WHAT MAKES A GREAT GAMING MOUSE?

No gaming mouse is perfect, and there are a number of things that make us choose one mouse over another. Firstly, there’s the comfort level that depends on the way you hold the mouse. Some people prefer to grip the entire mouse with their palm while some others use two fingers to move it around - usually, the thumb and the little finger. Large, taller mice tend to be more comfortable if you hold the mouse in your palm, and thinner, smaller mice are suited to the claw-style of holding the mouse. Look for gaming mice that come with enough buttons for the weapons and controls in-game. This way, you won’t have to use the scroll wheel all the time to switch between items or map keys all over the keyboard. Most high-end mice also have the option to switch sensitivity levels of the sensor on-the-go without having to depend to software drivers. Older PS2-based mice had low refresh rates of 125 Hz. Some of the USB-powered optical mice also have had similar refresh rates for a while. These days, look for gaming mice with refresh rates of 500 Hz and 1000 Hz. A higher refresh rate often means a slightly more responsive mouse.

Overall quality of the mouse is also important. Mice are used extensively even while you aren’t gaming. With such heavy usage, they tend to wear off. The scroll wheel and the mouse clicks are usually the first to fail. The pads at the bottom of the mouse also take a battering. Look for mice with solid mouse clicks and scroll wheels. Opting for smooth fabric-based mousepads over hard pads might be a good investment as well. They help the mouse glide and so wear on the mouse feet is also reduced drastically. There are some other nifty features being added to new mouse, such as the ability to store your settings and profiles in the mouse’s internal memory, so you can move from one PC to another without losing your customized settings. Once you do get the mouse you wanted, you're ready to take on the world of competitive gaming. Just make sure you have the sensitivity for the mouse setup right, and you're good to go!