The best gaming mouse you could buy this year is completely dependent on your needs as well as the games that you play. While gaming laptops have come a long way, the touchpads on the best gaming laptops have not.
No touchpad can substitute the intuitive control and easily accessible buttons of even the most basic mouse. But you aren’t just looking for a basic mouse. You’re looking for a gaming mouse, designed with precision and accuracy in mind. A trusted tool for slaying the Prime Evils of Hell, sniping at mercenaries across a neon-drenched cyberpunk city block, and headshotting your friend on the other team before you go in to blatantly disrespect them.
Whatever your need or preference, Laptop Mag has the best gaming mouse to recommend you. We test our mice on the best PC games so you can make an educated decision on what gaming mouse is best for you. Whether you’re a veteran gamer interested in software packages and grip design or a new player looking for some entry-level options, this list has got you covered. You can also check out our recent Corsair Katar Pro XT gaming mouse review, Razer Orochi V2 review and Logitech G Pro X Superlight review. SteelSeries also announced a swath of new gaming mice, so stay tuned for those reviews.
Amazon Prime Day 2021
Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time to hunt for epic deals on the products you’ve been saving up for. There are plenty of great Prime Day laptop deals and Prime Day 2021 gaming laptop deals that are going to go live during the two-day span. That’s right, keep in mind that Prime Day will only last from June 21 to June 22.
If you’re looking for a simpler category of laptops, check out the Prime Day Chromebook deals. Acer, HP and even Samsung make some excellent Chromebooks, although you might pay a little more if you go with Samsung. There are also great Prime Day 2021 tablet deals if you need to focus on portability.
If you’re hunting for more specific laptops, you can easily find Prime Day 2021 iPad deals and Prime Day MacBook deals. However, even on sale, Apple products can be relatively expensive. However, keep in mind that everything isn’t just about laptops and tablets. There are plenty of products going on sale during Prime Day.
You can also find amazing Prime Day 2021 monitor deals, which is perfect for people working from home and who need a more productive workspace. And treat yourself to some audio luxury with Prime Day headphone deals. If you need a new phone, we also got you covered with these awesome Prime Day phone deals.
If you’re not a fan of Amazon, you can also find great deals from the Walmart Prime Day sale and Best Buy Prime Day deals, as both companies are trying to compete. And if you’re just a hardcore gamer and don’t need any big tech, there are also plenty of Prime Day Xbox deals.
What is the best gaming mouse?
If you’re looking for the best gaming mouse to buy, it all depends on your needs. One of the best wireless gaming mice you can buy is the Razer Basilisk Ultimate. The Basilisk Ultimate pushes gaming mice to a new standard with smarter internal and external features. For $169, the Basilisk Ultimate offers great wireless performance paired with a neat adjustable scroll wheel that’s packed into a comfortable design. You also get a cool charging dock as well as some solid software.
If you’re okay with a wired mouse and are into MMOs, the Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is the best around. At $80 dollars, it’s a great choice for anyone looking to free up some binds on their keyboard. And while the Scimitar RGB Elite is specifically designed for MMO and MOBA players, it’s also surprisingly serviceable as an FPS mouse.
Meanwhile, the Razer Naga: Left-Handed Edition offers left-handed gamers a more comfortable way to play some of their favorite games. With many options for customization and a very comfortable layout, gamers have the chance to buy a product made specifically for them. Not to mention the mouse itself allows for five different profiles, making switching from game to game easier than ever. However, the $99 price tag is a little pricey.
If you’re looking for affordability, you can’t go wrong with the SteelSeries Rival 3. We put the Rival 3 through its paces and were impressed with the responsiveness of its sensor and its comfortable, stylish design. Short of a few desired additions — a braided cable and swappable weights — the Rival 3 is the perfect gaming mouse for those on a budget.
The best gaming mouse you can buy today
What do you get for the gamer who has everything? Probably the Razer Basilisk Ultimate. With a silky wireless connection, pixel-perfect precision, adjustable scroll wheel, and Razer’s renown Synapse software, the Basilisk Ultimate has firmly established itself as an apex predator in the PC gaming jungle. This is the cream of the crop.
So how much is this bad boy going to set you back? A meaty $169. This is a mouse that offers all the competitive edges of a model like the SteelSeries Sensei Ten but with far more pomp and glamour. It’s good to be the king, but it certainly ain’t cheap. The Basilisk Ultimate, along with the rest of Razer’s recently unveiled mice, has an edge in performance over the competition, thanks to its hardware. Its optical switches use an infrared light beam to register a click, which gives the mouse a response time of 0.2 milliseconds.
