7 Best Gaming mice 2015/2016

Whether you're blowing chunks out of opponents or demolishing those TPS reports, it's essential that you have the right mouse under your hand. Gaming mice in particular have a seemingly endless variety of options to choose between, all offering different benefits. Here are some tips on choosing the right one for you. These 7 mice - all available in the UK 2015/2016 - are ideal for gaming PCs as well as these 12 gaming laptops.

A lot of it comes down to personal choice - how it feels in your hand, and whether you find the positioning of the buttons comfortable. Incidentally, lefties should take note; these are all exclusively right-handed mice, and the Razer DeathAdder is the only model with a southpaw alternative, so you might want to consider that before splashing out. (There's also the Razer Taipan, too, but at £70 it was too pricey for inclusion here.)

However, aside from sheer ergonomics, there are other factors to consider. Many mice offer adjustable on-the-fly DPI settings, allowing you to change your mouse's sensitivity at the touch of a button. This is for when you need extra-fine control, such as when going for that sniper headshot.

Only three buttons on your current mouse? Most gaming mice come with anywhere from five to ten programmable buttons (which you can assign to specific functions such as sprinting, crouching or reloading), while an MMO-style mouse might cram 20 or more onto its chassis. These can give you a leg up on the competition, when used correctly.

Many also offer various backlighting options to make them more attractive to look at. Occasionally a mouse comes with removable weights, allowing you to make the mouse heavier or lighter until you’ve found your “perfect” weight.

Wired mice vs wireless is another consideration you might have, but our view is that wired is best. The breadth of choice is much bigger if you opt for a wire, and you don't have to faff around with replacing batteries. Some gamers also say they can notice a lag with some wireless mice.

Whatever you're after, whether you're a twitch-gaming fanatic looking for the perfect precision headshots or a MOBA gamer trying to maximise your DPS, there's a mouse that'll suit your needs, and after using one, you'll never go back.

Coolermaster CM Storm Alcor

The Cooler Master CM Storm Alcor is, to all intents and purposes, identical to the Razer DeathAdder. The design is the same (bar the tiniest of differences to the left and right button shape), and the two side buttons are in exactly the same place.

However, there are some fairly key differences. Firstly, the Alcor is available for under £30 which is great value. Furthermore, it has on-the-fly DPI switching up to 4000 DPI, a feature crucially missing from the Razer Deathadder.

The DPI settings come in four levels, with the CM Storm logo on the palm section changing colour to indicate the current state. We could argue that it would be better placed in a more visible location, but this is a quibble at best.

Admittedly, we couldn’t find any support software for customizing DPI levels or macros, something every other mouse we tested was able to provide. The quality is also a little disappointing – it’s solid enough, but doesn’t feel particularly different to a bog-standard desktop mouse. The semi-gloss finish also had a tendency to get a little sweaty during extended sessions, which didn’t happen with any of the others.

The lack of flashy presentation might turn some of the more hardcore gamers off from the Alcor and the lack of macro and remapping options could prove too restrictive, but at such a ridiculously low price it’s the perfect choice for those taking their first steps into PC gaming.

SteelSeries Rival

For a price of around £53, the SteelSeries Rival is a contender for the best gaming mouse on a budget. Why? Even though when compared to other gaming mice, the Rival looks a bit ‘basic’, it’s far from it under the hood. It features an advanced PMW3310 optical sensor that is said to offer zero hardware acceleration and true 1:1 tracking, enabling precise movement – and you can tell the difference instantly. Even at higher sensitivities, the SteelSeries Rival is extremely accurate and has enabled us to react quicker than we’ve been able to in the past.

Its adjustable CPI is amazing, and offers adjustments from 50 to 6500, enabling gamers to find the perfect cursor sensitivity for their style of gaming. The best part is that you don’t have to settle on one setting – there’s a button directly beneath the scroll wheel that allows you to switch between various CPI profiles for different situations. SteelSeries Engine 3 enables gamers to access various Rival customisation settings, including programmable buttons, polling rate, angle snapping and acceleration and deceleration speed.  

With this being said, the Rival does skimp on programmable buttons with only six buttons and a scroll wheel (and that’s including the left and right click buttons!). However, it’s a mouse that we keep coming back to for more – its understated, comfortable to use and doesn’t scream ‘GAMING MOUSE’ so it doesn’t look out of place being used at work.

The internals are only part of the package when it comes to the Rival, as design is just as important for a great gaming mouse. The Rival features an ergonomic design that’s comfortable to use for hours on end (speaking from first hand experience!) that’s reminiscent of ‘iconic gaming mice of the past’ according to SteelSeries. It features a matte finish, but still manages to feel smooth to the touch and the anti-sweat coating helps to maintain contact when the pressure is on. The rubber grips aren’t stuck onto the Rival either – they’re directly injected for better control and grip.

