Logitech has just introduced its latest budget gaming mouse with the Logitech G203 LightSync. This is its cheapest option for gamers, and it doesn’t skimp on some higher-end premiums. But, at $39, it doesn’t qualify as dirt cheap, and it runs against some strong competition from the rest of the budget gaming mice out there. Let’s see how it compares.
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Design and Features
The Logitech G203 LightSync is a small, wired mouse. At just 2.45-inches wide and 1.5-inches long, it’s got a small profile akin to the SteelSeries Sensei Ten, and it stays light at 85 grams. That gives it a somewhat insubstantial feel in the hand that some gamers may like for the ease of moving it around, but it’ll be cramped for bigger hands regardless of grip style.
The design is fairly basic, with a symmetrical shape and your standard buttons. It’s almost unchanged from the Logitech G203 Prodigy that came before it. You get two well-sized thumb buttons on the left (sorry, left-handed gamers), two detached buttons for the left and right click, as well as a clickable scroll wheel and a DPI cycle button. Each is programmable.
The mouse is made out of plastic, most of which has a matte finish, and that’s pretty much it. There’s no extra silicon grip. Logitch does add some style with RGB lighting though. It offers three controlled zones, though it’s more like two distinctly lit elements. Essentially, there’s a single band around the back edge of the mouse that contains all three assignable zones blended together, and then the Logitech logo in the middle of the palm also lets the colors shine through.
It looks satisfying, but it’s not precise. Using the three zone lighting, whichever color sits in the middle of the strip is affected by the colors on its flank. Trying to go with purple, red, and light blue, the red in the middle became more of a pink. I still find that soft, almost pastel, glow quite engrossing, but users who want exact customization may be disappointed.
The G203 LightSync sports a new Logitech sensor that offers a DPI range from 200 up to 8000, giving you plenty of flexibility. It also meets that 1000Hz polling rate so pivotal for gaming mice.
Software
The G203 LightSync is customizable using Logitech’s G Hub software. That will give you custom profiles, with the option to change the DPI, button assignments, polling rate, and lighting. Logitech’s software is fairly comprehensive, but there’s only so much you can customize on this mouse due to its basic features.
Gaming
The Logitech G203 LightSync is no slouch when it comes to gaming, but that’s not to say it’s perfect either. I brought it on two season’s worth of Overwatch competitive placement matches, and considerably more gametime outside of that.
The sensor in the G203 LightSync performs admirably. It tracks as consistently as any other mouse I’ve used. From the SteelSeries Rival 350 or Razer Basilisk Ultimate to budget options like this one or the Cooler Master MasterMouse MM520, the kind of sensors found in many gaming mice are proving themselves perfectly dependable.
I didn’t struggle to track targets and unload clips as Soldier 76 during my competitive placements, and I never struggled with my frantic flick shots to keep my teammates alive during playtime as Ana. I even got the hang of melting enemies with Zarya while using this mouse. The accuracy never disappointed.
But, there were a couple things I didn’t get the hang of. I’ve used some small mice before, such as the SteelSeries Sensei Ten or the Razer Basilisk Ultimate (which I find to be just a bit cramped on the pinky side), but the G203 LightSync has left my hand feeling more cramped than most other mice I’ve reviewed (And I once used this mini mouse for two months of ranked CS:GO play while travelling).
The sides of the mouse just don’t give much room to grab on because of their height and contours. Bigger hands will struggle with this mouse.
Then there’s the small issue of the buttons. Generally, they have a good feel, not too mushy nor too stiff. But, the tight confines of the top of the mouse made the DPI switch placement troublesome. I found myself in too many firefights where I’d be tapping away frantically while trying to track some air-dancing Genji only for my sensitivity to shift suddenly, and all it takes is one second. Plenty of other mice have a DPI switch in more or less the same spot without this problem arising as often.
Many of these problems are something gamers with smaller hands may not struggle so much with, but the fact is there are more mice on the market that offer better ergonomics, similar tracking, and may even go wireless, like the Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless.
Purchasing Guide
The Logitech G203 LightSync is available on Amazon with an MSRP of $40. It comes in black, white, lilac, or blue.
Source: IGN.com Logitech G203 LightSync Gaming Mouse Review