Logitech G502 Lightspeed
The best mouse made better?
LOGITECH’S LIGHTSPEED tech has wowed us in keyboards, but squeezed into a compact mouse, it’s easy to argue that the super-low-latency wireless protocol is where it needs to be. A good keyboard tends to stay where it is. Going wireless for keys is merely a matter of occasional convenience; rarely do you type so hard and so excitedly that a wire becomes a problem—if you do, perhaps it’s time to take a look in the mirror and ask some difficult questions. A mouse is made to move, and boy, does this Lightspeed edition of the iconic G502 move.
The updated HERO sensor (now capable of an unnecessarily fine 16,000 dpi) is unerringly precise, the light-bodied mouse is slick underneath for maximum ease of travel, and it’s intricately and stiffly molded to the point that we didn’t notice the apparently thinner plastic employed in this new model in order to cram in the wireless tech. As long as you’re a right-hander, the narrow body feels great in the hand, with an integrated thumb rest and textured silicon (which, on the left, curls around to reach all the way up to the palm), adding reassurance when things get slippery. If you like a heavier mouse, or want precise control over balance, there’s a number of weights in the box, which can be slotted into your choice of position underneath.
The G502 Lightspeed is not short on buttons. It’s positively dripping with them, in fact: There’s a pair of thumb buttons, with a third “sniper” button mounted at the very tip of the thumb; a pair of DPI buttons set to the left edge of the left mouse button; the requisite top buttons, with the left feeling lighter to click than the right; a top button that seeks a connection between the mouse and its USB receiver; and three ways of actuating the wheel, with a central click and left and right nudges counting as individual functions.
What’s more remarkable is that we didn’t have any of our usual reservations about the layout. At least to these large hands, everything is where it needs to be. Take that sniper button, for example. Some mice put it right on the pad of your thumb, but the G502 has it just slightly out of reach, requiring the tiniest palm readjustment to actuate it. That’s perfect, because it’s an occasional function, not a core one. Likewise the DPI buttons, which ask you to shift your pointer finger to the side slightly to switch. Not something you’d accidentally do, but not something that’s difficult to reach— and a damn sight more convenient than searching for top-mounted DPI switching in the heat of battle.
As well designed as it is, though, this isn’t a perfect mouse. The G502’s spoked wheel (or at least half of it) is its one misstep. It’s a dual-mode number, with a nice clicky mechanical switch toggling between ratcheted and freewheeling modes, but only the latter gets it right. Quality bearings mean that there’s a supreme amount of spin—we counted some 13 seconds in a completely non-scientific test—and it’s incredibly smooth. The ratcheted mode, however, is rough and unpleasant, particularly when compared with other dual-mode mouse wheels we’ve tried. Clicking the wheel’s side switches is easy enough, but clicking down as a middle button requires a Herculean feat of strength which, on one hand, is a boon if you’re prone to heavy-fingered misclicking, but on the other, it’s annoyingly difficult if you’re letting the wheel run free. Honestly, we would have probably dropped the toggle altogether in favor of a betterfeeling ratchet.
Yes, it’s expensive. Very. But you’re paying for a wireless mouse that, thanks to that Lightspeed protocol, is indiscernible in the quality of its operation from a wired one. A mouse form that’s already well established and well respected, made even better than before. A considered and incredibly careful piece of engineering. It’s worth every cent. –ALEX COX
VERDICT 9 Logitech G502 Lightspeed
FREEDOM Superb design; great comfort; excellent sensor; stacks of customization.
IMPRISONMENT Slightly wonky wheel; high price.
$150, www.logitech.com