Best Gaming Mouse
Zowie has been around for a while, and ever since their mice first hit the scene they've been a hit with gamers who specialize in shooters. The brand quite notably has been dominating the CS:GO pro scene for years now, but their products also see a lot of use in different pro scenes. Still, the EC has been the de facto 'standard issue CS:GO mouse' basically since it released, and the fact that it still holds that position today is a testament to its quality as a tactical shooter mouse.
The EC is modeled after the legendary Microsoft Intellimouse and while the shape is not the exact same we can't say that that is a disadvantage. The Zowie EC is widely known for having one of the most comfortable shapes around, and if you're after an ergonomic gaming mouse without a lot of gimmicks you absolutely have to try the EC.
It's not without its quirks though. Zowie specifically designs their mice for competitive (FPS) gaming, and so the scroll wheel has very few steps when compared to most other mice, which can make it a bit strange to use for browsing. Zowie also uses Huano switches for their buttons instead of the more ubiquitous Omron switches. Huanos are known to be a bit heavier than Omrons, which is done to prevent accidental clicking, but that's not to say that Huanos are worse than Omrons. They're simply different, and what you prefer comes down to personal preference.
Some of these things might take some time to get used to (especially the scroll wheel) but they do make these mice unique, and since Zowie's products are made for gaming we should judge them as gaming mice and not as browsing devices.
The EC series comes in different sizes (EC1 and EC2) but there are also three different iterations that are frequently used. We'll briefly go over each of these. All of these EC iterations have the same shape, cable, and buttons.
ECx-A: This is the oldest version of the EC that's currently still in use. It houses the 3310 sensor, which technically isn't a flawless sensor in the sense that it is possible to make the sensor spin out under very specific circumstances but it happens so rarely that it doesn't seem to stop professionals from using this mouse, so we don't see this older sensor as an issue.
ECx-B: This is the new and upgraded version of the A. It features the flawless 3360 sensor, with the other most notable change found on the bottom, where Zowie swapped the 2 large mouse feet on the A for four smaller feet. Minor changes were also made to the side buttons and the coating.
ECx-B Divina: This is a special edition of the ECx-B line. It comes with a glossy coating (as opposed to the regular matte coating) and the four smaller feet have been changed back to two large feet on this special edition. In addition to that Zowie also moved the 'information sticker' (containing the serial number etc.) from the bottom of the mouse to a tab at the end of the cable in order to improve the glide.
ECx: This has the same 3360 sensor and large mouse feet that the Divina version has, but this one has the standard Zowie matte coating with improvements made over the ECx-B version.
ECx-C: This is the latest iteration of the EC series. It comes with a series of notable improvements such as a shoelace-like cable, reduced weight, and a 24-step scroll wheel. These mice feature modern improvements without losing sight of what makes Zowie mice so popular (reliability, plug and play, ...) so if you're asking us they're the definitive version to get right now if you're looking for a Zowie mouse.
How to choose the perfect gaming mouse: Weight, wired vs wireless, more
If you’re looking to upgrade your mouse but you’re a little lost on what to choose, this is what you should look for in a gaming mouse and how you choose your own.
Picking the perfect gaming mouse can be hard. Do you go for one that is light and accessible? How about one covered with buttons? How much of an impact should a mouse’s DPI have on your decision? The market is flooded with excellent choices and, occasionally, technical jargon can get in the way of figuring out what works best for you.
It’s not enough to just pick up the best-looking or most expensive gaming mouse – with so many features, many with a focus on certain game types like FPS, MOBA, or MMO, there’s not really a “one-size fits all” option. That can make it tough to pick the best gaming mouse, but we’ve compiled this guide to help you find the right one for you.
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If you’re looking to upgrade your rig but you’re a little lost on what to choose, this is what you should look for in a gaming mouse and how you choose your own.
Contents:
Roccat Roccat is one of the top brands of gaming mice and a preference of Dr Disrespect.
Gaming Mouse VS Regular Mouse: What’s the difference?
There are plenty of differences between a gaming mouse and a regular one. Outside of the addition of RGB and some, occasionally, over-the-top aesthetic choices, they often come with far more customization options.
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They are designed to game, meaning they have more ergonomic designs to ensure your hand is comfortable for a long time. They also tend to have less resistance on both the feet and the cable, allowing faster, more efficient movement for snapping back to hit those clinical headshots.
