The Best Mouse For CS–GO 2018

After spending five weeks on research, speaking with gamers and product testing. We think ​Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB is one of the best gaming mouse to all serious CS-GO players. Logitech G502 offers PMW 336x Sensor for excellent tracking accuracy, 11 strategically arranged buttons, and a sleek ergonomic built that prevents finger fatigue after long hours of gaming. [Read more]

It’s no secret in the CS-GO gaming community that one of the key secrets of legendary players is that they play with a high quality gaming peripheral.

The mouse you use in playing the game does matter into your overall gaming performance. Therefore, if you are a serious CS-GO gamer who dreams to become the MVP in your team, you have to take the task of selecting a reliable gaming mouse quite seriously. (Click here for latest budget gaming mouse review)

Over the past few years, companies such as Logitech, Razer and among others have exploited this growing demand for high performance gaming rodents. However, this trend is also followed by an influx of knock-off and cheap products that are of low quality. In this regard, one needs to be critical in choosing and buying the perfect peripheral for your gaming conquests.

This article will help you in evaluating and finding the best gaming mouse in the peripheral market. We’ll be giving you some insightful advice in our buyer’s guide, as well as honest and reliable product reviews. At the end of this article, we’re also giving you our top picks, which hopefully would aid you in deciding the right mouse the suits your style.

What Should I Consider Before Buying a Mouse for CS-GO?

Choosing and buying a gaming mouse that suits your playing style and preference certainly requires you to understand some of the basic features of a gaming mouse. Words and phrases such as DPI, tracking performance, ergonomics and among others are technical terms that have significant meanings to the kind of gaming experience a mouse can offer. Hence, it is of utter importance that you understand these terms. Below is a short primer of the basic considerations you need to understand so you’ll be able to pick the right mouse.

DPI

DPI stands for dots per inch. It’s one of the overused buzzwords in the gaming community. More often than not, most people would say that a higher DPI, the better the mouse is. But, what does DPI even mean?

DPI simply refers to the pixels a mouse is able to display on a screen given an input in a single inch of physical space. In simpler terms, it’s a scale that determines your mouse’s sensitivity. A mouse with a higher DPI means that your cursor travels farther on your screen compared to a mouse with a lower DPI, assuming you move your mouse at the same distance, speed, and surface.

In a vast majority of cases, you’ll only a DPI between 400- 3,200. This range is more than enough for playing CS-Go and other FPS games. This also means that, while it may be cool to have a little extra DPI, you probably won't need it in a vast majority of instances. Chill, brother. A 3,200 DPI can do the job well.

Lastly, it’s also helpful to have a mouse that can toggle through different DPI settings. Ideally, a mouse should have at least 4 DPI toggle options (400/800/1600/3200). Some gaming mice only offer two toggle options but it still boils down to player preference when it comes to DPI shifting.

Switches

Every millisecond counts in a CS-GO game so a button that is easy to click is a must-have for any gaming mouse. Ideally, you’d want those that are easy to click and pops back up in the shortest amount of time possible. The Omron switch is the most trusted and preferred switch brand among CS-GO gamers so you’d want to be alert for mice units that have this switch.

Wired vs. Wireless

Another common debate among gamers is the issue on which type of mouse is better for gaming. I can say a handful of things in favour of the wireless mouse. For starters, a wireless mouse will always be the winner when it comes to the aesthetics battle. While there a lot of wired gaming mice that looks great, nothing can still beat the idea of a device that doesn’t make use of wires. Also, wireless mouse allows a player to move farther from his monitor screen in a distance that is within the mouse’s Bluetooth range.

While these amenities may sound enticing, the most important priority gamers have is the gaming performance of the mouse. When it comes to gaming performance, I’m firmly leaning on the side of wired gaming mice. Wired gaming mice tend to have higher DPI when compared to their wireless peers. Wired ones also register more button clicks, an important feature if you’re playing FPS games. There’s a strong consensus in the CS-GO community that wired mice are better in doing the job. A wired mouse is still the safest and arguable, the best choice for CS-GO players.

If you happen to be insistent on the idea of buying a wireless mouse for gaming, there are a few trusted mouse units that have an impeccable tracking performance. Moreover, given that most wireless mouse are associated with lag performance, you need to be extra careful in picking one.

