The GearLab team is made up of equal parts hardware aficionados and hardcore gamers — in fact, many of us are both. We're passionate about even the most incremental improvements in tech, and we're always on the lookout for the next big thing that's going to improve our gameplay experiences. When a new gaming mouse starts making waves, we buy it (no freebies) and subject it to a series of standardized tests. We are generally just as curious about its true performance as you are, because we know the right mouse can give you the edge you need to show off your skills online or in a local tournament. We focus on evaluating four separate metrics to compare overall performance: Comfort, weight and balance, scroll wheel, and sensor performance.
Comfort
Comfort is the most heavily weighted scoring metric. You may wonder, “Why not sensor performance?” Because a gaming mouse, by definition, already has excellent sensor tech built in. You already know you're getting a responsive mouse, so our main priority is to narrow down your options by helping you find the one that suits your hand size and grip style. To that end, our testing process focused on using each mouse during game-play with a fingertip, claw, and full palm grip, then evaluating how each grip feels for different hand sizes. We also use a force displacement tester to precisely measure how much effort it takes to click the mouse buttons, which directly affects how much fatigue or discomfort you'll feel over long gaming sessions.
Weight and Balance
When it comes to maximizing your control of on-screen movements, weight and balance are the most important measurements. We weighed each mouse, giving higher scores to those that weigh less. Being light means you can make rapid movements without drag or inertia hindering you during vital encounters. Of course, there are niche benefits to using a heavy mouse, so we give every product a chance to shine by evaluating its balance as well. A perfectly balanced mouse is one that you can control with ease, while one that's front-heavy or back-heavy will add an element of unpredictability.
Scroll Wheel
The scroll wheel is an often overlooked aspect of a gaming mouse, but a well-designed wheel can offer one more advantage. Our testing process starts with measuring the level of noise and resistance when rotating the scroll wheel. We also check the noise and resistance of clicking the scroll wheel, which is especially important for gamers who want to map as many functions as possible to their mouse. We award extra points to mice that include advanced features like 4D scrolling or infinite scrolling.
Sensor Performance
The sensor is ultimately the element that makes a mouse into a gaming mouse. We put less emphasis on this metric compared to those listed above, precisely because it's a prerequisite for being on this list in the first place, and the differences in sensitivity are sometimes less than those in comfort and weight, etc. Even so, competitive gamers who seek the ultimate advantage will want to know exactly which mouse has the fastest, most responsive movement detection. We spare no effort in measuring polling rate, CPI, SRAV, and overall consistency, using dedicated software and specially-built testing rigs to accomplish this. While some gaming mice are capable of targeting a polling rate of 8,000Hz, we primarily judged based on how reliably each one could achieve a perfectly consistent responsiveness of 1,000Hz.