Did you recently upgrade from your 4+ year old Microsoft “Miscellaneous” or Logitech “Whatever” mouse for something advertised as the “weapon of choice” for gamers? I did. If you have, than you and I might have experienced the same thing. The very second you’ve plugged your optical or laser weapon (laser sounds cooler) into your Mac OS powered machine, you might have noticed something almost immediately – something isn’t right.
With the new mouse, very single movement is a pain, it takes at least 5 clicks to open Safari, and you’ve already restarted about 10 times. Is it the mouse? No, it’s Mac OS.
May 19, 2012 I use the Razer DeathAdder mouse designed for Mac use. All five buttons work in WoW with the drivers provided by Razer. The annoying problem it has is to reset my mouse speed to low every time I log on to my computer. Hate this but I am OK with the mouse. My cat likes it too. Gaming Mouse Wired, Pictek 6 Buttons Ergonomic Optical USB Mouse PC Computer Gaming Mice 3200 DPI Adjustable Auto Breathing Light for Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / XP Vista Mac Macbook Linux, Black.
After feeling extremely frustrated that my newly purchased mouse (it was a Logitech G500 by the way) was reluctant to work with my Mac, I turned to Google for some answers (using the trackpad of course).
Get Magic Keyboards, trackpads and mice for Mac. Shop sensor switches and keyboard cases for your Mac. Buy online with fast, free shipping. Using a third party gaming mouse with your Macbook Pro? The 'Other' buttons simply don't work! It's just ridiculous that this is so hard! 'USB overdrive' is an app that detects the. It’s also very ergonomical and provides great thumb support. Final thing that was really important for me was that Logitech’s gaming mouse software (which provides lots of options and sports a pretty slick design) works on Macs. I’m not sure the current state of things but when I was mouse hunting a lot of the software wasn’t Mac.
Mac OS’s Mouse Acceleration Issue
A few Google searches will tell you that Mac OS has an issue with mouse acceleration with high DPI mice, AKA “gaming mice”. To add insult to injury, some of the companies who manufacture these mice are, to put it politely, rather lacking in terms of support drivers for Mac OS.
How to Fix the Mouse Acceleration Issue for Mac OSUnfortunately, the above default mouse settings won’t help your top-of-the-line 1800 dpi weapon too much. Until Apple gets their team on this ridiculous issue, the current most popular solution is to use 3rd party software: SteerMouse or USB Overdrive.
Both of these are shareware ($20.00 USD for a license) that work to customize and tweak mouse button preferences, wheels settings, and most importantly, mouse acceleration.
SteerMouse Settings
Download SteerMouse
Open “SteerMouse” via “System Settings” or “Spotlight”. 1. Click on “Cursor”. 2. Turn the “Tracking Speed” dial all the way down to 0.0.3. Increase sensitivity – I’d start with 100.
At this point, I’d test the mouse movement. If it feels a little stiff, increase the sensitivity a bit more, but keep the “Tracking Speed” (aka. acceleration) down. Depending on what mouse you have and what drivers you have installed, you can increase the “Tracking Speed” a little bit.
USB Overdrive Settings
Download USB Overdrive
Open “USB Overdrive” via “System Settings” or “Spotlight”. 1. Click on “Settings” (it should be automatically selected). 2. Turn the “Acceleration” dial all the way down.3. Increase “Speed” – I’d start off with it maximized. Gaming Mice For Mac
Similar to the process with SteerMouse, test your mouse movement and adjust the “Speed” and possibly the “Acceleration” if necessary.
Personally, I use SteerMouse because it I feel like it works better – the magic word is “feel”, as everyone has different preferences in terms of sensitivity. I’d highly recommend installing both and try them out with your mouse – one at a time of course.
Using SteerMouse or USB Overdrive with Gaming Mice
Almost all of the modern gaming mice have the ability to change sensitivity “on-the-fly”, which, without a doubt, is essential for getting headshots and so forth. Personally, I’d recommend centralizing or neutralizing the mouse’s “on-the-fly” sensitivity level before tweaking the settings on SteerMouse or USB Overdrive. That way, you’ll be able to have the most effective range for increasing or decreasing sensitivity.
Above, you can see the sensitivity levels being neutralized on the Razer DeathAdder mouse.
If you’re fortunate enough to have purchased a mouse with Mac friendly drivers, then you get even more versatility for sensitivity tweaking. I’ve tried using the mouse’s drivers only without the aid of SteerMouse or USB Overdrive, but it simply isn’t the same. Movement isn’t natural, and I find myself thinking more on how to move my mouse vs. where to move my mouse.
Is SteerMouse or USB Overdrive Worth it?
SteerMouse has a limited trail period (I believe for about 1 month), and USB Overdrive has that incredibly annoying 10 second count-down window any time you open the application (as seen above). Even though both applications are noticeably different feature-wise, they both have a price tag of $20.00 USD.
Whether or not these applications is worth it is debatable as everyone has different needs and preferences. Personally, after one week of using SteerMouse, I purchased a license via PayPal. I need ultra smooth and sharp precision because I use my mouse primarily to do graphics and illustration, I also game from time to time, so it definitely helps out in that perspective. The default mouse settings just didn’t cut it for me, and I found the Razer drivers (albeit handy) were lacking.
Hopefully you found this article somewhat helpful in your quest for perfect pin-point mouse precision. It still saddens me that Apple doesn’t have proper native support for high DPI mice, and the lack of Mac OS support from the companies themselves makes matters even worse. Fortunately, there are 3rd party software that will help take care of things, but they come with an annoying and arguably unnecessary price tag. At the end of the day, gamers, especially serious ones, need the best stuff and the best stuff rarely comes cheap.
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Gaming on Mac isn’t as widespread as PC and console gaming, though you can still play most MMO games and a lot of other popular titles. In a recent survey, it was found that usually, people who game on a Mac spend less than 3 hours daily gaming. Naturally, the market isn’t brimming with Mac-specific gaming mouse choices.Thankfully, a mouse for Mac and PC works basically the same. In fact, all operating systems use the same mouse layout of left and right button with a middle scroll wheel. Naturally, a gaming mouse that caters to PCs will be adequate for Mac users (as long as it’s compatible with the OS in the first place. The question, therefore, is, which mouse to get?
Don’t feel like reading a long review article? Go with the Armchair Empire pick for a Mac-specific gaming mouse: you won’t be disappointed by the BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A.
Table Of Contents
![]() Top 5 Mice For Mac Gaming Of 2017
1. Zelotes T90
You want a gaming mouse that is affordable, has solid overall performance and equally flashy as well? The Zelotes T90 might just be right up your alley. In terms of precision, the T90 features 6 DPI levels which you can interchange on the fly. You can shift between 1000, 1600, 2400, 3200, 5500 and 9200 DPI. Each DPI gear has a designated LED color so you’ll know which one you’re using with just a quick glance. It also has 500Hz polling rate which means it has a response time of 2 milliseconds.
The T90 also has built in weights that you can fine tune in order to deliver the best balance possible. It comes with 8 buttons, an ergonomic design and a 7-cycle light mode. It has a built-in memory chip where you can save your profiles for different games.
Pros
Cons
2. Razer Ouroboros
A Razer mouse that incorporates an ambidextrous design, this PC gaming peripheral brings the performance and quality you would expect from a Razer product. As stated, this Razer mouse utilizes an ambidextrous design which it accomplishes by having two interchangeable side panels which you can switch from left to right and vice versa.
The Ouroboros can also be used in wired or wireless modes with no difference when it comes to performance. It also comes with the 8200 DPI 4G Sensor that delivers lightning fast movement and laser guided precision to help you track and eliminate targets on screen with ease. The DPI clutch trigger is a helpful little mechanism that lowers your DPI temporarily if you need to make that game winning sniper shot. Releasing the clutch will return your DPI to its default lightning fast movement.
The Razer Ouroboros uses one AA battery and can last up to 12 hours straight. It also comes with its own NiMH rechargeable battery as well. This mouse is Razer Synapse activated so you can fully customize settings and save them through their online Cloud support.
Pros
Cons
3. Logitech MX Master
First thing you will probably notice is the design of the MX Master. If you are comfortable with palm style mouse then you’ll love this offering from Logitech. Efficiency is the name of the game that MX Master plays and it does so impeccably well. One thing you should keep in mind is that this is primarily designed for work rather than gaming. It does offer a 400 to 1600 DPI setting which can deliver lightning fats and extremely precise cursor movements. Just don’t expect to see this in eSports tournaments.
You can fully customize each button to suit your needs by programming them in the Logitech Options software. As for its wireless features, you can use the USB dongle or simply connect it to your desktop via Bluetooth. One of its strongest features is the speed adaptive scroll wheel that can automatically shift between hyper scroll and ratchet.
ProsGaming Mouse For Macbook Pro
![]() Cons
4. BenQ ZOWIE EC1-A
The ZOWIE EC1-A-E comes with all the basic features you’d expect from a gaming mouse. The design also harkens back to the old-school MS Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 aesthetic which is always a welcome inclusion. This is a user-friendly gaming mouse thanks to its plug and play design. You can change between 4 DPI settings on the fly (400, 800, 1600 and 3200 DPI) as well as the option to adjust the USB report rate from 125 to 1000 Hz.
The rather stiff scroll wheel might feel awkward but it’s actually great news for FPS players. I would recommend FPS gamers to try this out if they’re looking for a replacement mouse. This mouse definitely offers solid all-around performance, I do wish it had some extra features included though.
Pros
Cons
5. Razer Taipan
The Razer Taipan delivers huge upgrades under the hood but with a sleeker design. This one uses an ambidextrous design which should allow left handed gamers to use this comfortably as well. This mouse utilizes the impressive 8200 DPI 4G Laser Sensor which delivers tactical precision for delivering highly accurate shots. The device can also be fine-tuned for all types of surfaces. It has 9 programmable buttons with 4 located on the side panel for quick access to specific commands. You can configure input command via the Razer Synapse app.
The buttons on the Taipan is hair-trigger sensitive and will register the slightest pressure. This allows for almost instantaneous reaction during intense FPS firefights. You can calibrate different kinds of settings by using the Razer Synapse app that uses cloud support to save your settings and access them anywhere.
Pros
Cons
Buying A Gaming Mouse For Mac Computers
Let us begin by first understanding your style of gameplay. Do you prefer MOBA, FPS, RPG or RTS? If you gravitate towards any one of these genres, then it makes better sense picking a mouse that is specifically designed for that style. The good news is that any mouse you choose will often work seamlessly across various gaming genres albeit with slight restrictions.
The most common kind of mice in the market are all-purpose mice. These workhorse machines can do a lot of things. They are good at MMO, action and adventure because of a unifying design theory. For folks who game a lot on their Mac machines and do not have an affinity towards any genre, this is the mouse to get.
FPS mice work best with games such as Counter Strike, Quake, Call of Duty and Battlefield. Since a lot of these games aren’t designed to run on a Mac; chances are you may not be gaming at all. However, if you play mostly FPS games buy a mouse designed for FPS gaming. Such a mouse will have quick DPI change buttons and low lift-off distance. They will also rely on optical sensors to ensure zero jitters.
MMO is the most widely played genre on a Mac, and any half-decent MMO game will require several buttons and combinations. Naturally, an MMO mouse comes with a plethora of buttons to either side or distributed across the entire surface. However, buttons aren’t the only thing you should look for in an MMO mouse. Remember also to check if the model comes with a proprietary software bundle that allows you to change macros and profile configurations on a Mac. Here, “Mac” is the keyword as many low-end manufacturers tend to skip out on building cross platform software.
Customizable Mice are relatively expensive as they let you configure the layout of buttons and lot other things. Think of them as Ferraris of the gaming mouse world. However, unlike a Ferrari, these mice offer you a plethora of customizations. You can change the feel of the buttons, angle of the palm rest and even the length or breadth of the mouse. And just like a Ferrari, they cost premium.
Cost Matters
As with anything related to computers, the cost is driven by three factors namely, Brand recognition, features and materials used. There are other factors too such as patents and taxes, but they aren’t common influencers. Out of the three top criteria, features and materials used are the two most critical points to note.
If you do not mind going for a lesser known brand, you can save anywhere from $30 to $90 depending on the type of mouse you purchase. In fact, customizable mice that usually cost above $150 from reputed brands can be found for less than $100 if you are willing to take a risk.
DPI And Sensitivity
Mac or not, DPI is a hardware specification, and while some mice allow you to change the DPI on-the-fly, others come with a fixed DPI. For a gamer with any aspirations, multiple DPI options are always a boon. Sensitivity, on the other hand, is OS controlled or sometimes game controlled. Hence, sensitivity can be fixed to a particular value as it does not work as well as DPI.
Size And Orientation
Time and again, we have stressed the importance of size. Forget the features, polling rates and other fancy stuff that make a mouse worthy of gaming. If it feels foreign to you, if it does not sit right in your palm, get some other design.
A mouse that is loved by the world can be the worst choice for you if it is too large or small for your hand size. You can measure your hand size by starting from the wrist and going all the way up to the tip of your ring finger. Your hand size is just a rough estimate of the maximum size you should look for in a mouse. Preferably, anything around 80% of your hand size should feel comfortable.
However, just because a mouse is a right size does not make it ergonomic. Curves, unique thumb crevices and designs help give a gamer better feel of the device. However, because of the ergonomics, many models tend to favour right-handers (nearly 90% of the global population is right handed.) As for left-handers, you have to look for a brand that provides the option of choosing between left and right handed devices or get a mouse that is symmetrical on either side.
Grip And Style
There are three types of grips employed by players namely, claw grip, palm grip and full grip. When you arc your fingers and use just the fingertips on the right and left buttons, it is called claw grip. The palm grip is when you cradle the bulk of the mouse in your palm. Finally, a full grip involves a palm grip with flat fingers that encompasses the entire mouse.
A player may prefer either of the three grip styles, but under different situations, he or she may opt for a new grip style. Thus, it is vital to get a mouse that works equally well with all kinds of grips. Speaking of styles, some mice have contoured surfaces with precise designs to accommodate additional fingers that won’t be used in gaming. Other companies stick with a basic style and hardly any ergonomic feature. They obviously cost less.
Buttons
As Mac gamers tend to prefer MMO and strategy games, a mouse with multiple buttons will help. Unlike a standard mouse with just two buttons, these gaming mice offer anywhere from 4 to 10 additional buttons. Each button can store a single instruction or a combination of instructions such as keystrokes with time delay.
More the buttons on a mouse the easier it is to play MMO and MOBA games. However, with more buttons comes a steeper learning curve.
Polling Rate
Lots of forums talk about mouse models for specific genres of gaming. However, for a Mac user, gaming is the second priority. Mechanical keyboard for mac. In fact, designers and editors prefer using a Mac. For them, the buttons on a mouse do not make much difference as most developers are used to keyboard shortcuts. What matters is how well the mouse responds to movement and whether it accurately reflects onscreen.
If you are a designer or a gamer who prefers using a Mac, opt for a mouse that provides higher polling rates. These devices can give you a high level of accuracy. Moreover, the higher polling rate protects against loss of data packets.
Illumination
Illumination is a fad among gamers, but at times we feel peripheral makers go a little too far. Yes, some amount of lighting in a peripheral is helpful especially with a keyboard as you can clearly see keys in the dark. However, with a mouse full RGB light is not necessary. In fact, you can use the mouse in complete darkness thanks to the lack of additional buttons.
Illumination increases the cost of peripherals and something that ought to cost less than $50 will end up costing you at least ten bucks more. RGB lighting controlled through software can cost even more.
Weight
Professional gamers prefer a particular weight for their peripherals. A gaming mouse should either be weighted permanently or (ideally) use removable weights that allow the user to decide what they want. These removable weight canisters are a nice addition because they let you configure the weight based on the manner in which you game. If you do not mind lesser-known brands, you can find a model or two for cheap that uses removable weight canisters.
Which Sensor Should You Pick
Gaming on a Mac is mostly limited to single monitor MOBA or MMO. While laser sensors are highly accurate and offer greater DPI levels, optical sensors are more lenient and easier to use. The latter is preferable with FPS gaming though Laser sensors work with any genre. The only gripe we have with laser sensors is that they are prone to jitters, especially with low-grade sensors.
If you want a laser sensor mouse, check if it offers surface tuning, which allows you to calibrate the movement profile of a mouse differently on varying surfaces.
As for folks with multi-monitor setup, a laser sensor with really high DPI is a must since you have a larger screen surface to cover than usual.
Wired Or Wireless
We do not advise using a wireless mouse, however, in the case of Mac Gaming a wireless mouse should be okay. A wireless mouse will always experience a slight lag in transmitting parameters to the computer. Since MMO, MOBA and other genres you can play on a Mac do not demand high connection speeds; a little lag won’t hurt anyone.
A wireless mouse does not have wires that obstruct natural movement. Besides, a wireless mouse will always give you portability.
Things To Watch Out For When Gaming
If you purchase a mouse that uses a third party application for configuring buttons, macros, profiles, DPI or any other feature, ensure that the software works with a Mac. Cheaper applications are only designed for PC, and without the software, you cannot customise your mouse.
Some mouse tend to offer features such as acceleration, path prediction and anti-jitter features. Acceleration is never a good thing with gaming. It can drastically reduce your accuracy and response times. Likewise, path prediction skews your controls within a game though it helps with designing when you need it. Anti-jitter technology is mostly present in laser mice, but it hinders more than it helps. If you feel any of these features are hampering your performance, turn them off.
Another commonly found feature in some standard mouse is Prediction. This feature uses software and hardware to predict when you want to make a smooth curve and when you want a straight line. Coreldraw for mac torrentz2. It depends on which of the two you are trying to imitate with your mouse movements. For a gamer, the prediction is a hindrance, so keep it turned off.
Gaming Mouse For Mac ProWrap UpGaming Mouse Compatible With Mac
A gaming mouse that suits your hand size feels sturdy and caters to the overall work you do on your Mac is your best bet. Good news is that with heavy competition in the market, finding a suitable model within your budget is easy. If you have the budget, prefer going for a well-known brand, but for folks with a limited budget, cheaper brands work just fine.
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