Is A Wireless Mouse Good For Gaming?

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Is A Wireless Mouse Good For Gaming? – progamingear.com

Wireless mice are usually considered less by competitive gamers as compared to wired mice. And the most common factor for that is significant latency or input lag while playing.

But gradually, the wireless mice industry is improving a lot and many companies are trying hard to reduce the latency to as close as a wired mouse would have.

In a test by Linus Tech Tips, some wireless mice outperformed wired ones in latency. So, apparently, technology is making a breakthrough.

But keep in mind, generally, wired mice are a better choice for competitive gaming than a wireless mouse.

In this article, we will discover whether a wireless mouse is a good option for gaming or not.

Let’s dive in!

Wired vs. Wireless

Before getting into the details, let’s first uncover the sheets and compare a wired and a wireless mouse based on latency, ease of use, versatility, reliability, aesthetics, and price.

Latency

The first parameter on which we will compare both wired and wireless mice is latency (or input lag) and interference.

As a gamer, you should be very cautious while choosing any input device that you use while gaming. Your monitor should be snappy with less than 3ms response time, similarly, the response time of your mouse should be as less as possible.

Let’s take a look at the comparison between wired and wireless mice,

Wired Mice

  • Faster response time than wireless mice.
  • Competitive gamers would not get any significant lag while flicking, etc.
  • No problems of interference.

Wireless Mice

  • A bit slower response time than wired mice.
  • Competitive gamers would notice a significant lag while flicking, etc.
  • Might get interference when not in direct range or a bit far from the system.

Note: It might seem like wired mice are the perfect choice for competitive gamers out there, and sure it is a better choice technically, but things are changing with great technology. There are several eSports gamers who use wireless mice in their official games.

Note 2: If you read the introduction of this article, you know that both these mice are delivering almost the same performance and speed (response time).

Conclusion: Wired won in this comparison, but wireless is catching up and it’s real close.

Ease of use

In this section, we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of wired & wireless mice as compared on the basis of ease of use.

Wired Mice

  • Cable management could be difficult if you already have messy wired devices.
  • No batteries, no problem.
  • There’s no receiver, so there’s no risk of losing it.
  • Cannot use it with ease with other devices other than a PC, for example, tablets and smartphones.
  • Not ideal for traveling, due to wires getting tangled all the time.
  • Cannot use it outside a certain range due to the length of the wire.

Wireless Mice

  • No cables, no hassle.
  • Requires having a battery and a receiver that goes into your USB slot.
  • The receiver could get lost, and it’s a small little device.
  • Can be used with ease with a tablet or a smartphone.
  • Ideal device for traveling.
  • Can be used within longer ranges.

Note: As per my usage, I would choose a wired mouse for my workspace. Think about your needs and decide which one you would choose.

Conclusion: In this comparison, both the mice have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to ease of use. So, it’s a tie this time.

Versatility

In this section, we will talk about the versatility of wired and wireless mice.

Wired Mice

  • Not ideal to switch between different devices.
  • Cannot connect different devices with it.
  • Wires can become entangled easily if you have other wired devices nearby.

Wireless Mice

  • Easy to switch between different devices.
  • Some models allow connecting different devices with the same receiver, which could be a life-saver.
  • No wires, no entanglement, no problem.

Conclusion: Here, wireless mice take the win.

Reliability

In this section, we will talk about how reliable are these mice compared to each other.

Wired Mice

  • Long-lasting as you don’t require any batteries and can use them for years without any hiccups.
  • You can be more confident while using a wired mouse in eSports rather than a wireless one.

Wireless Mice

  • Need to replace the batteries but not that often. One cycle gives you a 3-year long play-time, which is decent, in my opinion.
  • You would be less confident to use a wireless mouse in eSports due to the fact that there could be a possibility of getting unexpected lags as in the response time of the mouse.

Note: As I have mentioned before, wireless mice are now getting less response time as compared to wired ones, so gradually, people are starting to use wireless mice in almost all scenarios.

Conclusion: Here, wired mice take the win. But again, wireless ones are catching up.

Aesthetics

In this section, we will talk about the look & feel of wired and wireless mice. Compare and choose the one that fits your needs.

Wired Mice

  • Looks messy due to wires, in any kind of desk setup.

Wireless Mice

  • Looks minimal if you are setting up a minimalist desk setup.

Conclusion: In this comparison, wireless mice take the win.

Price

In this section, we will compare these two mice on the basis of their pricing.

Wired Mice

  • A bit cheaper than a wireless mouse.
  • The price gap is not so dramatic these days.
  • There is also a huge variation in prices among wired mice.

Wireless Mice

  • A bit more expensive than a wired mouse.
  • You’ll have to spend a little more if you don’t want to compromise on response time.
  • Wireless mice too have a huge variation of prices.

Conclusion: In this comparison, wired mice take the lead, but as mentioned, the price gap is not so dramatic. So, you can choose either one of them, according to your needs.

Who should use a wireless mouse?

Now you should have a good idea of which type of mouse is good for you in a given situation.

In this section, we will find out who should be using a wireless mouse and in what situations.

  • Wireless mice are preferred over wired mice because of the minimal feel and ease of use.
  • If you travel a lot but need that precision when you are using your laptop, a wireless mouse would be the best choice.
  • If you are a gamer and move to different places frequently, then also you should have a wireless mouse in you backpack.
  • If you love to have a minimal setup with as much less wires as possible, wireless mouse is the way to go about it.
  • If you care about range, meaning, if you sometimes want to go away from your setup, and sit on the sofa or the bed and still want to use your PC/Laptop, you should definitely consider a wireless mouse.

Can you use a wireless mouse in eSports and competitive gaming?

The answer is yes. The prime reason for it is, as mentioned earlier, nowadays, wireless mice are delivering similar response times as wired ones.

And the added benefits include comfort, range, and ease of use making a wireless mouse the prime choice. So why not?

But if you are not at peace with your mind, and are unable to switch to a wireless mouse, you definitely can choose a wired mouse for your next game.

But having said that, I would recommend trying out different wireless mice and start playing with them and see if you notice any significant performance issues.

I believe you will get a similar performance with your wireless mouse too.

A still from Linus Tech Tips YouTube channel showing average response times of wired and wireless mice.

Final thoughts

I hope you got a clear idea of whether you should use a wireless mouse for gaming or not.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below and also share this article with someone who could use the information about choosing the right kind of mouse for them.

Until next time, adiós! 👋

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