Best Wired Gaming Mice

The SteelSeries Prime is a well-balanced gaming mouse designed for gamers looking for a comfortable, well-designed, minimalist mouse at an affordable price. It features Prestige hybrid optical-magnetic switches with a 100 million click lifespan that provide crisp feedback and a distinct click feel, but some shooter fans complain that the switches don't respond as quickly as they'd like, making it difficult to fire in short bursts. Despite the mixed reviews about the switches, the mouse is one of the most interesting options among entry-level wired mice, and regular discounts only increase its appeal.

The Prime's shape is inspired by classic esports models like the Zowie EC2, but it's longer and has tapered sides, especially on the pinky side. A small protrusion on the front of the body makes it easier to lift the mouse, although it takes a little getting used to. Overall, this design makes it easy to grip and allows for effective control of movements. The versatile shape supports multiple grips, including palm, finger, and claw, and the right-handed design is more suitable for medium to large hands. Those with smaller hands might want to consider the Prime Mini. The body weighs a moderate 69 grams.

The SteelSeries Prime is equipped with a minimum set of additional elements: two side buttons and an RGB backlight area on the scroll wheel. The backlight can be turned off via the proprietary software, maintaining the overall minimalistic look of the device. At the same time, the software looks somewhat overloaded in terms of capabilities compared to competitors. However, no one is stopping you from setting up the mouse, saving all the parameters to memory and deleting the software. As for the TrueMove Pro optical sensor, it demonstrates high accuracy and stability even in eSports disciplines, including CS:GO and Valorant, there is nothing to complain about. And the cable is made in a somewhat rough braid, but it is removable, allowing you to replace it if desired.

Corsair Katar Pro XT is a wired gaming mouse that focuses on affordable price and time-tested solutions instead of excessive originality. Its ergonomic symmetrical design provides comfort both during long gaming sessions and during regular work, the universal shape is equally suitable for finger and claw grip, and the ergonomic shape is suitable for control with both left and right hands. The body is made of practical matte plastic, and the sides are covered with non-slip material. The mouse itself weighs a moderate 73 grams, balancing between ultra-light shooter mice and heavy old-school manipulators.

The mouse is equipped with a PMW3391 optical sensor with a maximum sensitivity of 18,000 DPI, which ensures accuracy in any gaming genre. The buttons are Quickstrike spring keys with Omron chips, which Corsair previously installed in more expensive Sabre Champion mice. Two programmable buttons are configured through the proprietary Corsair iCue software, including a clickable scroll wheel. Instead of the bright RGB design typical of many competitors, Corsair only added backlighting to the scroll wheel.

And the long cable in a traditional soft fabric braid minimizes resistance when moving.

The main advantage of the model is the combination of high performance and affordable price. This is a really high-quality, reliable, balanced model and an inexpensive model that often goes under the radar of most players. However, in the budget segment there is unprecedented competition now and the wireless version of this model is sold for almost the same money. At the same time, the wired version has a more advanced sensor, and the body weighs less due to the lack of a battery, so the wired version will be a better choice for players who value high accuracy and lightness.

HyperX kicked open the door to the world of eSports in a fatherly way and in just a couple of years has earned the respect of both beginners and experienced eSports players. The best advertisement for the brand is the regular use of its products at major world tournaments. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste mouse, released in early 2021, once again showed the company's serious attitude towards players - at a price of about $ 50, it is equipped with a far from top, but quite sensible PixArt 3335 sensor (for example, this is in the ASUS ROG Chakram), the mouse comes with additional pads for the side walls and main buttons (!), and the body is perfectly balanced. It is not for nothing that some reviewers call it one of the best mice in the company's arsenal.

However, the main feature of the Pulsefire Haste is its lightweight, perforated body, which helps reduce the weight of the mouse to an impressive 59 grams. This is one of the lightest full-size mice on the market. Only the recent Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air has surpassed it. In addition to significant weight savings, large honeycomb-style holes improve ventilation, preventing your hand from slipping from sweat during particularly intense play. In general, the feel of the mouse in combat is the most pleasant - the Teflon glides confidently glide over the surface, the symmetrical body is perfectly balanced, and there is no imbalance towards the bow or stern. Considering the price tag of the mouse, we expected some kind of catch. But there is none. Well, perhaps the body needs to be cleaned or vacuumed regularly, as the honeycombs quickly become clogged with debris. But this is a feature of the format, not a minus of this model.

