Has mouse tech improve your gaming ability?

[bononos]

Apart from having the extra buttons in newer mice, have the advances in technology like laser sensors, high resolution sensors, different gamepad surfaces, adjustable weights, etc improved your ability in games? Like aiming faster with more accuracy?

I don't think it has as much as companies would like gamers to think. Its like the mech keyboard craze thats going.

 

[tarmc]

haven't noticed a difference using "high end" mice. using a cheap Logitech wireless combo and its fine

 

[KentState]

I used both a travel mouse and gaming one on the same machine and do see a small difference. The faster sensor is really the key for me.

 

[bononos]

I used both a travel mouse and gaming one on the same machine and do see a small difference. The faster sensor is really the key for me.

I should have been more specific by saying whether anything more than an mx518 (or something a little earlier before it came out) with 1600dpi sensor is easily surpassed by newer technologies which put gamers playing with those older equipment at a significant disadvantage.

Small non gaming travel mice wasn't the intent of my OP sorry.

 

[nitromullet]

I should have been more specific by saying whether anything more than an mx518 (or something a little earlier before it came out) with 1600dpi sensor is easily surpassed by newer technologies which put gamers playing with those older equipment at a significant disadvantage.

Small non gaming travel mice wasn't the intent of my OP sorry.

I've used most of the iterations of Logitech mice based on the MX518, and can't really say that the tech has made them better for gaming. Here's my quick thoughts on the different ones I've owned.

MX518 - After having used early Razor mice (original Boomslang and Viper), I finally found the mouse that really works for me. I've tried newer Razers and different Logitech mice, but I keep coming back to this basic shape. I actually still use my first MX518 at work.

G5 - Really appreciated the addition if the tilt wheel. I use the left tilt for melee and right tilt for crouch toggle in fps games. For some reason they removed one of the left thumb buttons in exchange for tilt wheel.

G5 (second one) - Logitech replaced my original G5 because the finish had come off the original one. I got a second revision which added the previously removed left thumb button back. This mouse was almost perfect IMO. However, the finish ended up wearing off of this one too, and I replaced it with a G500s.

G500s - same comfy shape, with three thumb buttons now. The shape of the thumb buttons took a while to get used too, since they are no longer rounded. I generally keep the DPI setting below 3200, so I am not using anywhere near its max of 8200. The best new feature is the on board profile storage. Your mouse keeps settings like DPI and any custom buttons stored, which is nice if you used it with a multiple computers or re-install your OS somewhat frequently.

Basically, the mice are still the same for the most part (which is a good thing IMO). They did bump up the DPI significantly over time, but I find that I don't really use it. The tilt wheel added more to the design for me in terms of gaming than increases in DPI.

 

[Wall Street]

I should have been more specific by saying whether anything more than an mx518 (or something a little earlier before it came out) with 1600dpi sensor is easily surpassed by newer technologies which put gamers playing with those older equipment at a significant disadvantage.

I would say that the focus on "flawless" sensors has been the only real advance since the MX 518 (which had angle snapping). It seems that most pros tend to use smaller lighter mice like the Zowie FK, Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical, Logitech G9x, Zowie Mico or Steelseries Kinzu.
I tend to find that the big palm grip mice with lights and weight systems are aimed at high end gamers because the small and light mice just don't feel like something that would justify a $100 purchase and the mice makers want to make as much $$$ as they can. The weights, crazy high DPI, less accurate lasers, changeable grips, shape adjustment screws and customization software are all gimmicks of newer mice which need to find a way to stand out. In most modern games, there are even top pros who use mice without extra side buttons.

 

[BrightCandle]

The flawless mice all use optical and a sensor designed over 10 years ago. So clearly the answer is no, there has been no useful advance, mice just got heavier (bad) and flashier. As a whole industry mice have actually gotten worse, especially the gamer mice which are normally anything but good for gaming.

 

[bononos]

........$100 purchase and the mice makers want to make as much $$$ as they can. The weights, crazy high DPI, less accurate lasers, changeable grips, shape adjustment screws and customization software are all gimmicks of newer mice which need to find a way to stand out. In most modern games, there are even top pros who use mice without extra side buttons.

Maybe the top pros were playing fps which don't need many buttons if the player is reasonably good with the keyboard. I think the buttons do help out in some mmo games which I don't play so I'm not sure.

It would seem that gaming companies have lost their way trying to improve their branding image at the expense of their customers and coming out with outlandish products like cherry black/blue gaming keyboards.

Was the philips twin eye sensor a good thing for gamers in the end?

