Your Next Mouse Needs Extra Buttons

There is no need to keep flitting back and forth between your mouse and your keyboard—you just need the right mouse for the job.

There Are Too Many Shortcuts

If you work with computers on the regular, you’re familiar with just how many different shortcuts (otherwise called hotkeys) you wind up needing to memorize.

There’s Ctrl-C to Copy, and its partner, Ctrl-V to paste. Ctrl-P to print (usually). Alt-Tab to switch between applications, which is especially helpful if you’re working with at least one full-screen program. Need to take a screenshot? Well, then you can press Windows+Shift+S, or sometimes Print Screen. The list is basically never ending.

The problem gets worse when you start adding first- and third-party apps. Many apps have as many shortcuts as your operating system, and there is every chance you’ll need to use even more shortcuts in the app to make your workflow more efficient. Even Microsoft’s apps, like Microsoft Word, have a dizzying array of hotkeys available.

What’s worse, some hotkeys can’t easily be pressed with one hand, which means you can’t readily use them without taking your hand off of your mouse, which breaks your rhythm. When you’re doing something day in and day out, that sort of little inconvenience adds up.

So you’re stuck either committing an enormous number of shortcuts to memory, or, alternatively, you can get a mouse with extra buttons and set those buttons to your favorite hotkeys.

When I first started using mouse buttons for my hotkeys instead of the keyboard, I expected that memorizing which button corresponds to a given shortcut would take a bit of effort. Unexpectedly, it was one of those things that I adapted to very quickly (less than a week).

The extra buttons solve all of the usual problems associated with shortcuts. All major mouse manufacturers offer software that you can download that allows you to customize how your mouse functions. The customization options include things like mouse sensitivity, color control (if your mouse has RGB lighting), and the ability to bind key combinations to the extra buttons on the mouse. You can usually change what the button does depending on the app you’re using too, which is every bit as helpful as you might expect.

Then, you don’t need to take your hand off your mouse. You don’t need to memorize the shortcuts you use the most—just bind them to your mouse and forget about them. You don’t even need to worry about whether the same command has a different shortcut in different apps, since you can make a point to set them to the same button on your mouse.

However, the smallest quality of life change is the one I use the most: back and forward buttons. There are two buttons I have set to trigger the back button or forward button in my browser. The back button is probably the second most used button on my mouse, and it is definitely the one I miss the most when I have to use regular mice without one.

Most games don’t call for you to memorize as many buttons as Word does hotkeys, but some can get close. Old school MMOs would sometimes have dozens of abilities you needed to use. That is no doubt why the mice with the most mouse buttons are frequently called “MMO mice,” both in official branding and colloquially. However, the extra buttons come in handy in most games, since you can set the buttons to melee, throw a grenade, open your inventory, or just about anything else.

Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite

$61 $80 Save
$19

The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is a bit long in the tooth, but it’s still the best bang for buck MMO mouse on the market. It offers a ton of programmable buttons, great clicks, superb performance in MMO games, and excellent comfortability.

More importantly, the extra buttons also allow you to create a DPI shift button, which is just a fancy way to say it changes your mouse sensitivity.

That is extremely important in gaming. If your mouse sensitivity is too low, you’ll find you can’t reliably aim at opponents when they’re close to you and moving quickly. Conversely, if your sensitivity is too high, you’ll have a very difficult time aiming down sights (ADSing, in gaming parlance) with any accuracy, since even the slightest mouse wiggle is going to put your aim way off. The higher the magnification of the scope, the worse that problem gets.

How to Find the Right Gaming Mouse DPI

Find the right sensitivity for you.

That’s where a DPI shift button comes in. It lets you seamlessly toggle between two different mouse sensitivities without ever exiting the game you’re playing. Your mouse can be left at its normal higher setting for general gameplay, but then, at the push of a button, your sensitivity can be decreased so you can ADS without worrying if that fourth cup of coffee is going to cost you the match.

How Do You Pick Out a Mouse?

The first thing you need to do is identify how many hotkeys you think you’ll want to use. Most major manufacturers have at least one mouse with about 10 buttons, though gaming mice more commonly have between 4 and 6 extras, so you have plenty of options.

I’ve been using a mouse with only 4 extra buttons, but 6 would probably be a better number for my workflow. I’d recommend you check out something in that range.

Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse

$82 $150 Save
$68

The fantastic Logitech G502 gaming mouse features a responsive 25K sensor, 11 programmable buttons, customizable RGB, and a wireless design with adjustable weight.

The major downside to the mice with a ton of buttons is their shape. In order to accommodate those buttons, the mouse has to be shaped a particular way. You probably won’t have a problem if you’re interacting with productivity apps or your operating system, but if you’re particular about your mouse grip, it could be an issue. Additionally, if you’re a left-handed mouse user like I am, you’ll quickly discover that the extra buttons on the overwhelming majority of mice are positioned for a right-handed user. The notable exception is Razer’s Naga series, which has a lefty variant available.

Razer Naga V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse

The Razer Naga V2 Pro is highly customizable and offers up to 12 side buttons, making it perfect for games with an overflowing hotbar.

If you can, go to a store that has display models and test out a few mice first. Things like material, weight, and shape are important, and they’re not the sort of thing you can get a feel for by reading about them. Gaming mice are generally too expensive just to take a shot in the dark.