Logitech's newest wireless gaming mouse supports wireless charging and has 11 customizable buttons - it's great for non-gamers too
- Logitech has a history of developing excellent gaming mice that look and feel great, and offer next-level performance.
- The Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse ($149) boasts Logitech's amazing Hero sensor, but in a wireless iteration that helps makes it much more convenient to use.
- The mouse also supports wireless charging with the $100 Lightspeed mouse pad, which you'll never have to worry about charging.
- Serious gamers who want a wireless mouse will find a lot of value and use with this one, though the price is definitely worth a pause for many people.
If you're a gamer or simply want a high-performance mouse, then you've probably come across Logitech.
The Logitech G series has long been a go-to for gamers around the world, and the company recently announced its newest addition to the series - Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse ($149).
The brand's mice is known for being well-designed, extremely versatile, and having innovative features, and this one is no different. The new mouse is sleek and stylish, boasts a ton of buttons, and is super high tech.
But is it really the best gaming mouse in its price range? We've been using the Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse for a while to find out.
Design
The G502 Lightspeed is super sleek. If you've used a previous iteration of the Logitech G502, you'll recognize the overall design. The mouse is entirely black, except for a few areas in which there are LED lights, so the mouse will fit in with many different gamers' setup.
Around the mouse, you'll find a series of buttons in spots similar to those in previous iterations of the G502 Lightspeed too. On the top, you'll get two primary buttons and a scroll wheel. There are also two buttons behind the wheel, one of which toggles notched scrolling and the other is programmable for custom shortcuts. All in all, there are 11 customizable buttons.
The buttons all seem well placed and easily accessible, which is definitely helpful. It will still take a few hours to get used to the placement since the mouse is new to you, but it'll quickly become more intuitive and easier to control.
The mouse also has RGB lighting in both the Logitech logo and for the DPI indicators. DPI, or dots per inch, is an indicator of how precise the mouse is as it moves. For gamers, more precision might be needed to capture smaller movements. The G502 Lightspeed has a variable DPI between 100 to 16,000, which is great.
In the box, you'll also find a small dongle for wireless connectivity. Optionally, you can buy the Logitech G Powerplay Wireless Charging System for $100, which will wirelessly charge the mouse when you use it. It's a neat system and means you'll never have to worry about charging your mouse, but it does come with the price.
The mouse pad is around 321 mm x 244 mm, which is actually pretty huge so check to make sure your set up can accommodate.
Specs
- Up to 16,000 DPI
- 5.2 x 2.95 x 1.57 inches
- 4.30 oz
- 1 RGB lighting zone
- Supports Windows 7 or later, MacOS 10.11 or later, or ChromeOS.
- MicroUSB port for charging
- Durable up to 50 million clicks
Set-up process
Setting up the G502 Lightspeed is really simple, but there are two ways to do it depending on your preferences.
You could just plug the dongle into your computer, turn on the mouse, and start using it. If you go this route, it'll work perfectly fine. If you want slightly more granular control over the mouse's programmable features, you'll need to download and install the Logitech G Hub software, which lets you customize the different buttons, lighting effects, and so on.
Generally, we found that the software was easy to use and navigate, and it allows for a ton of control over the different features of the mouse. Everything from lighting to button functionality can be controlled in G Hub, and it's all done with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Special features
There are a ton of things that set the G502 Lightspeed apart from other gaming mice, but perhaps the most important one for gamers is that it has a super high-resolution and is really precise. The mouse is powered by Logitech's Hero sensor, which is known as a great sensor for gaming.
If you like the idea of a fast, precise wireless mouse, then the wireless support is a great addition here too. Not only can it communicate wirelessly with your computer via the dongle, but it can also charge wirelessly - well, if you're willing to buy the $100 Logitech Lightspeed charging mouse pad. It's an expensive addition and one that might not be for everyone, but could be worth it for serious gamers.
If you don't care about wireless features, then it's worth just buying a Logitech G502 Hero.
There are other advantages to the G502 Lightspeed, but many of them are available on other Logitech gaming mice too, like customizable buttons, LED lights, and adjustable weights.
The mouse feels great to use, and users can customize the mouse from a 100 to a 16,000 DPI resolution. With the software, you can even assign secondary controls to buttons, which are accessed by holding down a button of your choice.
With any wireless product, performance is key and after a few dozen hours of gaming with the mouse, we can definitely say that the mouse works flawlessly. You won't notice a major difference between using this mouse and a wired one, but considering the high-tech sensor under the hood, this mouse is likely to perform better than any wired mouse you've used in the past.
And while this doesn't affect day-to-day use of the mouse, Logitech says that the mouse also has its plastic neutral certification, which means that for every kilogram of plastic used to create G502 Lightspeed mice, it will fund a plastic recycling program that offsets that use.
Cons to consider
The G502 Lightspeed has a ton to offer, but it's not perfect.
For people with really large hands, the small-ish design may be a little hard to grip, though I have relatively large hands myself and it was perfectly fine.
The main downside, of course, is price. At $149 for just the mouse, or $249 for the mouse and the wireless charging pad, this doesn't come cheap. Most gamers would expect to pay a lot for the latest tech in general, but if you don't need a wireless mouse for serious gaming, there are other great - and less expensive - options out there.
The bottom line
If you're a gamer looking for a high-performance wireless mouse, then look no further than the G502 Lightspeed. Now, this mouse will perform great for everyone, not just gamers, but given the price, it's worth considering other mice.
If you're not a gamer, the Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse ($68.68) is a solid choice. Alternatively, if you're a gamer who doesn't mind using a wired mouse, then it's worth looking into something like the Logitech G903 LightSpeed Gaming Mouse ($99.49), which may feel a little better in use for large hands.
But if you're big a gamer and want a wireless mouse, you'll love the placement of buttons, range of customizable buttons, and excellent sensor under the hood with the G502 Lightspeed. If you're willing to shell out a little extra cash, you'll also love the fact that the device can be charged wirelessly - removing one of the main pain points of using a wireless mouse in the first place.
Pros: High resolution, excellent performance, ergonomic and intuitive button placement, customizable, great wireless support
Cons: Pretty expensive