{"id":22313,"date":"2025-12-23T06:14:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T22:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=22313"},"modified":"2025-12-23T06:14:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T22:14:50","slug":"i-tested-15-gaming-mice-this-year-these-3-stand-out-for-different-reasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=22313","title":{"rendered":"I Tested 15 Gaming Mice This Year \u2013 These 3 Stand Out, for Different Reasons"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">I&#8217;ve had the privilege of becoming IGN&#8217;s &#8220;mice guy&#8221; in 2025, and since then I&#8217;ve amassed enough delivery boxes to build a small castle, covered my desk in dongles, and, most importantly, clicked <u>new gaming mice<\/u> tens of thousands of times.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">I&#8217;ve tested 15 mice this year (<u>you can read my existing reviews<\/u>, with plenty more to come in 2026). I haven&#8217;t scored them all but after sizing each of them up, three stand out, each satisfying very different tastes. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">While they&#8217;re not necessarily the three highest-scoring, they&#8217;re the trio that comes to mind whenever a friend asks me to recommend one.<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\"><strong>Corsair Sabre V2 Pro: The Light One<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" data-cy=\"article-slideshow\"><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\">\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Corsair Sabre V2 Pro &#8211; Photos<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" decoding=\"async\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"mask:url(https:\/\/kraken.ignimgs.com\/_next\/static\/media\/RightChevron.272be43c.svg) no-repeat center center \/ contain;background:currentColor\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/output><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">When I held this mouse for the first time, I cackled like a small child on a trampoline. It is almost laughably light at 36g. I put more coffee in my French press each morning. That weightlessness is not just a gimmick \u2013 as <u>I wrote in my review<\/u>, it feels like an extension of my arm and zips across my mousepad. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Most mice badged lightweight, including our <u>picks for the best lightweight mice<\/u>, are between 50g and 65g. For example, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini is my favorite compact mouse and is hardly heavy at just 59g. But when I swap it in for the Sabre V2 Pro it feels like a brick in my hand. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Sabre V2 Pro is light to a fault. I have no idea how much Bluetooth modules weigh but I&#8217;m assuming Corsair omitted it to keep the mouse as light as possible. That decision, combined with a substantial corded dongle, makes it difficult to travel with \u2013 a shame because a mouse this light should surely be portable. The side buttons feel cheap, with one disappearing almost entirely inside the shell of the mouse when you press it, and while that shell is mostly sturdy, I found a spot on the top where it caved like play-dough when I pushed.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">But I forget all those problems the moment it&#8217;s back on my mousepad and I&#8217;m whipping it side-to-side, grinning between headshots. It has brought me more joy than any other mouse I&#8217;ve tested and if weight is your top priority, then you&#8217;ll love it too.  <\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\"><strong>SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wired: The Budget One<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" data-cy=\"article-slideshow\"><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\">\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 \u2013 Photos<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" decoding=\"async\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"mask:url(https:\/\/kraken.ignimgs.com\/_next\/static\/media\/RightChevron.272be43c.svg) no-repeat center center \/ contain;background:currentColor\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/output><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As I hunt for the best gaming mouse, my testing skews expensive: High-end mice cost $100 or more. This month, however, I finally tried the Steelseries Rival 3 Gen 2, an <u>older mouse<\/u> that you can often buy for less than $30\/\u00a330. It reminded me that a good gaming mouse needn&#8217;t upset your monthly budget, and that a lot of the flashy numbers attached to expensive mice are marketing guff.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">On paper it lags behind. Its polling rate \u2013 the number of times it reports its position to your computer \u2013 is capped at 1,000Hz, where many modern mice reach 4,000 or 8,000Hz. Its maximum dots per inch (DPI), a measure of sensitivity, is either 8.5K or 18K, depending on whether you go wired or wireless. Again, that&#8217;s far behind the competition. So are its maximum tracking speed and its click latency, the lag between your physical press and it registering on your PC.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">In practice, I <em>barely<\/em> feel a difference. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Take the polling rate. My 240Hz refresh rate screen and solid PC specs are good enough for me to clock a difference as I push high-end mice up to 2,000Hz and 4,000Hz (hand on heart, I cannot feel any difference with 8,000Hz). But those changes are so small that sometimes I worry I&#8217;m imagining them. Slender benefits are worth less, in my eyes, than the price drop to the Rival 3 Gen 2 mouse. It is simply excellent value.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The <u>wireless version<\/u> is solid but weighs more than 100g, which is too hefty for me to recommend wholeheartedly. The wired version is a more reasonable 77g, and cheaper too. It is one mouse I&#8217;d recommend without hesitation to anyone on a budget.<\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\"><strong>Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro: The Michelin-Starred One<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><output class=\"box-wrapper jsx-2673806401\" data-cy=\"article-slideshow\"><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\">\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Razer Deathadder V4 Pro &#8211; Photos<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" decoding=\"async\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"\/><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"mask:url(https:\/\/kraken.ignimgs.com\/_next\/static\/media\/RightChevron.272be43c.svg) no-repeat center center \/ contain;background:currentColor\"\/><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/output><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\"><strong\/><\/h2>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">One mouse to rule them all. I reviewed the Razer DeathAdder V2 in 2020 and used it for years afterwards, so I expected good things from the V4 Pro. The $170\/\u00a3170 price only raised my expectations. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Somehow, I was still blown away. This is a near-perfect gaming mouse and the <u>best I&#8217;ve ever tested<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">It&#8217;s not really down to its impressive specs sheet \u2013 although that certainly helps. Alongside 8,000Hz polling rate, you get 45,000 DPI and 900 inches per second of tracking. Those numbers are mostly meaningless but they are industry-leading, and I like having the reassurance that no matter how far computing tech advances in the next five years, my mouse will never be the limiting factor.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">It&#8217;s everything around those specs that I love. Its weighty, spherical, embossed dongle houses three LEDs that tell me everything I need to know about my mouse at a glance. Its perfectly weighted left and right clicks, crisp and bouncy, and its taught, tactile scroll wheel. Its sturdy shell and grippy coating. Its mammoth battery, which lasts 150 hours at 1,000Hz polling rate.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">If I&#8217;m being hypercritical \u2013 and I think you should be for a mouse costing this much money \u2013 then it&#8217;d be nice if Bluetooth were an option, if the DPI button was on the top of the mouse rather than the bottom, and if Razer&#8217;s Synapse software was less bloated.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">But those are mere gripes. It is the ultimate gaming mouse and if money was no object, this is the one you should get. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/i-tested-15-gaming-mice-this-year-these-3-stand-out-for-very-different-reasons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve had the privilege of becoming IGN&#8217;s &#8220;mice guy&#8221; in 2025, and since then I&#8217;ve amassed enough delivery boxes to build a small castle, covered&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[705,13943,411,658,996,791],"class_list":["post-22313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-gadgets-reviews","tag-gaming","tag-mice","tag-reasons","tag-stand","tag-tested","tag-year","wpcat-32-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}