Logitech’s new G502 Lightspeed is a wireless version of the company’s beloved G502 Hero gaming mouse that’s available today. At first glance, it doesn’t look very different; it still has 11 customizable buttons, it includes a range of weights to tweak how quickly (or slowly) the mouse can be dragged along your mouse pad, and it’s still comfortable to use for hours on end. Oh, and its Lightsync LEDs light up in some very nice ways. These similarities are no coincidence. Logitech told me it was scared to change basically any facet of the mouse, but it said that it had to change almost everything internally in order to fit in its new low-latency Lightspeed wireless tech and add the ability to wirelessly charge by way of its optional PowerPlay wireless charging mouse pad. Its feet are the only pieces that could be salvaged from the old design. Priced at $149, Logitech is charging an almost $100 premium for these two big features, and one of them can only be enjoyed by those who also own the $99 PowerPlay wireless charging mouse pad. Even if you decide against the PowerPlay and are generally against mixing wireless mice with gaming, the G502 Lightspeed might tick enough boxes to make it a worthy purchase for you. Grid View Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Its Lightspeed wireless capability claims to deliver “better than wired” performance when it comes to latency. (Its included USB adapter has a report rate of 1ms.) During my time with it, those claims seemed to hold true; the G502 Lightspeed has the level of responsiveness that I come to expect from a wired mouse. The highest praise that I can give to a wireless mouse is that latency didn’t once come to mind while I played some games. I still suck at Apex: Legends, mind you, but this mouse didn’t make me suck any more than usual (or less, unfortunately). I don’t own a PowerPlay mouse pad at home, so if you’re like me, this mouse’s 48-hour battery life is another factor that you’ll have to mull over. Initially, I was worried that it wouldn’t last through a weekend of testing, but several days have passed without much in the way of a flinch on the battery indicator. Obviously, how many hours you spend gaming in one day will dictate how often this mouse needs to recharge. When you do need to charge, the G502 Lightspeed includes a braided Micro USB cable to plug in. For the time that it takes to recharge, you’ll have a wired mouse on your hands. If that irks you, I get it. But it’s your only option unless you purchase the PowerPlay wireless charging mouse pad for $99. Logitech’s G Pro Wireless is practically the same mouse There were a few other things that popped out about the mouse. Its scroll wheel has some extra grip by way of a rubber coating. I found the scroll wheel on the G502 Hero to be just a little too slippery, so this is a good change. Also, likely due to constraints in the G502 Lightspeed’s design, it’s noticeably lighter than the wired version. The new model includes 16 grams of additional weights (two 4g weights, four 2g weights), totaling up to 130g. The wired version weighs 139g with all of its weights installed. I personally like a heavier mouse because I tend to flick it around recklessly during a firefight, much to the amusement of friends and confusion of adversaries. If you’re comparing different wireless gaming mice, you should know that Logitech’s G Pro Wireless mouse, our current favorite, is practically the same offering. It has the same Lightspeed wireless tech found in the G502 Lightspeed, along with the Hero (High Efficiency Rating Optical) sensor that can scale between 100 and 16,000 DPI. They’re even the same price at $149.99. Choosing between the two comes down to personal preference: do you want a super light gaming mouse that doesn’t have a flashy design or much in the way of customizable buttons or would you rather have a more tweak-friendly mouse with a more ergonomic feel in the palm? For fans of the G502 Hero, the choice is clear.<doc-sep>The Logitech G502 range of gaming mice has a new and improved addition, with the company announcing the G502 Lightspeed, which combines the gaming performance we’ve come to expect from the G502 with a new lightweight and wireless design. Joining the likes of the Logitech G502 Proteus Core and Logitech G502 Hero (which is one of our picks for the best gaming mouse money can buy), the new G502 Lightspeed brings ultra-fast wireless technology, which Logitech claims is ‘faster than wired’. Here’s our pick of the best gaming keyboards of 2019 Looking for the best gaming laptop money can buy? These are the best PC games to play with the G502 Lightspeed That’s quite a claim, and if it’s accurate it could mean that competitive players who usually avoid wireless mice due to the latency that’s introduced when not using a wired connection could be persuaded to ditch those wires with the G502 Lightspeed. The G502 Lightspeed also seeks to address another common complaint with wireless gaming mice with the inclusion of Logitech’s Powerplay wireless charging system, which means you can keep the mouse charged without interrupting your gameplay. Extra features The G502 Lightspeed comes with features that have made the G502 series some of the most popular gaming mice in the world, including the High Efficiency Rated Optical (HERO) 16K sensor, which offers sensitivity of up to 16,000 DPI and tracks at 400+ IPS, which should make it an impressively fast, smooth and responsive mouse. It will also work with the Logitech G Hub software, which will allow users to customize the mouse when it comes to lighting, as well as tweak the 11 programmable buttons and assign macros. Lighter design The design of the Logitech G502 Lightspeed has also been overhauled, and it's seven grams lighter than the previous version. Not only is the body of the mouse lighter, it's now also PVC-free, with a Plastic Neutral Certification – which means that for every G502 Lightspeed purchased, Logitech will donate to Plastic Bank programs that help remove ocean-bound plastic from the environment. If you‘re worried about the new G502 Lightspeed being too light, you can adjust how it feels thanks to the inclusion of six weights that allow you to customize the weight and balance of the mouse. Logitech is promising big things with the G502 Lightspeed, and we look forward to getting one in for an in-depth review. The Logitech G502 Lightspeed goes on sale this month for $149.99 (£129.99, around AU$215).