The Best Gaming Mice For Every Budget And Style Of Play

The Best Gaming Mice For Every Budget And Style Of Play
At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Whether you prefer wireless or wired, RGB lights and mappable buttons, there’s a lot at stake when it comes to choosing your next (or first) gaming mouse. After all, no one wants to be stuck with a neon pink one that resembles a lump of Swiss cheese (unless that’s precisely your aesthetic).

You might be trying to play a game like Hades, Call of Duty: Warzone or The Ascent, and you’ve noticed some of the following: your buttons feel a little gummy, your sensor’s lagging a bit and the damn thing doesn’t glide across your desk or mouse pad like it used to. Or perhaps, you’re finding that your hand keeps cramping up while enjoying a marathon gaming sesh.

With so many gaming mice choices on the market, it can be hard to narrow down which ones are the best gaming mice you can buy right now, let alone for you. Below, you’ll find our picks so you can make your best educated bet.

The Best Entry Level Gaming Mouse

HK Gaming Mira M

Image: HK Gaming

If you want to get on the ultralight mice trend, but want something with a form factor that’s not going to give you hand cramps, there’s a lot of new brands on the market. One of the better ones is HK Gaming, a company from — you guessed it — Hong Kong.

The HK Gaming Mira series comes in three general sizes (S, M and L) with the M series being the best for those who want a slightly larger mouse. The sensor is the industry stalwart Pixart 3360, and the mouse even comes with side grips to cover up the sides. The standard black Mira M will set you back $69.99, which is a great price for a mice that can go toe to toe with many of the bigger brands on the market.

Where to buy

Cooler Master’s MM710

Image: Alex Walker (Kotaku)

Want the lightest mouse possible without breaking the bank, but still want something that’s good in the hand with top-tier sensor? Cooler Master’s MM710 is retailing for its lowest price at $54 over at Amazon Australia and, given how handy the perforated holes are in Australia’s baking summer, it’s one of the best entry level gaming mice on the market today.

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/10/mm710-coolermaster-gaming-mice-kotaku-australia-review/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/10/DSC3275-410×231.jpg” title=”Cooler Master’s MM710: The Kotaku Australia Review” excerpt=”There was a time when adding “gaming” to a tech product meant it was cheap without being poor quality. Today, a “gaming” peripheral usually carries a markup of $100 or more, which is why so many gaming mice are priced at exorbitant levels. Except for one.”]

There’s just one problem: the holes in the chassis. And if that’s an issue for you, then you might want to consider…

Where to buy

SteelSeries Rival 3

best gaming mice
Image: Steelseries

The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a better option than the MM710 if you want a larger mouse, or if you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to risk the problems with a perforated chassis like the MM710. it has a solid sensor, good texturing for Australian conditions, and a fairly ambidextrous design that supports a range of grips.

Where to buy

  • Amazon Australia: $49
  • eBay Australia: $69

Razer Viper Mini

gaming mice
Image: Alex Walker/Kotaku Australia

The best qualities of the wireless Razer Viper Ultimate, but in a smaller, lighter form factor. The difference between the sensors are imperceptible for anyone who isn’t a robot, and the improvements to Razer’s software suite (primarily that it’s optional) have been much needed. At $39.05 from Amazon, the Viper Mini is a great starter mouse — unless you have above-average sized hands, in which case you might want to look at the Xtrfy M4 or a similarly-shaped chassis.

Where to buy

The Best Gaming Mouse For MMOs

Logitech G402

Image: Logitech

The G402 is also an option for the most affordable mice — you can actually get it for $50 to $70 from most Australian retailers. But I’ve slotted it in here because there’s enough programmable buttons on the G402 that you can use it as a rudimentary, affordable mouse for MMO buttons. Hardcore World of Warcraft players might want something with a lot more macros and buttons, but the price will go up accordingly.

Where to buy

  • Amazon Australia: $45
  • eBay Australia: $45
  • The Good Guys: $99.95

Corsair Scimitar Elite RGB

Corsair’s an underdog when it comes to the mice game: their wireless sensors are actually on par with Razer and Logitech when it comes to latency, and their affordable wired options are solid, provided you prefer their chunkier, larger chassis designs.

The Scimitar Elite is a great pick because it’s about $30 cheaper than Razer’s Naga Trinity (when the latter isn’t on sale), and it’s got some neat customisations of its own. There’s an 8mm range where you can move the MMO buttons on the side, allowing you to position more precisely to your hand. It’s all managed through Corsair’s CUE software, which is lightweight and one of the least annoying software suites for peripherals right now.

As an added bonus: Corsair’s wireless sensors are really, really damn good. A quick analysis from Linus Tech Tips put the Corsair on par with much more favoured gaming mice brands like Logitech and the wired FinalMouse, showing that wireless mice are perfect for serious gamers these days.

Where to buy

The Best Big Gaming Mouse

Xtrfy M4 gaming mouse

Image: Alex Walker (Kotaku)

Want a big mouse but something that’s not too heavy? Large mice are starting to punch holes into their chassis as well. The Xtrfy M4 line, which comes in four colours including the eye-catching bright pink and neon blue, is a larger right-handed ergonomic design that weighs only 71 grams (about the same as the Viper or Logitech G Pro Wireless).

