1. Razer DeathAdder Elite
It’s not the most customizable mouse out there and it might not have the most buttons, but Razer’s DeathAdder Elite is one of the most revered gaming mice for a reason. Used by professional gamers on various teams and across numerous games, this mouse has everything you need to take your gaming to the next level. Razer basically identified the most important characteristic of any solid gaming mouse – form factor, precision, durability, and on-the-fly settings – and made sure they released a mouse that demonstrated the very best of all four.
Branded as “the world’s most advanced optical sensor,” the DeathAdder Elite boasts a 16,000 max DPI setting along with 99.4% resolution accuracy. ThatDPI isn’t static, of course, and you have quick-switch DPI buttons ready and waiting. Physically, the mouse utilizes Razer’s proprietary mechanical mouse switches (rated to last for 50 million clicks), a fantastically tactile scroll wheel, and all-around perfect weighting and form.
You’ll often hear gaming peripheral snobs put Razer down for being overpriced or for coasting on their brand name – neither applies to this stellar gaming mouse. If you’re looking for a high performing mouse that will get you through any game out there, look no further than the DeathAdder Elite.
2. Redragon M901 Perdition
We’re a fan of Redragon gear here at Armchair Empire, and the M901 PERDITION is no exception. Besides the awesome name, this bad boy clocks in with a maximum of 16400 DPI, 5 different DPI settings (1000 / 2000 / 4000 / 8200 / 16400), an Avago sensor, and Omron micro switches – it’s a total beast under the hood.
You then have buttons for on-the-fly DPI switching along with 18 programmable buttons to choose from, 5 button profiles that you can save specific configurations too, and 16 million color options to pick from for the LED lighting.
Performance-wise, we couldn’t be happier with this slick little mouse. There’s no packaging fanfare and the mouse may look slightly cheaper than a comparable Razer model at first glance, but those thoughts will vanish as soon as you get your hands on it. The entire thing is perfectly-weighted right out of the box (although it does come with additional tuning weights!), well-made, and incredibly ergonomic. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but I honestly felt like the mouse was custom-made for my hand. I will say that people with smaller hands should be a bit wary, though – it’s not the smallest mouse in the world.
Overall, it’s rare to see such a great intersection of functionality and form factor at this affordable price point.
3. Logitech G602
Looking for a professional-grade wireless gaming mouse? The Logitech G602 does it better than any other wireless model we’ve tried out. The number one issue that most gamers have with wireless mice is probably battery life. No matter how much forethought you have, you will end up forgetting to charge your mouse and losing power in the middle of an important battle. Logitech knows this because they ship the G602 with an advertised 250 hours of battery life. That’s 300-400 League games, to put it in perspective.
Logitech backs that stellar battery life up with all the other trappings of a true gaming mouse. It has 11 programmable buttons, on-the-fly DPI adjustment (ranging from 250 – 2500 DPI), and its hardware is rated up to 20 million clicks. Connectivity wasn’t an issue for us – it’s always best to keep the mouse as close to its receiver as possible, but the performance was on par with any other top-tier wireless mouse out there.
4. Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum
From its catchy name to its sleek, dark design, Logitech’s Proteus Spectrum screams “gaming mouse” from the get-go. The G502 isn’t the cheapest option you’ll find, but the thought and care that Logitech so clearly put into this mouse more than justify the cost.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something I liked about this mouse while testing it out. It does offer buttons galore, but Logitech did a fantastic job placing them appropriately. I found myself taking advantage of every last button within 30 minutes of using the G502, due to the intuitive layout. Another thing I enjoyed is the scroll wheel – you can hit a button that causes the scroll wheel to spin freely, allowing you to flick it with ease for uber-fast scrolling (or just to play around with).
All the usual bells and whistles are in place as well: 5 DPI settings ranging from 200 – 12,000 along with on-the-fly switching capabilities, 11 programmable buttons, 16.8 million RGB color options, and adjustable weight + balance, to name a few.
As a quick note, this mouse fits very comfortably in my rather large hands – if you have smaller hands, I’d see if you can test it out in person before buying.
5. Corsair Gaming M65 Pro
A gaming peripherals list isn’t complete without a Corsair product on it, so we’re happy to recommend the M65 Pro from Corsair. Built with Aircraft-grade aluminum, this mouse may be the most durable on our top 5 list – we wouldn’t expect anything less from Corsair, as they put a lot of emphasis on build quality throughout their products.
The mouse does feature 8 additional buttons throughout, but Corsair also managed to keep the mouse looking stylish and smooth. The design is rather unique among gaming mice and conveys a sense of top-notch quality.
We do want to highlight the “surface calibration tuning utility” feature – this is one of those cool little additions that leave you thinking “why don’t all manufacturers do that?” Between said utility and the best-in-class Pixart 3360 optical sensor, the M65 tracks like a dream. You won’t run into any jitters, floatiness, or inaccurate movement with this beauty.
Lastly, the M65 checks all other necessary “gaming mouse” boxes: it features a max DPI of 12,000, allows on-the-fly DPI switching via a “sniper button” by your thumb, it’s built with high-capacity Omron switches (rated for 20 million clicks), and it comes with configurable weights and fully customizable RGB lighting.
Through and through, another stellar product by Corsair.
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