The Best Budget Wireless Mice for Gaming in 2024

Whether gamers want to reduce clutter on their desk or have a mouse they can game with on the go, there is no better option than a wireless mouse. In the past, serious PC gamers would not be caught dead using a wireless mouse, but now, thanks to giant leaps in wireless technology, wireless mice offer comparative, if not better, gaming performance than some of their wired counterparts. Even some e-sports pros use wireless mice as their daily drivers.

Factors for Buying a Budget Wireless Mouse

When picking out a budget wireless mouse, buyers should consider these factors:

• Size and Ergonomics: One of the most important factors to consider is the comfort of a mouse. A mouse with the very best gaming performance can be severely hindered if it is uncomfortable to use, so choosing a mouse that fits the right size requirements and is comfortable to use in the gamer’s preferred grip style is crucial.
• Gaming Performance: Depending on the type of game that users plan to play, the desired specs may differ, especially at a budget price point, but gamers should check for a wide DPI range, low click latency, and a polling rate of at least 1,000Hz.

The Best Budget Wireless Gaming Mice in 2024

This mouse may look a bit underwhelming, but thanks to excellent performance, outstanding battery life, and rock-solid wireless connection through Logitech’s LIGHTSPEED wireless technology, the G305 is one of the best budget wireless gaming mice. Plus, it can regularly be picked up for under $50. Unlike most gaming mice, the G305 went for a matte plastic look with no RGB lighting, but thanks to the fun colorways, this mouse can still easily match any setup’s aesthetic. The G305 comes in mint, black, blue, lavender, and white colorways.

Powered by one AA battery, this mouse has an outstanding battery life of 250 hours, and thanks to its well-implemented auto-sleep settings, even in high-performance mode, the G305 can last months at a time without needing to replace the battery. The replaceable battery is not ideal for gamers looking to be more sustainable, but pick up a pack of rechargeable AA batteries, and the G305 basically becomes a rechargeable wireless mouse that can hot-swap batteries, so it is always ready to game.

In Game Rant’s review of the Logitech G305, we found it provides users with smooth motion without any delay in their mouse and competition-level performance. The DPI only goes up to 12,000, but it still has a fairly wide range, with gamers able to adjust it in increments of 50. Gamers with larger hands might feel a little cramped with the G305, but for the most part, this mouse is incredibly comfortable for all three grip types.

The Razer DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed is an excellent budget choice for any FPS gamer. With a relatively fast sensor that supports up to 14,000 DPI, an impressive battery life, and a comfortable grip, gamers looking to save a few bucks who do not want to compromise on performance have a good option here.

While the DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed doesn’t come with the latest and greatest Focus + sensor from Razer, the sensor in this mouse is no slouch by any means. This mouse is accurate and reliable in fast-paced FPS games for an excellent gaming experience. However, when trying to land flick shots or spin around quickly, the DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed does show its budget price a bit more. The slightly slower spin will not hinder gamers, but there is a noticeable difference compared to more premium gaming mice.

Even with its higher weight than most FPS-focused mice, the DeathAdder V2 X Hyperspeed feels incredibly comfortable to game with for hours. The high-arch will meet most gamers using a palm grip quite nicely, and the curvy body allows fingertip and claw grip users to get a comfortable hold.

MMO mice tend to be more expensive than most other gaming mice, especially when they are wireless, but the UtechSmart Venus Pro is an excellent option for MMO gamers who want good gaming performance, a stable wireless connection, and a sizable number of programmable buttons at an affordable price. Twelve buttons on the side of the mouse are perfect for macros and spell casting, but using UtechSmart’s software, users can reprogram almost every button on the mouse.

The Venus Pro is a very comfortable mouse. However, gamers with smaller hands might find it difficult to reach all 12 buttons on the side panel because of the wider body. Palm and fingertip grip tend to be the most comfortable, but if gamers have larger hands, it is possible to use a claw grip on this mouse and still have a comfortable experience.

When it comes to gaming performance, this mouse has a decently wide DPI range, topping out at 16,000, and gamers can adjust DPI by increments of 100 to dial in the settings to their liking. Unfortunately, it does have fairly high click latency, which makes it hard to recommend it for gamers looking to play fast-paced competitive games. However, the higher click latency is not as problematic for most MMO gaming.

