Best gaming mouse 2017: the best gaming mice we've tested

When you’re on the lookout for one of the best gaming mice to pair with that beautiful gaming PC that you just dropped over $1,000 on, it’s honestly tempting to just pick up the first cheap pointing device that you come across at Best Buy and call it a day. A mouse is a mouse right? But you just dropped at least a thousand dollars on a new computer, why would you then settle for a mediocre mouse? It doesn’t make sense – everything that’s attached to it should be at least of comparable quality. And, luckily, we’ve found the best gaming mice on the market today – so you don’t have to.

There’s an age-old myth that floats around whenever anyone talks about any piece of hardware: ‘the expensive thing is the best thing.’ Well, most of the time that’s wrong, and it’s definitely wrong here. When you’re shopping for the best gaming mouse for your needs, you should look for one that strikes a balance between performance and cost. This list is filled to the brim with evidence that this philosophy works. The SteelSeries Sensei 310, for instance, costs about the same as a new AAA game, but it’s not just the price that secures its spot on this list, it also comes strapped with some amazing specs – improving your game in style.

Every single mouse on this list hits this golden value balance. We’ve reviewed, tested and ranked every mouse on this list, and each has earned our coveted seal of approval – you should be confident that no matter which of these mice you choose, you’ll be satisfied with it. No matter what kind of games you want to play, after going through this list, we believe you’ll get your hands on one of the best gaming mice.

The SteelSeries Sensei 310 is a gaming mouse unlike any other, in terms of both price and performance. The low entry fee keeps it on the same level as what you’d pay for a new game, while its amazing TrueMove 3 optical sensor, produced through an exclusive partnership with mouse sensor titans Pixart, makes it almost infeasible to compete with. This mouse, with no preference when it comes to dexterity, features frankly unparalleled real-world sensitivity.

Read the full review: SteelSeries Sensei 310

Undeterred by years of ridicule for their comparatively higher latency, the Logitech G900 of yesteryear proved once and for all that wireless gaming mice don’t have to suck. Though it’s merely a subtle iteration on that model, the Logitech G903 only reassures us of that conviction. Gracing a slightly altered G900 design with Logitech’s own PowerPlay mouse pad that doubles as a wireless charger, the Logitech G903 is an expensive, yet rewarding investment. On one hand, the cost might deter someone who wasn’t likely to buy it anyway, but on the other, you’re getting a high-DPI wireless gaming mouse that contends with even Razer’s best.

Read the full review: Logitech G903

Flashy and desirable, there’s no confusion as to why the Asus ROG Gladius II is a bit pricier than other gaming mice in its class. Boasting swappable buttons, a clickable scroll wheel and a sensitivity toggle, this mouse has all the bits gamers crave. There’s even top-to-bottom RGB lighting for an extension of its already-handy customization. Although it doesn’t feature the swappable weights that many others in its price range do, everything else feels comfortable and up to snuff. Better suited for first-person shooters than MMOs, the high DPI rating and 50g acceleration make the Asus ROG Gladius a feat to behold despite lacking features in areas where cheaper mice have conquered.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Gladius II

It’s obvious from the moment you look at the price tag that the Corsair Glaive RGB mouse was designed to go head to head with the Razer DeathAdder Elite. And while Corsair has had a ton of luck with its PC cases, keyboards, RAM, power supplies and cooling systems, a Corsair mouse is automatically a tough sell due to a lack of history alone. Luckily, the company’s latest gaming mouse effort is built for comfort, featuring a coating of soft touch paint and interchangeable thumb grips that augment ergonomics even further. At that point, the nearly perfect three-zone backlighting system and high-DPI Pixart sensor (not to mention the niftily included DPI status lights) are a mere bonus.

Read the full review: Corsair Glaive RGB

It’s not everyday that we see a company known for its sound cards try to take on companies as renowned as Razer and Logitech with a competent gaming mouse of its own. Creative’s Sound BlasterX M04 is exactly that, however, and it’s actually fairly impressive. The 12,000 DPI rating means you won’t need to use pointer acceleration to use the mouse successfully. The RGB lighting scheme, which is controlled using Creative’s own Sound Blaster Connect software, is displayed across a subtle accent at the base of the mouse. Clearly, the Sound BlasterX Siege M04 is a winner in both function and style.

