Best Gaming Mouse For Minecraft

Minecraft is currently the second best-selling video game of all time, with over 120 million playing it either on Realms servers, private LAN or competitive gaming servers. Fantastic servers for Minecraft users can be found at . With a game so accessible it is only natural for gaming peripheral makers to craft keyboards and mice exclusively for Minecraft. While there isn’t anymore, there are still a ton of people still playing and enjoying the game. So, what kind of mouse should you get to improve your Minecraft experience? Let’s take a look at some of the best options out there.

As far as wireless mice go, Logitech’s G602 packs some of the best bang for your buck out there. The most important feature of any wireless mouse is its battery life. Here the G602 will not let you down. It is claimed to last for up to 250 hours of use (in performance mode). To avoid running out of power during an important gaming session, Logitech also chose to include a battery life indicator right on the top of the mouse. Incase both of those features were not enough for you, Logitech even added a performance and endurance switch to help manage power. For gaming, put the mouse in performance to get the most out of it, and while browsing the web and for other less demanding tasks, put the mouse in endurance mode to save battery life.

This mouse also includes 11 customizable buttons which are a must have for any true PC gamer. Another fantastic feature is that you can record up to 5 different DPI settings (per profile) that can be quickly changed at the click of a button (from 250-2500 DPI)

Pros

• Zero Delay
• 11 Programmable buttons
• Long Battery Life (plus Indicator and two modes)
• Programmable DPI Settings (from 250-2500)

Cons

• Not a laser sensor
• No weight adjustment
• No customizable LED lighting effects

Sale

• Up to 250 hours of battery life (Best with Polaroid AA Batteries)
• Power-saving, high-accuracy Delta Zero sensor technology. Try tracking on a different surface
• Lag-free gaming-grade wireless, Performance and Endurance modes maximize battery life

$79.99– $20.00from $59.99

2. Razer DeathAdder Essential

For most serious gamers, there is nothing more important than comfort. The DeathAdder by Razer is the result of serious gaming ergonomics research. What does this mean to you? It is pretty much a guarantee that when you buy this mouse, you will never want to use another one. The intuitive ergonomics design seems to perfectly fit under the contours of your hand, with all buttons placed so that they can be clicked in an instant.

This is made even more so by Razer’s evolved hyperresponse buttons. The buttons are highly sensitive (more so than most, maybe even all other gaming mice out there). However, if you do not feel the click, how do you know it worked? Well Razer thought of that too and included tactile feedback with every click thanks to highly durable micro switches. In total there are 5 programmable buttons and on the fly sensitivity adjustment. The 6400 DPI 4G optical sensor is also fantastically responsive and accurate.

Pros

• Ergonomic (to the extreme) design
• Outstanding 6400 DPI 4G optical sensor
• Razer Synapse enabled
• Gold-plated USB connector

Cons

• Does not look fancy
• Lacks customizable LED effects
• No weight adjustment
• Specifically right or left handed depending on the mouse you buy

3. ROCCAT LUA

The LUA Tri-Button gaming mouse by ROCCAT is a true do it all gaming mouse. This mouse is great for people who share a computer with others who favor a different side hand than you do. Put simply, this mouse works if you are left handed or right handed. This is because of its unique v-shaped designed that is perfectly balanced. On the sides ROCCAT also included “no sweat grip” to increase comfort and prevent slipping. When you feel the mouse you can tell that it is of sturdy build quality and will likely last for quite a few years.

The sensor is also very decent and you can choose from 7 pre-determined DPI settings. These can easily be switched between while gaming with the click of a button. You can also choose which settings the button will cycle through to avoid having to press it multiple times to get to your desired setting. The LUA Tri-Button mouse features one of the best scroll wheels out there. Each click of the wheel can be felt and it sort of locks so that you do not over spin be accident. The wheel is perfect for games that require precision scrolling.

Pros

• Works for left and right handed users
• Easy DPI adjustment
• Perfect scroll wheel

Cons

• 3 buttons isn’t enough for lots of gamers
• DPI only goes up to 2000 (which is still fast, just not as fast as others).
• LED color cannot be adjusted
• No weight adjustment

• PRO OPTIC (R2) SENSOR from 250 to 2000 dpi, 7-steps
• AMBIDEXTROUS V-SHAPE for left- and right-handers
• ARCTIC BLUE LED LIGHTING for atmospheric gaming

$35.37

4. Redragon M601

Before mentioning anything else about this mouse, check out its amazingly low price. If you are just getting into gaming and want a cheap option that will still perform alright, then this is worth looking into. Red Dragon’s M601 gaming mouse is a good looking mouse with average gaming characteristics. It offers 4 different levels of DPI adjustment starting at 1000 and going up to 3200. Unfortunately, this is not great for gamers who like slower mouse movements.

Impressively however, Red Dragon did include an 8 piece weight tuning kit. This allows you to add or remove weight from the mouse to tune how you like the movement to feel. In total this mouse has 6 buttons but only 2 are programmable. The build quality seems quite good overall, and the braided cable is a nice touch.

