Gaming Mouse vs. Regular Mouse: Improving Your Game Play

The difference between a gaming mouse vs. regular mouse can help improve your overall gaming experience. Gaming mice are designed with the shape, build quality, and sensitivity to help gamers improve their gameplay.

While they are often pricier than regular mice, gaming mice come with a ton of features made to help enhance your gaming sessions. In this article, we’ll be diving deep into the differences between both mouse types to help you make the ideal buying decision.

Comparison Table

– The Build Quality: Rugged and Functional Than Regular Mouse

Let’s take a look at the apparent differences between both types before diving into the technical bits.

– Shape and Material

Regular mouse often comes with subtle and chiclet designs. They are built to handle normal working conditions and so aren’t very rugged.

On the other hand, a typical gaming mouse is designed for aggressive conditions. They are made with superior materials, allowing you to enjoy more durability and game time. Some of them come with glossy finishes, which is uncommon in the regular mouse world.

Unlike a regular mouse, a gaming mouse comes in a unique shape that serves two purposes; excellent grip and functionality. The shape of most gaming mice tends to be angular. While some brands make their gaming mouse in different colors, most gaming mice tend to lean towards black and silver.

– Grip

Gaming mice are designed with different grip patterns, including palm, fingertip, and claw patterns. The type of grip you choose can have a significant effect on your gaming experience. The grip of your gaming mouse also affects the weight and shape of your mouse. So it’s ideal for you to make careful considerations before buying one.

Many gaming mice also feature rubber grips that’ll provide you with a solid grip even when your palms sweat. This feature can be highly beneficial if you play fast-paced games or want to be a pro player. No matter how sweaty your palms are, your movements will still be as precise as when your hands are dried.

– RGB Lighting

Gaming mice also feature RGB lighting, which is a standard part of most gaming rigs. This detail adds a colorful effect to your gaming PC, and there is a different software that allows you to sync the lights from your PC with your gaming mouse, making it even more beautiful and functional.

– Dots per Inch (DPI): Improves Your Gaming Sensitivity

Dots per inch, otherwise known as DPI, is the number of pixels your cursor will move each time you flick or move your mouse. Your PC’s screen size plays a massive role in determining the proper DPI to work with.

If you play games on a large screen, you’ll need a mouse with a high DPI because your mouse will make more movements on the screen per every inch it progresses.

The customizable DPI on gaming mice helps them provide excellent gaming experiences. You can set your mouse sensitivity as high or as low as you want. Things like turning, aiming, and shooting will become smoother and better with excellent sensitivity.

However, it’s important to note that not all games require high DPIs. Some games need a low DPI so you can get accurate aims and turns. High DPI is beneficial mainly in gaming sessions where reaction time is more crucial than aiming time.

Some office mice come with customizable DPIs, but they are still nowhere close to what you’ll get on a good gaming mouse. The maximum DPI range on a regular mouse is about 400-1200 DPI, while the average DPI for gaming mice can reach about 16,000 DPI and can be customized to go down to about 200 DPI.

– Sensor: Laser or Optical?

Gaming and regular mice are designed with either an optical sensor or a laser sensor. Many gamers often find themselves being unable to choose the ideal mouse when they get to this crossroad. Both mouse types are great, but they each have their pros and cons.

Gaming mice with optical sensors offer an average DPI for gaming. They are reliable, produce less lag, and provide excellent accuracy. However, they can only work on non-reflective surfaces, such as mousepads.

Optical mice may not even work at all if you place them on a reflective or glossy surface. This problem can make them a chore if you move around a lot with your mouse as you’ll always need to take your mousepad with you.

On the other hand, laser mice offer high DPIs and can work on almost any surface, including glass. They are too responsive and may not be the best for beginners. Just a little flick can span your game’s camera across the map, although this can be resolved with your mouse’s sensitivity settings.

– Buttons: Making Complex Moves Easier

Additional buttons on gaming mice are another feature that sets them apart from a normal mouse. A typical desktop mouse comes with a scroll wheel and left and right-click buttons.

On the other hand, gaming mice are built with those three and can feature two or more extra buttons, up to 14 different buttons crammed on the side. Also, the buttons on gaming mice, including the left and right-click buttons, are more responsive and durable.

These additional buttons offer gamers excellent support. They are used as macros to make gaming easier and more intuitive, especially MMO games.

Having these buttons on your mouse makes it easy to use certain keyboard combinations that would be hard to reach on your keyboard. This feature can be beneficial if you play competitively, as even a millisecond can make a huge difference between winning and losing.

You’ll be able to perform complex moves, spells, and attacks in games. Your gaming will become easier since all you now have to do is click a single button instead of multiple keys on your keyboard.

