Source: Tech2.com
Competitive gamers are always on the look out for the weapon of choice, to help them get an edge over opponents. Their arsenal includes gaming keyboards, gaming headphones and gaming mice with the mice being the most important of the lot, for the actual talent is passed through the electronic rodent. The mouse should be able to read all the hand movements with absolute precision and should be able to able to execute reflex movements without any issue.
So what do gamers look for in a gaming mouse? To start off with, any person buying a gaming mouse will first check out the looks and the feel of the mouse. Ergonomics play a very important role in judging the best gaming mouse. The mouse should provide comfort to the palm and fingers for prolonged use. There is absolutely no use in buying a mouse with good features and sacrificing on comfort, it would only ruin the entire gaming experience. The mouse should rest properly in your hand giving comfort to the 2 unused fingers and proper placement for the index finger, middle finger and the thumb. The palm should be well rested on the body of the mouse yielding a comfortable and proper grip.
It may sound a bit unusual at first, but a proper grip gives a better control. That is why one will rarely find a gaming mouse with a glossy finish to its body. But in the end, grip and ergonomics depend from person to person.
This brings us down to smoothness and precision, the reason these gaming mice cost a bomb. Varying from optical to laser, the precision on any gaming mouse has to be immaculate. With the ability to capture reflex moves, these gaming mice also require to be very smooth to make it a complete package. Mouse feet or skates, have to be smooth and should create very less friction even on cheap surface pads to provide an overall – smooth flow.
So let’s take a look at the best gaming mice available in India -
Logitech MX 518
The MX 518 was the trusted old companion of many cyber gamers. The 5 button mouse also came with options to set the DPI to high or low without installing the drivers. Supporting a tracking resolution of 1800 dpi, the optical gaming mouse was easily one of the most comfortable mice available in the market. With the most comfortable ergonomics and excellent precision, most cyber gamers, preferred this mouse when it first launched. It is still available and is a great choice for a gaming mouse. The MX 518 is available at the retail price of Rs. 1,825 and an MOP of Rs. 1,500.
The Good: Excellent ergonomics provides great thumb rest, Smooth, Precise.
The Bad: Only for the right handed.
Rating: 4/5
Logitech G5
The Logitech G5 has the same ergonomics as the MX 518. But instead of the optical sensor, the G5 works on laser technology. With a tracking resolution of 2000 DPI, the G5 is better than its younger brother for a few more reasons. The scroll button features a side scroll option unlike the MX 518 and there is a small LED display to show what DPI setting the user is on. The body of the G5 doesn’t have a glossy finish like the MX 518. The G5 has a coarse matte finish giving a better grip and feel altogether. And finally, the user can set the weight of the mouse as they like, meaning if they want the mouse to feel heavier or lighter, they can change the weights. The G5 comes along with 4.5g x 8 and 1.7g x8 of weight cartridges which can be placed on the mouse or removed as per the level of comfort. The performance does feel better than the MX 518, making the G5 a very good option for an avid gamer who wants to buy a mouse. The G5 sells at an MRP of Rs. 3995 and an MOP of Rs. 3200.
The Good: It takes everything that made the MX 518 a good mouse and adds a few better features to it.
The Bad: Once again, only for right handed.
Logitech G9x
After its success with two gaming mice, Logitech pushed the market a bit more and released the G9x Laser. The G9x tracking resolution is a whopping 5700 DPI, which may be the highest available for a gaming mouse. It lets gamers change the weight on the mouse using weight cartridges and also the outer body grip. Users can change the grip of the G9x from a satin finish or dry grip - both pack along in the box. Users can also order for various kinds of grips. All this might sound ‘cool’, but in the end we didn’t like the ergonomics of the G9x. The mouse is just a bit too small to be called a gaming mouse. Most people would mistake it to be a laptop mouse if not aware of its features and specifications. But the G9x’s performance is good. It may be extremely precise and smooth, but of what use is the performance when the mouse is not comfortable to hold. The Logitech G9x can be bought for an MRP of Rs 6,295 and an MOP of Rs 5,100.
The Good: Interchangeable grips, adjustable weights, 5700 DPI, very good precision.
The Bad: Only for the right handed, ergonomics are miserable, too small for a gaming mouse.
Rating: 2.5/5
Razer Lachesis
Razer is a manufacturer who creates products specifically for the gamers. Their latest offering the Lachesis, uses the Razer Precision 3G Laser sensor with a tracking resolution of 4000 DPI. On testing the Lachesis, we concluded the performance was absolutely amazing. Definitely it was the most precise mouse of the entire lot we tested. The Lachesis is a six button mouse with two additional buttons to change the DPI. Now the shape of this mouse is something which we cannot easily comment about. With a wide front and a narrower back, it’s a very strange design for a gaming mouse. The smooth rubber like finish on the mouse does give it a great feel, but the overall shape of the mouse was something we didn’t like that much. But in the end, there are gamers out there who move their mice using their hands and not wrists. These chosen few will definitely go for this mouse. The Lachesis sells for Rs. 5495
The Good: 4000 DPI, Excellent performance.
