No one wants to get stuck with the wrong gaming accessories. While it may be fun for some gamers to see how far they can go by ditching their controllers and playing with a Guitar Hero controller or something even more inane, most of us will have a better time playing with good and proper gear. So, if you're left-handed, you shouldn't have to settle for all the right-handed gaming mice out there.
Fortunately, there are some options. There are more than a few ambidextrous mice that offer just as much capability for southpaw gaming as they do for righties. Some don't mirror all the buttons, but some do, so you can get the benefits from thumb buttons, which can really make a difference for popping abilities in games.
Unfortunately, dedicated mice for left-handed use are far rarer. They crop up now and then, but seem to go out of stock quickly. We've ranked our picks here, so if you see them in stock, just know that you might want to act quickly.
Razer is one the few brands who isn’t leaving left-handed gamers out in the cold. It’s not just making the occasional ambidextrous gaming mouse that throws a bone to lefties but actually delivering fully-mirrored versions of some right-handed models, and the Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition is one of these models that delivers southpaws an exceptional partner for gaming.
The Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition almost makes up for all the ambidextrous gaming mice that omit the incredibly handy thumb buttons for left-handed gamers. It does that by including a whopping 12 thumb buttons for lefties to enjoy. That’s basically a full number pad, so you’ll have access to a ton of abilities, shortcuts, or macros through all of your games. The mouse also features the Razer Focus+ Optical sensor for precise and reliable tracking even in intense gaming. And, as this is a Razer product, you’ll be getting a bit of that RGB lighting the company is known for with a glowing Razer Logo, middle mouse button, and all of the thumb buttons.
SteelSeries makes a ton of great mice, and the Sensei line has long offered a solid experience in an ambidextrous design. The SteelSeries Sensei Ten continues with that heritage. Best of all, it doesn't do the typical thing pseudo-ambidextrous mice do of having a symmetrical design for everything except the thumb buttons. The SteelSeries Sensei Ten includes two thumb buttons on both sides of the mouse, so you don't miss out on a thing while gaming with your left hand.
The Sensei Ten costs just $69 and includes SteelSeries' highly capable TrueMove Pro sensor. It offers a DPI range from 50 all the way up to 18,000, and you can tune it in 50DPI increments. The tracking is incredibly accurate and can stand up to even the fastest hand movements. With the SteelSeries Engine, you can customize the two RGB lighting zones to your liking and adjust macros and button mapping. If the extra thumb buttons are in your way, you can just disable them, or you can set them up for media playback or volume control as we did in our testing.
The next best thing after a true left-handed design is a solid ambidextrous one. The Corsair Katar Pro XT brings that to an affordable price of just $30. It may not be providing thumb buttons for left-handed players, but it’s providing an ultra-light design, a splash of RGB lighting, and a capable sensor.
The Corsair Katar Pro XT has an optical PixArt PMW3391 sensor with an 18,000DPI max sensitivity, so you’ll be able to mouse around even a pair of 4K monitors with ease. That easy mouse movement is aided by the shockingly lightweight at just 73 grams. Corsair goes even further by using a drag-reducing paracord cable that won’t easily bunch up or snag on the corner of your desk. There are thumb buttons on the right side that may not be easy to use on a moment's notice, but with Corsair’s iCue software, you could still set up handy macros to fire off with your pinky as the need arises.
Logitech absolutely nailed it with the G903 and continues to do just that with each iteration it releases. This mouse is wireless and incredibly comfortable. Granted, it's actually an ambidextrous mouse, but so are many of the best left-handed options. You can add or remove thumb buttons from either side, and there’s a choice between a clicky or free-spinning scroll wheel by hitting the button behind it. The mouse is also lightweight for a wireless option, but it comes with a 10-gram weight if you prefer it to be heftier.
