming mouse of {year): no matter what your needs or budget, we've got a variety of brands for you to assess. Many of these devices offer enhanced features that you just don't get on standard mice.
As with our other guides, including the best gaming keyboard and the best gaming monitor lists, we haven't just limited ourselves to the most expensive models – there really is something here for everyone.
If you're in a rush, our top three picks in this guide are summarised below.
Best gaming mouse 2022: The top 3
The best budget gaming mouse is the Roccat Burst Pro. It features Titan Optical button switches, RGB lights and 16,000 DPI at such a great price, totally worth it if you want something that won’t break the bank.
The best premium gaming mouse is the LogitechG502 Lightspeed. This wireless mouse is super responsive and it looks pretty cool with its coloured lighting, plus it supports charging mouse mats, allowing for endless gaming.
The best gaming mouse for most people is the Razer DeathAdder V2. This mouse has a 20,000 DPI sensor, RGB lighting and is wireless, making it a solid choice for most gamers.
The best gaming mice available today in 2022
The Razer Deathadder V2 is the best gaming mouse for most people.
The Razer DeathAdder V2 ticks just about every box you might have lined up in your search for the best gaming mouse – and it ticks them with style. We think it is the best gaming mouse for most people as a result. The DeathAdder V2 delivers an astonishing 20,000 DPI resolution sensor, as well as Razer's optical switches, 8 programmable buttons, 5 onboard memory profiles, a deep configuration software suite and a braided Speedflex cable.
Besides the spec, the style is very impressive as well, all textured rubber and tactile buttons that are a pleasure to use. Razer Synapse is supported, too, so you've got 16.8 million colours to choose from for a bit of extra illumination. We found it to be very comfortable ergonomically as well. And, over 10 million gamers can't be wrong, right? That's right, more than 10 million DeathAdder's have been bought by gamers to date.
Can you see this mouse taking your gaming prowess up a level? Take a look at the Razer DeathAdder V2 review to find out more.
The legendary G502 has returned in Lightspeed form and, simply put, it delivers killer gaming mouse performance.
Logitech's G502 gaming mouse has serious pedigree in the gaming mouse market. On top of typical G502 high comfort levels and responsiveness, the G502 Lightspeed is now not just a wireless gaming mouse, but a wireless gaming mouse that also supports Logitech's Powerplay continuous charging tech. This means the mouse can be used in wired mode, charge-use-recharge wireless mode, or in a continuous charging mode on a compatible mouse mat.
The Lightspeed is also remarkably light (only 114 grams), although you can add in up to four two gram weights if you want to plant it a little more, and also comes packing Logitech's next-gen HERO 16K gaming sensor, which ensures excellent accuracy. An all-around top-tier gaming mouse that, if you can afford it and like the idea of wireless or continuous charging wireless functionality, is undoubtedly one of the top choices in 2022.
Make sure you check our Logitech discount codes to save on your order.
To see how this gaming mouse compares to another premium rodent, be sure to check out T3's Logitech G502 Lightspeed vs Razer Naga Pro comparison feature.
The Roccat Burst Pro is a top-rate ultra-light gaming mouse.
The Roccat Burst Pro is an ultra-light gaming mouse that will appeal to pros and newbies alike. It shares the now increasingly common honeycomb construction made famous by Glorious, however, the Burst Pro encases that honeycomb within a transparent shell. This in combination with its AIMO interior lighting system means that the innards of the mouse are illuminated, which gives it a rather unique aesthetic.
Away from visuals, though, the mouse delivers. It has a super accurate 16,000 dpi sensor and Roccat's Titan Optical button switches, too, the latter good for 100 million clicks each. At just 68 grams(2.4oz) it is also incredibly light, so Esports players are going to feel right at home with the Burst Pro, as well as anyone else who prefers a light rodent.
If it has caught your eye, the Roccat Burst Pro review will tell you everything else you need to know.
Best gaming mouse 2022: best of the rest
Lightweight and wireless, the Razer Viper V2 Pro is one of the best gaming mice on the market today.
Razer plays to its strengths with the Razer Viper V2 Pro, delivering a gaming mouse that drips style and comes loaded with some top-rate internal hardware. It is also super super light at only 58g, meaning that it sits perfectly in the esports field.
During our tests, the Razer Viper V2 Pro glided effortlessly across the mousemat thanks to its 100% PFTE skates, while the Focus Pro 30K optical sensor provided extremely accurate tracking with 70G of acceleration. Can you get a mouse with that sort of hardware and feature set for less money? Yes, yes you can, but Razer's pedigree in terms of design and build quality gives the Viper the edge.
A great gaming mouse option for those who prize speed in their rodent, the Razer Viper V2 Pro review goes into more detail.
Light and boasting a stand-out design, the Glorious Model O is a great gaming mouse choice.
