Want a gaming mouse that’s both affordable and does a good job with a variety of games? Here’s our guide with all the right options.
While many cheap mice have entered the market as of late, most of these simply don’t work well for gaming competitively. So, we’re giving a priority to mice that are not only budget-friendly, but that also have ideal sensors, weight, buttons, and shape.
We’ll also separate mice into various gaming genres, price points, and styles so you can quickly find the mouse you’re looking for.
For Budgets Under $25
While there are many gaming mice in the $50 category with good sensors and overall design few make the cut at this price point. Here are our favorites according to genre.
FPS Genre
Corsair Harpoon
When it comes to playing first-person shooters, we typically recommend a mouse that is lightweight and has a good sensor.
Design and Build
The Corsair Harpoon is one of the only mice in this price range that comes pretty close to following both of those rules. For shape, it’s small and a safe bet for a lot of different grips and hands.
At 85 grams, it’s a mouse you can use for long gaming sessions. Plus it has the 3320 6,000 DPI optical sensor. This is a good sensor overall, although not perfect. For something excellent, you’ll have to pay a bit more.
Pros: Lightweight, safe shape, affordable pricing, RGB lighting, DPI switching and rubber side grips.
Cons: Sensor is good but not flawless.
Verdict: Unless you’re in a tournament, this is a fine mouse to train with. It’s half the price of many similar mice and accurate enough for most.
Hiraliy F300
For under $20, the Hiraliy F300 gives you a ton of bang for your buck. That is, if you’re willing to look past a name you probably haven’t heard of before.
The 5,000 DPI PMW3325 Sensor is the big thing the F300 has going for it. This sensor is not quite as accurate as the ones I’d consider flawless (3366, 3989, 3310). However, it gets you very close.
Pros: Good shape, Great Sensor for the price, RGB lighting, texted grip, and intuitive software.
Cons: Left and Right buttons have jitter, are attached to the frame, and require additional activation compared to most.
Verdict: You don’t get perfect when it comes to a mouse in this price range. The buttons aren’t Omron, have a bit more actuation to them, and the mouse overall is a bit heavy. However, the Hiraliy F300 does give you a lot of good for the money you spend. It’s very accurate in game and has a good shape overall for palm grips.
RTS and MMORPG Genres
Don’t care for FPS games? Here’s a mouse that does a solid job while staying in our $25 and under category.
Logitech G300s
The Logitech G300s is regularly found from $20 to $30. Refurbished you can find it for around $15. For that price, it’s a great all around buy. Because it’s a couple years away from release, it’s more affordable than other gaming mice in its category.
Design and Shape
It’s good for RTS and MMORPG genres because of it’s 9 programmable buttons, onboard memory, and accurate sensor. Plus, its sculpted ambidextrous shape is more ergonomic than many of the thumb button designs.
The G300S is also on the lighter side at just 80 grams without the cable.
Accuracy
The Sensor is the 2,500 DPI A3055. It’s not as accurate as the higher-end mouse options, but it doesn’t have acceleration, prediction, or any angle snapping.
For the price, you also get a Logitech product that’s very well made. Going with Logitech also gets you their gaming software to use with it. The software is incredibly intuitive and allows you to drag and drop commands to programmable buttons.
Pros: Lightweight, 9 programmable buttons, LED lighting, decent sensor, and Logitech Software.
Cons: Mouse feels a bit hollow and not great for large hands.
Verdict: Overall this is a great mouse for $20 to $25. We recommend it for medium to large-sized hands that prefer an ambidextrous design.
For Budgets Under $50
Willing to spend a bit more to have the best? In the under $50 budget category, there are many options used by professional gamers.
Corsair Gaming M65 Pro
The Corsair Gaming M65 can be found for as little as $35 if you’re willing to go with a previous version or refurbished model. The newer Pro RGB typically stays right under $50.
Design and Shape
It’s a fairly heavy mouse at around 120 grams and even includes additional weights that can take it up to 135 grams. Meant for claw and fingertip grippers rather than palm, the length of this mouse is a bit shortened.
The M65 also has a sniper button on the side which makes it more convenient to quickly aim with precision.
Sensor
With the 3360 Optical sensor, it’s ideal for any twitch-sensitive game and certainly should give you an edge up on competition using more flawed sensors. With it, I had no deceleration, acceleration, angle snapping, or skipping. And with 12,000 DPI you’ve got more than you’ll ever need for sensitivity.
Pros: Flawless 12,000 DPI 3360 sensor, good shape for claw and fingertip.
Cons: May be a bit heavy for some. Not for palm grips.
Logitech G403
The Logitech G403 is a top option in our overall FPS and CSGO gaming mice posts. It’s lightweight, has a fantastic design, and is a favorite of many pro gamers.
Sensor
The G403 uses the 3366 optical sensor. We’d consider this as good as the 3989 or perhaps even slightly better than the 3310 (although there’s very little difference).
Shape and Design
The G403 comes in at 90 grams. For me, this is the ideal weight for any type of FPS gaming. It’s a somewhat large mouse. So, in order to use any grip, you’d likely want large hands. Small hands may struggle with any grip other than palm.
