How to choose the Right Gaming Mouse for You

Today in the PC gaming market there is a flood of gaming accessories, especially in the area of Gaming Mice. All the manufacturers are busy packing their products with the best features possible, hence making it more and more complicated to choose the right hardware for your needs. So here is a guide to help and sought out things for you a little bit.

What Kind of a Gamer are You:

The first thing to do is work out what kind of a game do you want the mouse for. Do you prefer FPS, RPG or RTS games? If the answer is first-person shooters (FPS) then you’ve got the hardest choice to make as you’ll need to work out what sort of player you are (see point on DPI for this). If you prefer strategy, RPG or MMO games then the choice is slightly easier, as you should be looking for a mouse with a large number of programmable buttons and a DPI that suits your playing style

For example a mouse like Logitech G500 is a good mouse if you want lots of programmable buttons. It has ten buttons and most are programmable with macros. Even better for RPG players is the new Razer Naga mouse that features seventeen programmable buttons, although the number pad layout on the side takes a little getting used to.

Laser or Optical:

The most important part of a mouse is its sensor. There are primarily three types of sensors-- Laser, Optical and Infrared.

A Laser Mouse is the most common one and has the advantage that it can work on any surface, from your mouse pad to your jean clad legs! The only disadvantage is that it has a higher lift-off distance than an Optical Mouse, meaning that even if you lift your mouse to reposition it when it reaches the end of the mouse pad, it will continue to read the surface and translate into in-game movements making your screen view to swing wildly. This is a drastic scenario when you are in a tight gun fight in games like Counter Strike, CoD etc

This is why many professional gamers choose an optical mouse over laser and always play on a quality mousemat to ensure the optical sensor accurately reads the surface.

The latest development is the introduction of the 3G infrared sensor, which reduces the lift-off distance problems of a laser sensor but is also very good at working on different surfaces.

The DPI Factor:

Every gaming mouse will declare the sensitivity of its sensor somewhere on the packaging or in the marketing material. This will be a value rated in DPI, or Dots Per Inch, and is a simplistic way of measuring the sensitivity of a mouse sensor.

The higher the DPI of the sensor the less physical distance you need to move the mouse to get the same level of cursor movement on screen. So, if you have a high DPI mouse you can be more economical with your hand movements but you need to have a steady hand and be very precise to make accurate cursor movements.

So now you need to decide of you the sort of person who likes to make fast sweeping hand movements over a large area, or slower more precise movements over a small area. If you prefer fast hand movements then you need a mouse with a low DPI to maintain some level of accuracy (perhaps 1,200 DPI or less), whereas a player with small hand movements can use a mouse with higher DPI and remain accurate (say 2,000 DPI or more).

If you start making fast movements at that level of DPI you’re going to be spinning on the spot in a FPS. Make sure your mouse has adjustable DPI and then drop it to around 2,000 (or even lower for some pro-gamers) and you’ll be more likely to find a sweet spot.
Some mice even allow the DPI settings to be adjusted on-the-fly so you can use a medium DPI to strafe enemies, switch to a low DPI for a carefully aimed head-shot and then switch back up to high DPI for some frantic close quarters action.

Wired or Wireless:

A wireless mouse offers mobility and saves you from the ever tangling wires but has to depend on the radio-waves to transmit the signals to the receiver hence adding the element of delay or lag to the mouse response.

Admittedly modern wireless mice are almost lag free, and the Logitech G7 is probably the best example of how good wireless mice can be. However, if you really want the absolute fastest response then you should stick to a corded mouse.

Also wireless mice need batteries to run on, this not only adds an extra weight making them heavy to move and handle but also increases the risk of them dying out on power due to depleted batteries in between crucial moments while gaming.

The latest generation of wireless mice, such as the Razer Mamba and Logitech G700, use a detachable USB cable to give the best of both worlds. You get the freedom of a wireless mouse but the convenience of recharging via cable and no batteries to mess about with.

Claw Grip versus Palm Grip:

There are generally two methods of holding a mouse. The first is the claw grip where the mouse is held by the tips of the fingers and is (almost) lifted across the surface of the mousemat, and this favours small and light mice. The second is the palm grip, where the palm of the hand rests on the top of the mouse and pushes it along the mousemat, and is more suited to large mice.
Some mice will satisfy both sorts of grip, but some are more appropriate to one or the other. For example, Razer have produced a number of mice that are small and well suited to the claw-grip such as the Copperhead and Krait. Logitech, on the other hand, tend to design larger mice that are more comfortable for palm-grip users, such as the G500 and G700.
The Logitech G9 has a clever trick up its sleeve. It comes with two interchangeable grips so that you can alter the shape of the mouse to suit your preferred grip. Saitek have also had a go at making a mouse to suit different-sized hands, namely the Cyborg. It has the ability to extend its length to accommodate both big and small hands.  Both systems that works surprisingly well,but you might be better choosing another mouse if ultimate comfort is a priority.

Durability:

One of the most important factors is the strength, durability or simply the endurance of your mouse to with stand solid hammering! Gamers especially playing FPS games can exert punishing amount of constant and repetitive force on the mouse courtesy to the rapid action in this genre.

Some mice have a better reputation for solidity than others. The Logitech MX518 is a case in point, which is still popular even though its been on the market for some time as it has gained a reputation for being able to take a lot of punishment. Another mouse with a solid reputation is the Microsoft Intellimouse which, despite being aimed at people who work rather than play, is actually quite good for gaming and can take quite a bit of abuse.

The Pocket Factor:

You might think that by buying the most expensive mouse you’re guaranteed to get the best, but unless that mouse is suited to your gaming style you may have wasted your money. Many top-end models retail for close to $100 or Rs 5000, and that’s a lot of money to ask for a gaming peripheral.
Decide which mouse you want first and then see if it falls in your budget. Even if it looks like it might be out of your budget get looking online and you might find it’s more of a bargain than you thought. There are always places like Flipkart, Amazon and Ebay that will offer the mice for less than MRP.

Personal Preferences:

The final thing to consider is that choosing a gaming mouse can be a very personal decision. We all have different aesthetic tastes, and that will influence your decision. You might love the flashy lighting on a Razer mouse, or you might prefer the more functional appearance of a Logitech. Either way, your taste will have some bearing on the decision you make, and may lead other gamers to choose completely different mice.

Conclusion:

Buying a Gaming Mouse is all about your preferences, style of gaming and taste. What is best for you might not be the best for me. So make a list of your choices and requirements, shortlist a few mice and then decide accordingly. Don't go for the market hype or get entangles in the whole Razor vs Logitech vs SteelSeries brand loyalty thing----just pic a mouse 'coz it has the right price and right features as per your needs.

NOTE: These articles might be of your interest as well:
Top 5 Best Gaming Mice to buy
Top 5 Best Gaming Mice under Rs 2000
Best Gaming Mouse for Various Games: MMO FPS and RTS
Best Gaming Mousepad