We're impressed by just about everything the Glorious Model O has to offer, from the snug, ergonomic fit of the mouse in the hand, to the lightweight construction, to the excellent sensitivity. The honeycomb outer shell that helps the mouse get to that low weight won't be to everyone's tastes, but it is at least very customisable – you get a wealth of colourful lighting options for the top, bottom, and sides of the mouse, and even the scroll wheel gets its own illumination.
There's a colour-coded DPI indicator here as well so you always know what settings you're running with. Glorious might not be the biggest name in gaming peripherals, but with devices like the Model O, it might not stay that way for long. If you don't like the white look, a black version is also available.
The Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Champion Series is lightweight and very accurate, while also ringing in at a mid-range price point.
For a mid-range price, we think the Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Champion Series delivers serious performance. The Sabre's optical 18K dpi sensor will be lapped up by gaming professionals and FPS gamers. Its chassis has a super comfortable and lightweight design (only 74 grams) and features 6 programmable buttons, too.
The drag-reducing cable is ultra-flexible, and the Quickstrike Omron switches are tactile as well as reliable. RGB lights are placed under the logo, on the scroll wheel and on the side of the mouse to show which DPI profile you are using. If you already own Corsair RGB gaming gear, you'll be pleased to know they can all synchronize together to create a personalised light show.
Overall, a quality gaming mouse for an attractive price, you can find out more in the Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Champion Series review.
The Roccat Kone Pro Air looks stunning, especially in white
The Roccat Kone Pro Air is an extraordinarily well-designed gaming mouse, with 2.4GHz wireless for gaming and Bluetooth for more boring stuff, enabling a whopping 100-plus hours between charges. Rapid charge gives you 5 hours of gaming from 10 minutes of charging and the Titan Switch Optical is faster and more durable than any mechanical switch.
In our tests, it was very, very fast, with acceleration up to 50G and 1,000Hz polling. DPI is up to 19,000 and everything is completely customisable via the Kone software. The Kone is a firm favourite here at T3, and the Kone Pro Air is an evolution of its winning formula: it’s very comfortable for every kind of grip style, incredibly accurate and extremely responsive.
There are cheaper gaming mice, but they’re not as much fun as this, read more in the Roccat Kone Pro Air review.
The Steelseries Rival 5 is a lightweight and ergonomic mouse for right-handed people.
If you want a slightly bulkier, industrial style mouse for fast-paced gaming then the Steelseries Rival 5 is affordable and has a SteelSeries TrueMove Air optical sensor with 18K DPI, 40G of acceleration and 1,000kHz polling. With 10 different RGB lighting zones, this mouse is pretty extravagant. You’ll also be able to customise your light show through the GG desktop app which is very easy to use.
You get 9 programmable buttons here too. Granted the placement of a couple of them is a bit of a stretch but it’s still great to have so many controls that you can use on the fly. The design of the buttons is different to the majority of other mice so it’ll come down to personal preference as to whether you will get on with them or not.
If you’re on a budget and you play a lot of FPS-style games then the Steelseries Rival 5 is great value for money - red more in the Steelseries Rival 5 review.
A glance at the specifications for the Trust Redex will tell you that this isn't the most advanced gaming mouse that you're ever going to come across, but then again perhaps it doesn't have to be – it still offers great responsiveness and lots of customisation options (including RGB lighting) for a price that's a lot less than many of the other devices on this list.
With the Trust brand name attached, you know that you're going to get value for money. This is actually one of the cheapest gaming mice around, and yet you wouldn't know it when you're playing. Of course, it also works as a general-purpose mouse too (you can turn the lighting off with a switch). Another switch controls the polling rate, while the DPI can be adjusted via the bundled software that's clean, elegant and intuitive to use.
Want a decent mouse on a budget? Read the Trust Redex review.
If you're shopping with a mid-range budget and prefer light rodents, then the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is a strong choice.
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste gaming mouse is a great choice for gamers who care about weight and aren't too fussed about loads of fancy RGB lighting. It's super accurate thanks to a Pixart PAW3335 16,000 DPI sensor and boasts the sort of open honeycomb chassis design that the Glorious Model O made famous.
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste retails very firmly in the mid-range in terms of price point, too, making it very affordable for most gamers, and does still deliver six programmable buttons to use along with a good scroll wheel. We don't think the companion Ngenuity software is the best in class, but it does the job just fine, allowing you to tweak DPI settings and select your lighting profile among other things.
Take a look at the HyperX Pulsefire Haste review if you want to find out more.
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How to choose the best gaming mouse for you
Make sure you evaluate what sort of games you tend to play before picking up a new gaming mouse, as certain mechanical rodents specialise in certain genres.
