Picking a gaming mouse is a very personal endeavor. Everyone’s hands are different, everyone’s preferences and needs are different, and we all play different games. That’s why we’re lucky to live in the golden age of gaming mice, with major manufacturers pouring engineering muscle into one-upping one another. The result is a market loaded with high-quality yet relatively inexpensive mice.
We’ve tested quite a few, and while we can’t tell you precisely which mouse is right for you—you may prefer wired or wireless, more or fewer buttons, and obviously everyone’s hands are a bit different—we have a variety of recommendations. These are the best gaming mice for every kind of gamer we can think of, plus a couple of mousepads for good measure.
Be sure to also read up our other buying guides, like the Best Gaming Headsets, Best Wireless Gaming Headsets, and Best Keyboards, for more gear recommendations.
Updated October 2023: We’ve added the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S, Logitech Pro X Superlight 2, and Razer Naga V2 Pro.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.