If that’s not enough for you, the SteelSeries Stratus offers a customisable LED-lit logo with 16.8 million (according to SteelSeries, we didn’t count!) colours to choose from. Although this last feature won’t apply to the masses, it’s fun for those that can – the Rival logo can be removed from the mouse and be replaced with a 3D printed personalised nameplate, with the digital model available to download from the SteelSeries website. A nice touch for a highly customisable gaming mouse.

The SteelSeries Rival is a solid gaming mouse for a decent price, but the lack of programmable buttons may be too much to ignore for some gamers. If you’re on the market for a comfortable, precise and understated mouse, the Rival is a solid option.

Corsair M65 RGB

The Corsair M65 RGB mouse is, appropriately enough, a sleek, dangerous-looking thing of beauty, a mix of contours and sharp angles. The matte surface is non-slip for fast, precise movements, it has a braided cable, and it feels pleasantly solid. It’s also part of Corsair’s RGB range, meaning it has three separate lighting sections that can be customized with 16.8 million colours in a variety of ripple, wave and chase effects.

While design and aesthetic appeal are clearly a key focus of this mouse, it by no means skimps on the features. The 8200 DPI sensor is the best we tested, and it comes with on-the-fly switching via two buttons below the scroll wheel, although the colour-changing indicator is less convenient than the Kone’s voiceover system.

It also features a ‘sniper switch’ as mentioned above, so you can drop your DPI down at a moment’s notice to nail that perfect pin-point headshot. The two side buttons are well-placed in thumbs-reach and the M65 feels reasonably comfortable in the hand, aside from a lack of pinkie support. For the more particular gamer, Corsair’s mouse also offers three ‘tuning zones’ to tweak the center of gravity to your individual satisfaction.

Corsair’s configuration software covers all their peripherals, so applying customized lighting patterns between devices is a snap. The lighting management software itself can be somewhat confusing, but the options for creating patterns and effects are almost infinite, so it’s a good trade. The software also includes macro functionality, so you can bind specific custom macros to any button you wish, as well as additional commands such as multimedia control.

The Corsair M65 RGB is ideal for those gamers who want their battle stations to look as awesome as humanly possible. However, it’s also one of the best-equipped mice we tested, and would be equally at home in the hands of a tech-spec purist.

Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury

The G402 Hyperion Fury is part of the gaming range from Logitech, who has a substantial pedigree when it comes to PC peripherals in general. While they’re not hugely known for producing gaming gear, the level of experience and expertise they can bring to the table, or in this case, desk, is undeniably fearsome, including a ‘fusion engine’ built for 420 inches per second of tracking.

The G402 is definitely one of the most user-friendly mice we tested - it fits ergonomically into the hand, and we barely had to move our thumb to reach the two side buttons. Counting these, the Hyperion Fury has eight programmable buttons, including a sniper switch and four-level on-the-fly DPI switching. The buttons for shifting the DPI up and down, however, are located just in front of the thumb switches and are a somewhat uncomfortable finger-stretch away.

The DPI levels are adjustable, and are indicated by three LEDs above the sniper switch. Again, the Roccat Kone has this beat in terms of sheer convenience, but it’s a perfectly functional indication method. Along with the DPI LEDs, the Logitech ‘G’ logo is the only section that includes backlighting. It’s a shame the G402 doesn’t include more than this somewhat desultory twinkle, but we can forgive it on the strength of its design.

The visual design of this mouse is weirdly pretty; matte-black with gloss detailing and smooth, arresting contours, it’s minimalist chic that’s cool without being overly flashy. It’s also very well-constructed, as could be expected from a company like Logitech. The body feels solid and well put-together, and it’s lightweight whilst still maintaining enough heft so as not to appear cheap and flimsy. It’s just a shame that they’ve gone with a rubber rather than braided cable.

Logitech isn’t by trade a gaming company, so unfortunately the configuration software is basic and lacks some of the bells and whistles found on offerings from the likes of Razer and Corsair. However, it’s incredibly intuitive and easy for less experienced users to get to grips with, while still offering full single and multi-key macro functionality. It also includes some rather cool usage statistics and analysis to help assess your performance.

Adjustable DPI, high-speed tracking and a dedicated sniper switch make this a great mouse for FPS gamers, but it’s got a solid design and layout that render it a pretty sensible choice for fans of other genres as well. Even better, it’s not overly expensive.

Razer DeathAdder

The Razer DeathAdder is as close as the company gets to an entry-level peripheral, listed on its site with an RRP of £64.99 (it's much cheaper from Amazon). The DeathAdder has two additional side buttons to supplement the usual three, and their placement feels convenient and natural. However, the mouse itself isn’t as ergonomic as some of the models we’ve tested, which is a shame.

While it boasts 6400 DPI optical sensor, the second-highest in our test, the DeathAdder lacks the on-the-fly switching capability found in others, which can be a pain when switching between genres. It’s also without a dedicated ‘sniper switch’, a specific button that when held keeps the DPI at a preset level for precision aiming, making it a less than ideal choice for FPS enthusiasts.

