Are gaming mice worth it? This a question every new PC gamer has asked themselves, and in short, the true answer is it’s fully up to you to decide that. I know, not the answer you wanted to hear, but in reality that’s the truth. We here over at GameScoutr do think gaming mice are worth it and we will give you our reasons why.
Grip Style
While most high-quality gaming mice might be a bit more expensive than just a basic mouse it truly is a good investment if you plan on gaming quite a bit. First off gaming mice are made to be comfortable. With three major “grip styles” you will need to figure out what works best for you, but with that being said there are gaming mice made for just those grips. What that means is you have a better opportunity to find a mouse that truly fits you. Those grip styles are Palm, Claw, and Fingertip.
Palm Grip
We will start with the Palm Grip. The most relaxed grip style is the palm grip, with your entire hand resting on the mouse it’s not hard to see how the palm grip got its name. With more of the movement coming from your arm rather than your wrist, the palm grip gives good control over long gliding movements. While relaxed you do lose some precision with your movements and the grip can cause your arm to fatigue. A mouse with a higher profile to more easily rest your hand is recommended for this grip, the Corsair Nightsword RGB is a good option!
Claw Grip
Next, we have the Claw Grip. A more straining grip but one that allows for quicker finger reactions. The claw grip will have you rest your palm on your mouse like the palm grip before, but rather than your whole hand resting on the mouse your index and middle finger will be pulled up much like a spider will pull up its front legs. The aim of the grip is to give quick movements with good stability and the ability to react in a split second.
Like I said before however, you may feel your hand start to cramp more easily than other grips. A more medium profile is advised for the claw grip and we think Cooler Master MM720 is a great gaming mouse on the cheaper end that is made for the Claw Grip.
Fingertip Grip
Finally, we have the Fingertip Grip. A grip made for speed, speed, and more speed. With nothing but your fingertips holding onto the mouse, your movements can be super quick while your clicking reactions are still able to be lightning quick as well. The Fingertip Grip is probably the hardest to get used to but when used correctly can be amazing. You will likely lose some stability when first trying the Fingertip Grip but if you can master it you’ll be set. The Razer DeathAdder V2 is a great lightweight mouse perfect for any Fingertip Grip user.
Functionality
Functionality can mean a lot of things but in this case, we are talking about the ability to control DPI, buttons to help gameplay, and adjustable weights. Not only that but gaming mice are made to be more durable. This is often why they are a bit more expensive but if you’re going to be playing a lot you’ll want a mouse that can take the punishment.
DPI
DPI stands for dots per linear inch, essentially the higher the DPI the more sensitive the mouse. Getting used to higher DPI can take some time as your movements will need to become more precise, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to aim way better than you ever could before. Many gaming mice give you the ability to choose from a set of DPI allowing you to set it as you like. There are plenty of great gaming mice with multiple DPI settings but we really like the ROCCAT Kone Pro Air with adjustable DPI up to 19k!
Buttons
Buttons truly only matter for some gamers. Depending on what games you play buttons may serve you no purpose whatsoever. However, if you’re a fan of MMO’s buttons can offer a massive advantage to your gameplay. With so many abilities and skills often offered it’s hard to find keybinds that work for you. Buttons give you the ability to cast abilities just from your mouse! The number of buttons can vary greatly from mouse to mouse but the Redragon M913 Impact Elite is a great option with 16 programmable buttons to choose from.
Adjustable Weights
This is one you may not have thought of all that much, with that being said that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. Buying a gaming mouse is all about finding one that feels good to you, and whether it’s grip, weight, or how it just feels in your hand a small difference can mean the world to some gamers. We like the ability to be able to change how much our gaming mice weigh as it just gives us that much more power to make them perfect for us. The Corsair M65 RGB Elite is a unique mouse that gives you plenty of options for customizability.
Lighting and Colors
This one is pretty self-explanatory, who doesn’t love more customization? Gaming Mice are often very interesting looking but there are plenty that have changeable LED lights in them so you can change them to match your mood. While this may not be super important to some a ton of people like to decorate their PC gaming setup in a theme and having the ability to change the colors just makes that even easier.
Wired/Wireless
Finally is the topic of wired/wireless mice. In the past, there was quite a big difference between the two, latency was a big issue and a large factor in what you would want to buy. Nowadays latency problems aren’t really that noticeable as long as you have a good-quality wireless mouse. While wired mice still offer more stability the fact that professional gamers will use wireless mice proves that it’s truly up to you.
So Are Gaming Mice Worth It In 2023?
At the end of the day, only you can answer the question are gaming mice worth it in 2023? But we hope we might have been able to give you a look at what we think makes them worth it. Finding the mouse that fits you will make all the difference and we wish you luck to find your perfect match! For plenty of other tips on Gaming Hardware be sure to check out some of our other articles on the matter.