The latest model of the G903 has a few upgrades, including a new 25K Hero optical sensor and 140-hour battery life with flashy RGB on — 180 hours with it off. This means you’re in for some wildly precise gameplay on a mouse you won’t have to worry about charging often. But, when you use the G903 with Logitech’s Powerplay mouse pad, it will actually charge itself, ensuring you never get caught short. With a report rate of 1ms, it also has a lighting-fast response time, meaning it’s ready for professional and non-professional gaming alike.
For a very reasonable price, the Corsair M55 RGB Pro brings a lot to the table, starting with a comfortable wired design that's not overly complicated. Combine that with a quality sensor offering a 12,400 DPI for extreme precision even at high speeds alongside eight fully programmable buttons that are equally accessible to both left and right-handed gamers. And you get a mouse that’s not only ready for some serious gaming but won’t break the bank either.
At only $25, the Corsair M55 RGB Pro may not feel as premium as more expensive mice on our list, though it's built sturdy with a textured grip to keep a hold of the mouse even when things get sweaty. However, at just 3.2 ounces, its incredibly light design may not appeal to some gamers. And if you’re a fan of RGB lighting, this mouse delivers a tiny sprinkling of it via the Corsair logo and DPI indicator light.
Razer’s Viper has been a solid gaming mouse for some time, but Razer just pushed it even further ahead to make it a powerful option for esports with an ambidextrous design left-handed players will benefit from — and, yes, there are thumb buttons on both sides. The new Razer Viper 8KHz doesn’t change the look or feel of its predecessor, and it doesn’t even get more expensive. But Razer gave it a performance upgrade.
In addition to the fast-actuating optical switches that can help give you a competitive advantage, the Razer Viper 8KHz also brings the Focus+ sensor that offers a 20,000 DPI max sensitivity and the ability to register mouse movements up to 650 inches per second. The next major perk of this mouse is where the 8KHz in the name comes from: an 8,000Hz polling rate to send more frequent updates from the mouse to your computer and get that quick-response advantage over the competition.
As if having to use a right-handed mouse wasn't bad enough, the typical mouse will often have your forearm pronated in a way that can cause strain. Ergonomic, vertical mice can help sort out the latter issue, but you won't find many of those offering an ambidextrous design to cater to left- and right-handed users alike. Fortunately, Cherry has you covered with the Cherry MW 4500 Left.
That's right, the company behind some of the most popular mechanical key switches has a mouse. This left-handed vertical mouse is built with ergonomics in mind. It also puts the thumb buttons right where you need them for left-handed use. You'll be able to run the mouse at three DPI settings, maxing out at 1200 DPI, with a DPI button on the mouse letting you cycle through them. And, using a 2.4GHz wireless receiver to connect, you should have minimal latency to hold you back from gaming with this mouse.
Your choice of a wired or wireless mouse may come down to personal preference, but be aware of some immutable facts. Firstly, wireless mice can give you a bit more freedom than wired mice simply due to having no cord to drag them down.
The good news is that, on the whole, wireless mice are now just as responsive as wired ones, so lag shouldn’t be a problem – but we’d always recommend reading reviews before purchase.
The biggest drawback of wireless mice? The higher price.
If you’re buying a mouse for gaming, you need to pay more attention to response time and DPI.
The optical sensor is what controls the mouse response rate. For gaming, you want a mouse that has a 1ms response rate. When it comes to DPI (dots per inch), you have more space to play with, and many mice will actually let you set your desired DPI within a specified range.
The higher the DPI, the more sensitive the mouse; if you’re using a lighter gaming mouse, then you’ll want the DPI to be lower. Truth be told, most gamers keep their DPI below 1000, but we’d recommend choosing a mouse that has at least 1,600 DPI.
Hugh Langley is a tech journalist who’s fascinated by wearables, health tech, the smart home, and more. You can find him tweeting (often nonsense) over at @hughlangley
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Fortunately, there are some options. There are more than a few ambidextrous mice that offer just as much capability for southpaw gaming as they do for righties. Some don't mirror all the buttons, but some do, so you can get the benefits from thumb buttons, which can really make a difference for popping abilities in games.
