Hardware Gaming Mouse Roundup

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/peripherals/2009/02/28/gaming-mouse-roundup/1

If you're using your PC, you're almost always using your mouse, which means it's essential to have the right one. We take a look at three new gaming mice vying for your attention; one sporting Microsoft's ludicrously over-specced BlueTrack engine and another made specifically for World of Warcraft.

 

The problem with gaming mice is that they usually are so specialised, that they are awful to use as a everyday mouse.

You make a strange point in the article when you say, "The GM-M8000 is a nod back to the older days of slimmer gaming mice, something that makes it feel a bit unusual when you first rest your hand on it."

You don't want it to feel unusual.. you want it to feel right... intuitive and comfortable.

That WoW mouse is a case in point. That arrangement of thumb switches looks so painfully awkward I can see it being an encumbrance when in the middle of a dual or heated PvP situation. Most WoW players will have already mapped out keybindings that they are familiar with, and only really use mouse buttons sparingly. For instance, I use the 2 side buttons on my G5 for Strangulate and chains of ice when playing my death knight... and the centre wheel button for Icebound Fortitude. Any more than that on the mouse and it starts to interfere with character control. While like most players I use WASD for movement, you also need to be able to fall back on mouse movement when using keybindings to cast or attack. Having too much on the mouse is actually a bad thing.

Plus.. they're nearly always awful as an everyday mouse. It has to be fast, accurate and intuitive.


My vote still goes to my beloved G5.

 

How about some consistency in your overall score. How can the X8 score a 7 and the WOW mouse score a 6 when they cost about the same and the X8 scores 9s in all the other categories while the WOW mouse scores much lower in the other categories?

 

Point well taken, mate! Five total buttons is more than enough for me, on the Razer DeathAdder. I`m already having to concentrate to press the two side buttons with my thumb, how in the world would I be able to press 4-5?

I also love my DA which is also quite an excellent day-to-day mouse due to it's ergonomic shape.

 

that microsoft thing is fugly, i like the design of the gigabyte one though, i keep looking for THE mouse that will make me want to replace my diamondback but theres nothing that even tempts at the moment

 

If you are going to review gaming mice/mouse's then you have to include Logitech and Razer for comparison purposes.

 

I've been using Logitech's mice since the first time I sat in front of a computer and I've never looked elsewhere for a electronic rodent!
I still don't think that there's a real benefit of buying a 'gaming mouse' (especially if it cost around the $100 mark!) but then again I'm not a 'professional gamer' so I don't need a fancy mouse to satisfy my needs.

 

3 Ugly mice, wouldn't have any of them!

 

Meh, if its got a wire, I'm not interested.

 

the MS one is hybrid...

 

Comfort is key. Features come second as long as basic needs are met. I would NOT spend extra money on a gaming mouse but I did want to explain the horiz. speed vs. vertical speed settings.

When playing games like WOW, you usually have all of your spells/attacks along the bottom - next to each other in a bunch. But all of the things you need to click on are all over the screen above. It's nice to be able to get back up there quickly but not overshoot between the tiny spell buttons. I find that mouse movement scaling works fine for me.

I've been using my Logi*tek 310 for years. It just plain works and has enough buttons to do the job.

 

I dont see anything that i would want over my logitech G5. They really managed to get something right with that mouse.

 

Because the overall score is not an average, it's a reflection of what we think of the product:

http://www.bit-tech.net/scores/

The X8 is an excellent product, but who is going to pay nearly £90 for a mouse? Very few people. You do get a lot for your money but we felt it was "worth considering" = 7, whereas the WOW mouse is "All Right", so, a six.

Comfort is subjective too - I would not like the WOW mouse at all and I used a Razor Viper before I stole the X8. I thought I'd hate it at first - it looks strange - but actually it's really nice to use and my only complaint is that it's too heavy. Harry can't use anything other than his MX1000 because of muscle memory he claims though whereas I really can't use the MX1000 - it's far too high.

 

Are you seriously telling me that you're casting spells in WoW using the mouse?

 

i don't get all those mouse with weights.......

for example, my G5 is unbalanced without some weight, but once found a comfortable weight, there's really no point changing them, so why not just put some weight in the mouse that most people prefer, and forget about it.

 

yes definitely!

it would be nice to include budget gaming mice as well like the Razer Salmosa (1000Hz poll rate)!

who has the money to spend £80 on a mouse, especially in these times...

 

Pah! Get them keybound.

 

Really, whats wrong with a gameing mouse that looks stylish rather then some power ranger accsesory. Is it so hard?

Further more, this really does feel like half a roundup... where are the Razer, Roccat and Logitech's to compair? The G5 v2 would have been an absolute minimum really. Feels you have jumped the gun a bit. The 08' Graphics round up... now thats a proper roundup.

 

BBCode tags broken on the WoW mouse page. The text for the 3rd set of images down

 

Lol @ WoW elitism (just kidding)

So bit-tech, which is the best mouse then? I am looking to upgrade from my mx518 (not because it doesn't work, it's just tatty these days), but these seemed far too expensive and/or gimmicky. Weights in mice is a ridiculous idea imo.