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As well as this, they tend to have a much greater range of DPI (Dots Per Inch). This essentially means they have a wider array of movements to them thanks to increased sensitivity. If a mouse comes with the option to change the DPI on the fly, it means you can change the amount of movement a flick of your wrist will achieve, allowing for more fine-tuning than a mouse that’s stuck to a set DPI.
Steelseries Steelseries Aerox 3 is the company’s attempt at a lightweight mouse.
A higher DPI tends to be a little smoother and offers more accurate movement when you have limited space. This being said, some have reported a lack of consistency, and it can take some time to adjust.
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If you can get used to it, picking something with a relatively broad DPI range would work best, allowing you to tailor it on a per-game basis.
Gaming Mouse Weight
One of the major features to look for when shopping for a new gaming mouse is how much it weighs. While it’s entirely up to your own preference, a lot of FPS players use extremely lightweight products like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight or even Razer’s newer Viper V2 Pro at roughly 63 grams.
While those two are options that offer a solid outer shell, a common feature of lightweight mice is a ‘honeycomb’ shell. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste, Glorious Model O, and even Valorant Pro TenZ’s favorite, the Finalmouse Starlight-12 are some of the most popular products with this design.
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If lightweight isn’t your thing, Corsair and Logitech offer high-quality products with adjustable weight options that give you the ability to find a sweet spot between roughly 121 and 139 grams, significantly heavier than the lightweight options.
Gaming Mouse Types
There are a few main types of mice to be aware of when you’re researching your own. Mice traditionally designed for shooters tend to be much lighter and only have a few buttons. This allows for more efficient movement, whilst staying uncluttered in the most panicked moments.
Those designed for MMOs, MOBAs, or RTS tend to hide a few more buttons on the side, allowing you to double up the job of your keyboard on the fly.
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At the same time, they tend to favor a style of grip that uses the palm. This allows you to place your thumb on the side to hit those buttons with ease.
Razer With a wide variety of buttons on the side, the Razer Naga X is perfect for games with a variety of key binds.
There are, of course, mice that blur this line. Ambidextrous mice like the Razer Viper Ultimate tend to be a little lighter and symmetrical, fitting a few different playstyles and some mice offer the appeal of both, providing a relatively light experience with a handful of buttons to play around with.
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If you like to swap between games and want the chance to experiment, a more hybrid style could be the best option for you
What to look for in a gaming mouse
All of the above is worth paying attention to when doing your research. You need to pay attention to the basic shape and intent of the mouse, as well as some technical aspects like the DPI switch and capabilities.
You should also pay attention to the materials the mouse is made of, what style of feet it has on the bottom, and, of course, customer reviews. When it comes to the feet, some mice offer swappable options that are smoother on your mousepad.
Logitech Available in 80g and 63g, the Logitech G Pro wireless is the most commonly used.
Finally, consider if you want an optical or laser mouse. An optical mouse uses LED technology whereas a laser mouse uses a laser. There is obviously some nuance between the lines but lasers tend to be a little more accurate at the expense of some easiness and optical tend to be more consistent but won’t work on more reflective surfaces.
For the most part, you won’t tend to notice the difference between the two but it’s worth thinking about your setup first.
Is Wired or Wireless Better for Gaming?
Though it wasn’t always this way, there is now little difference between wired and wireless mice in regards to latency. Most of what we will see now is dependent entirely on your preference. Wireless mice tend to be a little more malleable to a setup – not requiring extra wires and as much space.
Wired mice, however, never need to be charged and don’t tend to use as many USB slots on your rig; with one cable to charge it and one for connectivity, a lot of good wireless mice take up two slots.
Razer Alongside the Logitech GPro, the Razer Viper Ultimate is one of the most popular wireless gaming mice.
If you can afford that USB space, a wireless mouse is a great choice for your setup, getting rid of any mouse drag that may come along with a wire. Some companies, like Razer and Roccat, tend to give a braided and light wire to fix most of these issues but it still takes up a little room on your desk. Wired mice tend to be more abundant on the market and a little cheaper.
The likes of Logitech offer their own proprietary wireless dongles, too, which eliminate lag and latency from wireless connections. Neither is necessarily better for gaming but both have pros and cons you should account for.
