Logitech G502 X Plus review – the most versatile gaming mouse

The Logitech G502 is the best-selling gaming mouse vary of all time, with over 21 million models of the ten-year-old design having been bought to date. The newest model is the Logitech G502 X Plus, which continues the road’s core enchantment of mixing a cushty design with numerous additional buttons and options, whereas additionally together with the corporate’s newest 25K Hero sensor, RGB lighting, and the choice of PowerPlay charging.

The important thing options of the Logitech G502 X Plus, which proceed to earn it a spot on our greatest gaming mouse information, are its skilled integration of a great deal of additional buttons, its helpful dual-mode scroll wheel, its tremendous sensor efficiency, and its fantastic wi-fi tech. It makes for a implausible general-purpose mouse, however its weight and some different elements dent its enchantment as a severe aggressive gaming instrument.

Specs

Options

There are three primary variants of the G502 X design. There’s the wired G502 X, the wi-fi G502 X Lightspeed, after which the G502 X Plus that we’re taking a look at right here, which provides RGB lighting to the Lightspeed.

Essentially the most outstanding options of the G502 X Plus are the identical ones which have largely outlined the G502 vary since its inception. Particularly, we’re speaking concerning the additional buttons and the dual-mode scroll wheel.

It’s the scroll wheel that’s maybe most revered. With the press of a quite long-throw, clunky button on the highest of the mouse, you possibly can swap between the scroll wheel having a traditional, stepped really feel or having it spin freely. The latter mode makes it very easy to shortly glide via lengthy paperwork or carry out massive zoom maneuvers in Photoshop, for example.

Whereas this has been an undoubtedly helpful characteristic for years, the primary few iterations of the G502 hamstrung the scroll wheel by making it from strong metallic with a shiny end, leading to it being tough to grip. Fortunately, although, the most recent variations have a rubber grip to repair this challenge.

One of many explanation why the outdated metallic wheels had been such an issue is that one other key characteristic of those mice is the scroll wheel’s means to tip backward and forward to supply two additional buttons. On these shiny wheels, your finger simply slipped off (a minimum of in drier, colder circumstances) when making an attempt to do that, however the brand new model feels a lot better.

What doesn’t really feel higher is the slight wobbly really feel that these facet buttons introduce to the scroll wheel. This makes it really feel much less exact than regular scroll wheels, and it’s very straightforward to by chance knock the facet buttons simply whenever you’re scrolling, so we’ve all the time discovered it finest to disable the facet buttons or not have them mapped to an in-game (or game-disrupting) characteristic.

As for the opposite additional buttons, on the highest there’s a profile switching button simply behind the scroll wheel mode button, plus you get two additional buttons to the left of the conventional left-click button. These are actually conveniently positioned for fast, correct activation, however stay out of the best way sufficient to not simply hit by chance.

Lastly, there’s an additional button that sits simply in entrance of your thumb. This button may be remapped, however, by default, it features as a “sniper” button that shifts the mouse’s DPI when held down. Whether or not you discover these kinds of buttons helpful or not – we’ve by no means actually been satisfied – the one right here could be very cleverly designed, as it may be custom-made to your wants. You may take away the button fully in case you don’t prefer it, flip it round so it’s just a little additional ahead and out of the best way, or transfer it nearer to your thumb for straightforward activation. The button simply attaches by way of a magnet.

On the entrance of the mouse is the USB-C charging and wired connection port, whereas the underside is house to the facility swap and a round detachable part, below which you’ll be able to stow the USB dongle. The usual cowl for this part can be changed with a Logitech PowerPlay adapter, which lets the mouse cost wirelessly by way of certainly one of Logitech’s PowerPlay mousemats.

In the meantime, the sensor is Logitech’s tried and examined 25K DPI Hero mannequin, which is a superb sensor, although technically it has been round some time and there are different sensors with even increased DPI and acceleration scores nowadays.

As for the wi-fi options of this mouse, you get a USB dongle with a typical 1kHz polling fee (its 1kHz in wired mode too), with no choice to improve to a 4kHz or 8kHz dongle. Such velocity is simply of worth to elite-level players in search of the very quickest potential response, which isn’t essentially the goal marketplace for this mouse, however it will be good to have the choice.

Maybe extra of a major draw back for this mouse is that it doesn’t have Bluetooth. Many wi-fi mice, such because the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed and Corsair M75 Air, embrace Bluetooth and it’s a really helpful characteristic for a extra multi-purpose mouse just like the G502 X Plus, so this can be a main omission.

Design

The core form of the G502 hasn’t modified an incredible deal in ten years, though the G502X has fairly a distinct look to earlier non-X variations. It has a really ergonomic form, in as a lot because it’s all very curvy and designed resolutely for right-hand use, quite than being a symmetrical-style mice that left-handed players can use.

It’s a protracted however slender mouse that lends itself to a palm grip, the place you relaxation most of your hand on the mouse, quite simply gripping it along with your fingertips, although it’s completely suited to fingertip grip use too. The latter is aided massively by massive rubberized facet sections, which give dependable grip in heat and humid, or chilly and dry, circumstances.

