Gaming Mouse Buying Guide: What Really Matters – With Example Models

There's no such thing as “the best gaming mouse” – only the mouse that fits your hand, your grip and your games. In this buying guide, you'll learn which features really matter and which spec-sheet numbers you can safely ignore. At the end, you'll find four well-known models, sorted by use case.

Transparency: We haven't tested these mice ourselves. The specs come from the manufacturers (as of September 2026). We deliberately don't list prices because they change all the time – you'll see the current price directly on Amazon.de.

The key criteria at a glance

1. Shape and grip

Shape is the most important factor, because you feel it with every movement. Broadly, there are two types:

• Ergonomic mice are shaped for one hand (usually the right) and support your hand from the side.
• Symmetrical mice are shaped the same on both sides. Many of them still only have side buttons on the left – keep that in mind if you're left-handed.

Then there's your grip: with a palm grip, your whole hand rests on the mouse; with a claw grip, your fingers are arched and only your palm and fingertips touch the mouse; with a fingertip grip, you move the mouse with just your fingertips. Palm grip tends to suit larger mice with a high back, fingertip grip smaller and lighter ones. If you're not sure: measure your hand (base of the palm to the tip of your middle finger) and compare it with the dimensions the manufacturers list.

2. Weight

Light mice are quicker to move and to stop. That especially helps in shooters like Valorant or CS2, where you often make big movements at low sensitivity. Some players feel more in control with heavier mice. There's no right or wrong here. For reference: according to the manufacturers, the two lightest example models further down weigh 59 and 60 g, the two heaviest 89 and 99 g.

3. Wired or wireless

Modern wireless mice with their own USB receiver are common in esports too. Logitech, for example, quotes a response time of 1 ms for its LIGHTSPEED technology. These days, the differences are more about everyday use:

• Wireless: no cable drag, but you have to charge it or swap batteries.
• Wired: never a dead battery, no receiver needed. A flexible cable or a mouse bungee reduces cable drag.

4. Sensor and DPI

DPI (also called CPI) tells you how far the cursor moves per inch of mouse movement. Maximum values of 25,000 DPI and more are mostly a marketing number – in-game, most players use much lower settings. What matters more is that the sensor tracks cleanly, without acceleration, smoothing or filtering. Logitech, for example, explicitly states this for its HERO sensors.

5. Polling rate

The polling rate tells you how often per second the mouse reports its position to the PC. 1000 Hz is standard, and some mice can do 4000 or 8000 Hz. Higher rates can make input feel a tiny bit more direct, but they also put more load on the CPU. Razer, for example, ships the DeathAdder V3 at 1000 Hz by default, and 8000 Hz can be selected in software. For most players, 1000 Hz is plenty.

6. Buttons and software

For shooters, the two main buttons, the scroll wheel and two thumb buttons are enough. In MMOs or MOBAs, extra buttons can come in handy, for example for items or macros. Also look for onboard memory: that way your DPI and button settings stay saved on the mouse, even on a different PC.

Which mouse suits which game?

• Tactical shooters (Valorant, CS2): light, reliable sensor, a shape that fits your grip. You'll hardly need extra buttons. We explain how Valorant's ranked system works in Valorant Ranks Explained.
• MOBAs (League of Legends): Weight plays a smaller role because you're mostly clicking rather than aiming. Comfort over long sessions and easy-to-reach extra buttons matter more. Everything about the ranks is in LoL Ranks Explained.
• MMOs and all-round use: lots of programmable buttons, a good scroll wheel and a comfortable shape.

Four example models by use case

The following mice are well-known models from major manufacturers that differ clearly in key features. They're not test winners, just examples of each category.

99 g

Example model

Wireless on a budget: Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED

The G305 is a wireless mouse that runs on an AA battery instead of a rechargeable one.

Connection

wireless (LIGHTSPEED, USB receiver)

Sensor

HERO, 200–12,000 DPI

Weight

99 g

Buttons

6 programmable buttons

Battery life

up to 250 hours (1 AA battery)

Good fit if you want to play wireless without thinking about charging and don't mind a bit more weight.

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60 g

Example model

Light and wireless for shooters: Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2

A light, symmetrical wireless mouse with a rechargeable battery, built for shooters.

Connection

wireless (LIGHTSPEED), USB-C charging

Sensor

HERO 2, up to 44,000 DPI

Polling rate

up to 8 kHz

Weight

60 g

Buttons

5

Battery life

up to 95 hours

Good fit if you mainly play shooters, like a symmetrical shape and don't need many buttons.

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59 g

Example model

Light and ergonomic, wired: Razer DeathAdder V3

The wired version of the DeathAdder V3 is an ergonomic right-handed mouse with a very low weight.

Connection

wired (Razer Speedflex cable)

Sensor

Razer Focus Pro, up to 30,000 DPI

Polling rate

up to 8000 Hz (default: 1000 Hz)

Weight

59 g

Buttons

6 programmable buttons

Switches

optical (3rd gen), rated for 90 million clicks

Good fit if you're right-handed, prefer an ergonomic shape and can do without a battery and wireless.

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89 g

Example model

Lots of buttons for MMOs and all-round use: Logitech G502 X (wired)

The G502 X is all about controls, with a scroll wheel that switches between free-spin and ratcheted mode.

Connection

wired

Sensor

HERO 25K, 100–25,600 DPI

Weight

89 g

Controls

13 programmable

Scroll wheel

switchable (free-spin/ratcheted), tilts left and right

Good fit if you want lots of buttons for macros, items or abilities and can live with the extra weight.

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The models compared

Model	Connection	Weight	Buttons	Max DPI
Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED	wireless	99 g	6	12,000
Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2	wireless	60 g	5	44,000
Razer DeathAdder V3	wired	59 g	6	30,000
Logitech G502 X	wired	89 g	13	25,600

All values according to the manufacturers. You'll find the mice's dimensions on the manufacturers' product pages – compare them with your hand size.

Checklist before you buy

1. Which grip do you use, and how big is your hand?
2. Right-handed or left-handed – and where are the side buttons?
3. Wired or wireless? If wireless: rechargeable or battery?
4. How many buttons do you really need?
5. Is there onboard memory for your settings?

FAQ

How much DPI does a gaming mouse need?

Less than the spec sheets suggest. What matters is your overall sensitivity from DPI and in-game sensitivity, not the sensor's maximum value.

Is a wireless mouse too slow for gaming?

Gaming wireless mice with their own USB receiver are built exactly for this – Logitech, for example, quotes a 1 ms response time for LIGHTSPEED. If your mouse also offers Bluetooth, still connect it through the included receiver for gaming.

Do I need 8000 Hz?

No. 1000 Hz is the standard and plenty for most players. Higher polling rates put more load on the CPU.