Shooter games often require few macros. MMO games like Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft have many different spells embedded in them, so you’ll need a gaming mouse with 10 or more buttons. MOBAs like Vainglory and League of Legends are not overly complex, so you can just get a gaming mouse with two to five buttons.

– Budget: With Great Flexibility Comes Greater Price

A gaming mouse can significantly increase your scoreline. You’ll have an easier gaming experience and stand a better chance of unlocking and beating difficult levels. However, this increase in ease comes at a price.

You can get a regular mouse for about $6 to $10. While there are some cheap gaming mice, you’ll need about $40 to $100 to get a good gaming mouse. And if you’re looking for the high-end models, you’re sure to spend beyond a hundred bucks.

– Customizable Weights: Makes Your Mouse Stay in Place

Many regular mice are often made of plastic which makes them incredibly light. This quality makes them unreliable for gaming as you’ll want to make precise movements when flicking your mouse. Some gaming mice feature customizable weights that allow them to stay in place.

Note that these weights will affect your gaming mouse’s overall weight by a few grams. They come in varying pieces so that you can add or remove as much weight as possible.

Having a heavier mouse may not be the best for competitive gaming, as a heavier mouse might put a strain on your wrist if used for long sessions.

– Software: Enhancing Your Customization

Unlike regular mice that come with no software, each gaming mouse has software it’s compatible with. This different software is used to set up the mouse’s RGB lighting, sensitivity, buttons, etc. You’ll be able to customize your mouse once you download the right software.

– Connectivity Options: Wired or Wireless

Gaming and regular mice both have wireless and wired connectivity options. Wireless mice have improved over the years and are now as responsive as their wired counterparts. The only difference between both versions is the price range, as wireless gaming mice tend to be pricier than wired mice.

– Polling Rates: Faster Response Time

The polling rate of a mouse is the speed at which it transfers movement information to your PC. A typical gaming mouse comes with a higher polling rate than what you get on a regular mouse. The polling rate of a mouse is measured in Hertz. And the higher the value, the better the response time and the lower the lag.

If you love getting headshots in your sniping or shooting games, this is one of the most critical factors to consider when getting a gaming mouse. Also, thanks to the customization of gaming mice, you can change your polling rate via the manufacturer’s software if you’re not satisfied with how it came out of the box.

– Comfort: Ergonomic vs. Plain-Looking

This significant factor makes a huge difference between a gaming mouse vs. a regular mouse. Normal mice are designed to be functional. They are meant for office or home use and aren’t that big on comfort, except the high-end versions. Many regular mice are plain-looking and come with an ambidextrous design or a small ergonomic shape.

Most gaming mice feature ergonomic designs that allow them to fit comfortably in your palm. This ergonomic design also allows you to use your mouse for hours without feeling any kind of strain. However, note that gaming mice come in different shapes, so ensure to find the ideal fit for your palm to enjoy maximum comfort.

Does a Gaming Mouse Make a Difference?

Yes, it does. Gaming mice tend to make gaming easier and more comfortable. Many of them offer better response time than normal mice, and the customizations you get will allow for an intuitive gaming experience.

Additionally, once you get used to setting DPIs, sensitivity, and macros, it’ll be difficult to use a mouse without those features. They are also durable, and their switches and sensors are faster and more accurate than what you get on regular mice.

However, you need to consider whether or not you need these bells and whistles before making a purchase. Do you play games that need extra buttons? Will your gaming become better if you have a higher sensitivity? Is RGB lighting an important factor for your rig? Are you ready to get over the learning curve of how to map buttons, adjust sensitivity, and more?

Answering these questions will help you make the right decision.

Conclusion

Knowing the difference between a gaming mouse and a regular mouse will help you make a better buying decision. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve talked about so you know what to look out for when getting a gaming mouse:

• A gaming mouse tends to be more rugged and durable than a regular mouse
• They come in different shapes and materials, which enhances comfort
• Some gaming mice are designed with RGB lighting; most regular mice aren’t
• Both mouse types can feature a laser sensor or an optical sensor
• The gaming mouse comes with software for customization
• You can increase or decrease the sensitivity of your gaming mouse
• Some gaming mice feature customizable weights
• Gaming mice have better polling rates than regular mice
• Both mouse types are available in wireless and wired connections

If you’re a committed gamer who’s looking to go pro or already a pro, then getting a gaming mouse would be a no-brainer.

However, ensure to consider the type of games you play before buying a gaming mouse for your desktop. For instance, most indie gamers don’t need the extra buttons and sensitivity. If you do serious gaming or play competitively, getting a gaming mouse would be worth it.