Broadly talking, it’s a cushty mouse that may swimsuit a number of grip types and hand sizes. Nonetheless, in comparison with modern-day light-weight mice, it appears like an actual heavyweight. It weighs 104g in line with our scales (2g heavier than said), which is an honest drop from the 121g of the older G502 design, but it surely’s nonetheless almost twice the load of a number of wi-fi alternate options, such because the Cherry Xtrfy MZ1 Wi-fi, and is 120% heavier than some wired mice just like the Endgame Gear OP1 8K.

In the meantime, the RGB lighting of the G502X Plus is integrated into the Y-shaped hole between the primary panels of the mouse. It’s neatly built-in, making this arguably certainly one of Logitech’s better-looking mice – it’s a giant uplift over the utilitarian look of the G Professional Superlight. The lighting additionally serves a objective, indicating DPI and profile adjustments, battery standing, and extra. That stated, we do miss the three little LEDs that indicated DPI settings on the outdated G502.

The mouse is accessible in all-black, or the white and silver shade scheme proven right here. Logitech has but to come back out with a brilliant pink or red-and-white model, because it’s achieved with its G Professional Superlight, however there’s a Millenium Falcon version, of all issues, as proven beneath.

Efficiency

As ever with trendy gaming mice, there’s nearly nothing of consequence to be stated concerning the sensor efficiency of the G502 X Plus. Whereas its sensor is perhaps just a few years outdated now, and lacks the excessive polling charges of some mice, it in the end supplies basically flawless efficiency when used with a top quality mouse pad. Irrespective of how a lot and how briskly we moved, there was no significant slip-up from the sensor, or certainly the wi-fi response of the mouse.

That stated, in comparison with 4kHz and 8kHz mice, you possibly can detect the decrease polling fee in some video games. In the event you’re knowledgeable participant working CS2 or Valorant at over 300fps, you’ll be capable to decide up on the marginally much less easy motion from the decrease polling fee, but it surely’s a really refined distinction in most sensible phrases. Plus, once more, this mouse isn’t finest suited to these types of video games for a number of different causes, so this needs to be the least of your issues.

The important thing a kind of causes is the load of this mouse. In aggressive gaming eventualities, whenever you’re utilizing a decrease DPI and having to frequently raise and reset the mouse throughout very quick actions, the G502X felt actually cumbersome and uncomfortable. We flat out wouldn’t advocate this mouse in any respect for these kinds of video games – there’s an excellent cause why mice optimized for these video games are half the load of this one.

In the event you really need the additional options of the G502 X Plus, but additionally need a greater mouse for the above kinds of video games, we’d advocate getting a second lighter, wired mouse, such because the Endgame Gear OP1 8K, if price range is a priority. Alternatively, any of the Corsair M75 Air, Logitech G Professional Superlight 2, Cherry Xtrfy MZ1 Wi-fi, and a number of other different choices on our greatest gaming mouse information are a lot lighter wi-fi choices, simply with fewer options than the G502 X Plus.

Worth

The Logitech G502 X Plus has an MSRP of $159.99, making it a really expensive mouse. Nonetheless, it’s frequently out there for nearer to $120, which places it among the many barely better-value wi-fi gaming choices out there, particularly given all the additional features this mouse supplies.

Alternate options

Logitech G903

In the event you’re after a lot of the characteristic set discovered on the G502 X Plus, however want a left-handed design, the Logitech G903 is the mouse to go for. It shares the identical scroll wheel design and has a number of different additional buttons, however its symmetrical form can match each left and right-handed customers.

Learn our Logitech G903 overview.

Razer DeathAdder V3 Professional

For a mouse that has an analogous ergonomic form to the G502 X Plus, however a a lot lighter construct, the Razer DeathAdder V3 Professional is the best way to go. We really discover it barely extra comfy to carry, plus it consists of Bluetooth.

Learn our Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed overview.

Verdict

The Logitech G502X Plus is one thing of a love/hate gaming mouse. In some ways, it’s much less of a “gaming mouse,” and extra of a multi-purpose common desktop mouse. Its additional buttons, dual-mode scroll wheel, and relaxed palm-grip-style design all lend themselves extra to desktop work than the calls for of intense gaming classes. It’s the Logitech MX Grasp of gaming mice.

Nonetheless, this largely relies on the way you outline a gaming mouse. In the event you simply need an correct and fast response, however with heaps additional buttons for macros, or a fast-spinning scroll wheel for zooming into your Civ 6 map, the G502 X Plus completely delivers. If, although, you desire a mouse that’s extra nimble and lends itself to being flung round at velocity within the likes of Doom, CS2, Apex Legends, or Fortnite, the G502 X Plus doesn’t actually hit the mark.

With just a few tweaks, Logitech may have a mouse that maybe finds a greater stability general as a mouse for informal and aggressive players. Take away the tilting scroll wheel buttons, so the wheel feels a bit extra exact and taut, and scale back the mouse’s weight by a superb 30g, and it is perhaps getting someplace. In the event you’re not massively into aggressive FPS play, although, the Logitech G502 X Plus stays a implausible selection for informal players in search of a mouse that merely does a heck of quite a bit in a single bundle.