Looking for a new mouse and not sure where to begin? Choosing a new mouse shouldn’t be a painful process, and once you understand what all the terms and numbers mean, it can be a fairly fun experience to go through.
Secretlab Magnus Metal Desk Review — Simply Magnetic
The Secretlab Magnus Metal Desk is designed with customization and tinkering in mind.
To help you in your mouse shopping journey, this guide will look at what you should know and what to look for when you’re buying a new gaming mouse.
Grip Style
One of the first things you need to know ishow you like to hold your mouse.Some gaming mice will support different grip styles better than others, and figuring out which grip style you fall under will make shopping forthe best gaming mousemuch easier.
Here are the general grip archetypes:
Claw grips have the user’s wrist rest behind the mouse while their fingers curl into a claw-like appearance over the mouse buttons.This grip helps with small, micro adjustments like flicking a short distance in an FPS. Since most of the pressure in a claw grip is on the user’s wrist and fingertips, a mouse that arcs into the user’s palm is recommended for a more comfortable experience.
If you’re using a claw grip, consider also using some form of wrist support to make sure you aren’t hurting your hand in the long run.
Palm grips have the user’s palm resting against the mouse while the rest of the fingers are relaxed over the mouse buttons.Since pressure is more evenly distributed across the entire mouse’s surface, the palm grip usually leads to smoother mouse movement.
Having a mouse with a high arc into the palm will work the best for this grip since it creates a place for the palm to rest and have plenty of control over the mouse.
Fingertips
Fingertip grips have the hand and palm hovering over the mouse with just the fingertips touching the mouse.Usually, more of the pressure will be on the forearm touching the desk rather than anywhere on the hand or mouse. These grips will usually prefer lighter mice with a flatter arch for smoother and more fine-tuned control over the mouse.
Not everyone’s grip will uniformly fit into these definitions. Sometimes you may find yourself swapping between grips, or using a hybrid of them. Having a mixed, or in-between grip is nothing to stress about when it comes to buying a new mouse. It just means you get to try out more varied mice for whichever style your grip resembles and have more choices to pick from.
Now that you know your grip style,the next step ischoosing the right mouse size for your hand size.This is to make sure that your next gaming mouse won’t be too big or too small for your hand. The two measurements you need are your hand’s length and width.
If you get a mouse that’s too big or too small, you risk hurting your hand by constantly extending or cramping your fingers to reach the buttons on your mouse.
How To Measure Your Hand
First, lay your hand on a flat surface.To get your hand’s length, measure from your middle finger’s tip to the first crease of your wrist.
Next, put your fingers together and measure from your thumb’s nail to the other side of your pinky.This measurement is your hand’s width.
Mouse Sizes For Hands
Once you have your measurements here’s a chart to see what size your hands are and some recommended gaming mice to try:
Measurement
Gaming Mouse
Smaller than 6.9"
6.9" - 7.5"
Larger than 7.5"
Sensors And Stats - Optical Is The Best
Before we jump into the important factors that go into what mouse you want to buy, you should ensure you familiarize yourself with your mouse’s sensors.Sensors are how your mouse will receive data and report it back to your computer.There used to be a debate between laser sensors or optical sensors, but optical technology has improved to the point where it’s far outclassed laser mice. As a result,always go with an optical mouse, just make sure you use a mouse pad with it so its tracking can be consistent.
While you’re shopping for a new mouse, you’ll most likely come across some stats about your mouse’s sensor.Here’s some important concepts to know when you’re looking at those numbers:
If you get a high polling rate mouse (for example, a 4,000Hz mouse) you won’t notice a difference unless your monitor also has a high refresh rate (more than 120Hz).
Choosing A Mouse
Now that you know the basics about sensors, your hand size, and grip style,it’s now time to choose a mouse!There are plenty of factors to keep in mind when choosing which mouse is the right one for you, but here are a few of the most important ones to consider.
Gaming mice tend to come in two shapes —ambidextrousandergonomic.Ambidextrous mice are the same on each side while ergonomic mice are asymmetrical and shaped to fit into your hand.
While ergonomic mice are usually shaped for the right hand, there are ergonomic left-hand mouse options as well.
What mouse shape works for you is ultimately up to preference and what feels good for your grip style and hand shape. The most important thing to keep in mind is how well the mouse fits into your hand/grip, and whether your fingers can comfortably reach each of the buttons. While the best way to figure out what mouse shape works for you is by physically holding the mouse in question, there are also online tools that can show you the shape, curve, button layout, and “bump” on the mouse so you can make an educated guess at which one you’ll like before trying them out.
Normally,lightweight mice are best since it’s easier and faster to move them.It’s also easier speed up and slow down to a complete stop with a light mouse since you have to fight against less weight.Any mouse weighing under 80 grams is usually considered a light mouse, with ultra light being below 70g.
There’s nothing wrong with preferring a heavy mouse. Heavier weight naturally smooths tracking for you, and some players may just prefer the feel of a heavy mouse. As always when it comes to shopping for mice, choose what’s comfortable for you.
DPI determines how many pixels your cursor moves across the screen when you move the mouse.A higher DPI means your mouse will move further and faster for less effort, while a lower DPI means it will take more movement to move the cursor across the screen.
An important point to look for when buying a new mouse is whether it has your preferred DPI.A DPI switch, which DPI values your mouse supports, and whether the mouse comes with software that can help you set your mouse’s DPI are all important factors to look for when buying a new gaming mouse.
If you don’t know your current DPI, you can check your mouse’s manufacturer’s specifications to see if they list its DPI, or use an online DPI analyzer.
Switches are what will determine how your mouse feels when you click with it.If there was a mouse you’ve used previous that had a great feel to it, but maybe the shape was wrong or the weight was off, then look into what switches it had and find a mouse with those same switches in them.Much like keys for a mechanical keyboard, your preference in mouse switches will depend on what feels good for you to use.
Wired or Wireless?
Wired connections will offer the most consistent and lag free experiences.On top of that, you won’t have to worry about where your mouse’s battery life is at while you play games. But one of the biggest benefits wired mice have to offer over their wireless cousins isif you ever need a polling rate over 1,000Hz since wireless mice don’t normally go above 1,000Hz.Despite these positives,the biggest downside wired mice have is dealing with the wire, since it takes up desk space and can sometimes get in the way of your movement.
In comparison,the best wireless mice can offer a similar, lagless experience to a wired mouseif they use a 2.4GHz receiver since they can reach a 1,000Hz polling rate.Some wireless mice can even use their charging wire to act like a wired mouse until it’s more convenient to unplug. But with these mice, you no longer have to deal with a wire, and you’re able to use your mouse further away from your desktop.
Be aware that Bluetooth mice will usually have a small amount of latency, making them less ideal for fast-paced games.
