Question Is a heavier mouse really better than a lighter one?

[Streetpirate]

The reason a heavier mouse is better than a lighter mouse is the same reason the stick in a fighter plane and the pedals in an F1 car have very little travel but require significant force to move. It’s because your feelings of pressure in your fingers and tension in your muscles are a lot more accurate than proprioception, that is the feeling of your body parts’ positions relative to each other. This means that your body remembers better how hard you’ve pushed something than how far you’ve pushed it. In turn, this improves your muscle memory, your feeling of the mouse, and the connection between your brain and the cursor on screen.

Also, a lighter mouse stops making a difference at some point, for the same reason you can’t throw a ball made of half a sheet of paper any harder than one made out of a whole sheet of paper. After this point, the limit becomes how fast you can move your empty hand. Also, people will look at a mouse that weighs 45 grams compared to one that weighs 50g, and go, well it’s 10% lighter. But your hand weighs a pound and your arm close to ten. So shaving 5g off a mouse is actually shaving some negligible percentage of the total moving weight. At some point, dieting will reduce the moving weight more than a lighter mouse. Shaving 1g makes as much difference as clipping your fingernails.

That being said I’m not the best gamer ever, and I’ve been wrong before!

 

[Lutfij]

IMHO, and this is a subjective topic as is with most cases, it boils down to user preferences and their styles. I personally prefer a very light mouse, would've loved the older mice from era's gone but as time progressed, I've been gravitating towards lighter mice.

 

[Math Geek]

Personal preference to me. But then I'm not trying to be better than anyone or even play against others.

I like some weight but then I've never bought multiple mice to compare with.

 

[Streetpirate]

True true, it's definitely personal preference at the end of the day, as evidenced by the pros who have no trouble with a light mouse. But there should still be a way that maximizes performance for an agnostic person.

 

[DRagor]

I would be afraid to use light mouse that it would move on its own just with just a little touch. For me mouse must be big and heavy, but I guess it has something to do with me having large hand.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Yeah, have to agree with others, it's totally subjective.

I've used both a weighted (Logitech G5) and a weight free mouse (just the design weight).

I like both. There is something to be said for the G5 as it 'felt' more substantial and the movements easy. On the other side of that, you could argue the lighter mouse might be better for something like carpal syndrome, which is a thing for some users. The mouse I'm currently using for gaming is a Corsair Harpoon RGB, cheap and cheerful, but does a great job.

 

[Streetpirate]

But performance is a thing that can be objectively measured. So if most people could beat their aim trainer score with a heavier mouse, you could say, at least, that a heavier mouse is better than a lighter one for aim trainers.

I would be afraid to use light mouse that it would move on its own just with just a little touch. For me mouse must be big and heavy, but I guess it has something to do with me having large hand.

Yes, it totally depends on your own size as well! I think it needs to be at least heavy enough to slow you down just a little bit!

 

[Gam3r01]

But performance is a thing that can be objectively measured. So if most people could beat their aim trainer score with a heavier mouse, you could say, at least, that a heavier mouse is better than a lighter one for aim trainers.



Yes, it totally depends on your own size as well! I think it needs to be at least heavy enough to slow you down just a little bit!

All you are doing is adding qualifiers to personal preference.
No matter the scenario you pose, every persons experience is going to be different.
There is no "better" weight for a mouse.

 

[Math Geek]

what happens when you adjust the speed of the cursor? how does this effect play along with the weight of the mouse?

i've seen folks with it cranked up so much that the smallest gesture sends the cursor across the screen so fast you lose track of it. i'm old and prefer it a bit slower so i can follow it

you're also assuming a specific type of game it sounds like. a quick reaction fps type game using only a couple buttons vs an rpg game with 20 macro buttons on the mouse. how does that change what "most users" prefer? and so on and so on.....

there's just too many variables to say what "most users" do and don't like. use what you like and don't waste any time worrying what everyone else is using.