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Finding the best budget or cheap gaming mouse can be a challenge. With the growing popularity of PC gaming, making an informed choice about which products to add to your arsenal without breaking the bank is tough. Don't lose hope; finding high-quality gaming products at affordable prices is possible. You might not get certain features or a wireless design when looking for the best gaming mouse on a budget, but there are plenty of great choices for a thrifty gamer.
We've tested over 320mice, and these are our recommendations for the best budget and cheap mice for gaming. If you want to compare higher-priced options, check out ourbest gaming miceandbest wireless gaming micearticles. Or, if you're interested in a standard mouse for everyday use, look at our list of best miceoverall.
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Best Budget Gaming Mouse
Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED 10
Video Games (FPS)
8.4
Video Games (MMO)
7.8
Raw Performance
9.1
Ambidextrous
Shape OnlyConnectivity Wireless
Default Weight
101.7 gSee all our test results
The best budget gaming mouse we've tested is the Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED. While many wireless gaming models come with a price jump compared to similar wired versions, this mouse is a rare exception. It has a very sturdy-feeling, almost egg-shaped body that's comfortable to hold for nearly all hand sizes. Logitech advertises a battery life of up to 250 hours from a single AA battery, and an LED indicator behind the scroll wheel lets you know when your battery is running low. Its companion software offers plenty of customization and allows you to set custom profiles, re-program buttons, and precisely adjust your sensor settings.
Performance-wise, its click latency is excellent and is even lower than some wired options around the same price range. This sensor is an earlier version of Logitech's current flagship sensor and offers good all-around performance for gaming in any genre. Unfortunately, it doesn't have RGB lighting but comes in various colors to better suit your setup. Altogether, this mouse offers the freedom of a wireless connection without sacrificing gaming performance, and it's the best budget gaming option out there.
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Best Multi-Genre Budget Gaming Mouse
Video Games (FPS)
7.8
Video Games (MMO)
8.5
Raw Performance
8.7
Ambidextrous
NoConnectivity Wired
Default Weight
120.7 gSee all our test results
The Logitech G502 HERO is the best budget gaming option we've tested if you play different types of games, especially if they require more buttons, like MOBA or MMO games. It has a more ergonomic, right-handed shape than our best pick on this list, the Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED, making it a more comfortable option for longer play sessions. It also has outstanding click latency, making it more than capable of delivering stable, responsive performance, even in competitive games. Its companion software allows you to remap any of its 12 buttons, set custom lighting, and make sensor adjustments. Its scroll wheel also has tilt inputs and a free-scrolling mode, a helpful feature for scrolling quickly through web pages outside of gaming.
Overall, this mouse is a great option if you play plenty of different game titles, though it isn't ideal if you only tend to play FPS or fast-paced games, as it's pretty heavy, and you can't flick it around as quickly. If you're interested in a similar mouse that connects wirelessly with a USB receiver or via Bluetooth, we recommend checking out the Razer Basilisk X Hyperspeed. It also offers similar gaming performance and is typically around the same price. However, it only has six programmable buttons, it lacks RGB lighting, and its scroll wheel lacks tilt inputs and a free-scrolling mode.
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Best Lightweight Budget Gaming Mouse
Cooler Master MM720 4
Video Games (FPS)
8.8
Video Games (MMO)
7.7
Ambidextrous
NoConnectivity Wired
Default Weight
52.2 gSee all our test results
If you're on a budget but want the lightest mouse on the block, we recommend the Cooler Master MM720. The price of this mouse bounces around quite a bit, but it frequently goes on sale, and it's at its best value when it falls to $25 or less. It's a wired model that weighs only 52 g, making it the lightest pick on this list. It may not look like most other mice, but its unusual right-handed shape features a rest for your ring finger and is surprisingly comfortable for most hand sizes. In terms of performance, this mouse has incredibly low click latency and solid sensor performance. The quality of its cable and mouse feet is also outstanding and on par with those typically only found on premium options.
Unfortunately, its weakness is with other elements of its build quality. The body squeaks and feels like it might crack with enough pressure, and the side buttons have a mushy feel. These issues won't present any problems during gameplay, but they can be a longer-term concern or be more of a problem if you're a little rougher with your mice overall.
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Best Cheap Gaming Mouse
Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC 3
Video Games (FPS)
8.7
Video Games (MMO)
7.9
Raw Performance
9.5
Ambidextrous
Shape OnlyConnectivity Wired
Default Weight
84.6 gSee all our test results
If you're looking for the best cheap option, we recommend the Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC. This wired model is available in several expressive colors to suit your setup. It also has fully customizable RGB lighting that you can adjust using the companion software. This mouse has the same egg-like shape as our best overall pick, the Logitech G305 LIGHTSPEED, which means it's well-suited to left- and right-handed users for nearly all hand sizes.
It may not have the same sensor accuracy as the more expensive options on this list. However, its click latency is low enough to deliver a high-quality experience in all genres, including more fast-paced and competitive games. Its biggest downside is its weight, and while it's much lighter than our multi-genre pick, it isn't as quick and easy to maneuver as our lightweight pick, the Cooler Master MM720. That said, this mouse offers nearly unrivaled performance for gaming in any genre, considering its consistently low price point.
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Best Cheap Gaming Mouse For Enthusiasts
Razer Viper 8KHz 12
Video Games (FPS)
9.2
Video Games (MMO)
8.4
Raw Performance
9.7
Ambidextrous
True AmbidextrousConnectivity Wired
Default Weight
69.8 gSee all our test results
If you want to be on the bleeding edge of performance without breaking the bank, look no further than the Razer Viper 8KHz, the best cheap gaming option we've tested for enthusiasts. While it's priced on the upper limit between what we'd consider budget and mid-range price points, it frequently goes on sale for $50 or less, making it a great value. It's a true ambidextrous mouse with a symmetrical shape and a pair of side buttons on the left and right sides, making it a great choice whether you're right- or left-handed. It's not the lightest mouse out there, but it has great build quality, with no rattling or squeaking in the body.
What sets this mouse apart from the rest is what's under the hood; it has a maximum native polling rate of 8000Hz. Higher polling rates produce slightly smoother cursor movements and marginally improved latency, even compared to flagship mice. Unfortunately, some games still don't fully support these higher polling rate settings, including a few popular competitive titles. It also takes a fairly high-end machine with a powerful processor to take full advantage of this cutting-edge feature. However, most modern computers can take advantage of 2000Hz or even 4000Hz polling rate options. Overall, this mouse offers excellent gaming performance and cutting-edge technology in a well-built and great-value package.
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Recent Updates
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May 10, 2024: We've audited our picks for availability and relevance and added the Keychron M6 to our Notable Mentions section.
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Mar 13, 2024: We haven't made any changes to our picks for this update, but we've made some minor text changes for clarity and accuracy.
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Feb 09, 2024: We've reviewed our picks for availability and relevance and added the ROCCAT Kone Pro to our Notable Mentions section.
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Dec 13, 2023: We've reviewed this article and replaced the EVGA X12 with the Razer Viper 8KHz in the 'Best Cheap Gaming Mouse For Enthusiasts' category as it offers a better value.
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Oct 11, 2023: We've audited this article's recommendations and confirmed the availability and pricing of all our picks. We haven't modified our lineup with this update, as all mice remain the best picks in their categories.
All Reviews
Our recommendations aboveare what we think are currently the best mice for gaming cheap for most people. We factor in the price (a cheaper mousewins over apricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no micethat are difficult to findor almostout of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our cheap mice reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While nomouse is perfect for every use, most miceare great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
