Does a specific type of mouse make a difference for pc gaming?

I play RTS (real time strategy) games like Starcraft, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3, etc. Also, I play FPS (First Person Shooter) games like Call of Duty 4 MW2, Bad Company 2, etc..

I've seen the discussions, and the ads about gaming mouses vs non-gaming mouses, and I think it's all a big hype. My question is, aren't all wireless/laser mouses the same? if I want to have better precision with a mouse when playing a first person shooter online in multiplayer mode, for example, do i really need that latest $100 gaming mouse (wireless or laser), or will the $15 mouse (wireless or laser) do the same exact thing?

Thank you in advance!

 

Lots of the gaming mice have some extra configuration settings that you can set your way to make things easier and faster for you.
Possibly even a few extra buttons.

 

Absolutely! I just upgraded to the Logitech G9X, I have each and every game set up differently on the mouse through the software, example: I play Sims 3 without needing the keyboard because I have assigned keystrokes to the mouse. It also has a weight system and 3 different hand grips. Also the mouse wheel tilts left and right for 2 extra buttons which I find very useful for things like grenade cooking on COD. Not to mention it's precision is unmatched and I can shift pointer speed on the fly as well as customizing what speeds I want.
It's pricey but worth every penny.
I also bought the Steelseries Merc Stealth keyboard, put the 2 together and I am 100% customizable on the way I play.

 

A good mouse that's fast and suits your style of play will improve your gaming. I wouldn't go overboard on extra buttons, 3-5 will probably be fine, $40 - $60 is probably enough to spend. Finding the best mouse for you will be difficult though, track down some local LAN parties.

A good gaming headset with accurate 3D will definitely give you a big advantage in multi-player FPS's against players without it, the ability to accurately pinpoint noises will almost certainly give you a greater advantage than using the most expensive mouse available. Cost, probably $60 upwards for stereo, much more for 5:1.

 

hey Dyzon,

It's certainly a big difference.
beter grip, faster reaction, costumable keys and also heavier.
I had only normal mouses first(all where free so that was a easy choice)
Now I have a gaming mouse from logitech and its really much better.
Also i don't have any more painted finger when i play for a long time..

greet martien

 

The sensors on mouses are built to different standards gaming mouse usually are built to higher standards, not to mention the extra buttons and what not. Do you need one? Up to you, and how you game. some get by some dont. Is there a difference, yes sir.

 

well the cheaper mouse can get the job done as well as a $100 mouse, believe that. What you should be concerned with are these factors:

*Is it comfortable?
*Is the scroll button causing any trouble?
*Does the mouse get "caught" on the mousepad? (this can happen to laser mice if you have a bad mousepad or a small chunk of plastic missing)
*If you bought a mouse with a ton of extra buttons, would you put them to use or would they get in the way? (imagine your mouse with those buttons and your preferred way of holding the mouse to move it & click with it)
*Is your mouse not moving as fast or as slow as you would like? (if this is the case you can easily adjust the settings via the control panel)

 

Not necessarily.

No.

And definitely no.

For normal mousing tasks, a cheaper mouse can "get the job done" but definitely, not "just as well". If all you need a mouse for is Windows, email, or surfing the net, an inexpensive mouse may work just fine. But for precise and speedy tracking (which is needed for serious gaming or graphics design and engineering), you need a quality mouse. Now $100 is going way overboard in my opinion, but $30 - $40, or maybe even $50 is not.

A more expensive mouse is likely to have a better laser that is precisely focused, precise alignment (which is critical), better quality buttons and scroll wheel. A better mouse will allow the user to make precise adjustments in pointer positions where a cheap one will not. And a better mouse will allow you move your pointer more rapidly across the screen. A better mouse will track on a wider variety of mousing surfaces. My Logitech laser tracks perfectly on the upholstered arm of my chair or even my pants leg.

Optical mice, in general, work great on some surfaces, lasers work great on most all surfaces - even carpet.

A laser mouse will track 2000dpi or more, while an optical is typically between 400 and 800dpi. More dpi translates to better sensitivity and tracking accuracy. That's not to say an optical mouse will not make a good gaming mouse, the better ones are very good at gaming too, if on a good surface.

I do agree, however, that regardless the mouse, it has to "feel" right in your hand. So try it out before buying. And just because this person loves his, that does not mean you will love it too. No one can really pick the perfect mouse (or keyboard) for you. That is something you need to touch and feel for yourself.

And being corded or wireless is absolutely no indication of quality. Wireless is more convenient, but also more expensive.

 

I'm sorry but like Digerati I have to disagree with most of this.
I paid $120 for my Logitech G9X and if you can find a mouse as well built, precise and customizable for low cost then you have performed a miracle.

You say change your mouse speed in CP, I change mine whenever I want "In game" with the push of a button.
The extra buttons on the G9X do not get in the way if you don't want to use them, 9 buttons, :
Left
Right
Thumb Front and Back
Mousewheel Up/Down/Click
Mousewheel tilt Left/Right
All customizable to any action/keystroke/multi keystroke macros.