What about mouse pads? Was it supposed to improve gaming or merely fix problems of laser sensors?

 

[monkeydelmagico]

side mappable keys, center wheel with directional control, and dpi switching are all things I consider to be advances over previous generations of gear. Each can give distinct in-game advantages.

I haven't found different weights or customizable grips to be of any real impact on how I game but I'm also not a competitive gamer.

 

[bononos]

side mappable keys, center wheel with directional control, and dpi switching are all things I consider to be advances over previous generations of gear. Each can give distinct in-game advantages.

I haven't found different weights or customizable grips to be of any real impact on how I game but I'm also not a competitive gamer.

Yeah I was interested in stuff apart from the extra buttons which are helpful imo in my OP.

Things like bluetrack, darkfield are quite useless and have little to no value for gamers.

 

[alkemyst]

modern mice allow me to use them on my stainless steel desktop. I really don't need more than 5 buttons though and some mice add too many.

 

[CurrentlyPissed]

You know, it's shocking to me the amount of people don't know how to use higher DPI mice.

Turn up the DPI to max on the mouse. Then turn DOWN your windows cursor speed. You will notice the increased smoothness, and infinitly better tracking of the higher DPI.

People just turn up the DPI and go WTF this isn't usable. Then doesn't even realize the tech they are purchasing and not using.

 

[Wall Street]

You know, it's shocking to me the amount of people don't know how to use higher DPI mice...

This is not true. Windows settings below 6/11 skip mouse counts and doesn't make it smoother. You can't move the cursor less than one pixel regardless of setting. In fact many mice perform poorly at their higher settings. Sorry, but you are wrong.

 

[CurrentlyPissed]

This is not true. Windows settings below 6/11 skip mouse counts and doesn't make it smoother. You can't move the cursor less than one pixel regardless of setting. In fact many mice perform poorly at their higher settings. Sorry, but you are wrong.

Don't be so sure about that. :thumbsup:

Go open Photoshop and give a few lines a whirl both ways.

Go put a mouse at 6400 DPI and Windows 2/11. Then try a line, then do it default mouse and 6/11. And see which is in fact, better. Then report back.

 

[bononos]

Don't be so sure about that. :thumbsup:

Go open Photoshop and give a few lines a whirl both ways.

Go put a mouse at 6400 DPI and Windows 2/11. Then try a line, then do it default mouse and 6/11. And see which is in fact, better. Then report back.

Your example of 2/11 isn't bad since it takes 16 counts to move 1 pixel but 5/11 will cause skipping.

Its shocking to me that you don't seem to know that its common knowledge that very high and typically the highest dpi setting don't work well. And test drawings will show jitter on drawings in simple apps like mspaint. Perhaps photoshop has applied smoothing on mouse inputs to make drawings easier but it doesn't apply to games where it would be bad anyway.

You can look up reviews at oc.net, there is bunch of enthusiasts who do more interesting tests including drawings than the typical unboxing praiseview.

 

[bononos]

I started this thread because it seemed to be an open problem about few choices/high prices of good mice without much discussion going on.

There looks to be only 1 sensor company (pixart) now who has licenses from its former competitors to manufacture their old line of products, so we are stuck with old tech selling at high prices.

 

[BrightCandle]

We want old tech at this point since they haven't made a sensor in a decade that is accurate and good for gaming!

 

[Morbus]

I own a G500 and it's the best thing I've seen since sliced bread. Not so much for gaming though.

The features are what do it for me: the unlockable scroll and the three side buttons are fantastic in day-to-day computing, browsing the web and whatnot, it speeds up everything if you configure it to your liking, but in games, it's all about the precision and the feel of the ting. I'm used to it and it's very precise, very dependable, so it's good, but games are DESIGNED with the barest of bare mouses in mind, so you won't get any tangible advantage out of a top of the line mouse, unless it's something like that wierd ass 16 button mouse I keep seeing around, and even then, probably only on MMOs or something like that.

I owned a Microsoft Intelipoint 1.1A for ages, and it was very reliable, very ergonomic and a peach for gaming. When my second one died, last year, I bought a 15€ Microsoft mouse, and it had a slight delay on the middle click. Which means it's useless. And since I kept reading Microsoft mice are crap nowadays, I went with Logitech.

They are good.

 

[shortylickens]

No, but like a better quality camera or gun, it allows me to realize my true potential, rather than being held back.

Same reason NASCAR doesnt use Geo's.

 

[Naer]

don't game anymore, but when I switched from ball to optical mouse, it increased by k/d ratio tenfold. even more when I got my advanced logitech