How to choose a Gaming Mouse
When you are choosing a gaming mouse, you should account for the following: looks, price, connectivity, feel, and selling point. As far as looks and price are concerned, this is a mouse you will likely use for some time – pick something you can afford and that has features that you’ll use to save needing to replace it in a few years’ time.
With connectivity, you should read into how it connects, what types of switches and lasers it uses and how its buttons work. If you play games on a computer with limited ports, for example, it may be worth looking for one that offers a Bluetooth option for connectivity.
Razer/Roccat/CoolerMaster From the Roccat Kone to the Razer Viper Ultimate, gamers have a wide variety of choices.
Feel is possibly the most important factor out of all of the above. If you have the chance to test out some mice before you buy them, it is absolutely worth doing. Sometimes, you may really like the feel of a mouse you hadn’t even considered before, especially with a variety of different shapes and sizes.
If you can get comfortable with something, your accuracy will naturally come along with it. It is worth noting that, with a mouse, feel can really trump all else; even a lower spec mouse will work better in the hands of someone comfortable with it.
Finally, some mice have unique selling points you should be aware of. Most of the time, these are just fun extras like the Razer Viper Ultimate coming with a stand or the Marsback Zephyr Pro coming with a small fan but that little extra gimmick can be the difference between two very similar mice.
Ultimately, this is a decision that will, in some way, affect your gaming for the foreseeable future. There’s no shame in taking some time to figure out what works best for you and your setup.
9 Best Palm Grip Gaming Mice In 2022
The palm grip is best described by the player holding the mouse with the entirety of their hand. Their palm usually contacts all of the mouse arch and their fingers rest against mouse 1 and mouse 2. The fingers lie flat across each button without any arching.
A palm-claw hybrid grip involves a similar setup except the player tends to arch their palm more compared to a standard palm grip. This means there is less contact between the palm and the arch of the mouse. The fingers also arch very slightly instead of lying flat like a full palm grip.
The fingertip grip is easier to distinguish since there is a very prominent arch in the hand with only the tips of the fingers having contact across mouse 1 and 2 and the other fingers across the sides of the mouse.
To find out more about these mouse grips in detail check out our article on the different mouse grips here.
Features to Consider
Choosing a mouse involves a lot of decisions. If you are serious about your mouse then you should consider the following criteria to ensure you are considering all of the important features of a gaming mouse.
Size & Shape
The size and shape of the mouse you choose are vitally important. This will affect how comfortable you find the mouse which in my opinion is the most important factor in any mouse. This is especially true for palm grip players. They tend to go for larger mice since their whole hand rests against the mouse. Narrow and small mice are often not suited towards palm grip players unless they have smaller hands of around 16-18cm x 7-8cm.
Optic & DPI (Dots Per Inch)
The optic is almost as important as the size of the mouse you choose. If you play primarily FPS games this is even more important to ensure you have a consistent and accurate aim. Each mouse’s optic will be outlined and the range of DPI the mouse offers.
Buttons
Buttons can range in quality from mouse to mouse. Their travel time and feedback are important factors that can affect how much you enjoy using the mouse. If you are MOBA or MMORPG player you may also be interested in side buttons too which may influence your decision.
I will be sure to point out each of the mice’s buttons in detail below to answer all your questions.
Lift-off Distance (LOD)
Lift-off distance can affect the responsiveness and predictability of your mouse pointer. It is the amount of distance between the mouse and the surface before the optic stops registering movement.
A high LOD can create unpredictable movements when swiping and performing 180 turns in games. Therefore mice with a low LOD are considered better, however, this setting is usually configurable on most mice and can often come down to preference.
Weight
For palm grip players they often go for slightly heavier mice compared to that of a claw grip or fingertip player. This isn’t a rule though, just a generalisation.
Since they use their whole hand to move the mouse this provides them with a more strength. In addition, they also tend to use more of their forearm and arm to position the mouse instead of their wrist. The weight of the mouse should be considered alongside the size since both metrics go hand in hand.
Cable
An often forgotten part of mice selection is the cable. I have returned mice in the past purely due to the cable quality and texture. This is usually personal preference but depending on the type of cable it may cause friction or vibrations which can be a distraction.
Durability & Texture
Durability and texture are hard to test since they often require time. Where necessary I will try to comment on the durability and texture of each mouse and report any issues that have been raised by other members of the gaming mouse community.
The texture is also important because it can have an effect on the grip and whether or not the mouse makes your hand sweat.
