Best Gaming Mice 2014

Every gamer needs a trusty sidekick. Whether you built your own rig, bought a prebuilt gaming notebook or desktop, or have your eye on an upcoming Steam Machine, you'll want a high-quality gaming mouse to give you an edge. Today's gaming mice are more customizable than ever, featuring lots of programmable buttons, multiple user profiles and even adjustable weights.

No mouse is right for every gamer, however, and which one you'll need depends on both your gaming habits and your budget. Here are some of 2014's best gaming mice, sure to suit the needs of armchair generals, online adventurers and twitchy sharpshooters alike.

Razer Naga

Best MMO Mouse

Playing massively multiplayer online (MMO) games like "World of Warcraft" means that you'll have a row of skills stretching across your entire monitor that you need to access right away. You can use the number keys on your keyboard, but you can access them more efficiently from a Razer Naga. This mouse has 12 numbered buttons on the side that you can hit with your thumb, leaving your fingers free to control your avatar and camera. Since your mouse thumb usually rests dormant, the Naga helps you make the most of each digit, which can mean the difference between life and death. Read the Full Review

Corsair Vengeance M65

Best FPS Mouse

Hardcore FPS fans don't need many buttons to succeed; what they need is comfort and precision. The Corsair Vengeance M65 delivers on both counts. Corsair designed this large mouse specifically with FPS players in mind. The device sports eight programmable buttons, including one that enters a "sniper mode" to slow down the DPI and let players aim more accurately. Players who want to fine-tune the feel of the mouse can also tinker with three adjustable weights and switch between three DPI settings on the fly. With deeply customizable profile software, the Vengeance M65 also functions as a good generalist mouse.
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Razer DeathAdder

Best RTS Mouse

Real-time strategy (RTS) games rely on how quickly you can adapt to changing conditions on the battlefield and how well you can remember your keyboard shortcuts. Therefore, you'll want a mouse that's simple and ergonomic rather than chock-full of extra features. Despite its silly name, the Razer DeathAdder is a good place to start. Sporting a sleek, curved design that fits comfortably in both small and large hands, the DeathAdder has few extra buttons, accurate scrolling and zippy response times. This mouse will also work well for multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) titles like "League of Legends." Read the Full Review

Logitech G502 Proteus Core

Best All-Purpose Gaming Mouse

With a comfortable shape, textured grips and 11 big, programmable buttons in a convenient layout, the Logitech G502 Proteus Core has a great feel and performance to match. The mouse isn't specialized for any one genre, but handles FPS, RTS, MMO or anything in-between with grace and aplomb. Users can adjust the Proteus Core's weight and set its scroll wheel to feel either resistant or almost frictionless. The Logitech Gaming Software can even scan your computer for games and automatically create profiles to fit them. The Proteus Core is easily one of the best mice on the market today. Read the Full Review

Mad Catz R.A.T. 9

Best Premium Gaming Mouse

If there's a more expensive mouse on the market than the Mad Catz R.A.T. 9, the Tom's Guide staff hasn't found it yet. That said, you get what you pay for. In addition to two interchangeable batteries and an external charger, the R.A.T. 9 comes with three different palm rests and three different pinkie grips, depending on whether you want comfort, grip or height. You can change the mouse's weight, width and relative button placement — sure to please habitual tweakers. The R.A.T. 9 sports four customizable DPI (dots per inch, which corresponds to how mice track movement onscreen) settings, software to let you customize mouse profiles for individual games and even a Precision Aim Mode, which slows down mouse movement as you aim in FPS games.

E-3Lue Cobra Type-M

Best Budget Gaming Mouse

You can't get a top-of-the-line, brand-name gaming mouse for less than $20, but what you can get is the E-3lue Cobra Type-M. The Type-M has no frills, but it does offer a streamlined design, three selectable DPI options, and two side buttons for forward and backward browsing. There's not much to customize, and users who want programmable buttons will have to look elsewhere. But if you want an entry-level gaming mouse that's both responsive and durable, the Type-M fits the bill.

Roccat Kova

Best Gaming Mouse for Lefties

Many gaming mice are available in both right- and left-hand conformations, but not all mice make the transition unscathed. If you're a southpaw, your best option may be the Roccat Kova[+], which is an orientation-agnostic mouse, so its angular design is equally suited to righties and lefties. Boasting seven programmable buttons, sensitivity adjustment software and audio confirmation when you switch profiles, the Kova[+] is a good match for just about any genre. You can even choose from seven different colors of LED lights.

Razer Taipan Ambidextrous PC Gaming Mouse

Best Gaming Mouse for Mac

Gaming on Macs has improved considerably over the last few years, and most gaming mice will work fine if you just plug them in (installing a third-party program called USB Overdrive may be necessary to use all the extra buttons and user profiles). That said, Razer has gone out of its way to ensure that its mice are compatible with Macs. Any Razer mouse in its "Powered for Mac" category is optimized for Apple operating systems, which means that both the hardware and software will run on a Mac as well as they would on a PC. Choices range from the MMO-friendly Naga, to the compact Taipan, to the powerhouse Ouroboros.

SteelSeries Sensei Wireless

Best Wireless Mouse

Gamers are often distrustful of wireless mice, and with good reason — they're often prone to lag and missed commands. The SteelSeries Sensei avoids these issues deftly and manages to deliver a stellar peripheral in its own right. With a large, responsive dock that also keeps track of the Sensei's battery life, this mouse is easy to set up and boasts an impressive range. Furthermore, the mouse sports an intelligent, ambidextrous design and makes use of the smart SteelSeries Engine software. Although the Sensei doesn't come cheap, you'll be paying for perfect reliability, and that's not easy to find in a wireless gaming mouse. Read the Full Review