It's also worth mentioning that unlike choosing the best graphics card, there's no clear best gaming mouse on the market - but there are definitely better and worse options based on our extensive testing. While we have taken what critics and users think when making our selections, these are still just starting points to guide your own experimentation, rather than a definitive ranking. Don't worry if your favourite mouse didn't make the list - we probably considered it, but ultimately went with a different option.
To make things easier for you, we've got quick links to our ten different picks - and to our detailed guidance on choosing the perfect mouse to suit you, including how to measure your hand size, whether wireless is worthwhile and other common questions. Click through to the topic you're interested in below, or read on for the full article!
Best gaming mouse 2020
- Glorious Model O (Best gaming mouse overall)
- Roccat Kain 120 Aimo (Second-best gaming mouse overall)
- SteelSeries Rival 3 (Best budget gaming mouse)
- HyperX Pulsefire Dart (Best wireless gaming mouse)
- Logitech G Pro Wireless (Best premium gaming mouse)
- Logitech G502 / G502 Lightspeed (Most comfortable mouse)
- BenQ Zowie FK2 (Best gaming mouse for small hands)
- Razer DeathAdder V2 (Best gaming mouse for large hands)
- Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite (Best MMO mouse)
- Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse (Best office mouse for gaming)
1. Glorious Model O
Best gaming mouse overall
Glorious is a newcomer to the PC gaming space, but the team has captured the zeitgeist for ultra-light gaming mice on their first attempt. The Model O weighs in at just 68 grams thanks to its honeycomb design, yet this modern gaming mouse still feels solidly built and comfortable in the hand. In our testing, the light heft of the Model O makes it noticeably easier to flick onto a target in shooters like Counter-Strike - even when compared to a svelte mouse like the 80g Logitech G Pro Wireless or the 91g SteelSeries Rival 110.
The Model O's cable is also novel, with a super flexible paracord-like material used instead of a more usual rubber or braided cable. This makes the mouse almost feel wireless. There are surprisingly few sacrifices elsewhere too, with an industry standard PixArt 3360 optical sensor, a soft notched scroll wheel, clicky Omron buttons and RGB lighting. The software is also decent, with full access to the settings you need and little else to distract you. The Model O measures 128mm/5" long and 63mm/2.5" wide and uses a symmetric design (apart from the side buttons) so it should be suitable for almost all right and left-handed users.
Best of all, the Model O is affordably priced compared to other ultralight designs, at £50/$50 for the matte version and £5/$5 extra for a glossy design. That makes it easy to call the Model O the best gaming mouse we've ever tested.
Alternatives? Check out our roundup of the best ultra-light gaming mice for FPS!
2. Roccat Kain 120 Aimo
Second-best gaming mouse overall
Don't like lightweight mice, especially those ventilated with lots of holes? A nice alternative to our top choice is the 89 gram Kain 120 Aimo. This mouse is set apart by its smooth and comfortable shape, a top optical sensor (a modified PixArt 3389) and carefully calibrated components. The mouse buttons and scroll wheel are particular highlights, offering a satisfying click with little to no off-axis movement. That makes clicking feel tactile and predictable, and contributes to the general feeling of excellent build quality throughout.
This mouse measures 124x65mm, making it a good choice for medium to large hands, and can support any grip style. The Kain 120 looks good too, with a metal inlay and bright RGB lighting, the latter of which is controlled in the bulky but powerful Roccat Swarm software. The only downside we identified in our testing is the relatively stiff cable; it would be great to see Roccat choose a more flexible cable in its future mice as these offer a wireless feel when used with a mouse bungee. The smooth coating offered on the mouse is also potentially divisive, and those with clammier hands and in wetter climates may prefer the (less expensive) Kain 100 Aimo, which comes with textured side grips.
A wireless version, the Kain 200, is also available. It weighs 105g, thanks to the battery and wireless transmitter, and comes with a slightly lower-spec but more power-efficient sensor.
Roccat Kain 200 Aimo Wireless
$66.70$99.99
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Roccat Kain 122 Aimo
$44.99$69.99
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Roccat Kain 120 Aimo
$49.99$69.99
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Roccat Kain 202 Aimo Wireless
$64.99$99.99
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3. SteelSeries Rival 3
Best budget gaming mouse
The Rival 3 is a top-tier budget mouse for small to medium-sized hands. It has a surprisingly low weight of 77 grams, making it technically an ultra-light, and a good shape with matte plastic that's easy to manoeuvre in claw or fingertip grip styles. The sensor is a top optical, branded as the TrueMove Core, and seems very similar to the well-respected PixArt 3330. The Rival 3 also includes RGB lighting and six buttons, which is a great haul for a budget mouse.
Now for a few negatives: while this mouse is an ambidextrous shape, there are only side buttons on the left side, and these are quite slim. The mouse's cable is also subpar, being made of rubber and staying quite inflexible, making a mouse bungee a wise move. The mouse feet are also a bit worse than those found on more premium mice. However, both of these elements can be upgraded by the user, so they're wise cost savings that don't hurt this mouse's potential in any meaningful way.
All in all, the Rival 3 is a fantastic value gaming mouse and a much-needed replacement for the Rival 110.
4. HyperX Pulsefire Dart
Best wireless gaming mouse
While wireless gaming mice have historically lagged behind their wired counterparts - at times, literally - the gaming industry of 2020 appears to have cracked the secret of reliable, low-latency wireless mousing. Our new recommendation is for the HyperX Pulsefire Dart, a solid mouse equipped with the latest PixArt 3389 optical sensor, RGB lighting and a comfortable (if slightly heavy) ergonomic design. Battery life is strong as well, with the box promising 90 hours with no lighting and 50 hours with lighting enabled - and those numbers were borne out by our testing.