Mouse Design

There are a few more things you need to consider apart from a mouse’s aesthetic design. You also need to look at the mouse’s shape to evaluate whether or not it fits your hand orientation and gripping style. Most gaming mouse are designed for right-handed players so left-handed players will need to be more cautious in picking a mouse. Also, some mouse shapes are better geared to bringing more comfort to claw grippers while others are better designed for supporting a player’s palm. Objectively speaking, the perfect mouse design for you is one that perfectly fits to your hand’s orientation and gripping style.

Sensor

When it comes to sensors, most neophyte gamers would ask whether an optical or a laser sensor is better for gaming. If you’re expecting a hardline yes or no answer, you’ll be disappointed because there’s actually no consensus on which mouse sensor is better. There are good optical sensors but there are also bad ones. The same also applies with laser sensors. The point is, it all depends on how well the sensor is manufactured. More often than not, you’ll have to scout for details to find out which mouse units offer the best tracking performance. Companies such as Logitech, Razer and Corsair are mostly trusted by gamers insofar as tracking performance is concerned.

We’ve spend five days in researching the best reviewed and the most recommended gaming rodents in various review sites, gaming forums and among other sites where information is available. After weighing in all the reviews, good and bad, we’ve come up with a shortlist of products that we’ll be testing. It took me an entire month to personally test all 10 products in playing CS-GO. In evaluating the products, I took careful consideration in evaluating the overall tracking performance, the comfortability of its design, button convenience and among other features offered by different gaming rodents. In the end, after carefully considering these things, I picked three of the best products which I can confidently recommend to all serious CS-GO players.

1. Logitech 403 – A Great Plug and Play Gaming Mouse

The Logitech 403 has an impressive tracking performance that is relatively better than other gaming mice for CS-GO gaming. It has a tracking speed that could go as high as 500 inches per second which can be attributed to its onboard 32-bit ARM processor and Delta Sensor Technology (video).

More than this mouse’s tracking power, its ergonomic design and its button placements are also equally commendable features. Design wise, this mouse has a shape that is comfortable enough for long hours of CS-GO gaming. Hand grip with this mouse is firm enough, thanks to the rubber placement on the sides of this mouse. Plus, along with the plastic feet, this mouse also has jagged edges on its base to ensure smooth and interruption-free gliding on any surface. Furthermore, the Logitech 403’s eight programmable buttons are also strategically placed for easy player access. Speaking of buttons, what we are also impressed about with this mouse is that it has a DPI changing button which allows you to quickly change the DPI setting between 250-4,000 DPI. Also, the ‘sniper’ button allows you to save time whenever you want to change to sniper mode.

The software that accompanies this mouse is, however, quite mediocre. It does not have a built-in gaming library so you’ll have to install commands manually. The mouse also doesn’t have a weight changing system, though it’s not really a big deal in playing CS-GO. By and large, it’s still a mouse with great performance and durability. 

Like all  most gaming rodents released by Logitech, the Logitech G303 is laudable for the powerful gaming performance and the eccentric yet comfortable design it offers to its users. The mouse is impressively lightweight, weighing only 87 grams. On a first glance, the mouse is oddly shaped and doesn’t look comfortable. It’s also a lot less bulky than most gaming mice. I’ve tried using it on a few CS-GO rounds and the mouse is surprisingly comfortable to use. You need to hold it with a half claw grip, which can be awkward to the hands if you’re not used to it. However, when you get used to its design, the Logitech 303 is surprisingly comfortable.

The DPI range is also insanely high. You can power your DPI up to 12,000. CS-GO gods usually play between 800-1600 DPI so a 12,000 DPI may be unnecessary but a few add-ons would not really hurt you. Changing the DPI setting between 200-12,000 is also made easier, thanks to this mouse’s on-the go DPI button.

Speaking of buttons, this mouse has six programmable Omron buttons. Its buttons have a metal spring tensioning feature which makes the mouse more responsive and more convenient to press. Logitech estimates the mouse to be good for 20,000,000 clicks, the number of clicks a person could make if he clicks the mouse every second of an entire year. Undoubtedly, this mouse is durable.