The Razer Orochi V2 is an excellent mouse for any gamer who wants an ultra-lightweight gaming experience and doesn’t want to spend $100 on a mouse. Despite the Orochi V2’s lightweight of 59 grams, this mouse feels incredibly well-built and seems like it will easily stand up to the test of time. This mouse is ideal for fans of fingertip grip with larger hands, but claw and palm grip are also quite comfortable for gamers with smaller hands.

When it comes to gaming, the Orochi V2 excels, thanks to its wide DPI range, superb click latency, and smooth sliding experience across most desk surfaces. This mouse has a max DPI of 18,000, and users can dial in their favorite settings in increments of 100 using Razer Synapse, which is available on both Windows and macOS.

Like the Logitech G305, the Orochi V2 is powered by an AA battery, but gamers who want to keep the weight to a minimum can use an AAA battery instead. Razer advertises the battery life as 425 hours connected via 2.4GHz and a whopping 950 hours connected via Bluetooth. Of course, the Bluetooth connection will cause a bit of a performance drop, but if users need this mouse to last for as long as possible, it will be hard to find a gaming mouse that can compete with that.

Roccat has quickly become one of the favorite brands for gamers who want mice with excellent RGB lighting and fantastic gaming performance. The Roccat Burst Pro Air is a perfect example of why Roccat has earned such an excellent reputation. This mouse produces gorgeous RGB lighting effects with four lighting zones that are all customizable through the Roccat Swarm software. Unfortunately, for macOS users, Swarm is not available, so it will be set to default lighting.

Regarding gaming, the Burst Pro Air is a treat to use. The click latency is very low, especially compared to other mice in this price range. For competitive FPS gaming, there is very little noticeable latency. However, Game Rant does not recommend using the Bluetooth connection unless 2.4GHz wireless is not an option. In Game Rant’s review of the Roccat Burst Pro Air, we found that unless gamers are looking for a top-of-the-line gaming mouse, the Burst Pro Air offers fantastic performance that is pretty hard to rival at this price point.

This mouse is very comfortable while retaining a reasonably low profile and is lightweight. Regardless of hand size and grip type, gamers should be able to find a comfortable hold on the Burst Pro Air. However, a palm grip tends to be the most comfortable for longer gaming sessions. Roccat rated this mouse for 100 hours of battery life, which is pretty impressive, and users can easily plug in a USB-C cable when it needs to be recharged.

For those gamers who want the opposite of the Roccat Burst Pro Air, as far as RGB lighting is concerned, the Roccat Kone Air is an excellent option. Despite its affordable price and understated look, this mouse packs quite the performance under the hood. The Kone Air is perfect for gamers who want a mouse that can easily keep up with the best gaming mice but also looks like it belongs in the office during the workday.

Using the same Owl-Eye Sensor as the Burst Pro Air, this mouse is incredibly accurate and feels right at home playing competitive games. Plus, the optical switches are rated for 100 million clicks, so gamers can expect to use this mouse for quite a while.

Like all wireless mice, the battery life is crucial to an excellent experience, and the Kone Air does not disappoint. When used with two AA batteries, this mouse is rated for 800 hours of battery life. However, gamers who want a lighter gaming experience can sacrifice some battery life and use one battery.

The Razer Basilisk V3 X comes from a lineup known for its ergonomic design, excellent gaming performance, and fantastic build quality. The Basilisk V3 X fits into this lineup perfectly, with notable improvements over its predecessor. This mouse has one more side button, introduces more reliable mechanical switches for left and right clicks, and some pretty snazzy RGB lighting that shines through the transparent scroll wheel.

The right-handed shape is comfortable for most hand sizes and grip types, although to get the most ergonomic support, gamers should probably use a palm grip more often than the other two. Gamers with smaller hands will still find this larger mouse comfortable. However, the sniper button on the side might be hard to reach using any grip type.

Although it is pretty heavy, this mouse’s performance makes up for it, making it an excellent choice for fast-paced competitive gaming. The Basilisk V3 X tops out at 18,000 DPI, giving gamers quite a wide range of DPIs. Although this mouse doesn’t use Razer’s HyperPolling wireless technology like the Viper V3, it still has remarkably low click latency. Powered by one AA battery, the Basilisk V3 X lasts 285 hours when connected via its USB receiver and up to 535 hours via Bluetooth.

If gamers like the look of the Basilisk V3 X but want higher performance and more features, the Razer Basilisk Ultimate is a fantastic multi-genre mouse for those who can stretch their budget a bit further.

