My mouse is definitely on its last legs and I’ve started watching for sales to pick up a new one. My main question is not which mouse to get, but wired or wireless?
I like the concept of wireless, but it spooks me out because I assume there will be latency or consistency issues. So I’m wondering how other people’s experience with them have been? Had any problems or a flawless experience, and if so what mouse and when?
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I’ve had various wireless mice for years, and never really had problems with latency or connections. My biggest concern is always battery life. I’ve had various Logitech wireless mice that run off a single AA and last for years, as well as “higher end” razer mice with rechargeable batteries that I put on the charger every night (but still last ~14 hours on a charge no problem). Really it comes down to the same things buying mice always do: does it fit your grip style? Does the weight work for you? Does it have the right number of extra buttons for you? Just add the extra consideration of battery life.
That’s re-assuring. I’m tempted to take the plunge and see what I think.
I’d say go for it! And you don’t need to break the bank at all. Best Buy usually has good Logitech options for under $75 or so, and typically have a few set out so you can see how they feel. If you’re in the market for gaming, they also usually have a few set out.
My recent Logitech MX Vertical lasts at least eight weeks before needing to recharge. Unfortunately the relatively low refresh rate is noticeable in first person games when above ~80fps. I don’t notice anything during desktop use (144Hz) though.
I have a wireless mouse from work that I use occasionally with zero complains (I think a Logitech G502), but as a trackball enthusiast I’d be remiss not to ask if you’ve considered one.
When set up properly, a trackball is the more ergonomic option, and for me more satisfying and accurate to use. All the disadvantages of a wired mouse disappear with a wired trackball (well, aside from the visible cable).
I have a CST L-Trac with some custom mods and it’s one of my favorite peripherals that I own, aside from my two self-built ergonomic mechanical keyboards.
EDIT: Just noticed that you need it for gaming and I’ll concede that for that it’s harder to justify as there is a learning curve when using for e.g. FPSes. But I’ll leave my comment up, perhaps it will plant some seeds in other minds 😉
Most mice use 2.4 GHz dongles. There’s no input lag at all.
I have the Glorious Model I 2, which is super lightweight. It also came with a very light cable that I hardly notice while charging.
It also has a blutooth mode that I set up to pair with my laptop without a dongle. That mode does have a slight input delay, probably about 20 ms.
tl; dr: Wireless with dongle has no input lag. Bluetooth has input lag.
Wireless is always more expensive.
I was just thinking how I love my Logitech anywhere 3S. I have several devices, and this thing pairs up to three separate ones with no issues. Connection is immediate and it never fails to connect. It has no meaningful lag, and the battery lasts me so long I don’t remember how many months ago I charged it.
It’s nothing too fancy, but it really accomplishes its tasks well.
Wireless connectivity between mouse and computer is largely a solved issue. There may be some minute latency with low tier mice but not noticeable most of the time. Battery life is generally quite long nowadays but having a mouse die during something important or having to deal with Apple putting the charging port on the bottom of the mouse (so you can’t use it while it charges) and I’ll personally take a crappier wired mouse over a technically better wireless any day.
I have been using Logitech G305 for almost 6 years now. It has been basically perfect the entire time. Zero latency or connectivity issues.
Once you experience wireless you will never wanna go back to wired
I have some basic logitech one (~100€), there’s no latency and the battery lasts well over 2 weeks with 2h for a full charge
My son is a serious online gamer, and loves his ultralight, wired mouse. Maybe if you’re that serious, it’s worth it.
I’ve never had a problem with wireless. I’m playing Cyberpunk 2077 right now, and my Logitech m720 is flawless. I’ve had a series of Logi mice, and if this gets discontinued I’ll buy a dozen to get me into my 90s.
The technology is entirely mature now. I’m not really convinced that even hardcore gamers can honestly tell the difference.
I like my glorious o2 mouse. It’s wireless, charges off USB-C, and can be plugged into the computer and used while off (while also charging.) It’s charge lasts for a bit more than a week, and I can’t tell a difference with latency.
Not a fan of wireless mice. Sure, the desk looks cleaner but you have to worry about batteries and the danger of losing the dongle. If you don’t need to travel with your stuff, a wired mouse is preferable.
It’s actually so I can make my desk messier lol. There’s about a square foot I can’t use because placing anything in it obstructs the cable and makes mouse movement difficult.
I used to feel that way about wireless earbuds–I’m gonna lose them. So I started with cheap ones, and trained myself to a) always carry the case and b) always put the bud back in the case directly. I went from a cheap pair to an expensive pair and haven’t ever lost an ear bud.
In the case of dongles, most every dongle mouse has a protected cubby to put the dongle into, so if you can hold to a rule to always put the dongle in the mouse when you take it out of the computer, you’ll be fine.
That said, I have a jar of mystery dongles in my desk.
I go the other direction. I HATE having a cord tethering my mouse, getting caught and moving after I take my hand off.
Batteries aren’t a problem. I get two days warning before the AA on my mouse actually dies.
But when I travel, I take a wired mouse.
I love my Logitech g502 wireless but I had to get an usb extension to have the wireless receiver closer to the mouse
No issues with that. I’ve got a mouse that can either connect with a USB dongle or directly to BT. Works like a charm. Flawless, fast, no latency I’d have noticed.
Only downside: Have a fresh battery at hand. I’ve got a pack of two in my laptop bag. It lasts for ages (many months), but when it fails, it fails. And due to Murphy, it always fails at the most inconvenient moment…
I like my Zowie mouse. They don’t require a bloated software/driver app to bog down your computer.
Logitech G602 is big and heavy so I don’t get hand cramps using it. Mine died but I really liked it.
