GamingPCElectronics

What is the best RTS gaming mouse?

5

Options
Considered

7

User
Recs.

Aug 6, 2018

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

5 Options Considered

Best RTS gaming mouse	Price	Weight	Max Speed
-- Zowie FK1	$59.99	90g	5.25 m/s
-- Zowie EC2-A	$59.99	94g	5.46 m/s
-- Steelseries Sensei [RAW]	$44.99	90g	N/A
-- SteelSeries Rival 300	$52.99	102-104 grams	5.08 m/s
-- Razer DeathAdder Elite	$69.00	–	–

Zowie FK1

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Top Pro

Excellent 3200 CPI optical sensor

The Zowie FK1 gaming mouse uses an Avago 3310 optical sensor that has an incremental setting ranging from 400, 800, 1600 to 3200 CPI. See More

Top Con

Only 4 DPI settings

Even though the ADNS-3310 sensor supports DPI settings in increments of 50, the FK1 only lets you choose between 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 DPI. See More

Specs

Max Speed:5.25 m/s

Cable:Soft Rubber

Sensor:Avago ADNS-3310 (Optical)

Top Pro

A low lift-off-distance of about 1.5-1.8mm

The standard lift off distance on a cloth mouse pad is 1.5-1.8mm though it will be a bit higher when using a plastic pad being 2.2 - 2.4mm. To enable the plastic pad setting a certain button combination has to be pressed on the gaming mouse itself. See More

Top Con

Slight lens rattle

There is some lens rattle when picking up the device and shaking it. See More

Top Pro

Extra mouse feet in the box

The Zowie gaming mouse has an extra pair of mouse feet in the box so users can replace their old ones when the time comes. See More

Top Pro

The version of 2016 has omron switches in right/left buttons and there is no more acceleration

Top Pro

There's no driver software to deal with, it's just plug'n'play

There is no driver software needed for the mouse, though that does limit amount of settings to what can be changed on the device itself. See More

Top Pro

Ambidextrous gaming mouse

The Zowie FK1 gaming mouse uses an ambidextrous design with a wide base for the palm rest. See More

Zowie EC2-A

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Top Pro

Accurate and well built

EC2-A has a highly accurate 3200 CPI optical sensor with no angle snapping, hardware acceleration or jitter. And it's made of high quality plastic that's lightly coated to help with grip. The buttons click easily and the rubber cable is thin and flexible. All of this combined gives a feeling of quality, while also being functional as a high-end mouse. See More

Top Con

Extra travel on side buttons

Side buttons have a bit of pre-travel. You have to press in about 1mm more than usual for the mouse to register the side button clicks. Some may find this annoying, but it helps avoid accidentally clicking side buttons in-game. See More

Specs

Max Speed:5.46 m/s

Sensor:Avago 3310

Top Pro

No extra cruft

There's no advanced functionality or accompanying software. There are just 5 buttons and the only settings you can adjust are CPI, polling rate and lift-off distance. And only in preset intervals via specific mouse button combinations. It's a mouse that focuses on the essential factors only - comfort, performance and build quality - all of which it excels at. It doesn't get distracted with anything else. If you think all the bells and whistles that come with gaming mice are unnecessary, this just might be what you're looking for. See More

Top Pro

Comfortable mouse for daily use

The left and right mouse buttons have small grooves to help fingers rest in place. The left side lets the thumb grip the mouse comfortably. The side buttons are in an easily accessible yet unobtrusive position. The coating is slightly textured to help you control the mouse confidently. And it weighs just 94 grams, light enough for quick mouse movements and won't cause fatigue after extended use, yet feels solidly built. See More

Steelseries Sensei [RAW]

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Top Pro

Great for palm and claw grips

Users who prefer palm or claw grips will have no problems using this mouse. See More

Top Con

Mouse wheel can be a little finicky

The mouse wheel tends to sometimes scroll up one click when trying to scroll down, and vice versa. See More

Specs

Sensor:Avago ADNS-A9500 (Laser)

Top Pro

Driver software allows adjusting sensitivity, accent illumination and reprogram buttons

The driver software dashboard allows for numerous customizations such as illumination changes and programmable buttons. See More

Top Con

All four buttons are hard to integrate into daily usage, but they are not always necessary.

Top Pro

Braided cable the metal and glossy/rubberized editions

The Steelseries Sense[RAW] gaming mouse comes with a braided anti-tangle cord. See More

Top Con

Far side buttons can be pressed accidentally at first

The side buttons on the far side (i.e. right if you're right-handed) can easily be pressed when the user simply tries to grip the mouse. This can be mitigated with practice. See More

Top Pro

Great gaming mouse buttons

Tactile and light without being easy to press by resting your hand on the gaming mouse. See More

Top Con

Slight inconsistent positive acceleration at all tracking speeds

Is lessened on hard pads, Steelseries recommends a 4hd/9hd as the mouse was made and tested on it. Most people don't realize the acceleration until told about it and there are numerous professional cs go, Lol, dota, and starcraft players who have no problem with or don't notice the acceleration. See More

Top Pro

Ambidextrous

The Steelseries Sensei [RAW] gaming mouse is an ambidextrous mouse that is default set to right handed. See More

Top Pro

Available with a metal, glossy or rubberized finish

The Steelseries Sensei [RAW] gaming mouse comes in three selectable finishes, metal, glossy or rubberized. See More

Top Pro

On-the-fly two-state CPI switch

There is a button below the scroll wheel that allows for on the fly DPI switching. See More

Razer DeathAdder Elite

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Top Pro

Comfortable for most sizes of hands and grips

The Deathadder gaming mouse has a simple design and ergonomics that makes it comfortable for a wide variety of hand sizes and grips. See More

Top Con

Requires signing in and connecting to a server before the mouse can be used to its full potential

To get the latest drivers or edit settings you have to download "synapse" an "online cloud device updater and profile storage" application. You have to register an account with your email and have it running in the background constantly for changes to take effect. See More

Top Pro

Left- and right-click buttons have a concave that helps fingers stay in place

The concave w design of the left and right mouse buttons allows for fingers to stay easily in place comfortably. See More

Top Pro

Synapse is well-designed driver software

Synapse can be a useful tool by saving a users setting to the cloud automatically, setting do not need to be remembered upon re-installs or using a friends PC. See More

Top Pro

5 Independently programmable buttons

All five buttons on the device are independently programmable with the Synapse software. See More

Top Pro

Reasonably lightweight at 105 grams

At 105 grams the Razer Deathadder Chroma gaming mouse is reasonably lightweight. See More

Top Pro

Two side buttons in an easily accessible yet unobtrusive position

The two side buttons on this gaming mouse are programmable and have the exact same actuation as the left and right mouse buttons. They are also placed well where they are easy to access but are also unobtrusive. See More

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