Staff’s Choice
Introduction
It’s no secret that gaming mice have been creeping up in price. A couple of years ago, $100 was pretty much the maximum price you had to pay for a truly top tier gaming mouse. Many mice went for around $60-$70, which would be considered pretty cheap by today’s standards. Since we know that not everyone can (or wants to) cough up the money required for a flagship mouse, we’ve listed some of the best budget gaming mouse options in this article.
Note: we list mice from brands that are commonly available across most of the world. There are tons of affordable Chinese mice being produced these days that could’ve made the list, but availability for these can be spotty. Furthermore, there can be issues with warranty and customer support.
NZXT Lift 2
If you’re looking for value, it’s hard to ignore NZXT’s recent Lift 2 line of mice. Yes, they’re wired, but they come with optical switches and the latest and greatest 3395 sensor that’s capable of 8000Hz polling rates. All of this can be found in a shell that weighs around 60 grams, making it a mouse that has flagship specs at a fraction of the price.
The build quality is good, the optical switches and buttons are tuned nicely, and the sensor implementation is as it should be as well.
The Lift 2 is available in two colors (black and white) and two shapes (symmetrical and ergonomic) so there should something for everyone out there. Its list price is $49.99, which is extremely respectable given the specs that you’re getting.
NZXT Lift 2 Ergo
If it’s value you’re looking for, the NZXT Lift 2 Ergo is difficult to beat. It’s got all of today’s bells and whistles (such as a 3395 sensor and optical switches) packed inside a well-built 61 gram package.
Pros
- Pro-level specs for a budget price
- Good build quality
- Nicely implemented (optical) switches
Cons
- Large shape might not suit everyone
- Exterior parts of the shell can grind on softer mousepads or when applying a lot of pressure on the mouse
Logitech G305
The Logitech G305 is, in gaming mouse years, absolutely ancient. However, it’s still one of the most recommended budget mice out there. That speaks volumes about how far ahead of the game Logitech was when they released this mouse.
What you’re getting here is a budget wireless mouse with flawless ingame performances and a completely lag-free wireless connection. In terms of pure gaming performances, this can still compete with some of the better options on the market nowadays.
Obviously, the mouse does show its age in some aspects. By today’s standards, it’s incredibly heavy. It also requires an external battery for power. That does mean that it has a very long battery life, but replacing a physical battery isn’t exactly user-friendly.
The G305 has been around and well-loved for such a long time that there are tons of mods and mod kits available for it though, so if you want to get the weight down or tinker with it in any other way, you definitely can.
The list price for the Logitech G305 is $49.99, but it can often be found at discounted prices due to its age.
Logitech G305
Used by 3 players ()-
Reps
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Neptuno
The G305, if you like (or don’t mind) the shape, is an absolute beast of a mouse, and it should definitely be considered if you’re in the market for a new piece of kit. Playing wireless is an amazing feeling and Logitech’s wireless functionality works as advertised.
Pros
- Flawless wireless performance on a budget
- Sturdy build quality
- Extremely long battery life
Cons
- A little heavy
- Requires an AA battery
- ‘Egg shaped’ shell design isn’t the safest out there
Razer Cobra
When the Razer Viper Mini originally released after months of requests from the community, it was criticized for being a takedown version of the original mouse. A budget mouse was not what the many fans who requested it wanted, but to Razer’s credit it was a pretty great budget mouse.
The Razer Cobra is the spiritual successor to the Viper Mini. This is a budget mouse with RGB lighting (something that you rarely see on flagship gaming mice these days), optical switches, and a flawless sensor. It comes in at around 58 grams, which is decent.
It cannot reach higher polling rates, but at an MSRP of $39.99 it’s one of the better budget gaming mice you can get right now. Do note that it’s on the smaller side though, which can be difficult to deal with if you have larger hands.
Razer Cobra
The Razer Cobra is the spiritual successor to the Razer Viper Mini. It is a budget-oriented wired mouse from Razer.
Pros
- Great price
- Good gaming performance
Cons
- Cable isn’t the best
- Build quality could be better
HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is a mouse that often flies under the radar, but there’s really no reason for that. Just like its predecessor, this is a well-made gaming mouse with specs that are up to today’s standards at a very fair price.
It has a max polling rate of 8000Hz, is nicely built, and quite simply performs great in all gaming scenarios. It does come with a wire, but that’s a sacrifice you’ll often have to make if you’re gaming on a budget and you don’t want to be stuck on downgraded specs.
For $59.99, the Pulsefire Haste 2 can be yours, though it can often be found on sale. There’s also a wireless version available, but that (obviously) costs more.
HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is the successor to the original Haste. It packs a new sensor and comes with a solid shell rather than a honeycomb shell.
Pros
- 8000Hz polling rate
- Great gaming performance
Cons
- Limited on-board storage
Razer DeathAdder V3 Hyperspeed
First off: we know that, at an MSRP of $99,99, the DeathAdder V3 Hyperspeed can’t really be called a budget mouse. But what’s interesting here is that you’re getting truly flagship specs at a price that’s (in this day and age) pretty friendly on the wallet.
The DeathAdder V3 Hyperspeed’s bigger brother -the V3 Pro- costs $50 more at MSRP, but you’re definitely not getting a 33% performance decrease with this mouse. In fact, you’re getting pretty much the same performances out of this mouse. The sensor is technically a downgrade, but in reality this won’t be noticed in gameplay since both are completely flawless sensors.
What you’re getting here is a lightweight wireless mouse with optical switches, a flawless sensor, lossless wireless technology, and great build quality. All of this, from a big brand, at $99,99, makes it quite a good deal. The only downside is that you need to purchase a separate HyperPolling dongle to unlock the mouse’s higher polling rate capabilities, but if you can find this mouse + one of those dongles at a sale you’ve got a flagship mouse for a really good price.
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed
Used by 3 players ()-
Swisher
-
Wailers
-
Lysoar
The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro Hyperspeed is essentially a DeathAdder mini. It has a (technically) inferior sensor, but in reality it offers the same performances as its bigger sibling at a much lower price point.
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Great build quality
Cons
- Coating could be better
- Need a separate dongle for higher polling rates
Conclusion
There’s absolutely no shortage of fantastic budget gaming mice in this day and age. We could’ve put five completely different mice in this list and it would still be a great list. However, as we said in the intro, we try to focus on established brands that are available in most regions. If you have any suggestions for other great budget gaming mice, feel free to reach out!
