This winter, I spent $160 (or, $200 CAD for me) to buy a new gaming mouse. I’ve never owned one that cost more than about $50. My previous one was the Logitech G305. And before that, I owned a SteelSeries Sensei 310. If you’re not familiar with the G305, it’s one of the best wireless mice you can buy for under $50. Thanks to its Hero sensor, it’s as fast and accurate as some of the most expensive gaming mice on the market. Another highlight is that it draws on an AA battery for power, meaning you can go up to 250 hours of uptime on a single charge. For most people, including those who play competitive games, I think the G305 is about all the mouse they need.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

So why did I decide to trade in a perfectly good mouse for one many times its price? For me, it came down to build quality. By the time I decided to pick up the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, the scroll wheel on my G305 was starting to get mushy, and the back battery cover would creak when I put the palm of my hand on it. And by that point, I had been eyeing the Superlight ever since Logitech announced it in 2020.

If you spend a lot of time watching videos on YouTube about PC gaming, you know the appeal of this mouse. Logitech claims it weighs less than 63 grams, making it one of the lightest you can buy at the moment. As someone who plays a lot of Valorant and League of Legends, a lightweight mouse is appealing because it allows you to be both fast and accurate with your mouse movements. The reason for this is that you can maintain a low DPI (a setting that determines the sensitivity of your mouse) while still quickly flicking it across your mousepad, thanks to its light weight.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

There are mice you can buy that are even lighter than the G Pro X, but almost all of them use a perforated design where the main body of the mouse features a honeycomb-like pattern of holes. But that can compromise build quality – a mouse with holes won’t feel as solid as one without because, well, it has holes.

Instead, the G Pro X represents a different kind of compromise. It features the same body design as Logitech’s incredibly popular G Pro Wireless, but it doesn’t have all of the same features. It doesn’t come with RGB lighting or even a DPI switch for quickly adjusting its sensitivity on the fly. But the most notable omission is that the Superlight doesn’t come with a second set of buttons on the right side of the mouse. Sorry, lefties.

But here’s the thing: I don’t mind that it’s missing those features. Maybe my opinion would change if I was left-handed, but I’m not, and I think the white model looks great without RGB lighting. It’s also not a deal breaker for me that it doesn’t come with a DPI switch since I can recall situations with my old G305 where I accidentally clicked that button during a crucial moment in a game.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Put differently, I could live without those features, but I didn’t want another mouse that would wear down on me. And the G Pro X Superlight has yet to disappoint on that front. It features Omron switches that produce a satisfying click whenever you press down on the left and right buttons, and it has one of the best scroll wheels I’ve ever used on a mouse. The plastic also has yet to develop the shine you see when it gets worn down in certain areas. This thing is built to last.

I also found the features that make the Superlight a great gaming mouse lend it just as well to productivity use. It doesn’t include Bluetooth connectivity, but what it does have is a clever magnetized storage compartment for storing its wireless dongle. Pair that with its light design, and you have a great travel mouse. It also features a shape I find works well with my palm grip style, making it ideal for long Lightroom and Photoshop sessions.

Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Yes, $160 is a lot to spend on a mouse, but it got me one of the best gaming mice on the market. When you think about how much it costs to buy the “best” graphics card, monitor or almost anything else gaming-related, you’re looking ahead at spending upwards of thousands of dollars. The G Pro X Superlight didn’t cost me that much, and I got a mouse that’s great not just for gaming, but for everything else I use my computer for.