Do you prefer a lighter mouse or heavier mouse?

Do you prefer a lighter mouse or a heavier mouse?

  • Lighter

    Votes: 19 50.0%

  • Heavier (or a mouse with a little weight/heft)

    Votes: 19 50.0%
  • Total voters
    38
Quiz

Quiz

[H]ard|Gawd
2FA
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
1,104
Do you prefer a lighter mouse or a heavier mouse?
 
sharknice said:
Less weight is objectively superior for competitive gaming.

Newton's second law.
Click to expand...
I feel a heavier mouse is more stable, easier to make fine movement adjustments, and easier to track enemies with.

I had a G502 (wired) for a couple years and then a Superlight for couple years. The Superlight took some time to adjust to and I felt it was almost too light.

Then again, in a world where nearly everyone prefers and favors low mouse sensitivity, I play with high sensitivity.
 
Quiz said:
I feel a heavier mouse is more stable, easier to make fine movement adjustments, and easier to track enemies with.

I had a G502 (wired) for a couple years and then a Superlight for couple years. The Superlight took some time to adjust to and I felt it was almost too light.

Then again, in a world where nearly everyone prefers and favors low mouse sensitivity, I play with high sensitivity.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's because you're compensating for using high sensitivity and probably wrist only movements which gives you less overall control than using your arm and wrist.

The best possible mouse for maximum precision would have no mass or resistance at all so your hand could move with maximum acceleration. Lower sensitivity gives you higher precision, but ideal sensitivity is a balancing act between precision and speed.

If you took the time and got used to it it would be better to use lower sensitivity, whole arm movements, and a lighter mouse you would end up aiming better in the long run. But gaming is all about having fun, so do what you enjoy.
 
Heavy. I'm too strong and too quick, and if I used a light mouse, I'd be at too much of an advantage and would be kicked out for "hacking".
 
1764108401444.png
 
I used to prefer a heavier mouse. I went from a G502 to a G502X and I prefer the X.

I used quite a bit of weight in my old G7 though, and back then I was more into competitive gaming.
 
Lighter, definitely. Less friction on the mouse pad. I use arm movements as I find I get straighter lines aiming than with wrist movements.

I love my Logitech g602, whatever that's considered.
 
Last edited:
Lighter. I used to have a Logitech g403, now I have one of them rechargeable HyperX 61g, not going back. Wireless, usb c, lighter... grip tape!
 
I used to like heavier mice like the G700, G604, but then I tried a G502 X Plus and really enjoyed the lighter feeling and ended up buying a second one.
I bought both on sale for $74 and $79, normal price is like $160 which is just crazy.

IMG_7552.JPG
 
Light mouse with a good "control" cloth pad is the combination that works for me.

I can maintain precision while being able to do flicks and fast swipes and it's easier to do micro adjustments.
 
Feels like the meta has changed, I remember that heavy mice used to be cool. See the G502 with the extra weights you could slot in.

Now its all about going as light as you can, honeycomb shell designs, I've seen more extreme designs too.
I like my G502x/basilisk. I did try a cheapo 68g mouse from temu, and I like it but I don't think its a huge difference, and its lacking in features.
 
Anyone remember Logitech including a little tin full of weights you could add to your G5 / G500 mouse? I I quite prefer a bit of heft to my computer mouse .. I really do not want or understand why anyone would want they super light mice that are selling now.

I have a few Steelseries Sensei Ten mice which I may well use for the foreseeable future as I don't like current mice offerings.
 
atarione said:
Anyone remember Logitech including a little tin full of weights you could add to your G5 / G500 mouse? I I quite prefer a bit of heft to my computer mouse .. I really do not want or understand why anyone would want they super light mice that are selling now.
Click to expand...
I had one like that. I installed all the weights it came with. Fully weight loaded mouse still doesn't weigh much. Not like I couldn't chuck it across the room with a flick of my wrist. The weights add grams, not kgs. It's about feel, not performance.
 
It's gotta feel like I'm pushing a car-size boulder back and forth on my desk, or I don't want it!
 
It really depends where and what I'm doing. At my desk for gaming and work I have G903's which are very heavy mice.

