The Best Budget Gaming Mice For Maximum Comfort and Performance

Gaming on a budget doesn’t have to mean low-quality gear. This wired RGB mouse offers comfort and performance for a reasonable price.

It has a small, ambidextrous body and six-button configuration that resembles premium esports mice, but it feels sturdy for casual gamers. You can remap its buttons and make sensor adjustments through its companion software.

1. Logitech G203

While not wireless, the Logitech G203 stands out as one of the best budget wireless gaming mouse, offering exceptional performance and reliability for gamers seeking an affordable yet high-quality option.For a mouse at its price point, the Logitech G203 Lightsync packs a lot of features into an ergonomic and reliable design. This wired gaming mouse comes with 3 RGB zones (the left side, right and center), a gaming-grade sensor and a classic six-button layout that’s fully programmable with Logitech’s G Hub software.

It’s also surprisingly comfortable to hold. Though it doesn’t have the ergonomic hump near the base of the thumb I look for in right-handed mice, it balances itself by raising the whole base from side to side. It doesn’t feel like a budget-conscious mouse, either; the PTFE feet glide around your desk smoothly and are easy to move.

In our tests, the Logitech G203 Lightsync performed well across a range of games with zero issues — even when it reached a top speed of 10,000 CPI. It’s a great option for casual gamers or PC players on a tight budget, although it doesn’t come close to matching the responsiveness of more premium offerings. It also lacks a programmable button and has a slightly higher lift-off distance than some competing options.

2. Razer DeathAdder Elite

The DeathAdder Elite is a premium iteration of Razer’s popular DeathAdder mouse, which has become one of the most beloved gaming mice of all time. This particular model offers a slightly tweaked PMW3389 sensor that you’ll see in a lot of Razer products, along with a whopping seven foot cloth-braided cable. The mouse also comes with a gaming-grade scroll wheel, on the fly DPI adjustments and two programmable side buttons. Unfortunately, it’s only designed for right-handed users and isn’t recommended for small hands unless you’re using a claw grip.

Compared to the Dell Alienware AW610M, the DeathAdder Elite is lighter, has a lower minimum CPI and can be adjusted in increments of 1. It’s also better built and fits all grip types, including smaller ones, whereas the Dell’s larger size is best suited for large or extra-large hands. Its click latency is also much lower, thanks to the mechanical Omron switches underneath the main buttons that are rated for 50 million clicks. As a result, this is one of the most responsive and accurate mice you can get your hands on.

3. Asus ROG Strix Hero

Asus has designed the Hero Edition with MOBA gamers in mind. But even if you’re not a fan of this genre, the laptop will still appeal to you if you appreciate its subdued style and beefy specs.

The 15.6-inch display delivers sharp images on a 1920×1080 pixels panel. It’s also one of the thinnest and lightest mainstream gaming laptops we’ve tested, weighing in at 5.1 pounds. This allows you to carry the rig comfortably in your bag, without worrying about other people staring at your chin during video calls and Twitch streams.

On the inside, the Asus ROG Strix Hero is a beast, powered by a fast 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and a VR-ready Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. It also sports a super-fast SSD, and a larger mass-storage hard drive with a FireCuda SSHD — an attractive combination of hardware components.

With its discrete left and right mouse buttons, the touchpad tracks with precision. The pad has a nice heft to it, too, making it feel more premium than HP’s Omen 17 (and it’s less prone to fingerprint and paw prints). However, the bloatware and awkward camera placement on the bottom bezel are annoyances.

4. HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless

If you’re a PC gamer, an upgrade to your input can mean higher reaction times and less fatigue in high-pressure scenarios. If you’re in the market for a new mouse to help elevate your skills, you may want to consider one with a high maximum polling rate to make sure inputs reach the computer at top speed.

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless delivers on this front with a high-performance HyperX 26K sensor and a maximum polling rate of 8,000Hz—meaning every click can be counted on to get to the screen as quickly as possible. In addition, the Haste 2 has an improved design with a solid body shell that replaces the original’s perforated honeycomb model, and it weighs only 61 grams, which is almost a full ounce lighter than premium pro-grade esports mice like the Logitech G X Pro Super Light and the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro.

For easy customization, the Haste 2 uses a proprietary software app called NGENUITY to handle profiles, macros, and RGB lighting settings. You can tweak the four built-in DPI presets, add or remove levels, and adjust the sensor settings based on your play style.

5. SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless

With a six-button layout and a sturdy, matte-black plastic shell, the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless feels good in the hand (albeit somewhat small). It’s designed for claw grips or fingertip grips, though players with small hands might struggle to reach the scroll wheel. The mouse also doesn’t have a slanted design or ergonomic shape, so it might not be comfortable for palm-grip users. The Rival 3 Wireless uses a TrueMove Core optical sensor, which caps at around 8,500 DPI compared to 12,000 DPI for the more expensive model, and it’s not ambidextrous (sorry, lefties).

SteelSeries includes its Engine software with the Rival 3, making it easy to configure and tweak the mouse to fit your playstyle. The program is easy to navigate and features simple, clean interfaces for settings and lighting customization. There’s even a shortcut button for linking games and quick access to advanced mouse settings like angle snapping and acceleration control. That makes the Rival 3 an ideal choice for gamers looking for a solid, durable mouse at a budget price. It works with Chromebooks running the latest version of Google’s operating system.

Conclusion

The quest for the best budget wireless gaming mouse that offers both comfort and performance is achievable with careful consideration of features such as ergonomic design, customizable buttons, and reliable wireless connectivity. By prioritizing these factors and exploring options from reputable brands, gamers can enjoy an immersive gaming experience without breaking the bank, ultimately enhancing their comfort and maximizing their performance on a budget.