The Bad: Button 5 and 6 are very badly placed and will attract unwanted clicks, very small feet/skates.
Rating: 3/5
Razer Death Adder
Another critter of the Razer family, the Death Adder is easily one of the best products made by Razer. The Deathadder runs on the Razer Precision infrared sensor with a tracking resolution at 3500 DPI. The ergonomics of the Adder are excellent. Personally being very inclined to the ergonomics of Logitech mice, at first I thought I won’t be able to enjoy the Adder too much. But on using it for tests for over two hours, it felt great. The soft, rubber like finish gives the Deathadder a very good grip and comfort. The Deathadder can be bought for Rs. 2550.
The Good: Excellent performance, good looks and very well priced.
The Bad: Only for the right handed.
Rating: 4/5
Microsoft Sidewinder x8
Microsoft has come a long way in producing gaming peripherals. Who can ever forget the great intellimouse? Microsoft established their name for manufacturing that particular product. The sidewinder series carries on the legacy of what was once the intellimouse. The Microsoft Sidewinder x8 might look ugly at first glance, but soon as we hooked it up to the computer, the looks didn’t matter. So the main USP of Sidewinder x8 is that it is a wireless mouse and a wired mouse. Confused? Don’t be.
The Sidewinder x8 comes with a transceiver for wireless connection. The transceiver connects to the regular 2.0 USB on the computer and the mouse itself runs on a single AA battery. The transceiver has a wire tied around its middle which can easily be unbound. The tip of the wire connects under the mouse, making it a wired mouse. Along with the basic 5-button set, the sidewinder x8 features 5 more buttons on the mouse. The ergonomics are very good, but not meant for users with small hands. The placement of button 4 and 5 is excellent. The x8 doesn’t run on the conventional optical or laser technology. It uses a BlueTrack technology which only features in Microsoft products.
This brings us to the mouse feet/skates. They are very easily changeable but they are more of plastic. Yes, not Teflon, not any other smooth material, but plastic. Though it runs smoothly on soft surfaces, friction is at a peak on hard surfaces. Also there are many sharp edges on the lower back of the mouse and the overall plastic used on the mouse feels cheap. The x8 is not available in India as yet so we do not have its pricing.
The Good: Good performance, wireless and wired connectivity, good for left and right hand use.
The Bad: Only for the right handed, Mouse feet/skates, cheap plastic used on body.
Microsoft Sidewinder x5
Having a similar look and feel to the x8, the Sidewinder x5 is a 5 button mouse that runs on the regular laser technology with the tracking resolution at 2000 DPI. With 3 DPI buttons in between, one can change the DPI between 400, 800 and 2000 instantly (these values cannot be changed). But once again, the mouse loses out on the feets/skates. They tend to produce more friction unless used on a softer surface. The Microsoft Sidewinder x5 is priced at Rs. 3,184, which is just a bit expensive as there are more options available at a similar or lower price range.
The Good: Good overall performance and comfortable for prolong use.
The Bad: Only for the right handed, DPI values can’t be changed.
Rating: 3.5/5
Microsoft Habu
Microsoft and Razer came together and created a baby, the Microsoft Habu. Having tied up with one of the top gaming peripherals manufacturers, Microsoft wanted to create the ultimate gaming mouse. The Habu runs on a laser sensor with a tracking resolution of 2000 DPI. The 5 button mouse has a very clean finish with an ergonomic design. But you can’t fail to see the resemblance between the Razer DeathAdder and the Mirosoft Habu. Both have different features and specs, but look like siblings nonetheless.
The Good: Good looks and good performance.
The Bad: Quality of the interchangeable 4-5 button panel is flimsy and cheap. Only for the right handed.
Rating: 3.5/5
SteelSeries Ikari
A brand known to many gamers, SteelSeries manufactures state of the art gaming surfaces and gaming headphones. But before producing gaming mice especially the Ikari, SteelSeries claims they took 15 months of research to build up the best gaming mouse ever made. With inputs from actual gamers and intensive research on ergonomics, SteelSeries still went wrong with this mouse. The basic 5 button mouse also features an LCD screen below to set DPI. Running on the laser technology at a tracking resolution of 3200 DPI, the Ikari performs very well. The huge mouse feet/skate at the bottom allow no friction making it a very smooth performer. But the most important issue with the Ikari was the right button, which makes the mouse lose points on comfort. The SteelSeries Ikari Laser Gaming Mouse sells at Rs. 6,599.
The Good: Excellent performance, responsive buttons.
The Bad: Right button is very uncomfortable, driver installation is necessary for optimum use, expensive, only for the right handed
Rating: 3.5/5
Choosing a mouse is completely subjective. But if we were to list out the best out of this lot, our vote goes to the Logitech G5 for its amazing performance and excellent feature set, followed by the Razer Deathadder for strong performance at an affordable price.
Comments