So, why are gaming mice so expensive?
Before I answer that question, let me tell you why the question is so relevant.
You see if you are keen enough to notice patterns you will see that whatever product has a gaming tag associated with it, demands a premium price.
I have been talking about this for so long in so many of my previous posts.
I will enlist each of them below.
The thing is there is no denying the fact that if you wish to game properly you need at least a moderately powerful PC.
And if you wish to make the PC powerful you need powerful hardware that involves graphics cards, powerful CPUs, and faster more spacious RAM.
All this translates to investing more money into the system. You can’t use an office pc or a work laptop to game or to game all that well.
Now here is where things get interesting. Some manufacturers try to use the premium air around gaming to charge more from you by using the gaming tag.
Routers and gaming chairs for example are where you will see this happening a lot.
Everyone who is in contact with me via this blog knows that I actively tell people to focus on performance more than the figurative and literal bling, *cough* *cough*, RGB.
Out of the many components that I talk about on this blog, let today bring gaming mouse into the picture and answer the most pertinent question,
Why are gaming mice so expensive?
The premium price point around gaming mice is due to the high-quality material used to create them, the presence of highly sensitive sensors, programmable and customizable buttons among other things including marketing.
Still, among different products from different manufacturers, the price will vary. This can be because some or all these factors in varying ways combine together to produce a mouse of higher or lower quality and thus the price difference.
Now that in many ways answers the core question of why are gaming mice so expensive, I very well understand that it needs some detailed explanation.
In the subsequent sections, let me cover various facets around the core topic of why are gaming mice so expensive and what are some of the best gaming mice that you can get under budget.
And as I said, here are some more articles that keep in track the topic of gaming tag under context,
- Why are 4K monitors so expensive?
- Best Gaming Mouse In 2022!
- Are gaming routers worth it?
- Are membrane keyboards worth it for gaming?
- Should you really get a gaming chair?
Precise Reasons Why Gaming Mice Are So Expensive
Alright, let us now look into the different features offered by a gaming mouse that aids in charging the price they do.
Now it is very important to mention here that like many other things gaming mice too follow the law of diminishing margins.
What this means is when you first switch to a high-quality gaming mouse you will immediately perceive the benefits of it.
You won’t see a significant shift in benefits when you move from a high-quality mouse to another mouse that charges a lot.
You will have to have a lot of experience in determining if and whether the amount that you are paying for is really worth it for the mouse in question.
So, with that context in the mind here are the reasons that relay why gaming mice are so expensive.
- Sensor Quality
The sensor of a gaming mouse is without any doubt the most expensive element of a gaming mouse. If a sensor is capable of detecting more dots per inch with the least amount of errors the costlier it will be.
The quality of the sensor in other words will dictate how responsive your mouse is going to be.
In most cases, if you see a manufacturer charging an extravagant price for a mouse, it is most likely that it has a very high-quality sensor.
- Technology Type
What the mouse will cost will also greatly depend on the type of technology it is created out of or uses.
For instance, a wireless gaming mouse will cost a lot more than a wired gaming mouse. Similarly, if the mouse also offers customization options and programmable keys the prices go even upwards.
- Polling Rate
When you research a gaming mouse, you will invariably hear about this term. So, what exactly is a polling rate?
In simple terms, polling rate is the frequency with which your mouse reports back its position to your computer.
So, if the polling frequency of your mouse is say 200Hz, it means your mouse is going to report its position to your pc 200 times.
Polling rate is the direct measure of the responsiveness of the mouse.
The more the polling rate, the more accurate the mouse will be. This becomes even more important for high refresh rate monitors.
And given that most serious gamers who like fast-paced titles usually use high refresh rate monitors, having a mouse with a high polling rate is important.
When you are playing fast-paced online titles like CS GO, input lag will mean a bullet to the head. And if you are streaming in an online multiplayer contest, bro the rage is unreal.
Manufacturers now understand all of that and therefore most gaming mice offer polling rates of 2000Hz and more. But this also means added price point.
- Design and Construction
Owing to the rigorous use the gaming mouse is going to be subjected to, the mouse has to be created with durable materials and must essentially be ergonomic.
The mouse design must be such that it is comfortable to hold and use for long hours. It must grip the fingers properly and the size must be such that it fits most hands.
Most mice that are used in office desks have a matured technology behind them. The production process is tried, tested and repeatable and thus they cost less to create.
The gaming mouse, however, although still repeatable, is much more customized and domain-specific.
In addition to the body design, for obvious reasons gaming mouse buttons are much more durable than a regular mouse. Roughly a gaming mouse button is designed to last 70 million clicks.
The extra attention and high-quality material mean the price goes up.
- Accessories
When you create a PC hardware unit for gaming there is so much room for customization and creativity.
Gaming mice are no different. Good gaming mice created by reputed manufacturers often provide a lot of extra programmable buttons to carry out additional functions.
That and don’t forget the RGB. You see gamers are spirited and creating a gaming PC that has a very specific color theme is very common amongst gamers. Hardware units with RGB generally cost more than ones that don’t have it.
But things don’t end there, most modern gaming mice do also tend to come with dedicated software that you can use to customize the button functionality and RGB of the mouse.
- Marketing
Last but not the least, marketing. For some reason when it comes to pc hardware people always seem to skip this part.
Doesn’t matter how good a product is, it needs to make its way to the eyes of consumers willing to use it.