Performance wise, the Logitech G303 uses a PMW 3366, one of the most powerful sensors in the market today . This mouse also effectively addresses the ‘acceleration’ problem (a usual complain among gamers) through its Delta Zero Optical Sensor Technology.

The Logitech G303 successfully combines three important qualities in a gaming mouse: top notch performance, durable built and comfort. 

When it comes to the Razer DeathAdder Chroma, there’s  actually nothing ground-breaking or revolutionary with this gaming mouse. It just happens to be very good in covering the basics.

The Razer DeathAdder Chroma has a 10,000 DPI sensor, a 1,000 Hz polling rate, a 10,000 DPI sensor, and a very comfortable ergonomic design. It’s a simple mouse but it’s very good in taking simplicity to a whole new level.

The button placement is very basic. There’s the usual left, right and middle button along with two other buttons at the left side of the mouse. A salient feature of all these buttons is that they’re oversized, in a good way. Even the two buttons on the right side are almost as big as your thumb. With these enormous buttons, you can intuitively click specific buttons with incredible ease since they cover a wide area. While the DeathAdder Chroma is designed for right-handed players, a left-hand edition is also being offered by Razer, the sole difference of which is that the two buttons are placed on the right side of the mouse instead.

Another praiseworthy feature of this mouse is its ergonomic design. This mouse is very comfortable. Its design is just so expertly shaped to fit comfortably to the hands. There’s also a rubber surface on the sides, so the hands don’t fall off during intense CS-GO rounds. However, its only great palm grippers so if you are a claw-gripping type of player, you may want to weigh your options more carefully.

With an incredibly accurate sensor, superb ergonomics and easily accessible buttons, this no-frills mouse is a solid gaming gear to own.

It’s really rare for a wireless mouse to be as reliable and powerful as its wired peers. The SteelSeries Sensei happens to be a rarely reliable wireless mouse. With a staggering 16,400 DPI and an ultra-fast 32-bit ARM processor,this mouse can arguably compete well with its wired peers. After testing it on a single CS-GO round, I find this gaming rodent surprisingly accurate, precise and powerful. By and large, the SteelSeries Sensei is an exceptional mouse insofar as performance is concerned.

Design wise, this mouse is a firm believer that simplicity is beauty. The mouse is ambidextrous and symmetrical so both left and right handed players can enjoy this mouse’s amenities. It’s not ergonomic though, so it’s not exactly as comfortable as other gaming mice like the Logitech and Razer rodents. It’s also not uncomfortable, so it pretty much average when it comes to comfort. Aesthetic wise, the mouse is glossy and is fairly attractive. Its dock which serves as the mouse’s signal receiver also looks great. The dock’s base is surrounded by a thin, illuminated line, which also signals the mouse’s battery level based on the color it emits.

Mionix Caster is a gaming mouse that offers nothing more than a powerful performance and a comfortable, top notch design. There are no frills or any other gimmick add-ons with this mouse. This practical and unpretentious approach may sound a lot like Razer DeathAdder’s, and indeed, they have a lot of commonalities with each other.

Like the Razer DeathAdder Chroma, this gaming mouse has a simple six-button design and a 10,000 DPI capacity. Both gaming rodents seem to have a clear understanding that CS-GO players (or any FPS gamer) that six buttons is more than enough and that a 200,000 DPI capacity is completely ludicrous. The Mionix Castir uses an Avago ADNS 3310 processor, which is equally powerful to deliver top notch gaming performance. While it lacks the frills other gaming models offer, the Mionix Caster ensures that it has the basics pretty much covered.

The ergonomic design of the Mionix Caster is also impressive. It’s extremely comfortable and it’s really intended for intense and long hours of gaming. The smooth, shiny surface seems to be ripped from a page of Razer DeathAdder’s design bible. There’s also a textured area on the side for the thumb, which is placed for better mouse gripping. The two spare buttons are placed on the left side, so it’s better suited for right-handed players. 

The SteelSeries Rival 300 is a good gaming mouse but not really a great one. It offers a professional grade performance and a comfortable design but a lot of other gaming mice offer the same things. It’s an innocuous mouse that’s basically built for players with large hands.

