Hey Steve, what makes a regular mouse different from a gaming one? So, Mark, do you have two hands? Well, what kind of question is this? Of course, I’m a human being, and I have two functioning hands.
Alright buddy, what if you had 4 or 6 hands? Well, then, probably, I would become the next villain in the Spiderman movie, just kidding! That would have been freaking awesome! I could get tons of things done at once.
Yes, there’s your answer. If you have got a gaming mouse, you are like Dr. Octopus from spiderman, who can execute multiple tasks at once.
Here’s arise a big question. Are all those features mandatory? Well, we will find out together. Let’s enjoy this furious battle between gaming mouse vs regular mouse.
History of Gaming Mouse
In the 90s gaming industry was rocked by a sudden shockwave and started to climb with supersonic speed. It was that revolutionary decade when 3D graphics became a reality in computer gaming.
Gamers were hooked on games like Counter-Strike, Ever Quest, and Half-Life. Now, they needed something more advanced than joysticks and gamepads to get a wholesome experience.
You know there’s a saying, “necessity is the mother of invention.” And Logitech heard and responded to their call.
In 1999 they launched the Wingman, officially known as the world’s first gaming mouse. The shape of this special mouse was quite larger than the regular mouse of that time, and most notably, they had 3-buttons.
Since then, the development of the gaming mouse has come a long way. The modern gaming mouse comes with adjustable sensitivity (DPI), which you can configure according to your needs. The higher the DPI, the faster you will move the cursor on the screen.
In multiplayer games like Dota, Counter-Strike, a gaming mouse can provide you with a fascinating performance improvement.
We will have a broad discussion about all those features later on. Let’s move on to the regular mouse.
History of Regular Mouse
The history of the invention of the regular mouse goes long back to WWII. Our apologies though, we don’t have the time for a history lesson now. So, let’s just fast forward to the birth of the modern computer mouse.
Mr. Douglas Engelbart introduced the world’s first modern computer mouse. After that, a load of stuff happened, and NASA got involved and, things changed quite fast. However, modern days regular mouse looks a lot different than the Douglas one.
Today’s regular mouse comes with a minimal design. The majority of these types of mice feature two buttons and one wheel. Regular mouse function is based on an optical sensor. You won’t find any module parts on them and cannot adjust the DPI, as well.
Nowadays, regular mouse also has different variations. For instance, wired or wireless, trackball, magic, optical and laser mouse. The regular mouse can get your daily tasks done quite easily.
You don’t need a gaming mouse unless you are a gamer. However, for a designer, it can be quite handy.
Gaming vs Regular Mouse – Differences
Comparing a regular mouse with a gaming one is like comparing a normal human being with Marvel’s Spiral.
A gaming mouse can handle tons of tasks by itself, so you don’t have to switch between keyboard and mouse that much. And that enables you to get your works done with more efficiency and convenience.
Let’s take a look at the key difference between a gaming mouse and a regular mouse:
DPI (Sensitivity)
The most notable difference between a gaming mouse and a regular mouse is the DPI (dot per inch). Now, what the heck is DPI? The DPI is the sensitivities of the mouse. The higher the DPI, the greater the sensitivity.
The gaming mouse has a higher DPI rate than the regular mouse to ensure a convenient gaming experience.
When using a gaming mouse, you will have much better tracking of enemy movement, allowing you to shoot and take down the target faster. A regular mouse will struggle there.
Polling Rate (Responsiveness)
Responsiveness of the mouse plays a big difference when it comes to performance. The responsiveness of the mouse is referred to as the polling rate.
Having a mouse with a higher DPI but a low polling rate won’t improve your performance. So, when purchasing a gaming mouse, don’t forget to check whether the DPI is matched to the polling rate or not.
A gaming mouse comes with a maximum of 1000 Hz polling rate when a regular office mouse comes with a 125 Hz of polling rate. That gives your gaming mouse a massive performance boost in sensitivity compared to the regular mouse.
Buttons
Most of the gaming mouse comes with 6-8 buttons when a regular mouse has just 3-buttons and a wheel. The best thing about these buttons is that you can customize them according to your needs.
For instance, you can just customize an extra button to throw a grenade, zoom in, crouch, and almost anything you like, so you don’t have to shift your focus to the keyboard.
That can change your performance in gaming dramatically. Well, you won’t get that luxury with a regular mouse.
Durability
The gaming mouse is designed to handle massive duress and is built to last. Also, give you a comfortable using experience. When gaming, your mouse goes through huge stress so, it has to be strong enough to withstand that load.
And it is a nightmare for a regular mouse when it falls into the hand of an angry gamer whose favorite hobby is throwing the mouse on the wall.
Probably the poor mice will just be left to on one’s last legs and, that’s where a gaming mouse comes into play.
Which One is a Good Deal?
Here comes the million-dollar question, gaming mouse vs regular mouse; which one is better? To answer that question, we will have to drop a counter question, is BMW better than Toyota? You must be in a riddle now, right?
Let us make it easier for you. When it comes to materials, BMW is the best! On the other hand, in terms of driving experience, we would have to put Toyota ahead. And just like that, a gaming mouse will give you way better performance than a regular mouse when it comes to gaming.
And in terms of general works a regular mouse would be more convenient. Therefore, the answer to the question is entirely subjective. For regular office works, a gaming mouse might make things more complicated.
But if you are a gamer or graphics designer then, a gaming mouse is the way to go. It will boost your efficiency by 35-45%. And you know there’s a saying, “time is money.”
A gaming mouse will enable you to multitask more comfortably and provide you with long-lasting performance. However, they come with a higher price tag.
You can go for a regular mouse if your works don’t involve a wide range of mouse uses. A regular mouse is good enough for daily use, and it won’t cost you a fortune. Now the ball is in your court.