Having the best gaming mouse is an important part of any quality gaming rig. It may be an afterthought for some but it really shouldn’t be. If you want to get the best out of your rig, which hopefully starts with one of the best gaming PCs, you must consider every peripheral. That includes your mouse. You’ll want one designed especially for gaming that will help your performance instead of hindering it. The best gaming mouse is critical regardless of whether you’re a casual gamer or trying to go toe-to-toe in the latest esports.
There are a few different things that might make a mouse the best one for you. It’s not just down to the most expensive ones as there are quality mice at every price point. Durability and performance must be taken into consideration if you want to get the most out of your gaming experience. You’ll want to move at lightning speeds without having to go easy on your mouse.
To help you look for the best gaming mouse, we’ve rounded up our selection of picks for you to choose from. They’re all tried and tested here at TechRadar so you know that they’re good. And make sure to also invest in the best gaming mouse pad to pair with your mouse. Also, take a look at our price comparison tool for help finding the best deal on your favorite mouse.
Best gaming mice 2020 at a glance:
- SteelSeries Rival 710
- HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB
- Razer Viper
- Corsair Harpoon Wireless
- SteelSeries Sensei Ten
- Razer Basilisk Hyperspeed
- Corsair Ironclaw RGB
- Razer Basilisk V2
- Roccat Kain 202 AIMO
- Razer Deathadder V2
The features, balance and performance are all present in equal measure in the SteelSeries Rival 710.
When it comes to the best gaming mouse, features, balance and performance are all present in equal measure in the SteelSeries Rival 710, securing it a top spot on our list. This behemoth of a gaming mouse – at least, in terms of power – is a bit expensive, but when you weigh that price against the customizable OLED display, haptic feedback (great for you MOBA players) and excellent build quality, the SteelSeries Rival 710 is still a very solid purchase. The kicker? Everything is modular, even down to the sensor, so you never have to feel like you’re missing out on the latest tech.
Read the full review: SteelSeries Rival 710
The HyperX Pulsefire Surge boasts extremely reliable Omron switches and entrancing RGB lighting.
If you catch yourself rolling your eyes at some of the gaming mice out there in 2019 that sport ridiculous, over-the-top designs, then you should take a look at the HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB. Boasting extremely reliable Omron switches and entrancing RGB lighting – not to mention, an impressive 16,000 DPI sensor – you’re scoring the best gaming mouse for an outstanding price. Plus, it’ll fit right into any office, at least once you turn down the lighting effects to show off its more accessible design.
Read the full review: HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB
The Razer Viper is our new favorite esports gaming mouse.
There are a couple reasons why Razer Viper is our new favorite esports gaming mouse. Along with its lightweight ambidextrous design, true 16,000 DPI and Razer Chroma lighting, this powerful little mouse also features 1000 Hz Ultrapolling, Optical Mouse Switches rated for 70 million clicks and 8 independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons. If you want a gaming mouse to give you that extra competitive edge, you’ve found it here.
Read the full review: Razer Viper
The Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless is the poster child for this ideal price-and-performance match.
The best gaming mouse is always going to be the one that brings excellent performance at a reasonable price. And, the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless is the poster child for this ideal price-and-performance match. You’ll have a wireless mouse that has RGB lighting, touts a long battery life and doesn’t at all suck, for less than $50. The ergonomics unfortunately favor right-handed users, but at this price and with this impressive performance, there’s not much else to complain about.
Read the full review: Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless
The SteelSeries Sensei Ten delivers such impressive acceleration and deceleration customization options.
Its onboard profile customization and nice matte finish are just two of the things you’ll love about the SteelSeries Sensei Ten. Most importantly, this ambidextrous mouse boasts a top-of-the-line sensor, making it one of the best gaming mice we’ve tested in 2019. It delivers such impressive acceleration and deceleration customization options, as well as butter-smooth performance. SteelSeries tops it all off with Tilt Tracking, which essentially keeps tracking consistent and precise even when you’re lifting your mouse and putting it back down at tilted angles.