I tried using one with my scuffed HTPC/Couch PC setup (mostly a youtube player); when laying down on the couch and trying use the mouse on the carpet I found the 903s extra weight awkward. The much lighter mouse I previously used was much more comfortable to use in that less optimal position.
 
Optimus has many great videos, but there is one more important thing to be added – the mouse feet. Unlike plastic feet, metal feet have much less resistance and glide more easily, which makes even heavier mice move easily.
My current Bloody Naraka moves very lightly, and the mouse is heavy.
 
AVATARAT said:
Optimus has many great videos, but there is one more important thing to be added – the mouse feet. Unlike plastic feet, metal feet have much less resistance and glide more easily, which makes even heavier mice move easily.
My current Bloody Naraka moves very lightly, and the mouse is heavy.
Click to expand...

I put aftermarket glass feet on my G502X. It makes a massive difference. I'm using a teflon mosue mat. You can't even hear the mouse moving it's so smooth.
 
It doesn't really matter to me. At work I have an old, heavy Razer Basilisk V2 (92 grams) and at home I use a ATK VXE Mad R Major (36 grams). I like them both.
 
I'm a fan of whatever weight the G502 Lightspeed is without any of the added weights you can insert. It's somewhere in the middle, although I guess it would be considered "light" if you compare it to how much mice used to weigh 20+ years ago.
 
Doesn't really matter to me. I can see the value in a lighter mouse, but I don't play the kinds of games exclusively, much less at a level of interest or proficiency that would benefit by buying an ultralight mouse. If I did, I know a couple of mice that I'd look into, notably the Zaunkoenig M3K - an exceptionally light, fingertip grip 2-buttons-and-wheel mouse with a carbon fiber body and other overengineered features.

On the contrary, I find that a lot of my gaming and other use benefits from a mouse that has lots of additional functionality. I used to like the "MMO" style mice when they were popular years ago, but always thought the button grid could be improved or other features could be added depending on design. I currently use and favor a Swiftpoint Z2 ( https://www.swiftpoint.com/products/gaming-mice-swiftpoint-z2 ) .

The Z2 is probably the most comprehensive feature set I've seen and is laid out quite well, 13 buttons all shaped and placed uniquely to be identified by touch, 6 of them (including main L/R click) are analog pressure sensitive , gyro supporting both tilt L/R (useful especially with the thumb and ring finger rests) and even front/back (there's a widget you can use to immobilize the mouse to make it a gyro-based joystick style control for flight or other sims), haptics, an OLED screen and more. This does mean however, it comes with a 117g weight but in comparison to older hallowed (wired, optical or laser) gaming mice like the Logitech G5 or G9x, some of those could be around 165g+ and that's without adding any of the weight cartridges! For the Z2 however, all of that weight is certainly "earned" from the features and designs that warrant it. I do think there's a few things I'd like to see from a future version like a removable USB-C cable at least and perhaps a wireless option, but even if the battery added a little weight it would still be worthwhile. I just got notice there may be an overhauled Z3 launching within 1H 2026 that will be wireless, so if that's accurate I'll be eager to see its specs an development.

I agree that mouse feet can really make a difference, especially mixed with a good surface. I'm still making use of my ancient SteelSeries SX - an aluminum pad that was something of a test project and discontinued because it was too expensive to make and sell for the increased price that would be necessary. I've thought about looking into glass, metal, or ceramic mouse feet/skates if there is a meaningful improvement over most conventional plastic or PTFE-related coatings.
 
Don't know if my Basilisk V3 Pro is considered heavy or light, but it's been my favorite mouse for several years.

856787_837736_PXL_20230411_190448888.jpg
 
RanceJustice said:
On the contrary, I find that a lot of my gaming and other use benefits from a mouse that has lots of additional functionality. I used to like the "MMO" style mice when they were popular years ago, but always thought the button grid could be improved or other features could be added depending on design. I currently use and favor a Swiftpoint Z2 ( https://www.swiftpoint.com/products/gaming-mice-swiftpoint-z2 ) .
Click to expand...

