Shifting from a standard office mouse to something more appropriate for gaming is worthwhile if you care about your performance, but investing $60 or more in handful of plastic might seem silly if you've never experienced the realm of difference a proper mouse can make. Taking that plunge isn't any easier these days considering how many major manufacturers have entered the ever-expanding arena.
With many hot PC game releases scheduled over the coming months, it seems like a fine opportunity to step up your game with a new mouse this holiday season if you were thinking about pitting your trusty, dusty retail rodent against Battlefield 4. Come along as a dozen mice compete for spots in our holiday and PC buying guides, and ultimately for your cash.
There seems to be an abundance of gaming peripherals to choose from, with many manufacturers coming up with very unique offerings in style or shape. Based on the mice tested in this roundup, none of the products left us severely disappointed and that might suggest that manufacturers are learning from past mistakes – or simply from each other – and we hope it's some comfort to know you can't necessarily go wrong.
In This Roundup...
Prepare for this one as it's a long one, but it condenses two months of testing across FPS, RTS and MMO games as well as general productivity.
Corsair Vengeance M65
Available in three colors (Gunmetal Black, Arctic White and Military Green – the latter of which we'll be reviewing), Corsair's Vengeance M65 is supposed to be all about lethality in FPS gaming, and that's enough to intrigue us.
The M65 comes with a braided tangle-free cable, a six-piece weight tuning system and a soft plastic-feeling shell with an aluminum frame that provides a great edge without having to impress by lights or logos. It measures just under 120mm long x 80mm wide x 40mm tall and weighs 135g with all weights included (minus the cable).
Corsair has upped the specs from the M65's predecessor (the M60) by adding an Avago ADNS-9800 8200 DPI sensor along with a bit of texture to the device's surface for a great combination of grip and comfort. It's really easy to handle for long periods without sweat, grease or cramping being an issue.
With eight programmable buttons, the M65's 'sniper' button is probably the most noticeable and can be programmed to do basically anything. Aside from the usual left and right mouse buttons, there is the aluminum/rubber scroll wheel, DPI up/down just below that, and two buttons within reach of your thumb on the left side – all of which have nice tactile feedback.
Corsair's software provides basic features such as macros (although a little harder to setup than what we would expect), DPI, lift-off distance and report rates, while onboard storage keeps your settings.
Corsair Vengeance M95
As would be safe to assume, Corsair's M95 is a refresh of the M90. It's geared toward MMO and RTS players, comes in black or white (our preference) and brings upgraded DPI support, tweaked thumb button sensitivity and a matte finish that extends to the sides. It's a fantastic touch – literally – sweat be damned.
While the M95 lacks the M65's weight tuning system, this may not be an issue for most as the mouse is already 142g (sans cable) and a bulky 120mm long x 76mm wide x 40mm tall, though it feels a little wider in the mid-section. Like the M65, the M95 isn't littered with LEDs. In fact, most of Corsair's gaming mice keep lighting at a reasonable level.
At first glance, you probably wouldn't guess that the M95 packs 15 buttons – nine being macro-enabled keys which are well-designed enough to be reliable during intense situations. People with small to medium hands may struggle with one or two of the macro buttons and the DPI controls.
Its aluminum unibody feels solid while its left and right mouse buttons are rated for some 20 million clicks with a two year warranty.
It's worth noting that Corsair's website only shows two PTFE glide pads on the M95's base, but the unit we have has four, which seems like the appropriate number.
As with the M65, Corsair's 'high-mass' scroll wheel is well-developed with just the right amount of resistance. Our only issue with the M95 was some lag before applying the latest updates, but it still didn't feel as accurate as other mice in this roundup. Meanwhile, its software is nothing to write home about but it covers the basics.