There are many factors to consider when picking the best gaming mouse for you. In terms of specs, the big one is the resolution in DPI (dots per inch), and you should be looking for something in the 8,000-30,000 DPI range. Acceleration and tracking are also important, as is whether the mouse has mechanically switched buttons.
Obviously, button quantity is very much worth considering too, plus the design and grip type. Remember, there are different ways to grip a mouse – claw, palm, fingertip etc – and you should determine what your grip is before coughing up any cash, because specific mice are primarily designed for specific grips.
Also factor in whether the mouse is ambidextrous in design or not, as some are designed for right or left hand users only, as well as if the mouse allows weight alteration. Check if the mouse has any programmable buttons, and which genres it's best for, as certain gaming mice are geared toward first person shooter use and others real-time strategy titles.
Lastly, price should be a major factor in picking the best gaming mouse for 2022. Here at T3 we feel you should be able to get a top tier gaming mouse for less than £80, so don't pay more unless you're stretching to added wireless capabilities.
What is really important to remember here is that there are plenty of brilliant budget gaming mice that, truth be told, deliver great all-round performance. You simply don't have to spend big bucks to get a robust, feature-packed rodent, so be sure to browse round and really way up if you need advanced features before you invest in them. Sure, they are nice to have on tap, but it is the core mouse functionality that any gamer should prize most highly.
Why do pros use 400 DPI?
The simple answer is because of consistency, both in terms of input delay, which at 400DPI is the lowest available on almost all gaming mice, and also in terms of control. It is far easier to aim a cursor at 400DPI on both the X and Y axis.
Now, of course, there are plenty of other factors in play, too, including mouse weight and sensitivity, but the main reason why pros use 400 DPI is because the mouse then delivers accurate and consistent performance with the lowest input delay possible.
The answer to the question "what DPI do most pro gamers use?" is therefore this. 400 DPI and 800 DPI are the two most common settings that pro gamers use with their gaming mice.
What mouse do pro gamers use?
According to prosettings.net (opens in new tab), which has analysed the setups of 1,519 pro gamers, the 5 most popular gaming mice are:
Logitech G Pro Wireless
Zowie EC Series
Razer DeathAdder Elite
Zowi FK Series
Logitech G703
Of course, pro gamers around the world use a plethora of different gaming mice, though, with specific rodents more suited to certain game types (MOBA, FPS, RTS). Not every gamer will have the same feeling for a mouse, too, with some preferring a heavy rodent and others a light one.
Gaming mice for big hands
The best gaming mice for big hands are:
SteelSeries Rival 310
Logitech G502 Hero
Corsair Scimitar Pro RGB
Corsair M65 Pro RGB
Zowie EC1-A
When you've got big hands the last thing you want in a competitive online environment is to lose grip on a small rodent, or get hand cramp. Using a mouse that is too small for you is also a great way to give yourself RSI, so make sure you size up a gaming mouse before pulling the trigger on a purchase.
Do gaming mice make a difference?
The short answer to this question is yes. Gaming mice do make a difference to how PC gamers play. A top-rated gaming mouse won't turn you suddenly into an eSports champion but it will deliver a host of things that will be beneficial in video games.
Firstly, a lot of gaming mice just do the basics better, such as delivering a chassis that is comfortable to hold over a prolonged period of time. They also tend to deliver more buttons and better scroll wheels than regular mice, and also tend to be designed with multiple grip types in mind.
Then, on top of the better core functionality, gaming mice also deliver gamer-focused features, such as higher DPI sensors, better acceleration, adjustable weights, advanced lighting options, programmable buttons and higher-quality, faster switches.
Combine all these things with powerful customisable software and its easy to see how one of the best gaming mice can deliver the marginal gains that will take a player from pwned to pwnage.
How we test gaming mice
Here at T3 we understand just how crucial a weapon a gaming mouse is in a PC gamer's armoury, which is why we thoroughly test is rodent that arrives with us.
The first thing we do is ascertain what the gaming mouse package delivers overall (such as if there are modular parts, a wireless dock, weights and tools) as well as the rodent's build quality and design. If the gaming mouse radiates quality to the hand and to the eye, we'll find out here.
Next up we actually use the mouse, and that involves judging its buttons, scroll wheel and tracking. We're looking to see how precise and tactile the mouse is to use, as well as how it performs at a variety of DPI settings and in various applications. Gaming is obviously a major usage, but we also see what the mouse is like to use in non-gaming applications, too.
This naturally leads us onto testing the gaming mouse's software package, which often is the conduit for tweaking its settings, including DPI. Here we want to see just how intuitive and powerful the software is, as well how it handles things like custom profiles and any RGB lighting control.
With all this complete, we then compare the gaming mouse to the market and consider if it offers value for money. When this is done, we then give the mouse a star score, with five stars the best score a product can receive and one star the worst. If the gaming mouse in question has scored highly it is then considered for T3's best gaming mouse buying guide.
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