Unfortunately, dedicated mice for left-handed use are far rarer. They crop up now and then, but seem to go out of stock quickly. We've ranked our picks here, so if you see them in stock, just know that you might want to act quickly.
TL;DR - These are the Best Left-Handed Gaming Mice
- Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition
- SteelSeries Sensei Ten
- Corsair Katar Pro XT
- Logitech G903
- Corsair M55 RGB Pro
- Razer Viper 8KHz
- Cherry MW 4500 Left
Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition
Best Left-Handed Gaming Mouse
Razer is one the few brands who isn’t leaving left-handed gamers out in the cold. It’s not just making the occasional ambidextrous gaming mouse that throws a bone to lefties but actually delivering fully-mirrored versions of some right-handed models, and the Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition is one of these models that delivers southpaws an exceptional partner for gaming.
The Razer Naga Left-Handed Edition almost makes up for all the ambidextrous gaming mice that omit the incredibly handy thumb buttons for left-handed gamers. It does that by including a whopping 12 thumb buttons for lefties to enjoy. That’s basically a full number pad, so you’ll have access to a ton of abilities, shortcuts, or macros through all of your games. The mouse also features the Razer Focus+ Optical sensor for precise and reliable tracking even in intense gaming. And, as this is a Razer product, you’ll be getting a bit of that RGB lighting the company is known for with a glowing Razer Logo, middle mouse button, and all of the thumb buttons.
SteelSeries Sensei Ten
Best Budget Left-Handed Gaming Mouse
SteelSeries makes a ton of great mice, and the Sensei line has long offered a solid experience in an ambidextrous design. The SteelSeries Sensei Ten continues with that heritage. Best of all, it doesn't do the typical thing pseudo-ambidextrous mice do of having a symmetrical design for everything except the thumb buttons. The SteelSeries Sensei Ten includes two thumb buttons on both sides of the mouse, so you don't miss out on a thing while gaming with your left hand.
The Sensei Ten costs just $69 and includes SteelSeries' highly capable TrueMove Pro sensor. It offers a DPI range from 50 all the way up to 18,000, and you can tune it in 50DPI increments. The tracking is incredibly accurate and can stand up to even the fastest hand movements. With the SteelSeries Engine, you can customize the two RGB lighting zones to your liking and adjust macros and button mapping. If the extra thumb buttons are in your way, you can just disable them, or you can set them up for media playback or volume control as we did in our testing.
Corsair Katar Pro XT
Best Ultra Cheap Left-Handed Gaming Mouse
The next best thing after a true left-handed design is a solid ambidextrous one. The Corsair Katar Pro XT brings that to an affordable price of just $30. It may not be providing thumb buttons for left-handed players, but it’s providing an ultra-light design, a splash of RGB lighting, and a capable sensor.
The Corsair Katar Pro XT has an optical PixArt PMW3391 sensor with an 18,000DPI max sensitivity, so you’ll be able to mouse around even a pair of 4K monitors with ease. That easy mouse movement is aided by the shockingly lightweight at just 73 grams. Corsair goes even further by using a drag-reducing paracord cable that won’t easily bunch up or snag on the corner of your desk. There are thumb buttons on the right side that may not be easy to use on a moment's notice, but with Corsair’s iCue software, you could still set up handy macros to fire off with your pinky as the need arises.
Logitech G903 Hero Lightspeed
The Modular Master
Logitech absolutely nailed it with the G903 and continues to do just that with each iteration it releases. This mouse is wireless and incredibly comfortable. Granted, it's actually an ambidextrous mouse, but so are many of the best left-handed options. You can add or remove thumb buttons from either side, and there’s a choice between a clicky or free-spinning scroll wheel by hitting the button behind it. The mouse is also lightweight for a wireless option, but it comes with a 10-gram weight if you prefer it to be heftier.
The latest model of the G903 has a few upgrades, including a new 25K Hero optical sensor and 140-hour battery life with flashy RGB on — 180 hours with it off. This means you’re in for some wildly precise gameplay on a mouse you won’t have to worry about charging often. But, when you use the G903 with Logitech’s Powerplay mouse pad, it will actually charge itself, ensuring you never get caught short. With a report rate of 1ms, it also has a lighting-fast response time, meaning it’s ready for professional and non-professional gaming alike.