I have enormous hands and I’m pleased how much my hands are supported by this mouse’s body. It also has a rubber-covered surface on the sides, but it’s a slightly rigid and I wish it was a bit better cushioned. At about 130 grams, it’s really heavier than most other gaming mice I’ve tried but it’s a forgivable offense given how comfortable its ergonomic design is. Also, the buttons are also convenient and easy to click. The two spare buttons on the sides are also sufficiently separated, so you’ll rarely have a problem distinguishing the two buttons.

Performance wise, it’s accurate, precise and responsive as promised. However, the SteelSeries 300 has a serious illumination issue. It’s true that you can control the color or the level of illumination but it still falls short in emitting these colors. This is a major problem especially when you’re trying to distinguish the DPI setting you are playing in.

Despite its shortcoming in its illumination, the SteelSeries Rival 300 is still a good mouse. It’s not exactly as threatening or as exciting as other gaming rodents, but it is a great gaming mouse for gamers who are looking for a reliable, entry-level gaming mouse.

Released in 2015, the EC2-A is designed by CS-GO gaming legends which is probably it has a considerable following. Its build is sturdy enough to endure endless abuse and its performance is great. 

In case you’re wondering, the Zowie EC2-A is just a smaller replicate of the Zowie EC1. The EC2-A is shorter and lighter when compared to the EC1. Design wise, the Zowie EC2-A possess a classic look, so it can easily be mistaken as a regular office mouse. The overall build is of good quality so it’s durable enough to endure intense handling. Also, this mouse is designed to provide comfort to the hands of any dedicated CS-GO player. 

With this mouse’s Avago 3310 processor, precision and accuracy is competitive enough. This mouse has five buttons: the left and right buttons, the clickable scroll buttons, and two side buttons (one of which is the DPI toggle button). Speaking of DPI, you can easily switch between 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 DPI settings so it is easier to control your mouse’s pacing. The DPI indicator of this mouse is also impressive, which emits various colors for every DPI setting: red for 400, purple for 800, blue for 1600 and green for 3200.

If you’re looking for a tournament level gaming house that is reliable in delivering strong performance and maximum hand comfort, the EC2-A is one of the best options out there.

The Logitech G502 Spectrum is closely resembles its predecessor, the G502 Core, with an upgrade on its RGB lighting. Both gaming mice features the same 11-button, ergonomic design and both units have an outstanding performance. They are not really different when it comes to the basics, but the Logitech G502 Spectrum offers a more customized gaming experience.

This mouse has a very comfortable ergonomic design that would suit right handed, palm grippers. It’s edgy and hip design is also aesthetically appealing. The button placements are conveniently arranged. I loved how accessible the DPI toggle button is and the sniper button also comes very handy in playing CS-GO.

Performance wise, the tracking capacity of this peripheral device is accurate, precise and responsive. While there’s little doubt with this mouse’s overall build quality, ergonomic design and performance, Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum’s edge over its competitors is the highly customizable gaming experience it offers to its users.

Its most salient upgrade from its predecessor, the RGB lighting, allows users to customize the colors for each user account which is also customizable using a software that is easy to use. There’s also an adjustable weight system so you can increase or decrease the mouse’s weight on specific parts of the mouse. Plus, a surface tuning system also comes with this mouse which basically allows you to tune your mouse’s performance according to the surface your mouse glides.

One particular caveat though: its Teflon feet can wear down after a few months of abusive use. Most users complain that the adhesive is not sticking properly to the Teflon feet. 

By and large, Logitech G502 Proteus Spectru, with a few glitches aside, is still a solid gaming mouse choice for CS-GO. 

The Corsair M65 RGB is an great, high-end gaming rodent. This mouse has most of the things that a gaming mouse needs to have – aircraft grade built, ergonomic design, and high performance, useful and easy to use software and among other demands.