<doc-sep>Today, Logitech announced the first wireless version of the G502 Gaming Mouse series in the G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming mouse. Logitech says the G502 Lightspeed is re-engineered from the ground up and combines the familiar shape and features of the wired version with Logitech G’s Lightspeed and Powerplay wireless technologies. The new mouse features the HERO 16K (High-Efficiency Rated Optical) sensor, 11 programmable buttons, an adjustable weight system, and Lightsync RGB technology. If that tickles your fancy, the G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse is available this month at a wallet-clearing $149.99. (Image credit: Logitech) Logitech's Lightspeed wireless technology is one of the primary features. The company says it can provide a faster-than-wired gaming experience with a 1ms report rate through an optimized wireless connection. Another feature, which happens to be shared with the hard wired G502, is the HERO 16K sensor that's used for accurate, high-performance tracking. Logitech says it is up to 10x more efficient than its previous generations. The sensor is capable of a high 400 IPS precision, maximum acceleration of 40G, with sensitivity up to 16,000 DPI. Additional specifications are in the table below. Logitech G502 LightSpeed Sensor HERO 16K Resolution 100 - 16000 DPI Speed 400 IPS/40G Acceleration None Ambidextrous No Switches N/A Polling Rate 1000Hz Lighting 1-Zone 16.8M RGB Buttons 11 Software Logitech G Hub Cable Braided (data/charging) Dimensions (HxWxD) 5.2 x 2.9 x 1.6 inches Weight 4.0Oz - Up to 16g additional weight Price $149.99 USD Though loaded with new wireless features, the new mouse keeps the same shape as the wired G502. To do so, it uses a new thinner wall design (from 1.4mm to 1mm) supported by an endoskeleton for rigidity and support. This design change allowed for more internal room to shoehorn additional technology inside. Logitech says the change does not compromise durability or quality. The G502 Lightspeed keeps the 11 programmable buttons, dual-mode scroll wheel and the glowing Logitech G offset on the left side. The mouse’s weight, 7g lighter than the wired version, and balance can be adjusted by installing a combination of six small weights in the bottom. Logitech says the G502 Lightspeed will run around 48 hours on battery. Once it needs a charge, it can be done through a cable or with the Powerplay Wireless Charging system. Simply attach the magnetic Powercore module to the gaming mouse for untethered gaming and continuous charging when the mouse is in play. There is no need to sacrifice the ability to use the mouse while charging, so you should never run out of power. The Powercore is not included and does not come cheap priced $99 and you lose the ability to use the weights. This means an all-in price of $248 - expensive for a mouse of any type. (Image credit: Logitech) Like the wired model, the G502 Lightspeed includes onboard memory that can store up to five profiles while RGB lighting (16.8M colors) that can be personalized with Lightsync RGB Technology. The lighting, commands, and macros are customizable using Logitech G Hub software. If you love the wired G502, the G502 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse looks like a compelling choice if you want to cut the (mouse) cord. You won't have to wait long to get it: The G502 is available this month (May 2019) at the Logitech G website with a $149.99 price tag.<doc-sep>
Logitech has cut the cord on one of its bestselling gaming mice. The new Logitech G502 Lightspeed is the wireless version of the Logitech G502 Hero, a wired mouse that has been a beloved choice for many gamers. By shedding the cord on the Lightspeed design, Logitech made some big updates to make the untethered experience even better than the corded version. Logitech went as far as calling the Lightspeed “faster than wired.” Logitech claims it examined every facet of the G502 Lightspeed, from the design to the circuitry to optimize the wireless connection to deliver low-latency performance. In the company’s testing, the response time of the G502 Lightspeed is much faster than competing wired and wireless mice. Because of this tuning, you need to rely on the dedicated internal receiver to benefit from the Logitech’s performance enhancements — no Bluetooth here. “From every circuit pathway to every bend in antenna geometry, from hardware to firmware, we simulate and test each protocol and algorithm for maximum performance even in the most arduous and data-saturated gaming environments,” Logitech claimed. Though both the wireless Lightspeed and wired Hero share the same aggressive gaming-forward design with 11 programmable buttons, the options to add weights to control how fast you can move the mouse pad, and a comfortable ergonomic design, the wireless version costs $80 more than the $69 wired version at $149. With the premium price, you are getting some advancements, including better tracking and wireless charging capabilities. Making a wireless PowerPlay In terms of battery life, the Lightspeed is rated for up to 50 hours of battery life with the LightSync LEDs turned off and up to 48 hours when you turn on customizable RGB lighting. A quick five-minute recharge with the bundled braided USB charging cable will give you 2.5 hours of gameplay, according to Logitech, and the mouse can also wirelessly recharge on Logitech’s PowerPlay wireless charging mouse pad. If you do have the $99 wireless charging pad, you will be able to replenish the internal Lightspeed battery even while you’re actively using the mouse. If you don’t want to invest in the peripheral, however, the USB cable can also convert the G502 Lightspeed into a wired mouse when you deplete your battery. The Lightspeed comes with a new Hero 16K sensor, which is capable of more than 400 IPS across the 100-16,000 DPI range with zero smoothing, filtering, or acceleration, Logitech asserts, making for smooth, accurate tracking and a responsive gaming experience. But unlike the older Hero 16K chips, the new sensor on the Lightspeed is 10 times more efficient, which will lead to better battery life and performance. Pro gamers who want more control of the Lightspeed can also add weights to the mouse. The Lightspeed comes with four 3g weights and two 4g weights. If Logitech’s performance claims hold up, the Lightspeed may be a trusted tool for gamers. Pre-orders start now and the mouse will ship in the coming weeks. Editors' Recommendations