Threads
- A couple of years ago, the gaming mice industry was brimming with revolutionary launches that offered something new.
- Mice growth seems to have come to a standstill since then, with most newly released higher-end mice functionally behaving the same.
- The only factors differentiating these mice are their shape, and size, which is why more companies need to start focusing on those factors.
Between extreme reductions in weight to monumental leaps in sensor performance, gaming mice went through an astounding amount of evolution within a short period of time. Fast forward to 2024, and you might not notice drastic improvements within the mice space, which begs the question, have competitive mice actually stopped evolving?
A Look Back At The Past
There’s no denying that over the course of the last decade, gaming mice have improved a lot. I mean, we went from sticking to wired mice due to their perceived lower input latency to seeing all pros in the eSport scene completely shift to wireless mice within the span of a few years.
What’s more, the improvements didn’t just stop with the transition to the wireless standard. There were numerous other changes from companies such as Final Mouse and Logitech. This included huge weight reductions, the introduction of high-performance optical sensors, as well as low-latency switches.
I still remember how amazed I was looking at the weight of the FinalMouse Ultralight Pro. After all, a weight as low as 67 grams wasn’t common during the time of its release. That said, things have changed a lot since then and most mice can compete at the same level when it comes to performance.
What Has Changed?
Right now, the idea of a “game-changing” mouse is essentially non-existent. Sure, you might get even more reductions in size or a new visual gimmick, but a huge leap forward is something that I haven’t seen in a while. And the reason behind that is fairly simple.
Before gaming mice reached the level they are at right now, there was simply a lot more room for improvement. Which is exactly why each iteration of a mouse series felt monumentally different. To put things into perspective, just look at the specification difference between the G Pro X Superlight and the original G Pro Wireless.
Now, compare that to the difference between the Superlight 1 and 2 and you’ll see that mice are not evolving to the same degree as they were a few years ago. I mean, the only main upgrades offered by the Pro X Superlight 2 were the slightly reduced weight and the inclusion of USB-Type C.
The point is, that performance on most higher-end mice has gotten so good that there is no real need for improvement anymore. Not only that but the standard shape most modern mice stick with has gotten overused at this point.
The Most Important Factors Now
With this stagnation in advancements, most higher-end mice will end up feeling the same in terms of performance. With that, the most important factors to focus on have completely shifted to the shape and feel a mouse provides.
Between the shape, quality, and the number of buttons present, there is quite a lot of versatility available in the type of mice you can buy. Of course, I haven’t even accounted for extra elements such as replaceable side buttons, comfort-centered ergonomic mice, as well as side grips.
The case with recent gaming mice is best explained in Rocket Jump Ninja’s video covering the future of the mouse industry, where he goes into detail about what can make a modern mouse stand out.
One company that has made big leaps in that regard is Xtrfy. In my opinion, both their M8 and MZ1 were great additions to their lineup, shifting focus from the standard shape that everyone has gotten used to, to something a bit more innovative.
Moving forward, I’d like to see more mice that focus on the same quality standards as Xtrfy. Sure, aggressive designs such as the ones mentioned above might not appeal to everyone, but they do give more control to people who actually benefit from those shapes.
A Need For Innovation
Modern mice have become repetitive, and the lack of innovation from major manufacturers such as Razer and Logitech is proof of that. I mean, sure, we have gotten higher polling rates, but the difference between those polling rates is almost indistinguishable.
Instead of aiming to achieve the best possible performance figures, mouse companies need to experiment with different shapes and sizes. Deviating from the standard shapes we have gotten used to might just be the next big step for the industry.
Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔
[Hardware Reviewer]
After many years of exploiting various pieces of hardware, Abdul Hannan now serves as an editor at Tech4Gamers. He’s been in the PC hardware reviewing industry for almost a decade, and his staff of passionate geeks and reviewers is second to none.
Abdul Hannan is constantly seeking new methods, you will always see him running into New Computer Courses to improve the performance of his computer components since he is an ardent overclocker. He is well-known for providing the most extensive and unbiased analysis of the newest and greatest hardware for PC gaming, including everything from GPUs to PSUs.
Join Our Community