Pros: Lightweight, flawless 3366 optical sensor, fantastic shape.
Cons: Not ideal for small hands.
Verdict: If you’ve got large hands and are looking for an affordable mouse with a good sensor and shape, this could very well be what you’re looking for. On sale, it comes in at $40 to $45.
Wireless RTS, MOBA, and MMORPG Mouse
Logitech G602
If you’re looking for a gaming-grade wireless mouse but don’t have a lot to spend, I highly recommend the Logitech G602. The G602 comes with 11 programmable buttons. So, it’s perfect for your RTS, MOBA, or MMORPG game.
Logitech has listed this mouse as having lag-free gaming wireless. That being said, the mouse itself only does 500Hz. There are certainly wireless mice out there capable of 1000Hz; however, in my opinion, it’s very difficult to distinguish between the two. There’s also an extension for plugging it into USB if you prefer to go that route.
In terms of how long the wireless charge lasts, the G602 actually runs off of either a single or dual AA battery configuration. You’d use a single AA battery if you’d prefer weight on the right or left side, or the double battery configuration if you prefer a more centered approach.
For DPI, you get an optical sensor that goes up to 2500 DPI. For the majority of you that don’t use any more than this, it should be perfectly fine.
Design
The design includes a hard plastic finish on the top, rubberized finish on the palm rest, and an even more textured finish on the back and rest of the mouse. The materials won’t wear out and the buttons, rated at 20 million clicks, will also last a very long time.
Verdict: Overall, this is a fantastic value for just around $39. Yes, it’s a few years old at this point. It’s also certainly not the best wireless mouse on the market or anything. However, if you understand the 2500DPI restrictions, want the extra buttons, and have a budget of around 30 to $39, it’s a fantastic option.
Redragon Perdition
If you don’t want to spend your hard earned money for the Logitech G600 or the Razer Naga a good budget alternative is the Redragon Perdition. At $35 it comes in at around $15 less.
Redragon is one of several companies that have entered the gaming mice market with high-quality budget alternatives with premium standards. With Omron micro switches and a laser Avago sensor, you get a mouse that is accurate enough for your favorite MMORPGs while maintaining a good level of quality.
Design
With 18 programmable buttons and 5 programmable user profiles, the Redragon Perdition has enough options for all of profiles.
The design of the mouse itself is quite impressive. Shaped like a G600 with a matte black or white finish it’s easy to grip and looks good too. Extra features like the completely programmable LED lighting and weight tuning are a plus as well.
Overall, you’ll feel like you got more than what you paid for in the Redragon although some features, specifically weight tuning, feel cheaply constructed when compared to pricier brands. The body of the Redragon is fairly heavy as well. For half the price of models with similar features, it’s a great deal.
Verdict: We like the Redragon Perdition and the UtechSmart Venus in this space. Check the price of both if you’re looking for this style of gaming mouse.
Hack and Slash Genre
Want a mouse that’s ideal for hack and slash games like Diablo or POE? The Razer Naga Hex V2 fits the mold.
Razer Naga Hex V2
With 7 thumb buttons (14 total) the Naga Hex gives you enough options for your most important skills while leaving unnecessary buttons out of the way.
It’s available in wireless, wired, and left-handed options.
Pros: 7 button layout perfect for hack and slash genre. Accurate and well-built. RGB lighting and software easy to use and setup.
Cons: Mouse may feel a bit wide or large for smaller hands. No local memory.
Verdict: Overall, this is a great mouse for someone who wants a few programmable buttons in the same place on their mouse without an overwhelming amount of them.
| Genre | RTS / MOBA | FPS Under $50 | FPS / RTS | MMORPG |
| Logitech G602 | Corsair Gaming M65 Pro | Logitech G403 | Redragon Perdition | |
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| Advantages | The G602 is a good mouse if you prefer wireless and want an accurate sensor for gaming, but don't want to pay a high price. Includes 11 programmable buttons. | Simply put the M65 Pro is a great fingertip mouse with an FPS quality sensor in the 3360 for around $35. | This mouse has a Flawless Sensor without acceleration or prediction. It's also lightweight so you don't fatigue quickly. | Half the price of the Razer Naga and Logitech G600. Similar layout and feel to the G600. |
| See Amazon Price See Newegg Price Read Review | See Amazon Price See Newegg Price Read Review | See Amazon Price See Newegg Price Read Review | See Amazon Price See Newegg Price Read Review |
1 year and 5 months with my 601, still going strong! No parts broken or missing, and the braided cable is very resistant. (only LoL)
Great Article. Maybe next time you could review some our Bakth Gaming Mice? 🙂
Hi. Do you have any thoughts on the Sumvision Nemesis Kata as a budget option?
It looks like a decent buy – although I’ve never had my hands on one.
I’m asking this because I bought the Redragon Centrophorus, and I’m not particularly happy with it; it’s tracking is poor at higher DPI settings. I was wondering if you would advise a purchase of the Nemesis Kata, as it has the Avago 3050 as well as Omron switches, and overall shininess.