See our full Razer Basilisk Ultimate review.
Everybody’s gotta start somewhere. If you’re a fledgling PC gamer, someone looking for a reliable back-up mouse, or simply a budget-conscious player, the SteelSeries Rival 3 is a worthy choice. At just $30, the Rival 3 is cheaper than an Xbox One controller or a PlayStation DualShock 4 and less than half the price of its big brother, the SteelSeries Sensei Ten.
But while the Rival 3 is a great mouse in its own right, the low price point means fewer features. A braided cable and some adjustable weights would’ve been nice, but at $30, it’s a fantastic value. Despite that, we were struck by how premium the Rival 3 looked and felt after touching its smooth body. It might not have the soft-touch finish of the Sensei Ten, but the Rival 3’s minimalist shape combines with tasteful RGB lighting to create an aesthetic that’s every bit as attractive as more expensive models.
See our full SteelSeries Rival 3 review.
The Corsair Sabre RGB Pro follows relatively quickly on the heels of the recent Razer Viper 8K and delivers the same 8,000Hz polling rate at an even more affordable $60 price. The ultra-lightweight gaming mouse manages to pack an impressive collection of features including on-the-fly DPI setting changes, two-zone RGB lighting, durable Omron switches, and an excellent paracord cable.
While $60 is on the edge of the budget gaming mouse realm, it’s still affordable compared to many of the options you’ll find while searching for the best gaming mouse. If you want top-of-the-line performance, but don’t want to spend too much, the Corsair Sabre RGB Pro should be on your shortlist.
See our full Corsair Sabre RGB Pro gaming mouse review.
Razer’s Viper 8K mouse is easy to recommend for one simple reason: it improves upon its already excellent predecessor without raising the price. With the 8K model, you get a solid array of specs and features, including a responsive Focus+ sensor, up to 20K DPI, optical triggers, a class-leading polling rate, and an ambidextrous design.
Does the Viper swallow its competition whole? In many regards, yes. It has a universal design that will be comfortable for left- and right-handed users no larger how small or large their digits are. The enhanced Focus+ sensor is responsive and accurate, and the optical triggers have a satisfying snap to them. Moreover, the attention-grabbing feature, an 8,000Hz polling rate, will reassure e-sports gamers that they’re getting the most responsive feedback, even if most users don’t notice the difference.
See our full Razer Viper 8K gaming mouse review.
Quantity doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality. The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is a mouse that is designed with MMO and MOBA players in mind. That means it comes with a 12-button side keypad, bringing it to 17 programmable buttons in total. The Scimitar RGB Elite is big and heavy. At 6.9 x 4.5 x 3.1 inches and 9.6 ounces, this mouse is for palm grippers and arm aimers.
That weight could be a hindrance or an asset, depending on your playstyle. Arm aimers will find that the Scimitar RGB Elite is also a surprisingly serviceable FPS mouse. You’ll also have to fuss around with Corsair’s iCUE software to make the mouse worth its $80 price tag. But if you’re an elbow-twisting macro enthusiast that enjoys the occasional Apex Legends match in between your Mythic raids, the Scimitar RGB Elite could fill your niche.
See our full Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite review.
After years in retirement, the Razer Naga: Left-Handed Edition has come back to life. It has all new specs of the previous models but, packed in a fresh design. Finally, left-handed users can get back into using a mouse designed specifically for them so they can play MMO games more comfortably. Needless to say, if you have never used a left-handed mouse before, the Razer Naga: Left-Handed Edition will take some getting used to. But I feel as though the ring finger indentation and the pinky finger grip provided more stability than mice without them.
Thanks to the 12-button panel, the Razer Naga: Left-Handed Edition offers a wide-range of customization for gamers. Of course, you have to deal with the annoyance of configuring all of the buttons, but after some trial and error, you’ll appreciate Naga’s customization options. However, the Naga is a bit pricey, at $99, especially for a wired mouse. But overall, Razer’s latest adaptation of the Naga: Left-Handed Edition is the best gaming mouse for left-handed gamers.
See our full Razer Naga: Left Handed Edition review.
