Top 11 Gaming Mouse Options To Dominate The Competition

Most days around here at HotHardware are frantic, but everyone needs a good work-life balance. As a team populated by mostly PC gamers, we have varying opinions on the best gaming mice currently available. Below are 11 of the top gaming mice to help you dominate the competition, which includes a few highly-rated budget picks, a range of more premium market-leading options, and finally a group of five personal selections from members of the HotHardware team, myself included. Whatever kind of PC gamer you are, we're pretty confident you'll find the mouse you're looking for in this roundup below.

If you're new to gaming mice, keep in mind that higher DPI typically lends itself to higher accuracy, but actually using its full range can be difficult to calibrate across certain games. For that purpose, I highly recommend the classic "Same Aim, Different Game" tool for players of first and third-person shooters. In general, mice with lighter weight and fewer buttons are more suited to FPS gameplay, while mice with more buttons lend themselves to MOBAs and MMOs (or productivity—extra macros are always a nice-to-have in the workplace).

11 Gaming Mouse Options To Dominate The Competition 

Over the years, we've seen lots of consolidation within the gaming mouse market as manufacturers have better understood what actually makes a mouse good. Virtually all of the mice below use optical sensors since they don't have mouse acceleration, which can make aim inconsistent. Most premium options are wireless, and use a proprietary wireless standard (or Wi-Fi) instead of laggy Bluetooth. Some even have openings in their chassis in order to reduce their weight or keep some form of airflow under the palm, to reduce sweating and potentially enhance comfort.

Whatever you might be looking for, and whatever you settle on, you can rest assured that you'll be going with a mouse that has decades of iterative design behind it. There are no wrong choices in a roundup of great gaming mice. However, a few of these options might be a better fir for you than others.

Top-Rated Budget Kings

1. TMKB Falcon Ultralight - Just $16.99 On Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Unknown Optical Sensor (12.8K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Ambidextrous (Buttons Have Right-Hand Bias)
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Three
• Wired or Wireless: Wired

The TMKB Falcon M1SE is surprisingly well rated for such a dirt-cheap mouse, and it's easy to see why. The focus on light weight (75 grams), high accuracy, and even RGB features at a sub-$20 price point would have been unthinkable a decade ago. If you just want a cheap mouse to shoot enemy gamers with that won't compromise on key features, the TMKB Falcon M1SE is a strong pick.

2. Redragon M908 - Just $24.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical Pixart PAW3327 Sensor (12.4K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Right-Handed
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Fifteen
• Wired or Wireless: Wired

Another great choice is the Redragon M908 Impact, which is somewhat of a ripoff of the Razer Naga design, but it's so much cheaper it is difficult to complain. It's well-reviewed, and comes from Redragon, one of the more reputable budget hardware manufacturers out there. If you're aching for a cheaper mouse that can handle all your MOBA, MMO, or office macros, the Redragon M908 is a great choice. It is a fair bit heavier than the more premium Razer Naga V2, though, coming in at 177 grams.

Four Hot Premium Gaming Mice

3. Razer Naga V2 - Just $64.97 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical Razer Focus Pro Sensor (30K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Right-Handed
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Fifteen
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

It wouldn't be a 'best gaming mouse roundup' without the venerable Razer Naga. Earlier renditions of the Naga were burdened by a laser sensor and a wire, which are both gone on the Razer Naga V2. The addition of an adjustable scroll wheel, high-end current-gen wireless support, and a sturdy overall build quality make it a great choice. Plus, it's not all that expensive. A single AAA game costs more than this mouse. That said, it is also slightly heavy at 134 grams.

4. Xtrfy MZ1 - Just $59.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical Pixart 3389 Sensor (16K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Ambidextrous (Mouse Buttons Have Right Hand Bias)
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Two
• Wired or Wireless: Wired

Another great low-cost, high-quality option is the Xtrfy MZ1. This is a low-profile ambidextrous mouse targeted at palm and fingertip grip users, uniquely shaped to prevent palm resistance. The design is actually made in collaboration with Quake professional and prominent mouse reviewer Rocket Jump Ninja, but that alone wouldn't get the mouse put on this list. Rather, it seems like a premium, unique pick for fans of high-octane first-person shooters, and while it is wired, it's designed to glide seamlessly, and is super-light at just 56 grams.

5. Razer Viper V3 Pro - Just $119.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical Focus Pro Gen 2 Sensor (35K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Ambidextrous (Mouse Buttons Have Right-Hand Bias)
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Two
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

While Razer was once primarily known for its MMO-tailored Naga gaming mouse, it's gotten a lot more competitive with shooter-oriented gaming mice in recent years, and the Viper V3 Pro epitomizes that  approach. This is a wireless mouse made to compete with Logitech's best, weighing a superlight 54 grams and cutting away all unnecessary frills in favor of a focus on pure performance.