On other fronts, everything is in order. TTC Golden microswitches are designed for 60 million clicks and feel in no way inferior to Omron products. The flexible HyperFlex USB cable in a braid was specially softened so that it does not accidentally affect the dynamics of the mouse. The side buttons of the Haste are located where they should be and are pressed with a pleasant click, and the wheel has a pleasant scroll and unobtrusive backlight. Well, they did not forget about the built-in memory. It seems that HyperX's wait-and-see tactic worked again. They decided not to rush with perforation, studied what rakes the competitors stepped on and only then made their move. In general, we award a medal and recommend buying. For its $50, this is just a gift.

To break into the established gaming peripherals market without knocking, you need balls of steel and bold ideas. Luckily, the Swedish company Xtrfy had both in abundance. The daring newcomer immediately declared the seriousness of its intentions. First, they surprised the gaming community with the world's first lightweight shooter mouse with a perforated body. Then, riding the wave of success, they established cooperation with prominent eSports athletes and streamers like TenZ, Kripparrian and compatriots from the NIP team. And it was the Xtrfy M42 mouse that became the brand's entry ticket into the world of eSports. It is not surprising that Xtrfy subsequently released several modifications of this model, including a retro version with a white body that came to us for testing.

Xtrfy M42 meets all the requirements of such manipulators by experienced gamers and professional players participating in championships. The most important thing is the presence of a high-end PixArt 3389 sensor, which provides the highest positioning accuracy and does not suffer from breakdowns. It weighs only 59 grams and is equally comfortable with all types of grip (palm, claw, finger). The side keys are easy to reach, and the hand does not get tired from it even after a couple of hours of intense shooting. The body balance, surface resistance and actuation point are optimally selected for weight and shape. Sliding on different surfaces is also in order. Thanks to the proprietary Teflon gliders.

Otherwise, the Xtrfy M42 RGB Retro is a modern gaming mouse with a claim to be a dangerous eSports weapon. In addition to an excellent sensor, it has Omron switches, which are mandatory for any serious model, additional buttons are located on the side panel, and sensitivity stepping from 400 to 16,000 DPI allows you to get maximum control not only over dynamic shooters, but also over FPS, RTS, MOBA and RPG games. And the customizable RGB backlight in combination with the white case looks extravagant. Well, if you suddenly get tired of its design, the Swedes have come up with something new - you can download an STP file with a 3D model of the case on the company's website, print the elements on a 3D printer and quickly replace them. Fortunately, the case is modular and the cover can be removed without a screwdriver. In general, now you understand why literally all bloggers, journalists and gamers were delighted with it, calling it one of the best gaming manipulators of recent years.

The Logitech G502 X is a slightly modified version of the popular G502 Hero mouse with a lightweight body and new optical-mechanical switches that combine durability, responsiveness and minimal latency when pressed. And they click quieter than the original mechanical switches used in the G502 Hero. At the same time, the mouse retains its recognizable design and familiar shape with asymmetrical buttons and a small protrusion for the thumb of the right hand.

As with the original model, the focus is on functionality: the Logitech G502 X is equipped with a large number of programmable buttons with the ability to save up to 5 profiles with button settings, and the scroll wheel supports two modes - precision and free. The latter is especially convenient for quickly browsing web pages or long documents. Scrolling modes are switched by quickly clicking on the wheel itself. The proprietary HERO sensor with a maximum resolution of up to 25,600 DPI demonstrates consistently high accuracy and can switch from a polling rate of 125 to 1000 Hz.

Despite its many advantages, by modern standards the Logitech G502 X is quite heavy (89 g), which may limit its appeal to players who prefer fast shooters. In addition, there are complaints online about the use of a plastic wheel instead of a metal one. Although, this is more a matter of taste. Otherwise, this is one of the best wired mice on the market, and thanks to the use of a wired connection, its cost remained at the level of the original model. For comparison, its wireless counterpart, the Logitech G502 X Lightspeed, will cost one and a half times more.