Corsair M55 RGB Pro
Great Overall Balance
For a very reasonable price, the Corsair M55 RGB Pro brings a lot to the table, starting with a comfortable wired design that's not overly complicated. Combine that with a quality sensor offering a 12,400 DPI for extreme precision even at high speeds alongside eight fully programmable buttons that are equally accessible to both left and right-handed gamers. And you get a mouse that’s not only ready for some serious gaming but won’t break the bank either.
At only $25, the Corsair M55 RGB Pro may not feel as premium as more expensive mice on our list, though it's built sturdy with a textured grip to keep a hold of the mouse even when things get sweaty. However, at just 3.2 ounces, its incredibly light design may not appeal to some gamers. And if you’re a fan of RGB lighting, this mouse delivers a tiny sprinkling of it via the Corsair logo and DPI indicator light.
Razer Viper 8KHz
Best Left-Handed Gaming Mouse for Esports
Razer’s Viper has been a solid gaming mouse for some time, but Razer just pushed it even further ahead to make it a powerful option for esports with an ambidextrous design left-handed players will benefit from — and, yes, there are thumb buttons on both sides. The new Razer Viper 8KHz doesn’t change the look or feel of its predecessor, and it doesn’t even get more expensive. But Razer gave it a performance upgrade.
In addition to the fast-actuating optical switches that can help give you a competitive advantage, the Razer Viper 8KHz also brings the Focus+ sensor that offers a 20,000 DPI max sensitivity and the ability to register mouse movements up to 650 inches per second. The next major perk of this mouse is where the 8KHz in the name comes from: an 8,000Hz polling rate to send more frequent updates from the mouse to your computer and get that quick-response advantage over the competition.
Cherry MW 4500 Left
Best Ergonomic Left-Handed Gaming Mouse
As if having to use a right-handed mouse wasn't bad enough, the typical mouse will often have your forearm pronated in a way that can cause strain. Ergonomic, vertical mice can help sort out the latter issue, but you won't find many of those offering an ambidextrous design to cater to left- and right-handed users alike. Fortunately, Cherry has you covered with the Cherry MW 4500 Left.
That's right, the company behind some of the most popular mechanical key switches has a mouse. This left-handed vertical mouse is built with ergonomics in mind. It also puts the thumb buttons right where you need them for left-handed use. You'll be able to run the mouse at three DPI settings, maxing out at 1200 DPI, with a DPI button on the mouse letting you cycle through them. And, using a 2.4GHz wireless receiver to connect, you should have minimal latency to hold you back from gaming with this mouse.
What to Know About Left-handed Gaming Mice
Wired vs. wireless
Your choice of a wired or wireless mouse may come down to personal preference, but be aware of some immutable facts. Firstly, wireless mice can give you a bit more freedom than wired mice simply due to having no cord to drag them down.
The good news is that, on the whole, wireless mice are now just as responsive as wired ones, so lag shouldn’t be a problem – but we’d always recommend reading reviews before purchase.
The biggest drawback of wireless mice? The higher price.
Response rate and DPI
If you’re buying a mouse for gaming, you need to pay more attention to response time and DPI.
The optical sensor is what controls the mouse response rate. For gaming, you want a mouse that has a 1ms response rate. When it comes to DPI (dots per inch), you have more space to play with, and many mice will actually let you set your desired DPI within a specified range.
The higher the DPI, the more sensitive the mouse; if you’re using a lighter gaming mouse, then you’ll want the DPI to be lower. Truth be told, most gamers keep their DPI below 1000, but we’d recommend choosing a mouse that has at least 1,600 DPI.
Hugh Langley is a tech journalist who’s fascinated by wearables, health tech, the smart home, and more. You can find him tweeting (often nonsense) over at @hughlangley
Continue reading...