While that's an intriguing concept: as someone who tried using an MMO mouse in the past, I fear that even if it had one additional feature (button position reversibility for left handed use) the finger buttons set back behind the scroll wheel would have the same problem that crippled the MMO mouse for me. Repeatedly bending my thumb back enough to reach the back half of the thumb pad rapidly became painful (I mostly ended up using just the front 3 buttons, with the next for very occasional clicks); having to curl my fingers back almost into a fist the way their demo video shows looks almost as uncomfortable.
 
I think the lightest mouse I could use is something like the Razer Deathadder -- currently I use a Naga and really like it. It is probably on the heavier side? I had a Logitech G600 that I liked, but I wanted something wireless with a better sensor. The G600 I *think* I remember being heavier as well, and I like the Naga more in every way.
 
DanNeely said:
While that's an intriguing concept: as someone who tried using an MMO mouse in the past, I fear that even if it had one additional feature (button position reversibility for left handed use) the finger buttons set back behind the scroll wheel would have the same problem that crippled the MMO mouse for me. Repeatedly bending my thumb back enough to reach the back half of the thumb pad rapidly became painful (I mostly ended up using just the front 3 buttons, with the next for very occasional clicks); having to curl my fingers back almost into a fist the way their demo video shows looks almost as uncomfortable.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure which mice you used in the past and everyone's hand size and comfort is different, the Z2 finger buttons are relatively unique and well placed in my experience. When you describe the difficulty with bending your thumb back for MMO mice, I can remember similar annoyances with many grid-ish layouts, but one of my biggest gripes was the lack of a "blank" space for your thumb without disabling a button. You'd need to be able to grip the mouse to lift and move it, and doing so without entering a command on the macropad could be an issue unless I picked to disable one of the middle buttons entirely. Thankfully, some later iterations of MMO mice got around this issue , but the Z2 has an even better layout than a thumb grid/hex, in my experience.

Besides the 'main' L and R buttons and the scroll wheel itself, there are 2 other sets of buttons in the same line. The first are the "fingertip" buttons that have removable caps that are either the "long/paddle" visible by default on the webpage and a "short/thin" option. The paddle default config puts the end of the paddle at the middle of the scroll wheel, so you don't need to move your finger way back to access them; you can also use your second finger joint to press them if the final one is on the L/R buttons. For me anyway, I tend to have my fingertips placed on the main L click button just slightly ahead of the fingertip button (long paddle cap), so it would take a very small movement to be able to hit the secondary button if desired, even The other set of buttons also have multiple caps (and each cap can be oriented in multiple way depending on your preference for higher/lower height and which way the facets are oriented etc), but each of these are dual input: one for pushing the button down, and another by pulling it toward you like a trigger, hence their name as "trigger" buttons. For pushing down, you can of course move your finger back when necessary, but you can also use your first joint to push it without moving the fingertip from the main L/R click ; the trigger pull is usually by reorienting your finger. At least in my experience, none of these are uncomfortable but I usually put 'rarer' binds on the trigger pull anyhow. While everyone's grip, hand size, and comfort can vary, I think that between the differing button caps and overall design many users will find the buttons accessible, but of course others may vary.

If the idea interests you, i'd keep an eye out in the upcoming months for the Z3's announcement. They're claiming it been overhauled and upgraded in ways besides just wireless compatibility, so I guess we'll see how they've tweaked the layout.
 
It depends. I used heavier mouses when I was still doing competitive FPS gaming, for the extra stability. Nowadays I prefer lighter mouses since I don't do online FPS much anymore.
 
A light mouse lets you do direction changes more easily and lets you stop easier. It is significantly easier to track direction changes and do flick shots with a lighter mouse as there is less mass that needs to be stopped. I consider anything above 70 grams to be heavy and above 90 is basically a brick. Personally I prefer something around 60 grams or lighter, but solid shell.

If someone is playing casual or games where it is mostly about crosshair placement and small movements, then weight probably doesn't matter as much. Faster games with lots of tracking and direction changes benefit from lighter and medium/small sized mice. There is a reason why you rarely saw large, heavy mice in the quake scene back in the days, while the CS scene had lots of people on large ergo mice.
 
I strongly prefer lightweight mice. That's mostly because I use a claw-grip where my fingers are doing 90%+ of the work moving my mouse around, and only my finger-tips ever actually touch the mouse. Every Logitech G600 I got, the first thing I did was open it up and remove the two unnecessary weights inside.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top