My mouse is definitely on its last legs and I’ve started watching for sales to pick up a new one. My main question is not which mouse to get, but wired or wireless?
I like the concept of wireless, but it spooks me out because I assume there will be latency or consistency issues. So I’m wondering how other people’s experience with them have been? Had any problems or a flawless experience, and if so what mouse and when?
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I’ve had various wireless mice for years, and never really had problems with latency or connections. My biggest concern is always battery life. I’ve had various Logitech wireless mice that run off a single AA and last for years, as well as “higher end” razer mice with rechargeable batteries that I put on the charger every night (but still last ~14 hours on a charge no problem). Really it comes down to the same things buying mice always do: does it fit your grip style? Does the weight work for you? Does it have the right number of extra buttons for you? Just add the extra consideration of battery life.
My recent Logitech MX Vertical lasts at least eight weeks before needing to recharge. Unfortunately the relatively low refresh rate is noticeable in first person games when above ~80fps. I don’t notice anything during desktop use (144Hz) though.
What do you mean by relatively low refresh rate?
Seems to cap at around 60Hz, I notice a difference between cable and radio above that when moving a first person camera.
It uses a 2.4Ghz dongle though, doesn’t it?
Yes. It‘s an office mouse so maybe battery life is prioritized?
The frequency of the motion processing (polling rate) is independent from the radio frequency.
Shrug. Spec sheet says up to 4000dpi. That with 2.4Ghz seems like there should not be any kind of issue.
dpi (dots per inch) is a measurement of camera resolution, not of the speed of the sensor processing. So the full processing goes like this:
60 times per second (60 Hz), the optical sensor in the mouse takes an image at 4000dpi resolution. That information is then processed and modulated onto a radio wave that swings up and down 2. 4 billion times per second (2.4 GHz) - but the information is still only sent 60 times per second, so less often than would be of a modern gaming screen updating 144 times per second.
That’s re-assuring. I’m tempted to take the plunge and see what I think.
I’d say go for it! And you don’t need to break the bank at all. Best Buy usually has good Logitech options for under $75 or so, and typically have a few set out so you can see how they feel. If you’re in the market for gaming, they also usually have a few set out.
I got the Logitech G305 in 2022 on the recommendation that it is good for gaming. No latency or consistency issues, and I still have it. There are probably newer ones or ones more specific to your needs that you can find, but I don’t regret the purchase.
Logitech MX Master 3. I’ve had it for many years. Happy, except the scroll wheel is stiff and hard to click (remap the SmartShift to middle button with Solaar).
Does either Bluetooth or dongle.
The battery lasts for months (I’ven’t measured, but it feels like I recharge it a couple of times per year. When it feels peckish, it lights a LED, at which point I turn it into a wired mouse for the night (it eats USB-C).
Input lag? If you want input lag, run a Teams call. I’m not a FPS gamer, so I wouldn’t know, but I don’t notice any.
Do they still get sticky? The rubber in mine degraded
Yep, looks like it’s rotting. Then again, at my age, so do I.
My MX Master 3 definitely had this problem. I am on the MX Master 4 now and still no breakdown after hundreds of hours of use. We will see how it holds up to thousands of hours of Deadlock and Lightroom use.
I’ll second the MX Master series
Logitech MX Master 3. … Input lag? … I’m not a FPS gamer, so I wouldn’t know, but I don’t notice any.
I imagine the latency is fine, but the 125hz polling rate would piss me off lol. I will happily admit to being picky because I bought an MX Vertical and returned it immediately after realising I could see the low polling rate on the desktop (144hz monitor, so 125 has visible skipping).
Not a fan of wireless mice. Sure, the desk looks cleaner but you have to worry about batteries and the danger of losing the dongle. If you don’t need to travel with your stuff, a wired mouse is preferable.
I go the other direction. I HATE having a cord tethering my mouse, getting caught and moving after I take my hand off.
Batteries aren’t a problem. I get two days warning before the AA on my mouse actually dies.
But when I travel, I take a wired mouse.
It’s actually so I can make my desk messier lol. There’s about a square foot I can’t use because placing anything in it obstructs the cable and makes mouse movement difficult.
No issues with that. I’ve got a mouse that can either connect with a USB dongle or directly to BT. Works like a charm. Flawless, fast, no latency I’d have noticed.
Only downside: Have a fresh battery at hand. I’ve got a pack of two in my laptop bag. It lasts for ages (many months), but when it fails, it fails. And due to Murphy, it always fails at the most inconvenient moment…
4 or so years ago I commented on DeMus (pro AoE / SC2 player) stream about his wireless mice and was informed that basically all pro players now use them because lower friction and latency issues don’t exist anymore.
I like my glorious o2 mouse. It’s wireless, charges off USB-C, and can be plugged into the computer and used while off (while also charging.) It’s charge lasts for a bit more than a week, and I can’t tell a difference with latency.
I like a wired thumbball but they virtually disapeared like over a decade ago so I have had to live with wireless. its a waste of batteries as it does not need to move.
https://ploopy.co/thumb-trackball/
got one three years ago, is my daily driver
open firmware, 3d printed shell
these excite me but even when i had disposable income they were to pricey.
What do you need it for? I can’t speak to gaming, but normal computer tasks, no problem.
It is indeed gaming, but considering how many wireless gaming mice there are it’s gotta be decent I would hope lol.
My son is a serious online gamer, and loves his ultralight, wired mouse. Maybe if you’re that serious, it’s worth it.
I’ve never had a problem with wireless. I’m playing Cyberpunk 2077 right now, and my Logitech m720 is flawless. I’ve had a series of Logi mice, and if this gets discontinued I’ll buy a dozen to get me into my 90s.
The technology is entirely mature now. I’m not really convinced that even hardcore gamers can honestly tell the difference.
I love my Logitech g502 wireless but I had to get an usb extension to have the wireless receiver closer to the mouse
I was just thinking how I love my Logitech anywhere 3S. I have several devices, and this thing pairs up to three separate ones with no issues. Connection is immediate and it never fails to connect. It has no meaningful lag, and the battery lasts me so long I don’t remember how many months ago I charged it.
It’s nothing too fancy, but it really accomplishes its tasks well.
2.4GHz ones are great.
Pretty reputable website doing latency test: https://www.igorslab.de/en/latency-measurements-in-the-test-many-with-and-without-cable/
Thanks, those wire vs wireless numbers are impressively close to each other.
I have a wireless mouse from work that I use occasionally with zero complains (I think a Logitech G502), but as a trackball enthusiast I’d be remiss not to ask if you’ve considered one.
When set up properly, a trackball is the more ergonomic option, and for me more satisfying and accurate to use. All the disadvantages of a wired mouse disappear with a wired trackball (well, aside from the visible cable).
I have a CST L-Trac with some custom mods and it’s one of my favorite peripherals that I own, aside from my two self-built ergonomic mechanical keyboards.
EDIT: Just noticed that you need it for gaming and I’ll concede that for that it’s harder to justify as there is a learning curve when using for e.g. FPSes. But I’ll leave my comment up, perhaps it will plant some seeds in other minds 😉
