The best gaming mouse has a specific job to do. It needs to perform under high-pressure gaming situations, both consistently and reliably. These mice are built for gaming and have the features to prove it.

What to Look For in a Gaming Mouse in 2023

A gaming mouse differs from your typical computer mouse by having specific features emphasizing response and control. When you search for gaming mice, you'll see things like DPI and response rate touted. These numbers can be confusing on their own, especially when you don't want to look at one spec without the context of the others.

DPI, or dots per inch, is important to determine the range of speeds you can set your mouse to or how fast your cursor moves relative to your wrist. Think of it like how fast a car can go, except there are certain speeds that are far too ludicrous to matter in real-world use. Mice claiming high DPI settings aren't bad, but only a niche set of gamers will use DPI settings above 2,000.

Response rate is important because it measures how fast your clicks and button presses are sent to your PC and your game. For most people, it's a superfluous number. Almost all modern mice—gaming-specific and not—operate at high response rates. It's a good thing to check for, but an acceptable response rate is basically standard with any mouse you'll find today, and it's certainly a given for all our recommendations below.

The features you really should pay attention to are the shape of the mouse, the available buttons it has and the customization of them, build quality, and battery life for wireless mice. All the picks below include a lot of the basic requirements, or else they wouldn't be some of the best.

But to find the perfect gaming mouse for you, you have to drill down. You want to think about how you'll use this mouse, what games you primarily play, and whether a cord will bug you to determine which gaming mouse best suits you.

With that in mind, check out what we think are the best gaming mice.

Best Gaming Mouse Overall: Logitech G Pro X Superlight

The Logitech G Pro X Superlight is one of the best gaming mice on the market. It's also the best mainstream choice for anyone looking for a quality wireless gaming mouse that doesn't want to spend days researching what would work best for their particular needs. Finally, the universal availability of the G Pro X Superlight is another factor we used when deciding the winner of this category.

Features-wise, the G Pro X Superlight has excellent wireless performance, weighs only 63 grams, features giant skates that slide like they're made of ice, has a killer optical sensor, and packs a long-lasting battery, at least when it comes to mice with rechargeable cells.

The G Pro X Superlight features Omron switches that aren't the best choice for a high-end mouse. They have a lackluster feeling when clicked and aren't optimal, but they're more than good enough for most gamers sans hardcore enthusiasts.

Its body isn't filled with honeycomb-like holes and is pretty sturdy, which is a huge plus for most gamers. The only major downside here is the now ancient Micro USB cable used to charge the device.

Aside from the relatively high price, you're looking at the best mainstream gaming mouse on the market. As for alternatives, look at the other mice featured on this list, aside from the budget and MMO picks. They're all great. Our previous pick, the Logitech G502 X Plus Lightspeed, is another great gaming mouse for everyone not liking the recent ultralight trend among gaming-focused rodents.

Logitech G Pro X Superlight

Best Gaming Mouse Overall

$110 $160 Save $50

The Logitech G Pro X Superlight is the best mainstream gaming mouse thanks to its snappy wireless performance, shape that works for the majority of gamers, excellent battery life, and overall very high build quality.

$110 at Amazon See at Best Buy

Best Budget Gaming Mouse: Logitech G203 Lightsync

The Logitech G203 Lightsync is unparalleled when it comes to a budget mouse. It's the mouse to get if you want something under $50 that performs as if you spent more. The Logitech G203 is a streamlined mouse that offers a medium-weight body, a solid range of DPI settings, RGB, programmable buttons, and onboard memory.

The biggest selling point of the Logitech G203 is a sensor that offers up to 8,000 DPI. While that high of a DPI is usually reserved for a niche type of gaming with a premium price tag, it means that should you ever need to crank the sensitivity up, the option is there. It also means the mouse is versatile for a variety of games, from FPS to MMOs.

This mouse also has low click latency, which should satisfy competitive shooter players. It might not seem like much, but having your click reactions register in a game as fast as possible can mean the difference between a win and a loss. This isn't the sole selling point of the G203 for normal games, but it's good to keep in mind if you have varied tastes in games or want a mouse for competitive play.

To have all these features in a mouse under $50 is almost unheard of, especially with one that shares internal hardware with much more expensive mice. All of that makes the Logitech G203 the mouse to get if you have a specific budget in mind.

Logitech G203

Best Budget Gaming Mouse

$20 $40 Save $20

The Logitech G203 is an affordable gaming mouse that has fast response times, a range of DPI options, and programmable buttons.

$20 at Amazon See at Best Buy

Best Wireless Gaming Mouse: Razer Viper V2 Pro

The Razer Viper V2 Pro is basically an upgraded version of the Razer Viper Ultimate. The V2 Pro features a new, top-end optical sensor Razer made in collaboration with Pixart. It weighs only 58 grams, it's got Razer's excellent optical switches, and its neutral shape is quite comfy for most gamers. The body is smooth and might even be too smooth for some. Luckily, Razer includes adhesive grips in the selling package.

The Viper V2 Pro is, at the moment, the best wireless mouse you can get alongside the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro. Not only because the mouse supports MotionSync technology that Optimum Tech covered in-depth, but also because the Viper V2 Pro can work in tandem with Razer's 4000Hz polling rate wireless dongle that allows for insanely smooth and insanely fast performance.

The Viper V2 Pro is the latency, precision, and movement smoothness champion among wireless mice. If you want the best wireless performance in a gaming mouse, get the Viper V2 Pro or the DeathAdder V3 Pro. With that said, the Pixart PMW3395 that supports motion sync can be found on other gaming mice besides the Viper V2 Pro.

