Designed With The Gamer In Mind – Logitech G500s Mouse Review

As a laptop user, it’s been a while since I’ve used a mouse. The trackpad admirably performs most of the operations I require of it, from browsing the internet, fiddling around in word-processing, or just moving files and folders to and fro. However, there is one aspect of computing I feel as though I’ve been missing out on while using a trackpad: PC gaming. Trying to bend and reform my hands into the shapes required to play games that require a mouse and keyboard combo is almost physically impossible while using a trackpad, and so, I’ve missed out on a number of awesome PC games over the past few years. When I was given the opportunity to try out Logitech’s new G500s Gaming Mouse, I jumped at the chance, eager to try my hand at a whole swathe of PC games that I’d missed, and perhaps give some of those titles that I haven’t played in a while a second chance to impress me (now that I had upgraded hardware).

So far, the G500s has been quite impressive. From being comfortable to hold, to performing well and allowing my cursor – or targeting crosshairs – to zip across the screen, to even allowing me to customise aspects of my mouse that I’d never even dreamed of modifying, the G500s is certainly a step beyond what I’m used to using. Obviously, with the shape of the human hand, and the ergonomically correct way of holding a mouse being drilled into us since childhood, the G500s needs to conform to a certain number of mouse-related requirements, especially in terms of aesthetics and form. The G500s has risen to the challenge, as it is one of the more comfortable mice that I’ve been able to hold, thanks largely to the indent for the thumb, which is lined by a rougher surface than the rest of the mouse, and which goes a long way to prevent slipping issues. Similarly, the buttons that operate as shortcuts to customisable functions are well placed to avoid accidental presses, yet are still easy enough to access without moving your thumb or fingers too far away from their natural positions.

The mouse itself works straight out of the box, once your computer has installed the necessary drivers. There are optional drivers available on Logitech’s website as well, and once these are downloaded, you’re fully able to customise the functionality of your mouse in any way you want. By default, you have the standard left and right buttons, a scroll wheel, and a couple of extra inputs located on the left side of the device. Upon start-up, the + and – buttons located to the left side of the mouse switch between three pre-assigned levels of DPI, and the arrows placed just above the thumb-rest indent can be used to browse forwards and backwards between screens, which I used to quickly flick between web pages.

Once you open up Logitech’s customisation software, though, you can assign up to five different presets of DPI, ranging anywhere from 200 to 8200, meaning that you can be as accurate or as nippy as you’d like. The software also allows you to fiddle with the functions of each and every button on the mouse, reassigning them to perform functions such as skipping music tracks, increasing, decreasing, or muting volume levels, or even cutting, copying and pasting text. If this still isn’t enough for you, or if the task you wish the mouse to perform isn’t listed in the choices, you can also set your own multi-key inputs, which proves incredibly useful in games where keyboard shortcuts are prevalent.

To save you having to manually switch-up button configurations too often, the mouse is also able to save multiple profile settings, either on the mouse’s onboard memory or on a computer. What does require manual changes though is figuring out the configuration of weights that you wish to place in the mouse. The package comes with twelve weights in a handy tin – six weighted at 1.7 grams, and six at 4.5 grams. These weights sit in a cradle at the base of the mouse, and can be accessed by pushing an eject button, so the user can add anywhere from a couple of grams up to 25 grams, which has a noticeable effect on the feel of your mouse’s movements. I personally didn’t feel as though it changed up my gaming experience too much, but the choice is certainly there for those who swear by weighting their inputs. The only issue I experienced with the cradle is that although the weights fit snugly, sometimes they can be a little difficult to get out of the cradle once they’re popped in, and on a couple of occasions I had to go hunting for a pen or pencil to give them that little bit of encouragement to come out. It’s not a huge issue if you know the specific weighting that you prefer, and don’t plan on changing it any time soon, but if you’re one of those people who likes experimenting with various combinations (or prefers customized set-ups for different genres), you may experience a little frustration here.

One thing I did particularly enjoy about the G500s is the fact that the cord is braided, meaning that I can chuck the mouse in a bag, and bring it out elsewhere without having to worry about tangled or knotted cords. This also minimizes fraying on the wire, something I’ve personally experienced before due to a lack of desk space, poor placing of equipment, and some unfortunately sharp corners.  The build quality of the mouse itself is admirable, and looks as though it’ll hold up to a good many clicks – something which is particularly important if you play games like Diablo, or have heavy fingers when blowing people away in Call of Duty or Battlefield.

Overall, the Logitech G500s Gaming Mouse is a solid product, offering up a huge deal of customization, alongside a strongly performing mouse unit. Though it may not noticeably elevate your gaming experience or prowess, it will go a long way to making your gaming life easier and flow more smoothly. Its main strength comes with its customisation options, in terms of button assignations and weight configurations – both mean that you can truly make this mouse match your own preferences. Compared to other mice on the market, though, I wouldn’t say that the G500s does a whole lot differently, and isn’t really worth ditching your current mouse for it. If you’re in the market for a gaming mouse, you could do a whole lot worse than the G500s, as it’s truly designed with each individual gamer in mind.

The Logitech G500s scores a 4.75 out of 5.