With the recent revelation that certain budget keyboards have been secretly keylogging their users and sending that information to who-knows-where, it's definitely worth spending a little extra on your peripherals.
When it comes to the hardcore gamer, there is a host of options on the mouse front, with some models tailored toward the twitchy FPS crowd and others more suitable for MMO fanatics who need a ton of readily-available buttons.
Here, we're rounding up 10 of the absolute best gaming mice currently available, with a focus on the more high-end options that will set you back a pretty penny but have the features and sensitivity to be worth the cost. And they won't be sending your information to far off lands.
SteelSeries Sensei 310
Price: $59.99
Buy it on: Amazon
The ambidextrous version of SteelSeries' right-handed Rival 310, the Sensei 310's big draw is in its true 1:1 tracking, offering unprecedented lack of jitter or lag and extreme accuracy. A lot of mice manufacturers and development teams say their mice achieve precise 1:1 tracking, but this mouse really nails it with the TrueMove3 sensor.
With a comfortable, sleek design, great software in SteelSeries' Engine 3, a killer sensor, and a nice mid-range price point that won't break the bank, we highly recommend this one
Read our full review of the Sensei 310 here.
Steel Series Rival 700
Price: $99.99
Buy it on: Amazon
There are really only so many ways to innovate an input device like the mouse. However, the Rival 700 from SteelSeries found a way to solidly break through that wall, adding in some unexpected new features, like an onboard OLED display that streams in-game info directly to the mouse. This is also one of the only mice in the world with a haptic tactile feedback system that gives slight vibrations to notify you of in-game events or champion cooldowns.
Unfortunately, this mouse is a righty only. But other than that small little "hiccup", if you need something cutting edge to dominate in online gaming, it's well worth giving the Rival 700 a shot.
Read our full review of the Rival 700 here.
Corsair Glaive RGB
Price: $69.99
Buy it on: Amazon
Less clunky and sleeker than Corsair's M65 Pro, the Glaive features interchangeable thumb grips on the side to match what's most comfortable for your preferences.
It also has stellar three-zone RGB lighting that can be fully customized, letting you choose what colors light up which zones. You can then save those settings in a profile for easy recall.
For more info on the Glaive's full list of features, check out our complete review here.
Logitech G600
Price: $79.99
Buy it on: Amazon
Although this gaming mouse has a few years on it now, it still remains easily one of the best choices for gamers in 2017 -- especially those that spend most of their time in massively multiplayer online worlds.
The Logitech G600 sports a whopping 20 separate buttons for use, with 12 located right at your thumb to simulate the standard loadout of skills for a maxed-out MMO character.
Whether you're stoked for WoW Vanilla to return or spend all day in Guild Wars 2 or Black Desert Online, there isn't really a better mouse option for the MMORPG fanatic right now.
Logitech G903 Lightspeed
Price: $149.99
Buy it on: Amazon
The total polar opposite of the MMO-obsessed G600, the Logitech 903 Lightspeed is an updated version of the incredibly popular G900 Chaos released last year.
Rather than being bogged down with a dozen buttons at the thumb, this one features a sleek design, can quickly switch between wired or wireless, and is highly customizable. You can configure your own buttons on this ambidextrous offering, including adding on grips to specific areas. In terms of a well-rounded mouse, it's tough to beat this one for claw, palm, or fingertip users.
Read our full review of the Logitech G903 here.
Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum
Price: $79.99
Buy it on: Amazon
If the ambidextrous design of the G903 doesn't suit your hand and you need a dedicated right-hand mouse, look to the Logitech Proteus instead. The re-positionable weights make this gaming mouse a pleasure to hold, helping it fit perfectly in your grip.
The Spectrum edition comes with RGB lighting, and with 11 buttons and customizable DPI settings, this is one of the best "bang for your buck" options in higher end gaming mice.
Razer Lancehead Tournament Edition
Price: $79.99
Buy it on: Amazon
Razer's products are always top of the line in terms of being eSports-ready, but they also tend to show a simplicity and elegance in design. You get pinpoint precision for 50 million clicks, along with extras like re-programmable buttons, as well as saving button and LED profiles in the cloud.
The newer Lancehead comes in both standard black, as well as the white and green "mercury" edition. The Tournament Edition is wired only, while there's a separate wireless version (with the ability to switch back to wired with a dongle) that costs a lot more but offers the same functionality.
While the Lancehead has a lot of positives going for it, you can't really go wrong with any of the Razer standards: the Death Adder Elite, Basilisk, Mamba, and Naga Hex are all killer options.
Razer Lancehead Tournament Edition
Price: $79.99
Buy it on: Amazon
Razer's products are always top of the line in terms of being eSports-ready, but they also tend to show a simplicity and elegance in design. You get pinpoint precision for 50 million clicks, along with extras like re-programmable buttons, as well as saving button and LED profiles in the cloud.
The newer Lancehead comes in both standard black, as well as the white and green "mercury" edition. The Tournament Edition is wired only, while there's a separate wireless version (with the ability to switch back to wired with a dongle) that costs a lot more but offers the same functionality.
While the Lancehead has a lot of positives going for it, you can't really go wrong with any of the Razer standards: the Death Adder Elite, Basilisk, Mamba, and Naga Hex are all killer options.
ASUS ROG Spatha
Price: $159.99
Buy it on: Amazon
Extremely heavy for a mouse, this hardcore entry uses a different magnesium alloy construction than the standard gaming mouse. While it takes some getting used to, the ASUS ROG Spatha is among the best gaming mice out there.
In terms of features, the ASUS pretty well has it all: three-zone lighting, 12 buttons, and switching between wired and wireless modes. It can also sync up with other ROG devices for color matching, from the keyboard to the motherboard and graphics card.
Budget Option: LENRUE Gaming Mouse
Price: $9.99
Buy it on: Amazon
Let's end this list of hardcore gaming mice with something totally unexpected: an ultra-budget option!
Yeah, you are reading that price correctly. The LENRUE Gaming Mouse is seriously only 10 bucks. And it's actually a really solid mouse if you want something flashy but still usable with cool features.
This gaming mouse swaps colors between red, purple, blue, and green, and you can manually change the DPI through the software. With six buttons and a scroll wheel, this is a comfortable mid-range option that has what most gamers need, even if it doesn't include all those absurd extra bells and whistles.
From ultra-high DPS options to button-laden monstrosities and everything in between, these 10 mice offer anything a hardcore gamer could want, no matter what your grip style or preferred genre.
What did you think of our picks, and what mouse would you recommend to the gamer who needs something higher-end? Let us know in the comments section below!
Looking for even more gaming mice options, but don't have quite as much to spend on these $80-$150 behemoths? Be sure to check out our list of budget gaming mice right here instead.
Published: Nov 8, 2017 05:24 pm