Logitech Claims Its New Wireless G502 Lightspeed Gaming Mouse Is Faster Than Wired
Along with activity and performance without the wire and, when combined with LIGHTFORCE, features response times 68 percent faster than the previous generation. The LIGHTSPEED wireless protocol update also allows gamers to connect two LIGHTSPEED devices to one receiver using the Device Pairing Tool in G HUB. Players can choose to operate G502 X with the same receiver as their Logitech G915, G915 TKL, or G715 gaming keyboards.
Logitech claims its new wireless G502 Lightspeed gaming mouse is faster than wired
Though both the wireless Lightspeed and wired Hero share the same aggressive gaming-forward design with 11 programmable buttons, the options to add weights to control how fast you can move the mouse pad, and a comfortable ergonomic design, the wireless version costs $80 more than the $69 wired version at $149. With the premium price, you are getting some advancements, including better tracking and wireless charging capabilities.
Engineered for performance and precision, the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED is equipped with ultra-fast LIGHTSPEED wireless technology for a faster-than-wired gaming experience. It features a 1ms report rate, end-to-end optimized wireless connection and incredible responsiveness and reliability for competition-level performance.
If you play games on a PC, you should consider a gaming mouse. These models have faster response times than regular wired or wireless mice, more precise sensors, ergonomically placed buttons that you can customize with software, comfortable shapes, and scroll wheels with decisive ratchets. Most gaming mice let you switch between different sensitivity levels with the push of a button, allowing you to, say, lower the sensitivity for a first-person shooter and then turn it up for browsing the web. They often light up with pretty colors, too.
The best gaming mice have changed a lot in the past few years, and we're at the point where the best wireless gaming mice have the same or even lower latency than some wired models. You might still prefer the reliability of a wired connection, but the difference isn't noticeable in most cases. When looking for the right gaming mouse, you'll want to find one that fits your hand size and is suitable for your preferred grip types. It should also have a high polling rate and low click latency. Mice aren't one size fits all, and you'll want to choose a mouse that complements the kinds of games you like to play. For example, you may prefer a lightweight option if you're into FPS games or a more versatile mouse with lots of side buttons if you play MOBAs, MMOs, or Battle Royales.
For a mouse at a lower mid-range price point, we recommend the Razer Basilisk V3. There's a fairly large gap in the price of our budget pick to our mid-range pick, but this is representative of the price of gaming mice at the moment. There are options between these two picks, but spending a bit more or a bit less will get you a better mouse overall. This mouse is similar to the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED in many ways. The biggest difference is that this is a wired-only model. Otherwise, they share nearly identical ergonomic shapes, an impressive array of customizable controls, and outstanding sensor performance and click latency. The scroll wheel also has left and right tilt inputs and the ability to switch between regular notched mode and a much faster free-scrolling mode.
This mouse offers a notable advantage if you don't mind or even prefer a wired mouse. Because it doesn't need to hold a rechargeable battery, it's significantly lighter, making it an excellent option for handling faster-paced titles like FPS games that require quick mouse movements. Altogether, this is a standout pick if you're interested in a high-performance, versatile gaming mouse but don't need the flexibility of a wireless connection.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best mice for gaming for most people, whether you prefer wired or wireless models. We factor in the price (a cheaper mouse wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no mice that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
Despite looking and feeling so close to its predecessors, Logitech had to go back to the drawing board when it came to adding new features like LIGHTSPEED wireless. Cutting the cord and adding wireless charging meant reworking the entire internal design of the mouse, including a new endoskeleton structure lest the G502 become a much heavier mouse. It\u2019s worth it, however, as the HERO wired version I tested alongside it had issues with wire memory causing the cord to sometimes fight the mouse. Thanks to advancements in wireless connectivity, connecting via USB is no longer necessary even for competitive gaming.
Today, most of the conventional wisdom about wireless gaming mice is wrong. Some wireless mice are still more expensive, and poor ones could suck their batteries dry in the middle of a match or lag thanks to a weak wireless receiver. But the best wireless gaming mice perform almost indistinguishably from wired ones, without a hint of the traditional lag or stutter to be found.