6. Corsair Sabre V2 Pro - Just $149.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical Marksman S Sensor (33K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Ambidextrous (Mouse Buttons Have Right-Hand Bias)
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Two
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

Corsair has competitive shooter-oriented gaming mice in its line-up now too. Most of the features you would expect (high-accuracy optical sensor, high-polling wireless connectivity, etc.) are all present and accounted for, but the biggest selling points of the Sabre V2 Pro is its ultralight weight of just 36 grams and addition of grip tape and replacement mouse skates for adjustability. Plus, if you're already in the Corsair ecosystem, its compatible with existing software tools. No RGB here, though.

HotHardware's Hottest Five Personal Picks

7. SteelSeries Rival 650 - Just $69.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical TrueMove3+ Sensor (12K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Right-Handed
• Extra Mouse Buttons: 4
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

The HotHardware Head Honcho, David Altavilla, went with a relatively old-fashioned pick: a wireless mouse originally released in 2019, weighing 121 grams. But that adage about not fixing things that aren't broken rings true, and SteelSeries has a long, favorable reputation of producing competition-grade hardware and sponsoring competitive events. If you want a simple, no-frills, premium gaming mouse at a fair price, it's hard to beat the SteelSeries Rival 650. To be fair, Dave's current daily driver is the Logitech G502 X Plus, listed below.

8. Gravastar Mercury X Pro - Just $118.96 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Optical PAW 3950 Sensor (32K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Ambidextrous (Mouse Buttons Have Right-Hand Bias)
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Two
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

Marco loves this mouse for its premium, high-durability construction, open-air design, and top-of-the-line components. To quote him, "It's the best mouse I've ever owned," and at a weight of only 49 grams with all these features intact, it's easy to see why. Kudos to Gravastar for being unafraid to nearly completely hollow out its mouse in order to maximize its lightweight nature while not skimping on any essential features. It is a little pricey thanks to all of its control options and magnesium allow skeleton, but it's not out of line with other high-end gaming mice.

9. Logitech G502 X Plus - Just $113.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Logitech Hero Optical Sensor (25K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Right-Handed
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Seven
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

Paul picked this one, and his full review will tell you why.

But as the latest in the lineage of Logitech's beloved G502 mice, it's hard not to see the appeal. It's been his main driver for two years and has been upgraded with all the best features of modern Logitech mice, including Lightspeed wireless and a cutting-edge Hero sensor.

It does weigh 106 grams, which is on the heavier side of a mouse considered light, but understand that until very recently, wireless mice were often 120 grams or heavier. The current generation of ultra-light mice below 70 grams is a new trend, and a lot of people genuinely dislike such lightweight mice. This one's a pretty good middle ground, especially considering its ergonomic design.

10. Glorious Model I 2 - Just $74.99 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Pixart Optical Sensor (26K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Right-Handed
• Extra Mouse Buttons: Six
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless
• Price on Best Buy (Black): $99.99 

An affordable, superlight (66 grams) mouse offering all the essentials needed to enjoy most games and genres, at a killer price to boot. In Zak's own words, "the company has grown to be arguably the best maker of serious gaming mice on the market", and for this article, it was his top choice.

11. Logitech G Pro Lightspeed Wireless 2 - Just $116.07 on Amazon

• Mouse Sensor Type: Logitech Optical Hero 2 Sensor (44K DPI)
• Mouse Grip Type: Ambidextrous
• Extra Mouse Buttons: 4 Detachable Side Buttons, 2 Per Side
• Wired or Wireless: Wireless

In my humble opinion, the original Logitech G Pro Wireless and its debut of Logitech's Lightspeed Wireless made for one of the first great wireless gaming mice, leagues beyond the Bluetooth mice gamers used to settle for.

The addition of an ambidextrous design and mirrored side buttons made it a joy to use, even coming from the Logitech G400 distinctly right-handed grip style. Now, it's too good for me to go back, and while Logitech would probably prefer gamers buy the more expensive 60 gram G Pro X Superlight 2, the loss of right side buttons and true ambidexterity keeps me away from it and biased instead toward the 80 gram G Pro 2. That model is probably better for most people, though.

Whichever your preference, all of these mice would make a great companion to the awesome gaming PC we'll be giving away soon. If you haven't entered for your chance to win yet, what are you waiting for?