The Razer Synapse 2.0 software suite, which the Razer peripherals use for configuration and macro creation, is very user-friendly – it’s a doddle to set up long keystroke sequences that can then be assigned to a single mouse click. You can also share your macros across devices, should you also have a Razer keyboard or gamepad.

The design is basic but functional plastic, with an understated matte-black finish and rubber sidegrips for stability. The cable is braided rather than rubber, which we like as it looks more professional and seems sturdier than traditional plastic. The lighting is pretty simplistic, with only the scroll wheel and Razer logo lighting up, and while backlighting isn’t nearly as important for mice as it is for keyboards, this feels a little lazy.

For the amount being charged, we can’t help thinking that the Razer DeathAdder is surprisingly lacking in features. With no on-the-fly DPI switching and only two additional buttons, unless you’re dead-set on using the Synapse 2.0 macro software you’re better off elsewhere.

Roccat Kone Naval Storm Pure

The unnecessarily long-named Roccat Kone Naval Storm Pure is built for the most finicky of gamers who like to tweak every last detail of their settings. Both the angle snapping (which adjusts the input to keep horizontal and vertical lines straight) and the lift-off distance (the height the mouse can be raised to before it stops registering input) can be adjusted, as well as virtually every conceivable aspect of the DPI.

Beware, though, as the configuration suite for the Roccat Kone is insanely complicated. While it’s comprehensive, trying to pack in all that data means that the mass of numbers will be very intimidating for novice users, and there’s a high risk of confusion.

On top of that, rather than the software provided by Razer and Corsair, the drivers for different Roccat devices come as separate programs, and the lack of integration can get very annoying when trying to sync settings and macros between the two.

The mouse also features seven programmable buttons, including two below the pleasing chunky Titan scroll wheel. These buttons are used for switching instantly between five adjustable DPI settings up to 5000, with a little announcement to tell you which DPI you’re on – helpful for when you’re in the middle of a firefight and don’t have time to check.

Sadly, the side buttons aren’t nearly as intuitively placed as others we’ve seen; in fact, the Kone as a whole feels a little uncomfortable during intense FPS sessions. The build quality, however, is superb (if visually uninspiring). It’s plastic but it’s high-quality plastic, and it feels like a decent piece of kit, with a braided cable and 16.8 million-colour LED logo to boot.

One interesting feature is the Roccat EasyShift[+] technology built into its devices. This essentially works in the same way as shift on a keyboard; hold it down, press a button and you can access a second pre-assigned function, allowing you to increase your potential mouse functions to 16. It’s an elegant solution for those that constantly find themselves running short on available buttons.

If you want absolute control over every possible aspect of your mouse, this will suit you down to the ground. For undemanding gamers who just want a few more buttons and some above-average design, however, it’s probably not the best option.

Tesoro Shrike

The Tesoro Shrike is an interesting little number; it’s not technically lacking in any area, but it somehow feels a bit underwhelming. It has eight programmable buttons, all of which are within easy reach, a braided cable and pleasing brushed aluminium look, and it’s fairly easy to use. Not as much as some, but it’s far from awkward. The rubber side-grips are also comfortable, and excellent at preventing slippage. On the other hand, there’s no getting away from the definite cheapness of the plastic body – this doesn’t feel like a particularly well-built model.

Additionally, while it’s got a five-level DPI cycle (up to 5600), there’s no clear indication of which setting you’re currently on, which makes for some rather tedious guesswork. The cycle system also frequently leads to overshooting your desired DPI and having to go round again.

The macro and button-mapping software, while functional, is pretty basic, and not especially pretty to look at. The manufacturers also claim full-colour LED illumination, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell, as it’s restricted to a teeny-weeny area beneath the scroll wheel.

One area where the Shrike does shine is the manual weight system. Included with the mouse is a set of four weights totaling 35 grams, which can be slotted in various combinations into a pop-out section on the underside. This allows players to customize exactly how heavy they want their mouse to feel during play, and is a rather nice feature.

While it’s not the best on this list, the comparatively cheap pricetag of around £35 is enough to make up for the Tesoro Shrike’s superficial flaws, making it a very solid mouse for those looking to upgrade to a dedicated gaming peripheral.

Verdict

Gaming mice are a key part of many fan's setups, both hardcore and casual, and it's essential that you find a mouse to fit you. Fussy gamers that like to micromanage every aspect of their hardware's configuration will be delighted with the Roccat Kone, but more low-maintenance players will probably find the amount of adjustable options to be overkill. For those that don't need all the bells and whistles, the Cooler Master Alcor is an excellent choice that offers DPI switching and well-placed additional buttons without stretching your wallet. For now though, the crown goes to Corsair's M65 RGB; it's got on-the-fly DPI switching, a decent amount of additional buttons and plenty of macro support. And to cap it all off, it looks the absolute business.