Best gaming mouse 2019: the best gaming mice we’ve tested

If you already own one of the best gaming PCs on the market, it’s tempting to grab the cheapest mouse you can find at your local big box store. But, this isn’t a wise move. 

Gaming peripherals are a big part of how immersive and smooth your gaming experience is, and you need to put the same level of commitment into picking a good gaming mouse as you do with the bigger, more expensive purchases. Everything attached to your powerhouse rig should be of comparable quality. 

Oh, and while you’re at it, you may want to pick up one of the best gaming mouse pads as well. 

As far as your potential gaming mouse, keep an eye open for one that can balance price and performance, while packing in some unique features. There’s an age-old myth that the most expensive mouse on the shelf is going to be the best one, but that’s just not true. Just take a look at the SteelSeries Sensei 310 – it has all the performance you could ask for at less than the price of a new AAA game.

So, we put together a list of the best gaming mice we tested and reviewed in the last few months. No matter what kind of games you’re into, you’ll find the best gaming mouse to satisfy your gaming needs right here on this list. Be sure to keep checking back, as we’ll be adding to this list throughout the year.

Image Credit: TechRadar

When it comes to the best gaming mice, features, balance and performance are all there in equal measure in the SteelSeries Rival 710, which easily tops our list. This heavyweight gaming mouse might be a bit expensive, but when you weigh that price tag against the customizable OLED display, haptic feedback – great for you MOBA players – and excellent build quality, the SteelSeries Rival 710 is easily worth the price and more. 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 

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The SteelSeries Sensei 310 is a gaming mouse like no other, both in terms of price and performance. The low cost of admission keeps it at about the same price that you’d expect to pay for a new game, and with that, you also get its out-of-this-world TrueMove 3 optical sensor, making it almost impossible to compete with. This mouse, with no preference when it comes to dexterity, is unrivalled when it comes to real-world sensitivity. You can even pick up the SteelSeries Rival 310 if you want similar performance, but a more right-handed approach to dexterity.  

Read the full review: SteelSeries Sensei 310 

Image Credit: Corsair

In our humble opinion, the best gaming mice are always going to be the ones that deliver excellent performance at a price that won’t burn a massive hole in your pocket. And, the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless is the poster child for price-to-performance ratio. At less than 50 bucks, you’re getting a wireless mouse that doesn’t suck, has RGB lighting and touts a long battery life. The ergonomics are specifically for right-handed users, but at this price and with this level of performance, there’s little to complain about. 

Read the full review: Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless

Image Credit: Logitech

Aesthetically, you generally have two main options when you’re shopping around for the best gaming mouse: you can pick up a high-performing mouse that looks like it would fit in the office, or you can pick up a mouse that looks like something out of a Sci-Fi film. The Logitech G502 fits firmly in that later category. But, don’t let that scare you away. With adjustable weights and a jaw-dropping 16,000 DPI sensor, this gaming mouse backs its otherworldly looks with excellent performance. It’s not perfect if you have huge hands, but beyond that, this one has our vote for one of the best gaming mice out there.  

Read the full review: Logitech G502 Hero 

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We’ve given the Roccat Kova Aimo high scores for solid build quality, customizability and great gaming performance that gets even better after some tweaking in the Roccat Swarm software. It’s white version looks uncannily like those scary robots from iRobot, but the solid black one is smart-looking and will definitely fit any set-up. LED light fans might find it wanting in terms, but this gaming mouse’s ambidexterity more than makes for its very minimal flaws. All things considered, it’s one of the best gaming mice we’ve tested this 2019 so far.

Read the full review: Roccat Kova Aimo

Image Credit: Cooler Master

If you need one of the best gaming mice, but are looking to save some cash at the same time – the Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520 might be an ideal option and a terrific addition to your gaming set-up. It won’t win any beauty contests, but packing quality Omron switches and a reasonably sensitive sensor capable of up to 12,000 DPI makes it a great value, which in turn makes it’s easy to look past the unappealing design – especially if you use a claw grip.

Read the full review: Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520 

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Have you been sticking it out in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth? You’re going to want to take a look at the Razer Naga Trinity. Razer’s Naga mice have always been fan favorites in the MMO community, but the manufacturer didn’t just stop there. With the Naga Trinity, you get three easily swappable side plates, so that you can change your mouse to fit the game you’re playing. Add in the insane 16,000 DPI sensor and Razer Chroma RGB lighting, and you’ll be topping the DPS meters in no time.

Read the full review: Razer Naga Trinity 

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If you find yourself snickering at some of the ridiculous-looking gaming mice available in 2019, you should take a look at the HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB. Featuring extremely reliable Omron switches and stunning RGB lighting – not to mention an incredible 16,000 DPI sensor – you’re scoring one of the best gaming mice for an excellent price. Plus, it’ll fit into any office, at least once you turn down the lighting effects. 

Read the full review: HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB 

Image Credit: Corsair

Got big hands? Then you’re probably here looking for a gaming mouse that’s right for them. We understand; most of the best gaming mice on the market are either too small or too light, or even a bit of both. To make matters worse (for you, at least), some of the big mice out there are packed with gratuitous buttons and weird shapes that make them look like they just walked straight out of a Transformers movie. The Corsair Ironclaw takes care of all of that. It’s an attractive mouse for big-hand users that you won’t have to throw inside your desk drawer whenever you have company. It’s tough as well, so you don’t need to worry about breaking it if you’re a bit too rough while gaming.

Read the full review: Corsair Ironclaw RGB

Image Credit: Michelle Rae Uy

When you take stock of all its useful features, it might shock you that the Gigabyte Aorus M5 will only set you back $69 and change. This good-looking gaming mouse, among the best value gaming mouse we’ve gotten our hands on this year, is not only highly customizable, and offers great ergonomics and fun RGB lighting. It also boasts an adjustable weight distribution system, on-the-fly DPI adjustments and Omron switches tested for 50 million clicks. And it doesn’t even end there. If you’re in the market for a mouse that gives you more bang for your buck, this is it.

Read the full review: Gigabyte Aorus M5

How to choose the best gaming mouse

While you’ll definitely find the best gaming mouse of your gaming dreams, doing so will take a bit of time and some effort. 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 might not be familiar with. For the record, you’ll want a higher number of both, but these two terms mean drastically different things.

For newcomers to the world of PC gaming, when you see the term DPI, that 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, but you still 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 means you’re getting 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.

Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article

Be sure to also check out our list of the best PC cases!

Read more: techradar.com