Fancy lights and modular parts are nice, but at the end of the day, the worth of a mouse is measured by its ability to shred. The SteelSeries Sensei Ten is the quintessential example of a competitive gaming mouse: a no-frills device with a timeless ambidextrous design that is designed purely with performance in mind. This 10th iteration of the Sensei series uses the same classic design as its predecessors with a soft matte finish and esports-minded performance.
At $70, the Sensei Ten has been the weapon of choice for some of the greatest esports players in the world. If you don’t mind using a wired mouse that’s god-tier in performance but lacking in features, you can’t go wrong with this classic. The engine inside the Sensei Ten is a TrueMove Pro optical sensor that tracks movements at up to 18,000 DPI at a 1,000-Hz-per-millisecond polling rate.
See our full SteelSeries Sensei Ten review.
If you’re left-handed, finding a good mouse can be tough. Luckily, there are mice like the Razer Viper Ultimate around to meet your needs. This nimble little mouse is fantastic for anyone looking for a high-quality mouse that can zip around the screen with precision and ease. With a strong software suite and fantastic performance, the Viper Ultimate is a fine companion for any hardcore gamer. Thanks to its unique mouse feet, which are actually made of PTFE (you may know it as Teflon), gliding across the mouse pad has never felt smoother.
But only wealthy gamers would readily invest in the $129 price tag, which bumps up to $149 if you want the bundle with the Razer Chroma charging dock. Reaching the side buttons on the opposite side of your dominant hand can also be a bit cumbersome. Even with these shortcomings, the Viper Ultimate remains one of the best wireless mice on the market.
See our full Razer Viper Ultimate review.
The HP Omen Photon is another attractive mouse for a left-handed gamer. As with the Razer Viper Ultimate, what you’re getting is accessibility, reliability, and convenience. The Omen has an ambidextrous design with two thumb buttons on both sides of the mouse (which can be swapped for plastic plates), it’s wireless, and the Omen Command Center offers a bunch of customization options from programming macros, setting the DPI, and lighting options.
But like the Razer Viper Ultimate, it’s also priced at $129, so this is yet another device aimed for the wealthier gamer. Some might also find ovular design uncomfortable, particularly because the side cutaways go deep. Despite the uncomfort, the Photon still performed admirably under our testing and is still a solid choice for left-handed or ambidextrous gamers.
The Photon features four magnetic thumb buttons, two on either side. You can use all four, or you can prioritize a particular side, depending on whether you’re left- or right-handed. If you don’t want them, you can swap them out for plain plastic plates.
See our full HP Omen Photon review.
How to choose the best gaming mouse for you
Choosing the best gaming mouse comes down to preference and needs. Needs can depend on whether you’re a right or left-handed gamer. And preference can be whether or not you spend your time playing first-person shooters or you’re a MMO addict.
If you’re a right-handed gamer that loves first-person shooters, the Razer Basilisk Ultimate is a great option for you because it’s comfortable and offers an additional paddle for virtually any use. But, if you’re a left-handed MMO player, then the Razer Naga: Left-Handed Edition will suit you well, as you get an additional 12-button panel just to manage your rotations in games like World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.
Whether you’re a right or left handed player, you could benefit from the SteelSeries Sensei Ten, which is a modestly priced wired gaming mouse that has all of the flare and performance that comes with the SteelSeries name. This is a must for gamers who play esports titles.
How we test the best gaming mouse for you
Laptop tests gaming mice by running them through some of the most popular PC titles on the market today. We evaluate how well they perform, both in game and for everyday-productivity tasks. Whether you want something premium or cheap, wired or wireless, large or small, there’s a mouse out there that will suit your play style and budget.
We spend a few days with each gaming mouse and not only play a variety of video games with them but also use them casually to see how the mouse’s various features impact the day to day. We ensure that we test the mouse for what it’s designed specifically for, like FPS or MMO games. And we also use the mouse to play a variety of other genres to see if the mouse is good at only one type of game or if it’s suitable for more than what it’s marketed toward.
If it’s a wireless mouse, we pay close attention to the precision, accuracy and delay, if any, present in all gaming mice. However, more often than not, wireless gaming mice are as or more precise than wired mice because they’re loaded with expensive tech. There are also other things to consider like how efficient it glides, the number of buttons it has and if it’s comfortable or not. Most of those aspects are pretty subjective, so a mouse that works for us might not work for your needs, so keep that in mind.