Pros

• Cheap
• Adjustable Weight
• Braided Cable

Cons

• LEDs color cannot be adjusted
• DPI increments seem high
• Not as precise as higher end mice

5. SteelSeries Rival 300

If you are looking for a subtle gaming mouse that will tick almost all of your boxes, then look no further than the Rival 300 by SteelSeries. This mouse features an advanced optical sensor that offers perfect tracking and an extremely impressive CPI (similar to DPI) adjustment range from 50 to 6500. Also included on this mouse is SteelSeries’s proprietary engineered switches that will last you for 30 million clicks, and with each one you will notice tactile feedback.

This mouse is also extremely customizable. You can individually program 6 buttons, as well as polling rate, angle snapping, acceleration and deceleration. There is even 2 different illumination zones that can be colored exactly how you want them. This is thanks to the 16.8 million colors to choose from and different lighting effects such as breathe. Incase all of that customization wasn’t enough for you, there is a 3D printer blueprint for the name plate that you can change and then print off so that your mouse even has a custom name plate.

Pros

• Ergonomic, 30 Million Click Buttons
• Insanely Customizable
• Impressive Sensor
• Great Software

Cons

• No weight adjustment

• Zero Hardware Acceleration – precise tracking at all speeds
• 6 programmable buttons (including CPI)
• Configurable resolution up to 6,500 CPI

from $75.89

Buying A Mouse For Minecraft

Some argue that Minecraft is best experienced with a traditional three-button mouse. Others believe in buying a cutting edge gaming mouse that has features necessary for FPS and MMO together. Then there are those who take the middle ground, opting for models that tackle only the comfort and design.

We believe the criteria for a Minecraft gaming mouse need not be stringent. Because of the limited dependency on buttons and customizable macros, you can make do with a standard three button mouse, as long as it is comfortable and ergonomically designed.

Yes, Minecraft is set in a First Person world, it has elements of FPS, RPG and many more genres. However, this game does not require twitchy millisecond responsiveness because it is a lot more relaxed and laid back. Unless you prefer the Survival or even Hardcore mode, a gaming mouse will not make any difference. In fact, folks who live a second life in Minecraft, choosing to spend most of their days lost in the isometric realms of block collection and building, prefer a comfortable ergonomic mouse regardless of its gaming capabilities.

Should You Buy Gaming Specific Or Not?

Minecraft is available on Xbox, Windows, iOS and even Android. Do you think Android and iOS users rely on a mouse? Touchscreen operations are much slower than mouse movements, and yet they get the same level of satisfaction. Granted, competitive Minecraft players almost always prefer gaming on a PC or Mac but if you are not into cutthroat competition then why bother paying through your teeth for a gaming mouse that boasts of features you won’t ever use.

Even gaming on a laptop mousepad is just as enjoyable as using a mouse. We know because we tested the difference between mousepad, Xbox controller and several mouse models. The deviation we felt was negligible at best and not sufficient to suggest one over the other.

Third Person games are best enjoyed on a controller unless there is a lot of shooting involved. First person games gain accuracy and control with the use of a Keyboard and Mouse combination. MMO needs specialised keyboards and mouse that boast of several controls and configurable buttons. However, Minecraft isn’t a control intensive nor an accuracy driven game. Hence, the need for specialised gaming equipment is limited.

However, if you play other games, then a gaming mouse makes perfect sense. As it stands though, if you are looking for the for Minecraft, pick a robust mid-range mouse with a standard two-button setup and scroll wheel, sturdy enough to survive an outburst of anger because your house got destroyed by your brother.

What About Competitive Gaming?

Do you enter Minecraft tournaments and competitive game servers regularly? Do you spend hours honing Minecraft skills, collecting resources, building worlds and sometimes even creating maps? Minecraft competition has spawned a new segment of mouse, explicitly targeted towards hardcore players. These devices feature the standard two button and scroll wheel setup but have the complete number pad on either the left or right side.

Since, Minecraft maps skills acquired through the game to the Number pad, having 12 Numpad buttons on your mouse, easily accessible with your thumb, provides a competitive advantage. It can be awkward at first as the entire Numpad now sits under your thumb, but with sufficient practice, this arrangement should feel second nature.

Have you ever seen professional Minecraft players up close? They carry a tiny keyboard without a Numpad and a larger mouse with at least the Numpad on the sides. They also bring a decent pair of headphones. The truth is, a gaming mouse is not enough to improve your Minecraft skills, though it helps. Get the complete set of peripherals you need and spend hours practising, so it feels like an extension of your body.

In short, for competitive gaming, your comfort level with peripherals is just as important as the peripherals itself.

Comfort And Fit

Professional or not, Minecraft requires patience and planning. With 20-minute day-night cycles, you need to build and collect resources in the day and fend for your life in the night (unless you game in “Peaceful” difficulty). Naturally spending long hours gaming and mostly using the mouse puts a toll on your dominant hand. A comfortable mouse will keep you motivated, and your hand relaxed during the night cycle as you fight for survival.