When it comes to picking the best wireless gaming mouse, your decision should be based on the same criteria as it would be when buying a wired gaming mouse: How many buttons do you need? Lefty, righty, or ambidextrous? Heavy or light? There are a few wireless-specific questions you'll need to ask though: like how does it connect? How good is the battery life? Some wireless gaming mice are rechargeable, while others use standard batteries. Weigh the pros and cons and see which fits your budget.
With the Logitech G305 Lightspeed (opens in new tab), Logitech has created a high-performance wireless gaming mouse that doesn't cost the earth. Its mid-range price has it competing against some great wired mice, but there's no compromise here in terms of performance or design.
There are fewer buttons than its predecessor, but the layout is now cleaner and more thought out because of it. The upgraded Pixart PAW3392 optical sensor now reaches 18,000 DPI, and the QI wireless compatibility and improved battery life are just some of the improvements under the hood that should get some folks excited. The other is the $90 price that well undercuts its competitors like the Logitech G604 Lightspeed or the ROG Spatha, which is another gaming mouse for people with big mitts.I need to give the button layout a shoutout too. Mostly the smart placement of the two buttons to adjust DPI on the fly, located on the edge of the left mouse button that cycles through your onboard profiles. The light indicator to let you know which profile you're on is also a nice touch. At first, I was concerned that the LMB being slightly thinner than the RMB to accommodate the two extra buttons might affect my gameplay. Still, it ended up being a non-issue playing frantic shooters such as Call of Duty Warzone.
The only real shortcomings I found are that the right/left mouse buttons can feel a little flimsy due to the entire mouse being so light. It has fewer programmable buttons than its competitors, such as the Logitech G502 Lightspeed or even the Basilisk Ultimate, but comes in at the same hefty price range. Thankfully, its speed, 70-hour battery life, and ambidextrous design make it the best wireless mouse for competitive gaming around.
Acceleration is probably the most reviled, most scrutinized issue with gaming mouse sensors. When a mouse sensor exhibits acceleration, your cursor will move faster the faster you move the mouse; this is often considered bad because moving the mouse slowly six inches across a mousepad will move the cursor differently than moving the mouse rapidly same distance. This introduces variability that can be hard to predict.
The Logitech G502 Hero, and its wireless variant, G502 Lightspeed, are two of the biggest gaming mice available in the market right now. They both are measured at 132 x 75 x 40mm. As a consequence, these mouses are also quite heavy at 121g and 114g, respectively. However, they offer fantastic gaming performance, thanks to the Hero 25K optical sensor.
When it comes to finding a wireless gaming mouse, you'll no doubt want to improve your gaming experience rather than hinder it. Aside from there being one less cable to clutter up your desk, a wireless gaming mouse is also great for easier movement and portability.
If this is the wireless mouse for you, we think you'll quickly appreciate its fantastic value and performance. If you're not fussed on having a wireless gaming mouse, the wired G502 Hero is also reduced right now to just 44.78. It's not the cheapest we've seen it but it still has a decent 35 saving.
Do you want to compare the benefits of both wired and wireless gaming mice in more detail? If so, we recommend checking out Will Judd's best gaming mouse buying guide, where you can find more of Digital Foundry's top recommended gaming mice.
The Logitech G502 Lightspeed feels exceptionally comfortable and works as well as any wireless or, dare we say, wired mouse we've used recently. In the end, the question is whether or not it's worth the money. At about $150, plus an extra $100 for the PowerPlay pad, the full experience pushes the upper limit of what you can spend on a gaming mouse. There are lots of great options out there, wired and wireless, for less than $100, so it's hard to say whether what the Lightspeed brings to the table makes it worth its steep price. Taking money out of the equation, though, it's definitely the right-handed wireless mouse we'd choose to use right now.
The specs here are suprisingly solid too, given the price. It uses the same Lightspeed wireless tech as found on the more expensive G502 Lightspeed and G Pro Wireless, which is faster than a wired connection in some circumstances and just as reliable - in my many years of using it, I've never once had the mouse bug out, fail to connect or indeed exhibit any unusual behaviour whatsoever. There's also a Logitech Hero sensor which performs well and sips power, contributing to the mouse's endurance rating of up to 300 hours.