Where to buy

Logitech G502 HERO mouse

Image: Alex Walker/Kotaku

Another wireless offering from Logitech, the G502 HERO is the wired version of Logitech’s popular chunker. The HERO sensor has been a reliable stalwart of Logitech’s gaming mice for years, and while it’s not wireless, most people will be happy to pay $79 instead of closer to $200. Otherwise, you’re getting the same shape, software support and chassis design as the Logitech G502 Lightspeed, which is still an excellent mouse if you’re happy with the premium.

Where to buy

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/07/logitech-g502-lightspeed-wireless-gaming-mice-review-big-daddy-is-here/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/DSC2930-410×231.jpg” title=”The Big Daddy Of Wireless Mice Is Here” excerpt=”There’s a couple of trends among gaming mice in the last couple of years: lighter and, if possible, wireless. But while gamers are generally clamouring for more both of those things, there’s always been an outlier in the market: the gargantuan, almost monolithic G502.”]

Razer DeathAdder Essential

best gaming mice
Image: Razer

Extremely hard to go past at $35. Not only does that make the DeathAdder Essential one of the most affordable mice on the market and one of the best entry-level mice for people who want something larger than the miniature MM710/Viper Mini, the DeathAdder has also just been a reliable performer for almost two decades. I still remember playing Counter-Strike national tournaments with the original editions of the DeathAdder, and Razer hasn’t messed around with the original shape to this day.

If you want to shell out for a nicer version however, the DeathAdder V2 ($68.90) has enough new additions to warrant a look. The V2 weighs about the same as the G Pro Wireless, which is a huge surprise for a mouse of that size and shape. The V2 also has on-board memory support, so you can setup your profile and macros and then uninstall Razer Synapse, which is an excellent move by Razer.

Where to buy

The Best Wireless Gaming Mouse

Razer Viper Ultimate

best gaming mice
Image: Alex Walker/ Kotaku Australia

Remember how everyone was giving Razer shit for years over their over-aggressive Synapse software? Well, the company finally listened. Not only did they make a wired lightweight gaming mouse with none of the chassis problems facing other ultralight gaming mice, but they also let users save settings to their mice without having to keep any Razer software installed.

That’s already a good start, but Razer went one further by making the Viper Ultimate excellent in just about every facet. It’s one of the best gaming mice you can buy today, period. It’s expensive (as wireless mice often are) but holy hell is it good.

Where to buy

[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/10/razer-viper-wireless-the-kotaku-australia-review/” thumb=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/10/DSC3290-410×231.jpg” title=”The Razer Viper Wireless Is One Classy Mouse” excerpt=”Less than 24 hours after I’d finished reviewing the Razer Viper, Razer’s first entry into the ultralight mouse market, an image started floating around online. It was a wireless version of the same mouse, meaning Razer was finally gearing up to make proper inroads into proper wireless gaming mice. Today, the Razer Viper Wireless is available for pre-order. It’s expensive as all hell, but it’s easily one of the classiest gaming mice on the market. And the dock. We have to talk about the dock.”]

Logitech G Pro Wireless mouse

Image: Logitech

The second top-tier wireless mouse, unsurprisingly, comes from Logitech. The G Pro Wireless (GPW) has been the benchmark for wireless mice since its release, not just because of how good the wireless sensor was, but for how light the whole chassis is.

I’m putting the GPW alongside the Viper Ultimate because the two have very different shapes. If you want a wireless gaming mouse that sits more in the palm of your hand, the GPW is the way to go, whereas the Viper Ultimate has a flatter shape. The GPW has some slight advantages in battery life and responsiveness when waking up from hibernation, but that’s only when you move the mouse after its been idle. Both are absolute crackers when it comes to gaming.

The GPW is also a little more affordable these days, having been on the market for longer. While the Viper Ultimate is pushing close to $280, you can get the G Pro Wireless for $136.90 from Amazon today. That’s an excellent bang for your buck, especially when you consider the super-long battery life and just how reliable the GPW is.

Where to buy

Razer Basilisk X HyperSpeed Wireless mouse

Image: Razer

It’s not the most recent version of the Basilisk, but if you want a wireless mouse for $65 that’s excellent for productivity and runs off an AA battery (instead of an internal rechargeable battery that’ll die over time) then the Basilisk is supremely well-priced.

The Basilisk is an excellent wireless mouse for the office too (or your home office) and those with average-to-larger hands will appreciate the comfort grooves and grips. I personally prefer more ambidextrous, slimmer mice for gaming, but if that’s not you, then the Basilisk is a great wireless option to consider.

Where to buy

  • Amazon Australia: $65
  • Bing Lee: $99
  • eBay Australia: $99

This post has been updated since its original publication. 


The Cheapest NBN 1000 Plans

Looking to bump up your internet connection and save a few bucks? Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


32 responses to “The Best Gaming Mice For Every Budget And Style Of Play”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *