so i have personally tested the following mice, each of which has been released about a year ago:
from Worst to Best:
Logitech MX Master 3S as Logitech’s flagship productivity mouse. ( currently $95 )
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro as Razer’s flagship “gaming” mouse ( currently $125 )
Razer Deathadder V3 Pro as Razer’s flagship e-sports mouse ( currently $150 )
first the MX Master 3S … it is absolute garbage.
i only used it for 2 hours before putting it back in the box and sending it to Amazon for refund. it has 3 things going for it:
1 - the side scroll wheel ( so you can scroll the pages horizontally )
2 - a switch that allows you to connect it to three bluetooth devices at the same time.
3 - the mouse clicks are completely silent
i could give a rat’s ass about 1 and 2. i specifically ordered it for 3, because as an audiophile i like everything as quiet as possible.
unfortunately within seconds it became obvious that the mouse is UNCOMFORTABLE. this for a mouse whose entire selling point is ergonomics immediately made it a no-go.
what happened is Logitech was known for ergonomics and design so they kept trying to out-do themselves with every design iteration until eventually they reached perfection but they couldn’t stop there - they had to keep “innovating” further, and that’s how you got to MX Master 3S. it went PAST the optimally sculpted shape and to a shape so sculpted it is now basically the most uncomfortable mouse i have ordered in the last 15 years. all in the name of “design” and “innovation”
it’s not just the most uncomfortable mouse, it is also the heaviest mouse i have ever used, and pretty much the slowest polling ( 125 hz ) as well.
what happened is this is a $100 mouse but logitech’s flagship gaming mice are about $150 so they made the MX Master 3S slow and heavy on purpose to protect the gaming mice. market segmentation means you can never allow a cheaper product to beat a more expensive product in your lineup, which in practice means bringing out the CRIPPLE HAMMER.
what do you have at the end of all this ? slow, heavy, uncomfortable mouse. yes it’s the cheapest mouse on this list but it’s also the worst value.
if you’re going to go for such a heavy mouse you should go for one with replaceable batteries. a non-replaceable battery only makes sense if it makes the device thinner or lighter but in case of MX Master 3S it doesn’t do either. i have been recharging my own AA Ni-Mh cells for 25 years and if you don’t care how much your mouse weighs so should you ( use a mouse that runs on AA cells ).
Next up Razer Basilisk V3 Pro:
when i got it a few months ago it was the best mouse i have ever used at the time. it was very well made, very comfortable, fully featured …
only downside was the weight …
i specifically got the Basilisk V3 Pro for one feature, and that is Qi wireless charging …
to enable wireless charging you have to buy a separate $20 charging puck, which i did …
however i’m not using Razer charging stand, instead i’m using Samsung Charger Duo Qi Wireless Charger:
because aside from charging the mouse perfectly it also charges my phone perfectly and it would also charge a samsung watch or other small accessories if i had them …
in retrospect though you don’t need wireless charging on your mouse. Basilisk V3 Pro only needs it because of the MONSTROUS RGB that it has which can burn through the battery in a single day if maxed out …
the RGB on Basilisk V3 Pro is breathtaking - it has over a dozen ARGB zones and can display beautiful color waves on the underglow ring …
but to enable this light show you need that puck and the wireless charger ( otherwise plugging it in every day will be a hassle ) but the biggest penalty for this RGB madness is the weight …
at ~ 110 grams the Basilisk V3 pro is much lighter than the ~ 140 gram MX Master 3S but it’s still a heavy mouse …
at least with Basilisk V3 pro the weight can be explained by the RGB lighting, whereas with MX Master 3S the weight is just there to cripple the mouse and make it unusable for gaming …
the Basilisk V3 pro is a mouse i can recommend if you want beautiful RGB in a wireless mouse that can be used for occasional gaming and if you like the idea of using a Qi charger for your mouse …
note however that the charging coil ( puck ) is at the end of the mouse, not center, so when aligned with the coil in the charger the mouse will likely fall off the charger unless it is elongated in shape like the Duo i am using … which has two coils, hence the name duo, that allow me to position the mouse perfectly on it … the reason it has two coils is to charge phone and watch at the same time but it happens to work perfectly with the Basilisk V3 Pro.
the shape of the Basilisk is near perfect and the rubberized grips and surface coatings are all perfect as well. the styling and RGB is perfect. the included cable ( if you want to go wired ) is perfect. software ( Synapse ) is good. features ( mag shift scroll, sniper button ) are good.
this is a 4 star mouse. the only downside, as i said, is the weight. 112 grams.
and finally Razer Deathadder V3 Pro:
this is the latest addition to my arsenal. i knew it was a keeper the moment i felt it in my hand. even when minutes later Synapse tried to install this mouse and literally killed my Windows install i didn’t care. i simply booted from the USB drive and that repaired windows - no biggie.
at just 63 grams it is a little over HALF the weight of Basilisk V3 Pro and LESS THAN HALF the weight of MX Master 3S and it really makes a difference.
i would never game on MX Master 3S. i HAVE gamed on Basilisk V3 Pro and i thought it was doing great …
until i tried Deathadder V3 Pro and i’m never going back to another mouse for gaming …
the combination of ultra light weight, near perfect shape and excellent feel of the scroll wheel etc. made the mouse instantly disappear - within seconds of using it i no longer was even aware of it in my hand.
literally the only time i am reminded of this mouse is when i am not using it. when in use it just disappears. within seconds. every time.
but not just that - i literally feel i am playing better with it. i can make really fast and wide movements with it and then stop on a dime even on my ultra-slick Razer Acari mousepad. i couldn’t do this with Basilisk V3 Pro - i had to account for the weight of the mouse when moving it quickly and had to consciously decelerate it and then i would still over-shoot the mark.
trying this mouse for the first time, the “holy shit” sensation was almost like the feeling of getting laid for the first time - the " i can’t believe i actually did it ! ( finally got laid / found the perfect mouse ) " type of feeling.
i realize mice ( like keyboards ) are highly subjective. i can’t guarantee you will love this mouse as much as i do. instead what i can say is that even though of the three mice compared here this is the most expensive mouse with the fewest features ( no wireless charging, no RGB, no side scroll wheel, nothing ) - FOR ME it is the best value of the three, because it only costs a bit more but it is MUCH better.
if i could only have one mouse, not just for gaming, but for everything - it would still be the Deathadder. because you can still do the boring stuff with it, but the other mice can’t play like the Deathadder does.
summary:
Logitech MX Master 3S:
a mouse that is OK for productivity ( fully featured but uncomfortable ) and unusable for gaming ( very slow polling rate, ridiculously heavy at over 140 grams ). on a five star scale i give it 2 stars.
Razer Basilisk V3 Pro:
a mouse that is good for productivity ( comfortable and has 2-mode scroll wheel ), great for aesthetics ( state of the art RGB ) and can be used for gaming in a pinch ( polling rate, sensor and optical switches are top notch, but weight is a downside. on a five star scale i give it 3.5 stars.
Razer Deathadder V3 Pro:
G_d tier gaming mouse that is also comfortable enough for everyday use. only way it could be even better is if it had wireless charging and was cheaper. on a five star scale i give it 4.5 stars.
additional note: Deathadder and Basilisk use optical switches while MX Master uses mechanical switches.
optical switches have faster response ( no debounce delay ) and better longevity. the downside is higher cost and shorter battery life.
overall optical switches are the high end gaming switches while mechanical switches are the mainstream productivity switches.
in the MX Master 3S the switches are silenced, which is a plus, but only if you’re going to use the mouse in an office environment where others are annoyed by the sound of your mouse clicks.
overall MX Master is outclassed by both of the Razer options in terms of switch quality, sensor quality, polling rate and weight as well as ergonomics - basically in every possible way.
and even though it is silent i am not sure how much of a benefit that is even in the office because your keyboard likely is not silent.
if you do see the value in silent clicks though the MX Master 3S does deliver - they aren’t just quiet - they are silent. personally i prefer clicks i can hear … but if i had to choose a mouse for somebody in the cubicle next to mine MX Master 3S would be easy choice LOL. that person shouldn’t make any noise and he / she shouldn’t play games at work !
if you’re a Logitech Fanboy they have recently ( like weeks ago ) released the G Pro X Superlight 2 e-sports mouse, which is basically same cost and weight as Deathadder V3 Pro.
here is why i chose Deathadder V3 Pro over G Pro X Superlight 2:
1 - the GPX has a space for the powerplay mat puck. this introduces unnecessary complexity to the design unless you actually plan to use the powerplay mat. the problem is i already had the powerplay mat with my G903 and it stopped working. not to mention the powerplay mat is too small to game on and the part with USB connector sticks out and the mouse gets caught on it. a total clusterfuck of a product.
2 - the GPX is ambidextrous, so it is almost certainly less comfortable than Deathadder ( though obviously i haven’t tried it ).
overall i am done with Logitech. they simply can’t compete with Razer. i been using Logitech for 25 years but have now 100% switched to Razer.
i didn’t just send MX Master 3S back to Amazon i also gave away my old logitech mice ( G903 and G603 ).
Logitech is a joke. Their powerplay mat which i got in 2018 was a total disaster and they never improved it. The G903 mouse which came out with the powerplay and i also got in 2018 is somehow still one of the most expensive mice they sell FIVE YEARS after i got it ! ! !
the G903 ( which i gave to my grandma, when she was alive ) is currently $129 from Logitech while the MX Master 3S is $99.
WTF man ? you openly admit your flagship from 2022 is inferior to your failure from 2018 ?
Logitech is an embarrassment.
their best tech is 5 years old and never worked to begin with.
their flagship mousepad solution is nominally size “medium” but effectively smaller due to the hump …
it’s some kind of a sick joke …
just get a Razer
Update: i started using side buttons on the mice and the buttons on Basilisk are very flimsy and shrill sounding and not up to the quality standards of the rest of the mouse. this is a tangible downside.
side buttons on Deathadder aren’t that great but are better than on the Basilisk.
Update 2: i have figured out how to charge the Deathadder painlessly - i am using an old power bank from like 10 years ago that isn’t up to snuff for charging the latest phones but charges the mouse perfectly and i don’t need any long cables, or to keep my PC on or anything like that to charge the mouse. i just lay the power bank right next to the mouse overnight once a week, and charge over USB-C.
also ergonomically i prefer the DeathAdder to the Basilisk as well. the Basilisk is a bit too small for my average male hand. Deathadder just right.
only real downside to Basilisk is it’s so light and sensitive it is hard to double click on anything because it registers movement between the clicks. i had to customize front side button as sensitivity clutch that drops the sensitivity down to 500 dpi and i hold it down when double clicking.
Basilisk has a dedicated sensitivity clutch button but it’s awkward to reach. On the plus side it frees up the front side button for other uses - i have mine set to “F11” to toggle full screen mode in browser.
All these mice suck in reality. I want apple mouse but not in a retarded slim design, the mutiple gesture surface right on the mouse is extremely more useful than retarded amount of buttons, especially scrolling side to side (back and forth) on webspages and the like. Just create a mouse w a profile of razer or logitech but cover top half w touch screen surface so you can execute all the gestures.
you would need software support for these gestures for them to be useful. apple obviously has a much tighter integration of hardware and software than PC, so it’s easier for them to make it happen. i prefer the more open / hands off ecosystem with PC but apple approach certainly has its benefits as well.
for example Windows tried to move from Intel / AMD X86-64 chips to ARM chips but they can’t because people actually have a choice and they choose systems with legacy software support even if they are more backwards in terms of efficiency.
Apple simply doesn’t give anybody a choice and forces everybody on the new ARM chip, which in the long run is the right move - can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
personally i wouldn’t be super interested in such a touch mouse - the MX Master 3S already has a side scroll wheel for horizontal scrolling if you need that. and as for the gestures you can probably program key binds on the keyboard for whatever you want those gestures to accomplish.
this touch functionality would also likely add weight to the mouse, which would be a serious negative for gaming. Gaming is a major selling point for PCs.
will Logitech make an Apple-specific mouse to please you ? probably not because they had plenty of time to do that already, so they probably decided against it.
we will probably see more innovation in mice but my point here is that a mouse should be comfortable first, then lightweight second and everything else comes third. IMO.
