If you’re like me and want to know what the pro gamers consider when buying or selecting a mouse, check out some info I found in regards to this. I have a friend that is a pretty serious PC gamer and he would agree with me on the following tips below. Before I didn’t realize that there is more to a gaming mouse beside the fact that it looks cool. This article is meant to help someone who wants a competitive edge in online multiplayer games or just wants to have simple functionality when playing complicated games like Arma III. Also be sure to check out the rest of this article for a full, simple buying guide for other mouses on the market.
1. What Are The Bonus Features?
Programmability is one of the most distinguishing factors when it comes to gaming mice. A lot of manufacturers try to one-up each other by including unique features that can be used. Some mice have actual keyboard keys on the mouse themselves so your other hand doesn’t have to travel to a key that is out of reach of the WASD keys. Another example would be if you’re able to hold a button down for a “rapid-fire” effect instead of having to press a key. Gaming mice, in general, have higher DPI, which means they are more sensitive and come with better adjustability settings. Believe it or not, this can often make the difference between getting a slight edge in a competitive multiplayer match. This is also why it’s best to have the best settings you can for each individual game.
Pro Tip: Keep track of how you customize your gaming mouse for each game. Every game is different, and some more complicated than others. This means that it’s always a good idea to adjust the settings to best optimize the features of the mouse to serve your character’s needs.
What features do PC Gamers like in their mouse?
Accuracy, feel, and reliability are above all the top that most people tend to prefer.
Being able to adjust the wheel to be smooth or notched scrolling.
Weight adjustments. Take a look below at this video to get an idea of how weights can be adjusted for professional gaming mice.
As you can see in the video, there are micro weights that can be adjusted and shifted around depending on your preference. Now you might be thinking “What’s the point of having weight adjustment on a mouse?” Some professional gamers prefer to exert a heavy amount of force on their mouse while some like it to be nice a light. Lightweight mice can allow a professional player to only have to make slight movements to aim and allow for more precision (some people do better when the mouse is heavier and have to exert more force). Extra weight can keep a person from overshooting a target or jerking the mouse around if the sensitivity is high or has little friction on the mouse pad. If you’re a rock climber and have insane grip and hand strength, it might be better to have a heavier mouse that can respond accordingly.
2. How Well Will It Match The Size of My Hand?
Even though the mouse works, not everyone is the best fit for your hand. Some are actually designed for bigger hands and some for smaller ones. It also comes down to preference. A good way to tell if a gaming mouse is a good fit for your hand is if you’re able to press every button easily without having to stretch any fingers. Having a good sized mouse will also help you navigate in all directions from the pad easily without causing your wrists to get tired and cause arthritis ( hopefully only in extreme cases?). Professional gamers can easily be in a competitive match for up to four hours. It’s important that the mouse is comfortable for long periods of time.
Winning an intense round of Fortnite might actually come down to how well you can keep your weapon steady on someone you see off in the distance. Having a right size mouse will help you keep that steady lock on.
Pro Tip: Dedicated mouse pads with the smoothest material (preferably cloth) are the material of choice for gamers wanting an edge. Getting the edge in a multiplayer match wouldn’t be credited to having a rough, sturdy material. You want one that has the smallest amount of friction in order to achieve pinpoint accuracy. Dedicated mouse pads are also durable.
3. Does it Have 3rd Party Driver Compatibility?
What is 3rd party driver compatibility? Google doesn’t have an exact answer to this. This is simply a question of whether the gaming mouse can handle software that furthers its ability to be even more customizable. Downloadable programs like Estone x9 is a gaming mouse software that lets you program the buttons for the respective product. Most gaming mouses that come with programmable features also require that their respective software is downloaded to be fully utilized. The amount of programmability varies depending on the mouse. This is why it’s good to look at reviews to see what people say. Gaming mice also vary in how much they can be programmed.
Pro Tip: Before you buy a mouse, take the extra step to look for this feature in the description or reviews, already keeping in mind what functions you would want for the games you play.
4. Does It Come With Adequate Warranty?
Rage quitters probably ask this question first. Gaming mice are expensive and with that, they should also be durable. That also means they should be backed by a company that is willing to provide a warranty on their product because they know it can withstand the fury of someone losing their positive KD ratio. Most gamers are sponsored to use that companies product during tournaments and likely don’t have to think more than getting an answer to this question. Take a look below at the warranties for each gaming mouse brand if you’re one of these people.
