Is a Wired or Wireless Mouse Better for Gaming?

You'll see professional gamers use both wired and wireless gaming mice, so how do you know which you should use? Let's take a look at the key differences between the two to determine which is better for gaming.

Wired Mice Offer a Stable Connection

For gamers, having stability is key. This is especially true for those who play first-person shooters or any other game that requires constant mouse movement. Your mouse losing connection for just a second may be the difference between winning or losing a battle or match.

Related: How to Consistently Rank Higher in First-Person Shooters

A wired mouse will be more stable than a wireless one, as it's connected directly to your computer. There's no chance of interference from other devices, and you will never have to worry about your mouse losing connection unless it's damaged. As wireless mice continue to improve, this may be becoming less of a concern, but for now, it's still a factor to consider.

Wireless Mice (Usually) Have More Latency

Latency, which is also called input lag, is the time it takes for your mouse's input to be registered on your computer screen. This includes movement, scrolling, clicking, and macro execution (if your mouse has them).

When it comes to gaming, especially timing-based games, even a small amount of latency can be detrimental. Using first-person shooters as an example, it's imperative that your gun fires immediately when you press the left mouse button. Even a quarter of a second of input lag may cause you to lose to your opponent.

Related: How to Connect a Wireless Mouse to Your Computer

Similar to wired keyboards, wired mice have less latency than wireless mice. This is because there's no need for the signal to be transmitted from the mouse to the receiver. The direct connection to your computer is what allows wired mice to be exceptionally responsive.

In contrast, wireless mice need to send their signal through the air, which can introduce some input lag. Of course, this isn't always the case as there are plenty of responsive wireless gaming mice with unnoticeable input lag.