Logitech G Pro Wireless Mouse Review

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

Two years ago, I wrote that the Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum was "one of the finest goddamn mice I've had the pleasure of using." I stand by that. The G900 has been right here on my desk whether I'm writing or gaming. It's been my workhorse mouse since I reviewed it, having been replaced only by the G903, the same model with Logitech's Lightspeed wireless tech and built to work with the PowerPlay charging mousepad.

Logitech has finally offered up a mouse that can replace the G903 in my life.

The Logitech G Pro Wireless is a refinement of everything Logitech is doing at the moment in terms of gaming hardware. The mouse carries the Lightspeed wireless technology, offering a 1 ms report rate, and the new Hero 16K sensor, an update of Logitech's flagship mouse sensor for 2018. Like its predecessor, the Hero 16K offers a high-sensitivity sensor with zero smoothing and acceleration from 100 to 16,000 DPI. (Which is very cool, but who is playing at 16,000 DPI?)

Where the Pro Wireless really excels is in the new design. Sometimes, Logitech and other gaming hardware manufacturers lean entirely too hard on the "gaming" side of things. There tends to be a touch of overdesign, adding additional angles and bits in order to look cool. My favorite keyboard is Logitech's now-defunct G810 because it's so simple: it's just a basic keyboard with high-end switches and RGB lighting. This concept of simplicity has extended to subsequent models.

I could hack it with the G900 and G903 because overall, most of the "extra" design bits were on the center of the mouse. This allowed the mouse to look cool while mostly staying out of my way during daily use.

The Pro Wireless dispenses with all of that. It looks like a classic, standard mouse. The overall design is a bit longer and more hand-friendly than the previous Pro or the similar G305. The RGB lighting is limited to the distinctive Logitech G logo and the DPI indicator, which is completely invisible when it's not on. The mouse is built for right- or left-handed users, with two thumb buttons on either side and switchable magnetic plates if you want to cover either side up. Logitech even tore down the design and made the Pro Wireless only 80g, which is actually 3g lighter than the original Pro.

The Pro Wireless is, as the name suggests, a primarily wireless mouse, but the included USB cable—which no longer has a braided cloth exterior—does turn it into a fully wired mouse. The bottom of the mouse has the power switch and the DPI switching button. It also sports a magnetized plate: you can press it at the bottom to open up a compartment that holds its wireless USB receiver.

You won't need the receiver if you have a PowerPlay mouse pad though. Simply pop off the magnetized bottom plate, replace it with the PowerPlay version, and sync the Pro Wireless. Boom, it works with the PowerPlay mat for continuous charge while you use it. For someone who's always at their desktop like myself, the PowerPlay mat is a godsend and any mouse that works seamlessly with it is a winner. If you're not using a PowerPlay mousepad, the rated battery life of the Pro Wireless is 48 hours with basic RGB lighting on and 60 hours with no lighting.

So what you have here is an incredibly responsive, lightweight mouse with damn good battery life. The Pro Wireless is such a clean-looking mouse, while still offering the gaming performance you've come to expect from Logitech G at this point. If there's a problem with the Pro Wireless, it definitely one that's outside of the design itself: the price. The suggested retail price is $149.99, which is very pricey for any sort of gaming peripheral, including a mouse. I can't tell you if that's worth it for you.

Logitech does offer similar specs in a slightly different shell. The original Pro has also been updated with the Hero 16K sensor. For $69.99, you're looking at a wired mouse with a squatter design and only 3g of additional weight. You lose the ambidextrous design, as the Pro is only built for right-hand users, and there's an added RGB lightbar. The updated Pro is probably all most folks need in terms of gaming prowess, but I find myself with a clear preference for the Pro Wireless' overall shape and design.

In-between the Pro Wireless and the Pro is the G502, which now sports the Hero 16K sensor for $79.99. What you gain here is several additional buttons for macros and key bindings, while also benefiting from the precision of the new sensor. What you lose is the elegant design of the Pro Wireless or even the Pro. The G502 sticks to the "gaming design" aesthetic that I mentioned earlier, with extra bits and hard angles. I admit, I loved that mouse for its time, but I've been enjoying Logitech G's move back towards simple mice.

If you have the cash on-hand, the Pro Wireless is the best in the business, with a shell that doesn't add anything you don't need for play. If not, you can jump down to the updated Pro and get great performance at a lower price tag. Either way, both mice are a great choice if you're looking for an upgrade anytime soon.