Gaming mice are an important part of any gamer’s arsenal. However, with hundreds of options on the market at the moment, and many of them being from established brands, picking a gaming mouse that suits your needs can be quite the task.
In this article, we’re reviewing the Logitech G502X Plus, the latest and greatest from the company and the newest addition to the G502 lineup.
Watch the Logitech G502X Plus review in English or Hindi below or continue reading the article.
Also read: Logitech G300s longest-term review: Best mouse for casual gamers?
Performance and tracking
The G502X lineup consists of three mice – the G502X, the G502X Lightspeed and the G502X Plus. There are no differences between the mice except for connectivity and RGB, more on that later.
All three mice use Logitech’s first-ever Lightforce Optical-Mechanical switches that should be far more durable than the Otemu switches we see on a majority of gaming mice. So double or phantom clicks should be a problem of the past. This is also a great thing for the longevity of your mouse because, at the steep price of $159, it better last a long time.
At the core of the G502X Plus is Logitech’s Hero 25K sensor that can go as high as 25,600 DPI. While I’m almost certain that you’ll never crank that DPI slider to the max, I use it at 1600 DPI and the tracking has been phenomenal. While the sensor will work on just about any surface, I do recommend using a good mousepad to not wear out the PTFE feet on the bottom.
The mouse also has a horizontal scroll wheel which can also toggle between a free and ratcheted mode. Depending on your experience with such mouse wheels in the past, I found that the wheel can feel a bit too free when unlocked and a bit too tight when ratcheted. However, as you get used to the tension of the wheel, it’ll eventually cease to be a problem.
All things considered, this is a great mouse when it comes to gaming. The mouse fits like a glove in your hand. However, the right-handed design means left-handed users are left out entirely. The side buttons are placed rather well and are far more comfortable to reach as compared to the G502 or even G402.
On that note, for the first time ever you can actually change the orientation of the thumb button or even remove it entirely with the included button cap. This is done by a magnetic button that can either change the orientation or plug the button entirely. It’s a complaint that some users have had for as long as this lineup has existed, and Logitech has finally fixed it.
Lightspeed connectivity
In terms of connectivity, you can use the mouse in either wired mode using the included USB-C cable (finally) or using the Lightspeed dongle. Logitech claims to have updated its Lightspeed system for the mouse claiming a 68% improvement over the previous generation.
I did not feel any lags or glitches in terms of connectivity at all. One thing to point out though that the mouse goes into battery saver mode after 10 minutes of inactivity and needs a second to activate your previously active profile after you come back to it. This can be disabled if you want your mouse instantly working over wireless but will cost you battery life.
Speaking of which, it is compatible with Logitech’s PowerPlay mousepad which basically charges your mouse wirelessly for as long as it’s on the mousepad. All you have to do is change out the puck at the bottom of the mouse for the PowerPlay puck and you’re good to go. The mouse also has a small space for the dongle to live inside the puck area, so you’re sure to not lose it.
G HUB Customisation
While the mouse is great by itself, the customisations offered by G HUB make quite a lot of difference. Not only can you have custom profiles according to what program you’re running, but you can also create and save up to five profiles on the mouse itself. So there’s a good chance that you’ll only need to set it up once and then you’re good to go.
G HUB is also where you do the Lightsync RGB customisations which come with a bunch of different modes including a screen sampler and audio visualiser. RGB can also be set according to your active profile so you can always tell what profile you’re using without fiddling around with the software.
Finally, G HUB also shows you the power consumption divided by the system, report rate and lightning with the maximum battery life available on one charge as well. You can also set up mouse inactivity lightning here to save on battery life.
RGB and Battery life
Now I want to take a minute to talk about battery life and RGB on the G502X Plus. As I’ve mentioned before, the G502X, G502X Lightspeed and G502X Plus are identical mice in terms of specs. The G502X is the cheapest, wired version which also happens to be the lightest of all three while the G502X LightSpeed and G502X Plus are wireless versions with the only difference being RGB.
However, those eight addressable RGB lights make a lot of difference on the G502X Plus and it might not all be good. For starters, the G502X Plus is only rated for 37 hours of battery life with the RGB on full blast. Those are not great numbers, especially considering the mouse can push 130 with the RGB off.
However, in my tests, the mouse did end up lasting an entire week with the RGB always on thanks to the optimisations made by Logitech that automatically disable the RGB partly as soon as your mouse is moving and the inactivity lightning effects. It also takes about 1.5-2 hours to fully charge.
Overall, the $20 premium that you’re paying for the RGB on the G502X Plus might not be worth it if you’re looking to save a buck. It’s an insanely cool thing to have, don’t get me wrong, but it does come at a cost, both to your wallet and the mouse’s battery life.
Pricing and conclusion
Logitech has hit all the right spots with the G502X lineup this time around. If you don’t need wireless connectivity, the G502X sure is a good deal at $79. You can bump up to wireless connectivity with the G502X LightSpeed for $139, which in my opinion is the best bang for your buck out of the three mice.
However, if you can afford the $20 premium and will be okay managing battery life here and there, the $159 G502X Plus can be a really good option and one that’ll last you quite a while.
Also read: Keychron K2 V2 review: Best entry-level mechanical keyboard?