If Razer's rodents are too pricey for you, great alternatives exist. First of all, every other mouse featured on this list, aside from the budget and MMO picks, is an excellent substitute for the Viper V2 Pro. Next, if you want some quick recommendations that come equipped with the Pixart PMW3395 sensor, check out the Lamzu Atlantis or the Pulsar X2.

Razer Viper V2 Pro

Best Wireless Gaming Mouse

$120 $150 Save $30

While it is eye-wateringly expensive, the Viper V2 Pro from Razer justifies its price by having the best wireless performance on the market. Alongside the DeathAdder V3 Pro, this is the fastest wireless gaming mouse money can buy.

$120 at Amazon See at Best Buy

Best Ultralight Gaming Mouse: Cooler Master MM720

There are better ultralight gaming mice than the Cooler Master MM720. The catch is that all those mice, including the ones featured on this list, like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight or the Razer Viper V2 Pro, carry a premium price. The Cooler Master MM720, on the other hand, weighs only 49 grams, is super comfortable, and costs far less.

While one of the lightest gaming mice on the market, the MM720's chassis feels surprisingly well-built. The included Pixart PMW3389 sensor isn't the latest tech available, but its 16000 DPI resolution combined with excellent precision makes for a lethal weapon in the hands of every skilled gamer. You've also got durable optical switches along with a sturdy cable that's quite long and huge PTFE feet that offer near-zero resistance.

Now, the ultralight gaming mice market is quite saturated, and if you're looking for a great mouse that's also light as a feather, most of our picks fulfill those requirements. If you want some alternatives not mentioned in this guide, the FinalMouse Starlight is the first to come to mind, but they release limited batches of the Starlight that get sold in seconds. Next is the G-Wolves Hati S, weighing only 49 grams and featuring a comfy ergo design, but isn't as affordable.

Cooler Master MM720

Best Ultralight Gaming Mouse

$20 $53 Save $33

If you're looking for an ultralight gaming mouse, definitely take the Cooler Master MM720 into consideration, as the bang for your buck you're getting with the MM720 is astronomical.

$20 at Amazon

Best MMO Mouse: Razer Naga V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse

The Razer Naga V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse is an MMO player's best friend. Not only is it ergonomic and responsive, but it offers up to 12 side buttons—giving you an easy way to access your most-used abilities. That's a total of 20 programmable buttons, meaning you should never be awkwardly positioning your hands to execute your skills or down another potion.

Using a mouse with 12 side buttons takes a while to get used to, but thankfully Razer designed the Naga V2 Pro to be modular. Each mouse comes with a few different side plates, allowing you to utilize plates with two or six side keys (before slowly working your way up to 12). This makes it incredibly versatile and well-suited for a variety of MMOs. Whether you're raiding in World of Warcraft or chopping trees in Old School RuneScape, it's a great companion for your adventures.

Other notable features include an adjustable Focus Pro 30K optical sensor, the Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3 for reliable clicks, a HyperScroll Pro Wheel with adjustable resistance, and support for both wired and wireless connections. All these features come at a price, though, and all its side buttons also make it a bit larger than other gaming mice. But if your hotbar has outgrown your keyboard, the Naga V2 Pro is a great option.

Razer Naga V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse

Best MMO Mouse

The Razer Naga V2 Pro is highly customizable and offers up to 12 side buttons, making it perfect for games with an overflowing hotbar.

$176 at Amazon

Best FPS Mouse: Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro

The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro is another win for Razer and our pick for the best FPS mouse. The DeathAdder V3 Pro is as lightweight as the Viper V2 Pro, and it also comes with the Focus Pro sensor Razer made in collaboration with Pixart. The mouse also supports the optional 4000Hz polling rate dongle.

Unlike the Viper V2 Pro, the DeathAdder V3 Pro features an ergonomic shape that has proven to be an absolute win among the FPS crowd. Tons of gamers swear this mouse is among the best picks for playing first-person shooters.

Thanks to its magical ergonomic design, the Focus Pro sensor, well-built yet ultralight body, and slick skates, the DeathAdder V3 Pro is the absolute best FPS gaming mouse you can get right now. The only smudge here is the insanely high price, especially when we include the separately sold 4000Hz dongle.

Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro

Best FPS Mouse

The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro is, along with the Viper V2 Pro, the best wireless gaming mouse you can get. But unlike the Viper V2 Pro, the DeathAdder V3 Pro features a comfortable shape that's perfect for playing first-person shooters.

$150 at Amazon See at Best Buy

FAQ

Are wireless mice good for gaming?

Most wireless gaming mice from reputable brands feature virtually indistinguishable input lag compared to wired mice. In fact, nowadays, wireless mice are generally a better choice for gamers since they don't include cables that can restrict movement.

What is DPI, and how is it important for a gaming mouse?

Dots per inch (DPI), CPI (counts per inch), or PPI (Pixels per inch) are three interchangeable labels that represent the same standard computer mice use to measure physical distance.

Is a heavy mouse good for gaming, or a light mouse?

Always remember that when it comes to gaming mice, there's no universal formula that works for everyone. If you game better with lighter mice and they feel great in your hands, keep using them. On the other hand, if you can't even think about using a mouse you can't feel while moving it across the table, then a heavier mouse is probably a better choice for you.

Can a gaming mouse be used for work?

Of course. Ultralight wireless gaming mice are an excellent choice for work due to their minuscule weight, allowing you to effortlessly sling them around your work table. They also come with a vast range of DPI customization. In other words, you can use lower DPI when gaming for better precision and higher DPI when working to move quicker around the desktop.

How do I clean my gaming mouse?

Gaming mice, especially ultralight models with honeycomb-style shells, are grime magnets. To remove the accrued grime, a cotton swab soaked in alcohol is your best friend. And for cleaning the mouse body, we recommend a microfiber cloth or disposable lens wipes.