Wired Vs. Wireless: Which Gaming Mouse Should You Choose For Gaming?

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Gaming mice have become a staple in the gaming world. If you are looking to increase your win rate, one of the best ways to take it from average to awesome is with a high quality gaming mouse. 

It offers comfort and precision that can’t be matched by regular mice, especially when you’re playing at a competitive level. When shopping for a mouse, you’ll probably see two types: wired and wireless.

Wired mice give you an extremely fast connection with no chance of lag or latency. Wireless options allow for intense competition without having to find a plug near your computer space. 

However, since their inception they haven’t been able to match the precision and accuracy of wired mice. Today’s best wireless gaming mice have come a long way to bridge the gap, but going wireless should be a match made match.

What is a Wired Gaming Mouse?

A wired gaming mouse is exactly what the name says: a regular, non-gaming mouse with an added wire. Wired mice are known for their accuracy and fast response time; however, the one major drawback to them is that you’re tied down by a cord. 

While wireless models can get in your way sometimes, wired ones will slow you down and limit you to whatever distance the wire allows. If you’re just playing at your desk and don’t mind a cord, then wired mice is probably what you want.

Pros

• Faster response time
• More accurate

Cons

• Limited movement due to long cord
• Instantly lose connection if tripped over or if the cord is pulled
• Heavy mice can put strain on your wrist after long hours of play

What is a Wireless Gaming Mouse?

A wireless gaming mouse eliminates the annoying cord that gets in your way, but it requires batteries to stay powered on. For this reason, there can often be a slight delay between input and action since it takes time for the mouse to communicate with your computer. 

Again, if you’re just using this at home and don’t need quick and accurate response times, then wireless gaming mice give you more freedom than wired ones do.

Pros

• Unlimited movement due to no cord
• No delay between input and action
• Lighter weight, which can cut down on wrist strain from using a heavier mouse

Cons

• Batteries can drain fast depending on usage
• Can suffer from latency issues if interference is present

Wired Vs. Wireless: What’s the Difference?

While you can play games with a regular mouse, a gaming mouse gives you a huge advantage over the competition. Not only do they have better sensors, but many models come equipped with additional buttons that allow for more complex macros and shortcuts. 

For example, if you’re playing an MMO where your character uses magic that shoots out in front of them, instead of having to hit the same key ten times you can just press a button on your mouse.

Wired mice are known for their accuracy and responsiveness, while wireless models offer more freedom at the cost of response time. Since wired gaming mice plug directly into your PC, you don’t have to worry about signal interference or battery life which both impact how quickly your input is transmitted.

If you’re playing at a competitive level where reaction time is everything, then wired mice are probably what you want. However, if you don’t need the extra response and just want to relax while playing your favourite games, wireless mice let you do that without any distractions.

Which is Better: Wireless Mouse or Wired Mouse?

As we mentioned above, mice come in both wired and wireless options. It’s no secret that wired mice offer the fastest response time; however, wireless mice take your gaming to a whole new level. 

If you’ve ever been annoyed by a wired mouse’s limited movement or have had the cable get caught on something and yank your mouse out of your hand, then it’s time you tried wireless mice.

Wireless mice improve drastically over the years; they’re now capable of processing data at a faster rate than wired ones, but you will have to deal with a limited range and dead batteries if they die in the middle of a battle. It’s ultimately up to you whether or not these downsides are worth it for the freedom of going cordless.

While not having to worry about cords is nice, the slight delay between input and action can be detrimental in competitive gaming. Wireless mice are definitely catching up, but wired ones will always offer faster response times so long as they’re plugged directly into your PC. 

If you don’t want to get caught with a dead battery or have to carry extra ones around, then wireless mice are the way to go.

At the end of the day, you should get whatever mouse sounds best to you. Some people can’t stand having a cord attached to their wrist while playing. 

Whereas others won’t play without wireless mice because they don’t like dealing with batteries. If you want freedom and speed over durability and comfort, then get a wired mouse. If you don’t want to deal with cords, then get a wireless one.

Do Pro Gamers Use Wireless Mice?

Although many professional gamers swear by wired mice, wireless gaming mice are becoming more popular. They offer you unlimited freedom to move around so long as they have a clear line of sight with your computer.

Which is perfect for those who want to sit about ten feet away from their screen while playing . With that being said, even some professional gamers use wired mice at competitions to gain an advantage over their opponents.

Conclusion

The choice between wired and wireless gaming mice ultimately comes down to preference. Some gamers need the instant response time of a wired model, while others are willing to sacrifice precision for convenience. 

Think about how you play your games and what will be more important to you before deciding if wired or wireless mice are right for you.

While wired gaming mice offer ultimate performance, wireless mice give you freedom without sacrificing too much accuracy. If you’re just looking to have some fun, then wireless is probably the right way to go. However if you take your gaming seriously, then wired mice are your best bet in terms of precision and performance.