For folks who prefer the “Hardcore” mode, comfort and fit are an absolute necessity. If you die you do not respawn, and that can make your fingers twitchy, your arms tense up. A comfortable mouse helps keep the tension down in your arm.

The size of the mouse accounts for 90% of gaming comfort. To find the right size, first, measure your hand size. Take a ruler or a measuring tape and stretch it across the entire length of your palm starting from the wrist crease all the way up to your ring finger’s tip. A mouse that measures at least three fourth of your hand size will always feel comfortable. Do not forget to check the girth of the mouse. What you need is a mouse that completely fits in your palm without leaving anything to the side.

Once you have a perfect size nailed down, you can look at other ergonomic features. Check the material used for the top surface. Cheap brands tend to skimp out on good quality plastics, instead opting for more inexpensive materials that become sweaty with extended use. What you need is a mouse that offers a puckered or rough surface, which maintains a good grip even when your hands get sweaty.

Weighted Is Comfortable

A weighted mouse needs more force to move it around. The majority of cheap gaming mouse tend to miss out on variable weight pegs. They are light and fragile. What you need for better comfort and customization is the ability to alter the weight of the mouse. Even if you cannot afford a gaming mouse that lets you choose the weight, try getting a heavy mouse that uses fixed weights.

Folks with larger hands can use a heavy mouse whereas smaller hands can reduce the weight and get the same gaming experience. A weighted mouse will always give you greater accuracy in movement as you decide what feels just right to you.

Using A Mouse The Right Way

There is a fourth element other than weight, size and design that determines the comfort of a mouse – the human element. Every individual has his or her personal style of holding a mouse, but there is only one correct way that feels comfortable in the long run. Here’s what you must do.

• First, start by firmly gripping the base of the mouse with your palm. Your palm should practically envelop the entire bulged surface of the mouse. If you do this right, you will feel the length and breadth of the mouse underneath your palm.
• Next, extend your fingers, so you reach the tip of each button. It is okay to go beyond the periphery but no more than an inch. Always keep your fingertips close to the top edge of the buttons and ensure you don’t arch your fingers.
• When you move the mouse around, prefer completing movements using your entire forearm rather than just the wrists and fingers. Total movement helps distribute the weight of the mouse and friction across your entire arm.
• Every mouse has different buttons that can feel either too hard or too soft. You need to practice on your mouse, so you click just right. Why spend extra force when you can get the same result with less effort?

DPI And Sensitivity

Minecraft is all about building, survival and exploration. Here, speed and accuracy of movement are not high up the list of requirements. Naturally, multiple DPI options are overkill. It’s nice to have more than three DPIs since the fastest setting lets you explore the map quicker in the spectator mode. However, for actual gameplay, the DPI will not make any significant difference.

If you play games other than Minecraft, you may want to get a mouse with multiple DPI options, but if you only play Minecraft, this is a low priority feature.

Custom Profiles And Macros

Some argue a mouse with custom macros and profiles helps a lot in Minecraft especially as the in-game time of day changes. Switching from offensive skills to defensive skills with custom macros and profiles is easier than using the NumPad, but there are those who would disagree.

In our opinion, if you have experience configuring your macros and profiles in other games, such a mouse will help you in Minecraft. Just don’t expect it to revolutionise your gameplay. On the other hand, if you never used a multi-profile mouse, the experience can fall short of enlightening.

Wired Or Wireless?

While we believe wired mouse has a better response rate and less lag, in Minecraft it does not matter. Even in competitive gaming, wired and wireless devices have the same performance levels. It all boils down to personal preference.

For portability, a wireless mouse is an excellent choice. Wireless versions are costlier than wired editions of the same model, but they offer gamers the chance to remove the clutter of cables. If you mostly play Minecraft, you can opt for a wireless mouse or go with a standard wired device. The choice is entirely yours. All that matters is whether you can find a wireless device in your budget.

How Much Should You Pay?

Thus far, we have highlighted the need for an ergonomic mouse with design and comfort as key elements rather than functionality. You can find plenty of models costing less than $30 with ergonomic designs that will serve you well. Additionally, if you need a mouse with a complete Numpad, it can cost you over $50.

What you do not need to invest in is a model that comes with aftermarket software for custom profiles and macros. But if you play more than Minecraft, this will help. Unfortunately, third party software can increase the cost by quite a bit.

Professional Minecraft players stick with well-known brands such as Microsoft and upgrade only to the lower models from gaming peripheral makers for their finishing and top grade construction. If you want to spend more, we advise looking for a mouse that offers multiple weights so you can better customise your gaming experience. Other than number pads and weights, you only need a conventional mouse design.

Wrap Up

Our collection of reviews does not necessarily take Minecraft as a primary requirement. Since Minecraft needs little to no additional features other than comfort; you can pick any of the models we review.

A good gaming mouse for Minecraft only needs to fit your hand well, have a little weight for stability and feel natural to use. All that fancy stuff available on an expensive gaming mouse is just overkill for a game like Minecraft. Not that they don’t help, but the extent to which your gaming experience changes with an expensive gaming mouse is minimal at best.