So, it’s a combination of creating an excellent product and marketing it in such a way that people choose it over the competition.
And the marketing process is a bit complicated than just running a marketing campaign. You see you need to be aware of the general aura around gaming and design the mouse that appeals to gaming experienced eyes.
So, there are quite a few tactics that go around in marketing than just shouting about the product.
It’s quite technical to get the word out rightly and this definitely aids in elevating the price point.
Are Gaming Mice Worth It?
So, now that we know why gaming mice are so expensive let me answer the big question, are gaming mice actually worth it?
The answer is yes, they really are. You see, when it comes to gaming especially fast-paced online multiplayer titles having a gaming mouse with high and reliable sensitivity will be the factor in deciding whether you will win or not. Gaming mice are also built better and provide an ergonomic design that allows you to game for long durations.
Now, the next important question that pops up is, I need a gaming mouse, I wish to own one but I am not ready to pour out big bucks.
Well, getting a high-quality expensive mouse will usually provide performance that matches the price.
But that in no way means that there are no budget-friendly gaming mice out there.
As I said, with gaming mice as is the case with other products, you do see the law of diminishing returns followed.
In the next section, I will enlist the best gaming mice under budget that you can get your hands on.
Before we go ahead and see that there are some objective differences between a regular mouse and a gaming mouse.
- In terms of sensitivity and reliability, a gaming mouse is far superior than a regular mouse. It comprises of highly sensitive sensors that report back more dots per inch to your PC thereby making it more accurate.
- As far as design is concerned, regular mice are simplistic. I am in no way propagating that simple is bad. What I am saying is a gaming mouse has customized designs that support hours of fault free and smooth usage.
- Gaming mice do also tend to have additional buttons that you can program, customize and use according to your needs. In other words, all good gaming mouse expand the domain of operating beyond point and click.
- The quality of material used to construct a gaming mouse is so much better than a regular mouse. Their keys are more durable, the body is created out of fibre that can see rugged use and the overall construction is much more resistant to faults.
- And of course, as far as price is considered gaming mouse do tend to cost far higher than a regular mouse, but in most cases, it is worth it.
Best Gaming Mice Under Budget
Okay taking into consideration the fundamental understanding that gaming mice are usually much more expensive than a regular office-type mouse, is there any gaming mice that are just as good if not better that aren’t too heavy on the wallet.
Well, taking into consideration the different factors that make a gaming mouse good and of course budget, here are the best gaming mice under budget.
![UtechSmart Venus Gaming Mouse RGB Wired, 16400 DPI High Precision Laser Programmable MMO Computer Gaming Mice [IGN's Recommendation]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41XLPw-ujcL._SL160_.jpg)
So those are the top gaming mice under budget that you can get your hands on right now.
Each of the above options are chosen on the basis of factors that we learned in the section relaying the reasons why gaming mice are so expensive.
But it is, to be honest, a bit difficult to relay options when budget is a concern.
So, here are a few more notable or worthwhile options to look at if you are not strictly limited by budget.
Another important question worth acknowledging here is, are cheap gaming mice good?
Well, when it comes to gaming mice cheap doesn’t translate to bad, especially if you choose one from reputed manufacture. No doubt a higher-priced mouse from a good company will have features unavailable in budget mouse but for gaming sessions without special needs budget gaming mice are more than enough.
But is there a lower limit below which I resist venturing?
Well, yeah, I usually recommend getting a gaming mouse that has a price point northwards of $30. But there do exist exceptions that provide relatively good performance at price points below that.
And if you do venture below that do your research and ensure that the brand is good.
I hope you find at least one option out of all the above and be on your merry way to enhance your gaming experience.
As incredible as these options are I do acknowledge that these aren’t the only options available.
If you wish to venture into the world of gaming mice, I believe that with the knowledge that I just shared with you, you should be able to pick a good gaming mouse now or in the future.
And if you face any problems doing so, you can always browse more articles here on the blog or shoot me an email whenever you wish.
Gaming Mice FAQs
I hope I was able to provide you with a lot of comprehensions when it comes to gaming mice and why gaming mice are so expensive.
I can write so much more around the general context of gaming mice but I understand making an article bigger than what is needed isn’t wise. Information must always be provided in chewable-sized chunks a wise man once said.
May have been me.
But before I go let me quickly address a few more FAQs in brief that I know for a fact anyone asking why are gaming mice so expensive will have in some part of their mind.
How Much Should You Spend on A Mouse?
I would say anywhere between $30 to $50. You can obviously go beyond that and get more features but those features do tend to address very specific needs so you do see diminishing returns. I don’t recommend going below $30 except if the user reviews and the brand is worth it.
Are Wireless Mouse Good for Gaming?
Yes, they are. There was a time they weren’t owing to latency and input lag but apparently, manufacturers have addressed the issue and a wireless gaming mouse from good and reputed manufacturers have latency that is competitive and even lower than their wired counterparts.
Are Gaming Mouse Good for Work?
Absolutely, you can definitely use a gaming mouse for regular work stuff. But if you wish to use it for work I recommend a gaming mouse that has simple aesthetics. You wouldn’t want to attract too much attention with all that RGB goodness unless that is what you wish to do in your workplace.
I hope you thoroughly enjoyed this article on gaming mice and learned a lot from it.
As all knowledge is limited, I humbly accept that mine is too. If you have any other queries, comments, or feedback regarding anything that you have read here on yantraas, do let me know in the comments below.
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Tada!