Read the full review: Creative Sound BlasterX Siege M04

You can ask any serious gamer if they prefer wired or wireless mice, and more than likely they’re going to side with the former – the low latency is just too good to pass up. However, there are probably plenty of people out there who want the freedom of movement that a wireless mouse affords. Luckily, the Thermaltake Tt Sports Level 10M combines the best of both worlds, allowing users to switch between wired and wireless modes at will, so nobody has to settle for one or the other. Plus, it’s a great performer, and it feels really good in the hand, even if the metal prong at the front of the mouse (for switching between the two modes) can get in the way from time to time.

Read the full review: Thermaltake Tt Sports Level M

You know what you're getting with a Razer DeathAdder mouse, and this year's Elite model adds a new eSports-grade sensor and features the same right-handed ergonomic design as its predecessor that moulds into your hand, all while adding two new buttons beneath the mouse's scroll wheel to change DPI (or dots-per-inch) on-the-fly. While the DeathAdder Elite misses out on more advanced features such as the free-spinning scroll wheel that you'll find on Logitech's Proteus Core, the Razer's pretty RGB lighting (customizable lighting with 16.8 million color options through Razer's synapse software), big and accessible left-mounted buttons and grippable scroll wheel make it the best mice available in the price tier below.

Rival 700

SteelSeries has ventured where few gaming mice have dared by adding a black-and-white OLED display to its Rival 700. Of course, you can’t just add a screen to something without implementing some sort of functionality. That’s why, in Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Minecraft, this rampant rodent can be used as a customizable tool to enhance your play sessions. In its less utilitarian form, it can also be used to display animated GIFs. Better yet, the Rival 700 hardware is modular, too, giving users the autonomy to snap covers on and off and even swap between a three- and six-foot USB cable. There are even tactile alerts in place, set to trigger vibrations when in-game resources are replenished. Overall, a distinct piece of tech.

Best gaming mice

In recent years, wireless gaming mice have cultivated a rather adverse reputation, mainly in response to their perceptible lag. With the G900 Chaos Spectrum, however, Logitech seeks to change your mind. Using some form of wizardry, the company somehow managed to get its polling rate down to 1 millisecond on a 2.4GHz connection. Accompanied by accelerated coverage of the entire DPI range, zero smoothing and filtering, this gaming mouse is prepared for everything from your next game of Hearthstone to tournament level Heroes of the Storm. That goes without mentioning an ambidextrous design ideal for left-handed players in addition to a modular button layout.

Corsair M65 Pro

Featuring a grippable leather texture down the left-hand side, using the Corsair Harpoon is light slipping into a comfortable car with leather upholstery. Not a very expensive one, mind you, as the Harpoon is a budget offering that looks and feels cheaper than mice twice its price. Which is to be expected, of course, and with a snappy optical sensor and six programmable buttons including a center DPI switch and forward and back buttons on the side of the mouse, you have everything you need to game in any genre. Its average size makes it a good fit for both small and large hands, and Corsair's RGB-lit logo on the back makes it look rather cool when rested on your desk.

How to choose the best gaming mice 2017

Although you’re bound to determine the best gaming mouse for you based on our rankings, doing so is no effortless task. There are a lot of complicated technical specifications that go into gaming mice, including fancy jargon such as polling rates and DPI ratings. You’ll want a higher number of both, but there’s a stark difference between these two nonsensical, yet crucial terms.

For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, that DPI is shorthand for ‘dots per inch.’ The higher the number, the wider the range wherein you can specify your how sensitive your mouse is. If you don’t have a lot of desk space available and you want accuracy and precision, then opt for a gaming mouse featuring a higher DPI rating. Of course, you can always toggle a lower DPI too.

Meanwhile, a high polling rate gives you faster response times. The polling rate is measured in hertz, so 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 consider are ergonomics – particularly if you’re left-handed – and RGB lighting.