The Dart has one additional killer feature as well: it can charge from any Qi wireless charger, meaning the same charger that you use for your iPhone or Android phone can also be used to top up your mouse. These chargers are cheap as chips these days, and much more affordable than the small and super-expensive wireless charging mats from the likes of Logitech. You can even pick up a Qi charger from HyperX that charges two devices at once, which is great if your smartphone supports wireless charging but you don't currently use a wireless charger. Overall, this is a great choice if you don't need Bluetooth connectivity.
5. Logitech G Pro Wireless
Best premium gaming mouse
The G Pro Wireless is arguably the best gaming mouse on the market, save for its sky-high cost. Wireless gaming mice may put some people off, but from months of first-hand use and from looking at input latency tests, the G Pro Wireless is just as responsive and reliable as a wired mouse. It's also very light, tipping the scales at just 80 grams, yet it lasts for about 48 hours with the RGB lights on, and nearly double that with the lighting disabled. Its long battery life is thanks to a highly power-efficient optical sensor, which also performs extremely well in games. This accuracy - combined with the mouse's streamlined shape, low weight and lack of cable drag - make the G Pro Wireless an absolute pleasure to use, even in the most demanding titles like Rainbow Six: Siege, PUBG or Apex Legends. We recommend it to most gamers, given its medium size (125mm/4.9" long, 63.5mm/2.5" wide). Even if you have never considered wireless mice before, the G Pro Wireless is good enough to make an exception.
Logitech G Pro Wireless
$149.99
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6. Logitech G502 / G502 Lightspeed
Most comfortable gaming mouse
The Logitech G502 is a crowd favourite, thanks to its ergonomic shape, "infinite" scroll wheel and eleven programmable buttons. That makes the G502 Lightspeed, the recently released wireless version, an easy recommendation. The new G502 is every bit as reliable and responsive as its wired predecessor, thanks to Logitech's excellent Hero optical sensor and the eponymous Lightspeed wireless tech, and it even manages to be lighter than the original at 114 grams - although you can add 16g with extra weights if you prefer. This translates into a quick and comfortable mouse suited for both gaming and productivity. Battery life is good at 48 hours with lighting and 60 hours without, and you can get 2.5 hours of battery life in five minutes of charging. If you love the comfortable shape and excellent performance of the G502, the wireless version is definitely worth a try - even if it is twice the price of the wired G502 Hero.
Logitech G502 Hero
$47.99
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If you're on a budget, another great mouse with a similar shape and features is the Dream Machines DM5 Blink. This mouse sports a convenient trigger button that rests underneath the thumb which can be used to reduce your mouse's sensitivity temporarily (e.g. when sniping in an FPS) or bound to any other function (like a melee attack or grenade throw). Two further thumb buttons are also provided. Elsewhere, the DM5 is well-equipped, with a flexible "shoelace" cable that feels almost wireless in a bungee, a medium weight of 95 grams and a top optical sensor, the PixArt 3389.
Dream Machines DM5 Blink
$32.99
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7. BenQ Zowie FK2
Best gaming mouse for small hands (and ambidextrous!)
The Zowie FK2 is an ideal mouse to choose if you have small to medium-sized hands, thanks to its low profile design, diminutive dimensions of 124mm by 58mm and low weight of 84 grams. The side buttons appear on the both sides, making this mouse truly ambidextrous as well. The PixArt 3310 optical sensor has been superceded by newer options, but remains a favourite thanks to its accurate 1:1 tracking. In games like StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, we found it responsive and comfortable regardless of the circumstances. If you prefer a simple design, without lighting, software or extra features, the FK2 is a strong choice.
BenQ Zowie FK2
$59.99
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8. Razer DeathAdder V2
Best gaming mouse for large hands
The Razer DeathAdder V2 is an excellent update to one of the most popular gaming mice on the market. Learning lessons from the trend towards ultra-light mice, the DeathAdder V2 is lighter than its predecessor and uses the same super-flexible cable that debuted on the lightweight Razer Viper. It also incorporates optical switches under each button, a tech first scene in high-end mechanical keyboards, to eliminate the debounce delay normally needed to prevent accidental double clicks and thereby ensure incredible responsiveness. All of these improvements add up, and we're left with an exceptionally strong choice for anyone with medium to large hands.
Razer DeathAdder V2
$69.99
Buy Now
9. Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite
Best MMO mouse
If you like to play games that require lots of different keys for your spells and abilities, choosing a mouse with plenty of side buttons can a nice way to keep up. The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is our pick for the best MMO mouse, thanks to the twelve buttons arranged in a grid on its side panel. Varying textures make it easy to identify each button in tense situations, and the entire grid can be moved forward or back to suit your hand size.
The mouse is about the same length (120mm) but wider (78mm/2.9") and heavier (122g) than the other mice on this list, which aids comfort but doesn't allow for as precise mouse movements. Still, a top-notch PixArt 3391 optical sensor and nice clicky buttons make this well-suited for most game genres. Corsair's software is also extremely powerful, giving you the tools you need to set up each button with the right macros.
Overall, we think the Scimitar RGB Elite is the best option for MMO gamers, just squeezing out our previous pick, the Razer Naga Trinity. This mouse's replaceable side panels make it better for FPS gaming, but we prefer Corsair's software and button layout.
10. Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse
Best office mouse for gaming
This category is all about gaming mice that don't look the part; professional rodents that won't attract awkward questions in the office but still have it where it counts. The Pro IntelliMouse is a perfect example, combining the legendary IntelliMouse shape with a bleeding-edge PixArt 3389 optical sensor (instead of the lacklustre BlueTrack sensor on the Classic IntelliMouse we reviewed last year). If you want a single mouse for all occasions and have medium to large mittens, this is a fine choice.
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