10 Best Gaming Mice in the Philippines 2024 | Razer, Logitech, Glorious, and More

Look under your mouse, and you’ll see a light coming from underneath the device. This is the sensor, which optical mice use to read movement and convey them to your computer through light or laser. The lift-off distance is the distance that makes the mouse react to the surface. The shorter the distance, the better. 

Many mice will start to move when it “floats” or when they’re lifted from your mouse pad or any flat surface. This action can ultimately lead to errors, and it can even result in a major loss in your games. Optical mice are now the go-to computer peripherals for gaming. Some models will even allow you to adjust the lift-off distance by putting tape on the sensor area.

The tracking speed, which is measure by inches per second (IPS), is a number that states how fast the gaming mouse can perceive movement. Computer mice with low IPS don’t respond to a movement quick enough; on the other hand, mice with high IPS allow the cursor to move smoothly and freely even if you’re randomly moving the device around. 

High IPS gaming mice are necessary for gaming, especially for first-person shooter games (FPS), as fast reflexes are necessary. Bear in mind that there is a limit to the tracking speed of a mouse, so trying to move the mouse beyond that limit will not improve its performance.

The tracking sensitivity, which is expressed in dot per linear inch (DPI), is the number of dots a mouse can detect. Users can adjust the DPI of their gaming mouse on their computers. Consequently, some manufacturers put dedicated buttons or switches on their peripherals for gamers to easily change the DPI. 

However, your computer resolution should be able to cope with the mouse's movement to show the correct cursor track. Adjusting your mouse to the right DPI is important for different types of games. Changing the numerical value of the peripheral’s DPI can spell either defeat or victory in video games.

Mouse polling rate is the number of times information is sent to your computer per second, which is expressed in Hertz(Hz). This only means that the higher the figure of the polling rate, the faster the operation. In other words, if you click on the mouse button to shoot, there’s no visible lag from the click and when your character starts shooting. 

As an example, a 500Hz-rate gaming mouse only means that the mouse is reporting its location to the computer every 2 milliseconds. First-person shooter(FPS) games require a computer mouse with high report rates and low input lags. Because opponents are constantly moving around, timing your mouse click is everything; miss one millisecond, and you can get eliminated or could lose the game.

A wireless gaming mouse is easier to manage and allows the freedom to move around the gaming area to achieve your comfort zone. You will never have to worry about tangled cables or a messy desk. Most wireless mice utilize Bluetooth technology that is fully backward-compatible. However, there is a significant input lag. It will rely on a battery for power and generally expensive than wired ones.

If you're looking for a much stable connection and a more responsive type of mouse, a wired type should be the right choice. Many gamers lean towards a wired connection because of its lower latency rate and commonly cheaper than wireless mice. The only downside: cable clutter. If you're not too particular about cables, you can definitely invest in an excellent wired mouse.