PC gaming is a very serious hobby for many hardcore gamers. As such, there are many gaming mice. So many gaming mice, in fact, that trying to decide on a single size and style – especially on a budget – is much more complicated than trying browse Reddit and Amazon’s best lists for an answer. Unless you know exactly what your gaming needs are and which plug you useI recommend that you go to a store to try it out – and determine your personal preferences – before buying. Ergonomic design, addition of a scroll wheel, battery life, if you want to use a mouse pad, if the mouse has a laser sensor, mouse sensitivity, if the mouse has a fingertip handle or a Ambidextrous design, whether or not the mouse is programmable or open to customization – these factors are all paramount for the best possible gaming experience.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend a lot to get a good gaming mouse with great performance and precision. Below are some of our favorites that fall below $ 50. In addition, we are currently testing new mice that were announced in late 2019, so expect this list to change as we weigh the pros and cons of each. If you think I’ve overlooked other great gaming mice for under $ 50, leave a comment to let us know what you think is the best inexpensive gaming mouse. In addition, if you also need a new gaming keyboard, here is our current choices for less than $ 100.
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Steelseries already has an excellent, inexpensive gaming mouse in its lineup with the ambidextrous Sensei 310, which is further down this list. However, his new $ 30 Rival 3 is also surprisingly decent. The ergonomic six-button right-handed mouse is very light at 77 g (2.7 oz) and uses the company’s TrueMove Core sensor with a CPI of 8,500 and one-to-one tracking for precise movement. This wired mouse uses the same switches as its $ 120 Rival 650 mouse and, although the buttons require a bit more force than others we’ve tested, it has a fair amount of configuration possibilities, including three zones of RGB LED lights which Steelseries says are the brightest is used in any mouse.
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Roccat has packed a ton of features into this 99 gram ambidextrous RGB budget mouse with a braided cable. Its Swarm software allows you to program its 10 mouse buttons for up to 20 functions with its Easy Shift function which gives you access to a second set of commands. In addition, there are a bunch of predefined profiles for games. If you like macros, but don’t like a bulky mouse, consider the Kova.
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You can dismiss Razer because it is popular or you think it is overkill. But the fact is, it is a good budget gaming mouse for any player. It is comfortable, especially if you are using a palm grip, with a fast and precise 16,000 DPI sensor and a light body. Synapse programmable software lets you change its lights and seven buttons as much as you want, and you no longer need to log in. And it’s covered by a two-year warranty.
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If you want an extra flash in a fast, precise and light gaming mouse, this rival SteelSeries is an excellent ergonomic choice for fast movements and good play. At 100 grams, you can use the Surge with a fingertip or a claw grip, and it is also ambidextrous. Other advantages are that it is designed with six programmable buttons and a ring of RGB light that run throughout the body. It’s a plug-and-play mouse, but you can program lights and buttons with the company’s NGenuity software.
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The G305 is the only one here without RGB lighting. However, it’s also the only wireless mouse on our list, and without this additional lighting, this wireless gaming mouse lasts longer – up to 250 hours of continuous PC gaming. It takes a single AA battery that hides under the palm rest with its Lightspeed wireless USB adapter. Even with the battery, this PC gaming mouse weighs less than 100 grams. The small size, relatively low profile and weight were comfortable to use with the claw and palm grip styles. It is also an ambidextrous gaming mouse. Overall, it’s a great choice among wireless gaming mice, with good battery life, if you don’t want a lot of buttons or lights.
The price hovers around $ 50, so if it jumps a bit above, I recommend waiting for a price drop or a sale.
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If you spend a lot of time playing FPS games, this is a great choice for an FPS gaming mouse. While many mice have ways to quickly adjust DPI (dots per inch) on the fly, the removable thumb clutch is perfectly placed. And two sizes are included to fit the size of your hand. The other useful design feature is the tension setting on the scroll wheel. A small throttle wheel at the bottom allows you to choose how fast you want the scroll wheel to rotate for times when you need more precision like weapon selection.
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SteelSeries recently announced a 10th anniversary edition of this mouse called Sensei Ten. It has some new customization features that are worth paying extra for (although you can currently get it for around $ 42) like tracking the tilt when you hit your mouse pad at an angle. That said, the 310 is cheaper, just as light and also has precise tracking thanks to its esport quality optical sensor. The side buttons are on the small side, but you get one set on each side of its ambidextrous design.