Logitech Mouse Showdown: MX Vs. MX Master Vs. G502 Proteus Core Performance
Back in the day, Logitech’s MX Revolution was the most popular mouse , and for good reason: it was comfortable, customizable, and its inertial scrolling was a lifesaver. Now he has three successor, each of which differs slightly: Performance MX, a new and powerful MX Master and focused on the G502 Proteus Core games . Here’s how they compare.
Applicants
Logitech has a huge lineup of products, but when it comes to their best stuff, these three take over:
- The Logitech Performance Mouse MX ( $ 50 at Amazon ) was the first successor to the MX Revolution and retained most of its best features. It was so popular that Logitech released it unchanged for six years.
- The Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse ( $ 92 at Amazon ) is the latest in the MX line and the successor to the Performance MX. With an updated design, battery, and some new features, Logitech wants you to upgrade to this mouse when your Performance MX finally crashes.
- The Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse ( $ 76 at Amazon ) isn’t technically an MX lineup, but it’s as similar as you might think. It boasts most of the same buttons and features as the Performance MX, and even feels similar in your hand, albeit with a more gamer-oriented aesthetic and software.
It should be noted right away that all these mice, unfortunately, are intended only for right-handers. Logitech has a number of left-hand and a mirror – symmetrical mice, but three kings are made for right-handed people.
Mice have more similarities than differences, but if you’re having a hard time deciding what to buy, we’ve got you covered.
Look and feel
The Performance MX (left) seems to fit in the hand. It is ideal for gripping the palms who like to put their entire hand on the mouse. Even if you have small hands, this larger mouse will suit them.
The MX Master (center) is slightly taller than the Performance MX and is also a palm grip mouse, although it fits well in the hand regardless of grip. Logitech definitely wants you to use this mouse in a special way, and you’ll know that the moment you take your hand. The flowing curves of the MX have been replaced by modern corners that take up slightly less space but are comfortable to use. It’s also slightly heavier than the MX, but takes up the same amount of space on your desk.
The Proteus Core (right) is similar in size to the Performance MX, but has a distinct “playful” look: crisp bezels, LED indicators and blue accents on the sides. It also comes with a set of weights at the bottom that you can move or readjust to make the mouse heavier, lighter, or shift weight to different sides of the mouse. This is really nice, as it essentially allows you to adjust the weight and feel of the mouse to your liking.
Buttons
The Performance MX is pretty straightforward in terms of buttons, but it has everything you need. It has left and right clicks, a scroll wheel that moves up and down and side to side, and back and forward buttons on the sides. It also has a hidden Thumb button, perfect for viewing tasks on Windows or Mission Control / Exposé on OS X. There is also a very tiny “Zoom” button. All buttons are programmable using Logitech software.
The MX Master has all the same buttons as the Performance MX, with a few improvements. The button under the thumb rest is now gesture-sensitive and can do things like swipe windows or flick left or right in Windows, or toggle Mission Control and Exposé in OS X. One of the best features of MX Master is the return of the wheel from MX Revolution. , the older brother of the Performance MX. It is ideal for flipping through documents and viewing spreadsheets. Right behind it are the Back and Forward buttons. Depending on your hand, the thumbwheel and buttons are comfortable and easy to reach, or you may have to move your hand a little to place your thumb on them. They are ideally located for me.
Proteus Core adds a few buttons to the MX layout, but not too many. In fact, there are only three more of them than the Performance MX. It has back and forward buttons just like the MX mice, and a thumb button designed for sniper shooting in games (which is slightly more difficult to reach than the MX thumb buttons). However, unlike the MX mice, it also has two DPI buttons and a “G9” button, which is not programmed. All buttons are customizable using Logitech software.
Wired and wireless
The Performance MX is only available as a wireless mouse. You can technically connect it with a USB cable, but you still need a connected wireless receiver. If you prefer wireless mice, you’ll be happy with that, but that could also be a downside – after all, you need to worry about charging, and I’ve found that a lot of wireless mice had power or connection issues. later in life.
The MX Master is also wireless but adds Bluetooth support. It can also charge and run at the same time when connected via USB, but you won’t need to keep it connected for long – Logitech boasts that you can get a full day’s charge in four minutes of charging, and I found that to be true. It’s also worth noting that the MX Master can also “connect” to three devices simultaneously via the Unifying Receiver or Bluetooth. To switch active devices, just click the button on the bottom of the mouse. This makes it ideal for storing a single mouse at home (or at work and home) that you use to control multiple computers.
The Proteus Core, on the other hand, only comes as a wired mouse. Although I was very pleased with this; it has a nice long braided cable that in no way pulls or jams on the mouse. After decades of hating wired mice, Proteus Core changed me.
Note that the Logitech G602 , while not a direct alternative to the Proteus Core, is somewhat similar to a wireless mouse.
Software and customization
The Performance MX and MX Master use Logitech’s boringly-named Logitech Options software, which lets you customize pointer and scrolling speeds, smooth scrolling, scroll wheel mode (free spin or ratchet), and even default app scrolling. when you move your thumb or scroll wheel (for those of you who for some reason want the wheel to scroll down, which meant page up ). You also get the usual button customization options, so you can remap each of the Performance MX and MX Master buttons to just about anything you want – even keystrokes or system functions like opening Launchpad on a Mac or the Windows Start menu.
But that’s all beyond programming buttons, scrolling options, and pointer sensitivity. Otherwise, Logitech Options is basic hardware, and while you can use it to control multiple Logitech mice, you cannot record complex macros, set different “profiles” for work and home, or work and play, and you cannot save those profiles to the mouse. – they are stored locally on your computer.
Proteus Core uses a slightly different program called Logitech Gaming Software, which is significantly more powerful. Logitech Gaming Software lets you program button and keystroke functions in the same way as Logitech Options, but also lets you record complex macros with the push of a button. It can also save profiles to the mouse itself (not your computer), “tune” the mouse to a mouse pad or desk surface, analyze how often you press certain buttons, and enable “Angle Snap” for straighter lines. All of these features make the Proteus core a great productivity tool , even if they were meant for gaming.
Other additional functions
The Performance MX and Proteus Core have my all-time favorite mouse feature: impulse scrolling. The wheel scrolls just like any other mouse, with a series of clicks that scroll a specific number of lines. However, when you press the button under the wheel, it switches to free spin mode. Click it and it will keep spinning at breakneck speed until you stop it, which is great for scrolling up large web pages or documents. I can’t live without this feature in the mouse. (Watch the video above at the 37 second mark to see it in action.)
MX Master has made this feature even better by re-introducing MX Revolution’s automatic scroll detection. Yes, you can still manually turn the pulse roll on and off using the button below the scroll wheel, but now if you roll hard enough and release the MX Master automatically switches to pulse roll mode. When the scroll wheel slows down, it will return to manual scroll mode. It’s the best of both worlds without having to change your habits.
All three mice are champions
This is not a fight where there really is a “winner” – all three mice are great, and it is quite difficult to go wrong with any of them. The Performance MX and Proteus Core are surprisingly similar in terms of functionality, with the deciding factor between the two being what look you want, whether you prefer wired or wireless, and your budget. (Although the Proteus Core’s extra buttons, more powerful software, and custom weights give it a slight edge – with a corresponding price increase.)
The MX Master, on the other hand, is a worthy upgrade to the Performance MX, but comes at a price. It’s definitely more functional, but how important these features are to you is another matter. When looking at the MX, consider whether you need Bluetooth or the ability to use a mouse with multiple PCs. If the Performance MX were your ideal mouse, you might not feel like you need the new MX Master features, but they are really good when you have them, and once you do, you will definitely rely on them.