The best light gaming mouse aims to be a featherlight extension to your arm, a PC peripheral that blurs the line between flesh and machine. And while we’ve come a long way since hefty rubber balls traversing magazine freebie mousepads, even the most popular tournament-grade gaming mouse has a bit of heft to it. Hence the term ‘ultra-lightweight’ gaining buzzword status, particularly as manufacturers attempt to sell the latest line of top-tier gaming mice.
Premium peripheral manufacturers are putting the time and resources into developing next-generation sensors and sleeker switches; they’re even perforating the shells of input devices in an attempt to make gaming mice lighter. Theoretically, it should reduce fatigue, the risk of medical injuries, and syndromes like RSI or carpal tunnel, and otherwise increase the speed at which we can pull off clip-worthy headshots in shooters or highlight powerful units in hectic RTS battles.
Hyper-accurate sensors also play a big part these days. At higher refresh rates and resolutions, the need for next-generation sensors exists to ensure players aren’t held back by the very thing designed to replicate their movements. None of the sensors used in the mice listed below will struggle to keep up or threaten to hold you back, but there are pros and cons to everyone.
Best light gaming mouse
SteelSeries has hit a sweet spot with the Aerox 3 Wireless. The honeycomb perforations spread further than most, giving even the tops of your fingers a bit of a breeze, and it features a coarse outer shell for those who need the extra grip. The side buttons are held back by a narrow thumb rest, and the otherwise beautiful RGB trim reveals visible circuitry, which, depending on taste, can cheapen the overall look.
Small hands and a claw grip will go a long way here: Large-handed palm grip gamers might find themselves dragging their digits or risking accidental clicks. Even when opting for that slightly slimmer profile, though, the Aerox 3 Wireless managed to provide Bluetooth connectivity on top of its lightning-fast 2.4GHz mode.
Paired with a physical DPI button just above the mouse wheel, RGB lighting, a mammoth 200+ battery life (with fast charge and USB Type-C), and an included receiver hub and cable, there’s a degree of flexibility here that other wireless options in its grade can’t match—and its only 3 grams heavier than the other wireless mouse on this list.
Read our Steelseries Aerox 3 Wireless review.
The Mountain Makalu 67 is a stylish piece of kit. It’s also the chunkiest option on this list, making it a great choice for the bigger-handed player looking for a great light gaming mouse. Its large stature and heavily curved body should suit palm grips the best, but claw grip players shouldn’t notice any major downsides. Just note that it slopes aggressively on the right side.
There’s a deeply satisfying click from the two well-pronounced thumb buttons on the left. They sit relatively high up the body, giving your thumb plenty of space to work with, with molded ridges aiding further comfort. The cable is loose and light enough to whip around no problem, but the long rubber stem pinning it to the chassis might snag on a mousepad with any raised edge, like from a USB hub.
It would have been nice to see the breathable perforations stretch to the thumb and finger areas as well, but overall, the Mountain Makalu 67 is a solid choice and one that’s far lighter than it looks. It even features handy indentations to make replacing the mouse feet a breeze whenever the time comes.
Razer slides into the emerging light gaming mouse market this year with the wired Razer Viper 8KHz. The name is just a fancy way of saying the mouse reports its position to your computer a whopping 8,000 times per second. Is it noticeable in-game? Not really. But it’s a reassuring claim to fame that should reduce figurative mouse latency to a frankly ludicrous low.
The frighteningly fast sensor is housed in a solid plastic chassis that’s segmented in a cyborg-esque fashion. And it looks smoother than it actually is. Lay your palm over the low-profile body, and you’ll have a slightly textured grip and curved mouse buttons to keep you in place. With five DPI profiles and 8K polling enabled out of the box, the only real reason to need Razer’s own software clogging up your machine is to set a reachable DPI toggle, as it’s inconveniently placed underneath.
As the only ambidextrous mouse on our list, rubber grips beneath the two buttons on either side will aid thumb grip, but the premium touch does open up the question of long-term durability. The whole package doesn’t feel quite as high quality as others, but its ambidextrous design makes it the most well-rounded.
Read our Razer Viper 8KHz review.
Logitech has a long and storied history in the PC peripheral space, so it should come as no surprise to see them enter the light gaming mouse market. By far, the best part of the Logitech G Pro X Superlight is its wireless functionality. Though cords barely add a gram to the equation, the drag and snag potential is there. Sure, the battery of this particular pointer could run dry at a moment’s notice. Still, the Powerplay wireless charging functionality can keep it going indefinitely by going deeper into the Logitech ecosystem for some extra cash.
Outside of theoretical, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight is about as sleek as stylish as gaming mice come. Devoid of RGB, it wouldn’t look out of place in the office meeting room. Its egg-like body is perhaps too smooth to the touch with no real grip to speak of, but at a mere 63g, it manages to weigh less than Razer’s best attempt even while packing a 70+ hour battery.
The side buttons maybe a little too small and mushy for some. But had it not been for the Steelseries Aerox 3 Wireless, this would be the wireless light gaming mouse option to beat. It’s just a shame Bluetooth support may have become a casualty of the war on weight, which leaves its connectivity options lacking compared to its wireless rivals.
Read our Logitech G Pro X Superlight review.
The Roccat Kone Pro is the wired and slightly lighter version of the Roccat Kone Pro Air and comes in at less than two-thirds of the price. Similar to its wireless counterpart, its design is an interesting take on the honeycomb look. Rather than plastering the chassis with holes, Roccat has quite classily nestled the honeycomb design under the thin plastic of the left and right mouse buttons. Not only does it help to reinforce them, but it looks rad illuminated from beneath—it makes you feel a bit like a Jedi.
And if being tethered to your PC makes you wince, it doesn’t translate to awkward cable battles with the Kone Pro. The braided cable is barely noticeable when shifting around on these swift PTFE feet. The issue comes mainly in that the DPI button is, for some strange reason, on the underside of the mouse, so there can be no quick profile changes mid-battle.
And while it may not be the lightest mouse, nor has it got the highest DPI, it’s a unique, ergonomic, and all-over quality build that’s easily one of the most comfortable and gorgeous mice I’ve used—not to mention it being consistently accurate.
The Cooler Master MM720 is by far the smallest of the light gaming mouse bunch here, meaning it’s also the lightest at a mere 49 grams. It features the trendy honeycomb design but swaps a long body for a stubby design you could mistake for a cheap travel mouse you’d find grossly overpriced at an airport tech store.
Its smooth, plastic finish isn’t the most premium around, but even with the creaks, there’s no way a tense grip will crush it like a can. And despite the perforations, it’s IP58 water-resistant, so dropping a gamer beverage over this thing won’t destine it for the trash heap.
Its comparatively tiny footprint isn’t just a byproduct of Cooler Master aiming for that ultra-lightweight buzzword. There’s a method in the miniature form-factor in that it’s primarily designed for a claw grip. There’s no reason a palm or hybrid grip won’t work but prepare for your digits to curl over the clickers if that’s the case. Either way, the rare (and much appreciated) finger rest on the right-hand side should help keep things comfortable.
Why should I use a lightweight mouse?
A lightweight mouse is great for competitive gaming. The lighter weight makes it easier to stop, allows for quicker flings and swipes across your mousepad, which is ideal for first-person shooters. Some players like to lift the mouse as they play, and a lighter mouse is easier for those sorts of actions.