Razor Wireless Mouse and Mat Bundles: 2 years
SteelSeries: 1 year from purchase BUT only will cover manufacturing defects. Regular wear and tear is not covered
Asus: Wear and tear warranty is not covered
Logitech: case to case- and you have to call and provide them with your serial number in order to speak to them
Ultimately, most mouse companies require you to buy additional warranty if you want to be covered by wear and tear damages. (Pro players likely to be sponsored by certain brands so they usually don’t have to worry about it. This is a question they will likely discuss with their sponsors).
Pro tip: Don’t abuse your mouse if you decide to rage quit. Get a desktop punching bag and put it right next to your table in case you feel an onset of it coming. If you’re committed to getting a high-quality mouse, they’ll be able to take quite a bit of wear and tear. I have a small Logitech mouse that I’ve had for the last 10 years and it’s still awesome! It’s small but I plan to use it for my PC build.
5. Is The Quality Better Than The Cool?
While it is preferred to have a stylish mouse, it is among the last questions a gaming sensei would consider looking into. With this, there are some important things to note about appearance and company brand. As always, go with quality first and well-known companies like Logitech. It’s easy for small companies to slap RGB lights on a cheap mouse to make it look fancy even though they don’t deliver any real quality. I found a hardcore gamer’s insight and he said that the G502 Proteus Core is a good benchmark gaming mouse and has some of the best specs. Check out the features list for this mouse as well to see what kind of quality a real gaming mouse can deliver. This mouse has just enough style but it’s obvious that the manufacturers care more about the needs of the gamer rather than an over-the-top style.
Here are some other useful features that can distinguish a quality gaming mouse:
- Good battery life. For a high-quality gaming mouse like a G700, it can last around 8 to 10 hours of constant use from a single charge. It would be good to have a charging doc if you choose to have a wireless mouse. This actually brings us to our next feature which is connectivity. It never hurts to take a look at reviews regarding durability. Sometimes you spill liquid on the desk or drop the mouse on the floor. Every time you want to be able to pick the mouse up and know that it was able to take a hit.
- Wireless vs Wired. Pro gamers will all likely agree that a wired mouse is better especially in a close match. Hardcore gamers dislike wireless mice because they have a slight delay if their battery life starts to get low. Mentally it’s knowing that there is a slight delay compared to having a wired mouse that causes gamers to stray away from them in tournaments etc. Since I am not a pro gamer, I’m completely good with a wireless mouse but I admit that that is nowhere near pro-status.
- Surface Tuning Calibration. This is just a more elaborate adjustability setting that quality mice have. This feature allows a mouse to adapt to the surface to further optimize its precision and responsiveness.
- DPI settings. DPI is dots per inch (how sensitive the mouse is). Higher DPI settings mean the mouse will react to smaller movements. Quality gaming mice will come with up to five DPI settings to accommodate all types of gameplay. If you’re playing as a sniper in Battle Royale, it would be best to have a mouse with high DPI settings to make slight tweaks in the right direction to achieve AimBot Status.
- Scroll wheel adjustability. Notch and smooth scrolling are both preferences. But when you’re on a game where you want a very specific type of scroll zoom or seamless, smooth movement, it’s nice to have a mouse that can easily do that. It’s also not a major technical innovation to implement into a mouse, hence the reason a good company should already have this feature for their products. The wheel should also be sturdy and not have a “mushy” feel to it when you press it down. You want movements to be smooth and button presses to be responsive with little to no absorption on them.
Do Pros Use Controllers?
I haven’t come across any pros playing with controllers in competitive matches. Ultimately I found most people agree that it puts you at a disadvantage because you don’t have as much flexibility on a controller as you do with a keyboard and mouse. There’s a something called Dead Zones. If you were to look left and then look right, there is a moment when the joystick passes over its center default position. There is a split second moment where there is zero movement and in a high-speed match and can make all the difference. Some people have had good luck with the Steam controller. It’s able to accommodate a lot of different games including indie ones. This is because it’s buttons and interface act as a mousepad and keyboard (button input). According to most people, there is an adjustment period. The good thing about this controller is that there are no dead zones for the Steam controller. Some people even go as far as to implement a steam controller AND a mouse emulation. Ultimately, gamers still go with a keyboard and mouse in order to be the most competitive.
Verdict
The pros know best. And there’s plenty of them all over YouTube doing reviews of their products and brands that sponsor them. Better yet, they’re people that can attest to the efficiency and quality of the gaming products they use to help them win tournaments. If they’ve had success with a specific game or mouse, chances are that the rest of us will also experience the same (with respect to our skill level). If I missed anything or you have general comments, feel free to leave them here or contact me at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!