Read the full review: SteelSeries Sensei Ten
Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed boasts excellent performance with 450 IPS tracking speed and up to 40G acceleration.
With up to 450 hours in Bluetooth mode, the Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed is one of the longest lasting wireless mouse on the market. But, it’s got more going for it than just longevity. It also boasts excellent performance with 450 IPS tracking speed and up to 40G acceleration. It’s key feature, however, is the HyperSpeed Wireless, which reduces the time it takes to send data between your mouse and PC so it’s 25% faster than any other wireless gaming technology.
Read the full review: Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed
The Corsair IronClaw RGB is an eye-catching mouse for big-hand users.
Most of the best gaming mice on the market are either too small or too light, or even a bit of both, leaving gamers with big hands with few options. To make matters worse, some of the big mice out there come loaded with gratuitous buttons and weird shapes that make them more like asylum-seekers from an alien robot planet. The Corsair Ironclaw is just the opposite. It’s an eye-catching mouse for big-hand users, with a design that won’t make you want to squirrel it away in your desk drawer every time company comes around. It’s quite tough as well, so it can handle quite a bit of heavy use, making it the best gaming mouse for you.
Read the full review: Corsair Ironclaw RGB
The Razer Basilisk V2 is the only choice if you’re looking for a mid-range gaming mouse.
A solid gaming mouse at a decent price point, the Razer Basilisk V2 is the only choice if you’re looking for a mid-range gaming mouse. It allows you to effortlessly hop from game to game with minimal fuss, and has 11 programmable buttons, a tactile scroll wheel with a tension dial and up to five different sensitivity levels. On top of that, it has the Razer Speedflex Cable, which boasts incredible flexibility and produces minimal drag. And, for comfort, it’s well-suited for a palm grip, as well as claw and fingertip styles.
Read the full review: Razer Basilisk V2
Keep things simple with the Roccat Kain 202 AIMO.
The Kain 202 AIMO from Roccat is the perfect mouse for the gamer who likes to keep it simple. No wires, no weight adjustment, no-nonsense. The 202 is easy to set up, works like a charm and comes with a solid battery life, ensuring that you won’t need to be plugging it in too often. Overall sensitivity and physical feedback is good, with particular mention going to the rugged scroll wheel, which feels great to roll and click. It’s not the most portable of mice, but its anti-wear coating ensures that this mouse should remain looking fine for the duration of its life.
Read the full review: Roccat Kain 202 AIMO
Don’t knock the Razer Deathadder V2’s simple design.
The Razer Deathadder V2 may be a simple mouse with a simple design, but don’t let that fool you. This is one of the best gaming mice out there, touting a response time of 0.2ms, 650IPS tracking speed, 8 programmable buttons and Razer Speedflex Cable. It’s pretty lightweight as well, making it possible to reduce hand and wrist fatigue. And don’t knock that simple design, either, as it only makes this mouse look right at home in the office as much as it does in your gaming setup. Best yet, it boasts a 70M click durability, which means it’ll last you for a long, long time.
Read the full review: Razer Deathadder V2
How to choose the best gaming mouse
While you’ll definitely find the best gaming mouse of your gaming dreams, doing so might take some time and effort. That’s expected; there’s a ton of complicated technical jargon that goes into the best gaming mice – terms like polling rates and DPI ratings that a regular buyer may not be familiar with. For the record, you’ll want a higher number of both, even though these two terms mean very different things.
For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, when you come across the term DPI, that is shorthand for ‘dots per inch.’ The higher the number, the wider the range wherein you can specify how sensitive your mouse is. If you don’t have a lot of desk space available, but you still want accuracy and precision, then opt for the best gaming mouse with a higher DPI rating that can toggle to a lower DPI, in case you get a bigger desk.
Meanwhile, a high polling rate means you’re getting faster response times. The polling rate is measured in hertz, and it usually ranges from around 125 to 1,000Hz. The latter means that your mouse’s position is reported to your computer 1,000 times per second.
Other key gaming mouse factors you’ll want to keep in mind are ergonomics – particularly if you’re left-handed – and RGB lighting.
Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article