Not only is the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless one of the most affordable wireless gaming mice, but it is also one of the best options for gamers with smaller hands or those who prefer to use a claw grip. With fantastic gaming performance and an incredibly comfortable design, gamers with smaller hands will be hard-pressed to find a more solid option than the Harpoon RGB Wireless.

The Harpoon lineup from Corsair has always been the budget jack-of-all-trades type of mouse, and the Harpoon RGB wireless is no different. Whether gamers want to play fast-paced FPS games or MMOs, this mouse is an absolute joy to game with. Despite the DPI topping out at 10,000 DPI, which is much lower than the Razer Orochi V2, the Harpoon RGB feels accurate and responsive enough to handle anything thrown its way.

With a relatively small form factor, the Harpoon RGB Wireless is incredibly comfortable for gamers with smaller hands. The textured grips on the side make it easy to keep control of this mouse regardless of the grip being used. Plus, they do a good job of not attracting stains, so even nervous gamers don’t have to feel self-conscious with this mouse.

The only real gripe with this mouse is that the RGB feels like an afterthought despite its name. There is only one RGB zone on this mouse, and it’s on the palm grip, so most of the time, gamers won’t even be able to see it.

The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless is pretty much the same mouse as the Rival 3 but with the wire cut. Despite the similarity, SteelSeries surprised a lot of gamers with this mouse by adding a ton of premium features while keeping the price very reasonable. The Rival 3 Wireless is perfect for gamers who prefer a claw or fingertip grip and offers excellent gaming performance at an affordable price.

The shape of the Rival 3 wireless is very similar to the Rival 3, also designed for claw and fingertip users. The slim profile and hard-molded edges make it quite hard to get a comfortable grip on this mouse while using a palm grip, but that is not a concern for claw and fingertip users who don’t rest their hands on the mouse. The wireless components and two AAA batteries add more weight to this mouse, but if gamers are okay with losing some battery life, the Rival 3 Wireless can run with just one AAA for a lighter gaming experience.

While this mouse does look very similar to its wired counterpart on the outside, the inside has seen quite an upgrade. Using the newer TrueMove Air sensor from SteelSeries, this mouse offers strong gaming performance that punches way above its weight class. Whether gamers want a mouse that can be used in competitive games or just an excellent mouse they can rely on for casual gaming, the Rival 3 Wireless will not disappoint.

Wireless Freedom

Wireless mice have come a long way from where they were just five or six years ago. They will typically have excellent gaming performance, and even though the premium wireless mice have a higher price than wired options, there are still plenty of fantastic budget wireless gaming mice options out there.

As with all mice, regardless of price and connectivity, the most important factor for gamers should be the overall comfort of the mouse. Keeping a gamer’s hands healthy and ready to game without cramping or wrist strain is vital. Therefore, picking out a mouse that is the right size and fits the preferred grip type is one of the first things gamers should look at before getting to gaming performance. There are three main grip types: palm, fingertip, and claw grip. Typically, mice will have the grip styles that work best for the given mouse in the specs list, but if not, it is almost always mentioned in full reviews.

Of course, if users intend to game with a mouse, the gaming performance specs are critical. When looking at budget mice, gamers shouldn’t expect mice to be jam-packed with features like premium gaming mice, but they should at least have decent bare-bones performance. The three specs to look at for a quick overview are a wide DPI range, low click latency, and a polling rate of at least 1,000Hz. For wireless mice, gamers should also look for a decent battery life, because if a mouse has to be plugged in most of the time, it might as well be a wired mouse.

Every gamer has different needs, so be sure to find a mouse that fits those needs, is comfortable to use, and doesn’t break the bank. If gamers can hit those three points, they will be happy with whatever mouse they end up with.

FAQ

Q: Are wireless gaming mice slower?

Generally, wired mice have the lowest latency, but thanks to advancements in wireless technology, gaming mice connected via a 2.4GHz wireless connection tend to have around the same latency as wired mice. However, Bluetooth connection still yields unstable results, so it is not the best choice for fast-paced gaming.

Q: Is a wireless mouse okay for FPS games?

For the most part, quality wireless gaming mice can hold their own compared to their wired counterparts. Unless gamers are looking to get the best of the best out of a gaming mouse and can tell the minute differences between a 1ms and 3ms delay, wireless mice are excellent for FPS gaming. Plus, there is no need to worry about cable drag because there is no cable.