Comparing a gaming mouse and a regular mouse

The computer accessories market is constantly replenished with unusual devices. And it even affects mice. For example, they can be right- and left-handed, touch-sensitive, with a bunch of additional buttons, wired, wireless, with a trackball, folding … And gaming mice stand apart.

Gaming mice are incredibly expensive compared to regular mice. For the price of a Razer Mamba, you can buy four Microsoft Sculpt Comfort jokes or two dozen Logitech B100s. What is the peculiarity of gaming technology? What is the difference between a gaming mouse and a regular mouse? Consider in this article.

A brief excursion into the life of computer mice

In general, the answer to the question posed in the title of the article can be given in a single phrase without a canvas of text below. It sounds like this — «Gaming mice have configurable DPI, higher polling rate, higher defined acceleration, additional configurable buttons, sometimes adjustable weight and liftoff detection.» Now let’s start to understand what this actually means.

It would seem that the main task of a computer mouse is to move the cursor and make clicks. And this approach is fair in principle — but only if all gaming is limited to unfolding the «Kerchief» at lunchtime. When it comes to really dynamic, driving games, especially eSports, an ordinary mouse simply cannot cope with the tasks. She’s too slow, too uncomfortable.

One of the features of gaming mice — configurable DPI. DPI, or dots per inch (dots per inch) is, in fact, the sensitivity of the manipulator. The higher this indicator, the smaller movements the mouse is able to determine. Set DPI to 5000 — and the cursor will fly from corner to corner of the screen at the slightest movement. Set DPI to 300 — and you have to clear the table so that the mouse has somewhere to ride.

Customizable DPI is very important for gamers. In dynamic battles, high mouse sensitivity is required, and in strategies it can be reduced in order to select units normally. In this case, it is worth distinguishing between the «Pointer movement speed» in the mouse settings and the actual DPI. The first is the software sensitivity setting, which may not work adequately in games, and the second is the actual, physical parameter, the same regardless of the program and environment.

Now to polling speed. This parameter determines how often the mouse controller will determine the position of this very mouse, and send information about this to the computer. The standard polling rate for conventional manipulators is 300 Hz, that is, 300 times per second. In gaming, it rises to 1000 Hz, that is, 1000 times per second.

How it works in conjunction with DPI:

1. In the first cycle, the mouse controller determines its position relative to the irregularities on the table or rug, and sends information about this to the computer;

2. After 1/1000 (or 1/300, if you have a regular mouse) seconds, the controller determines the changed position — how far and in which direction the mouse has traveled. Information about this is transmitted to the computer;

3. The distance traveled by the mouse in dots per inch is also transmitted to the computer;

4. The cursor moves to the specified distance.

It is clear that the higher the polling frequency, the more often the movement is determined. It fixes more accurately and faster. That is, the mouse is able to catch even the slightest, very short movement.

But what if the mouse moves very fast? So fast that the controller is not able to accurately calculate the distance between two points — at the beginning of the measure and its end? And this actually happens during especially intense sports battles.

And now it comes to defined acceleration. This parameter determines to what speed the mouse can be accelerated so that it detects movement adequately. For conventional manipulators, it rarely exceeds 1G, that is, about 10 meters per second. For top gaming, it can reach up to 9G, that is, instant acceleration — about 90 meters per second.

In addition, it determines the reliability. If you pull an ordinary mouse from rest at a speed of 90 m / s, then most likely it will simply crumble — the inertia of the internal components will pull them out of the board or case.

Of course, in reality, 90 m / s is an extremely difficult acceleration. Even during esports competitions. But in particularly intense competitions, 2G or 3G is quite achievable.

Another important parameter of gaming mice – determination of the separation height. The manipulator rarely lies on the table during active use. More often it comes off the surface and is transferred to a new place. And some mice define it as movement.

In some gaming models, you can configure the behavior when you leave the table. The mouse can either detect this as a movement or ignore it. This is convenient because it allows you to get rid of erroneous movements.

Also for convenience, some gaming mice equipped with customizable buttons. A number of models have more than a dozen of them! Quick actions can be hung on these additional buttons so as not to be distracted from the gameplay — reloading, using spells, some character skills, and so on. Top-end mice also support macros — you press one button, and the hero of the game begins to perform a whole series of actions. It is also very convenient.

And finally, adjustable weight also for convenience. Someone likes mice heavier, someone — easier. But this is already the individual characteristics of the user.

Which is better — a regular mouse or a gaming mouse?

As you can see from the above features, gaming mice are aimed at professional gamers who need fast, practical and convenient devices. To put it mildly, all this is not really necessary for ordinary users. Even if you plan to play just in the evenings, in some «Tanks» or «Heroes», the game controller will be a waste of money.

But for e-sportsmen and fans of multiplayer games, a gaming mouse is needed. With it, they will achieve new heights!