Fully customizable DPI from 200-5700.

Upto 5 onboard custom setups and 50 in software.

Comfort?.... 3 interchangeable handgrips.

Weight system, make your mouse lightweight for super speed or heavy for accurate sniping.

Seriously, this mouse is one example of spending a lot of money on a mouse thats worth every penny. Example: I play the Sims 3 100% on my mouse, never use the keyboard for anything, COD I have special and frag nades on my wheel tilt, can cook/throw them by moving my index finger less than a 1/2 inch, switch weapon on my thumb etc etc.

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/mice/devices/5092

Check it out and compare, and just in case anyone thinks I'm a kid with a gimmick mouse, I've been playing video games for 30 years

 

I disagree, all I need is 2 mousebuttons & a scroll wheel on my mouse, I have controllers, keyboard for the rest which do just fine.

 

These are all very interesting answers, and very informative, but I still believe the mouse thing is all hype. Skill > Equipment.

A person who can sing does not need any equipment whatsoever to sound good, but then you got the people who "think they can sing," and they are the the ones with the equipment, engineers & studios worth thousands & thousands of dollars to make them sound good.

I think is the same analogy, but I might be wrong though.

 

The same argument can be made on the flip side with a guitarist, a great guitarist no matter how hard he tries cannot get the same sound by using cheap equipment, an acoustic guitar will never ever sound like an electric.
We can also transverse this to military, if your analogy of "Skill > Equipment" is true then why do the military use so much equipment?
Answer: To get the job done more efficiently

Using a PC to write an essay is less skillfull than writing a letter?

The mouse doesn't make you a good gamer, your skill does, the mouse makes a good gamer more efficient..... if you want to say the keyboard has everything you need then why use a mouse at all? 99% of games can be played using only the keyboard.

Also you guys are basing your arguments on presumption and guess worked, I'm basing mine on actual use of both cheap, simple and quality mice, used many across the spectrum and IMO the higher quality mouse increases enjoyment of the game...... which is the whole point is it not?

This is a contradiction in terms, if all you need is a 2 button and scroll.... then why do you use a controller?
Maybe if you had a better mouse you wouldn't feel the need for a controller

Also think about it like this, as a kid I used a controller that had 1 button and a stick.... now I'm presuming you are referring to PS3/360 style controllers that have how many buttons?.....Why so many buttons?... because games have more controls, so with that in mind what is wrong with having more buttons on a mouse?.... how is it any different?

It's all opinion I know, but you can't say something isn't worth it if you've never tried it, I've tried it and I'm telling you it's worth every penny in my opinion and experience.

Bottom line... nothing wrong with simple mice.... but a high quality multi button mouse is better, there really is no argument against it. Same with keyboards, cheap keyboards don't last as long, they don't have as smooth keystrokes etc.... mice are the same.

 

Just an after thought, obviously if you are happy with a 2 button mouse then thats what you are happy with.... but the OP clearly isn't happy with it otherwise he/she would not have asked if a better mouse is really better.

Use what you wish, main thing is to enjoy your gaming as much as you can

 

The only people who truly believe that cheap tools work as well as high-quality tools, are the people in this world who never invested in quality equipment and actually used it. Once you have, you know the difference and you never go back.

EXACTLY! We have already spent too much time talking about games, when we should be out there playing them! :-D

 

You can't under estimate how much of an improvement a high DPI,high quality laser mouse can bring to your gaming its like night and day.

A simple acid test is to set a cheap mouse at the same in game sensitivity as a high DPI mouse,what you'll notice is in the close regular target acquisition the mice perform similarly but when the action starts to get intense and you move the mouse faster the lower quality laser cannot track the mouse pad,it starts 'dragging'

You can try that experiment right now,with your low quality mouse connected see how fast your can move the cursor from one side of the screen to the other,past a certain speed even though you may have moved the mouse all the way across the mouse pad your cursor will have only moved maybe an inch or maybe halfway across the screen.

The next test is to compare low and high DPI,if you have a DPI selectable mouse knock the DPI down while upping the sensitivity in the game options so its still comfortable to use,you'll find that the mouse will work fine in close quarter shooting in a FPS shoot em up going room to room but when you get back in the open and your target is much further away and smaller it becomes LITERALLY impossible to get your cross hair on the small target,your cross hair will jump over the few pixels your target occupies because the mouse isn't sensitive enough.

 

i only can argee with rikky
i did that little test.
first my current mouse; logitech mx518
little fast move;
all the way too the other side
cheap(free) nameless mouse;
2/8 of the screen.
also to mention is that if i move my current mouse then you hear and feel nothing.
but do i with my old mouse, well..
let just say it don't like my mousepad.
also my hand really have better support then the cheap mouse.
that are my finding in a little test of 5 minutes.
so im very sure now that a gaming mouse make a big difference.

 

I'm running a microsoft basic optical mouse and i'm a gamer
and it runs ok on a tabletop without a mousepad