The Corsair M65 RGB has an aircraft grade built made up aluminium, which means that it’s durable enough to endure episodes of abuse from its owner. The ergonomic design also makes this mouse very comfortable to use in any FPS game. There are six buttons, all of which are Omron switches. There’s the left and right button, the scroll button, the two thumb buttons and Corsair’s signature ‘sniper button’. The clicks are crisp with this mouse’s switches, but I personally find the two thumb buttons quite small. Nevertheless, the thumb buttons are strategically placed so it’s still very accessible to its users, not to mention it’s also very responsive.

Performance wise, the 33 6x sensor of this mouse performs powerfully. It has a DPI of 12,000, an upgrade from its predecessor’s 8,600 DPI. While the numbers are amazing to look at, I am sceptical about the insane DPI’s usefullness, considering that most CS-GO players toggle around the 400-3,200 DPI range. Playing is also made more convenient with the mouse’s weight changing system, so you can definitely control how heavy or light you want your mouse to be in gaming.

Lastly, the greatest selling point this mouse has (apart from its RGB lighting upgrade) is its software. The software is very to use and it offers a wide range of options including button assignments, lighting settings, DPI settings, color lighting and many other features you can personally customize.

If you’re looking for a high-end gaming mouse that offers supreme features, the Corsair M45 RGB you suit you well.

Unlike other gaming rodents that are designed specifically for a particular type of hand orientation and hand grip, the Zowie FK2 is a versatile gaming mouse that fits to both types of hand orientation and gripping style. This mouse has two thumb buttons on both sides of the mouse, a great selling feature considering that most gaming mice only have a set of thumb buttons on one side of the mouse.

Zowie FK2’s tracking performance is also accurate and responsive enough, thanks to its powerful 3310 processor. It is lightweight, weighing only 84 grams. The DPI is adjustable up to 3,200, a fairly decent number which is more than enough for your gaming needs. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the ergonomic design is designed for both right and left handed players as well as for palm and claw grippers. The mouse is decently comfortable.

Button wise, the Zowie FK2 makes use of its own proprietary buttons, which requires more pressure to press compared to other mouse units. However, while it’s slightly harder to press, the buttons have lesser travel time than most Omron switches. By and large, it’s still conducive for gaming.

Overall, this mouse is a reliable mouse with decent performance and ergonomic design. However, it lacks the features that its competitors offer at almost the same price range.

Our Recommendation:

Our Top Pick: Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB

There are a lot of high performance and ergonomic gaming rodents out in the market these days but the Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB stands out from the rest of these products. Like any other Logitech product, this mouse is has a very responsive and accurate sensor. But what I love the most with this gaming mouse is its ergonomic design that is extra comfortable. It feels very natural to the hands and it’s considerably one of the best designed gaming mouse out there in terms of comfort. It’s ultra-fast scroll wheel is also very nice to use, especially when I’m changing weapons in intense CS-GO rounds.

The software, its weight adjustment system, its RGB lighting are also of supreme quality. Overall, its a solid gaming mouse that is reliable and comfortable for CS-GO gaming.

Honorable Mention #1: Razer DeathAdder Chroma

The Razer DeathAdder Chroma is a popular gaming mouse in the market right now. After using the mouse for a few weeks in playing CS-GO, I’ve realized that the mouse’s popularity has to do with its comfortable ergonomic design. The mouse is pretty much minimalist in design and it can be easily mistaken as a regular office mouse. Nevertheless, the mouse is really comfortable and it feels very natural to the hands. I also love the enlarged buttons since it’s very easy to reach out to any of the buttons, especially the side buttons that are just as big as my thumb. Performance wise, it delivers excellent tracking performance which is also another reason why it is so popular among gamers. The product embodies the ‘no frills’ idea in a mouse. Overall, I’d say it’s really a great mouse except for its aesthetic look. It’s made up entirely of plastic so it creates the impression that it’s cheaply made. It obviously prioritizes function over form, which is not exactly a bad thing.

Honorable Mention #2: Corsair M65 RGB

The Corsair M65 RGB is a high-end mouse that offers most of the features that its competitors are also offering to its customers. It has a 12,000 DPI, a powerful tracking performance and a comfortable and stylish ergonomic design. It’s also has an impressive built, which is aircraft grade that is made up of aluminium. You can also customize further your gaming experience, thanks to its software that is very easy to use alongside with its weight tuning system which allows you to control the over-all feel of your mouse.