Performance & Conclusion

As someone who works on a computer and plays video games when time permits, it's safe to say I do a lot of mousing. For years I've favored the Logitech Performance MX's big, comfortable design and its 'Darkfield' laser sensor has always been more than capable of keeping up despite being wireless and having a DPI of only 1500 – plenty fast for the games I play at 2560x1600.

Being as happy as I am with the Performance MX, I have found it hard to adopt other mice. The closest I have come is the Logitech G700s, as it has a similar shape and feel but with a much faster 8200 DPI sensor. The G700s is also wireless, which I love despite the fact that it needs to be recharged on a regular basis. The G502 is significantly different to both my preferred models.

Apart from being a corded mouse, the G502 has a much lower profile and this is typically what turns me off about other mice. However, the G502 still seems to fit my hand perfectly, a big portion of which is because my thumb has a large spot to rest. The weight system is also important to me. I like a heavy mouse as it provides more feeling, so I loaded the G502 with all five weights.

The mouse supports a 12,000 DPI but this is beyond overkill at 1080p or even 2560x1600. Fortunately, the G502 is also extremely smooth at settings such as 3000 DPI, as I found when using Photoshop, which can actually be a better test than gaming given how cutting out an image pixel by pixel takes precision to do well. That's partly why I've stuck with Performance MX for so long as well.

The G502 is better, however, even at low DPI settings that are on par with the Performance MX. As for tapping into the G502's limits, I must admit I'm not good or fast enough to play games at 2560x1600 with anything over 5000 DPI, so the G502 fulfilled my needs just as well as the G700s. While the G502's 12,000 DPI might be the headline feature, it's not what make this mouse.

Moreover, the G502's design, which initially turned us off, has won us over if only for the way it feels. Plus, there's no battery to die mid-game and its braided cable goes virtually unnoticed, making it feel more like a wireless product. That's a huge weakness of the G700s. Its USB charging cable is so thick it could be rated for 10 amps. It's bad enough that I replaced it with a slimmer version.

Although I'd like a chunkier version (maybe a G702?), the G502 seems like the mouse I've been waiting on to replace the Performance MX and at $80 it may not be cheap, but it's cheaper than we expected given its specifications and fair considering the Razer Naga Hex MOBA also costs $80, as does the Roccat Kone Pure Optical, while the rechargeable wireless mice tend to be north of $100.

90
TechSpot
score

Pros: Between its comfortable layout, 4K-friendly 12,000 DPI, surface calibration software and its sub-$100 price tag, the G502 seems like Logitech's new go-to enthusiast mouse.

Cons: Its cord is no trouble but the G502 isn't wireless and that could be a con for you. It may also sit a little low for someone with a large hand and a preference for the palm grip.