Logitech G602

Editor's Notes

Introduction

Most PC Gamers take it for granted that wireless mice are junk when it comes to playing just about any kind of competitive PC Game. Whether it's 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' or 'StarCraft II' the concerns over latency and the hassle of power usage have resigned wireless mice for less demanding use, and the resulting populace of inexpensive wireless mice sorely lack for features when set next to any serious gaming grade mice. There is of course a growing list of computer mice designed to bridge the gulf between gaming and wireless mice. Add now to that list Logitech's G602, a wireless gaming mouse, that of all things touts its battery life at the top of a long list of features.

The Logitech G602

The Logitech G602, with its switchable power and performance states, AA batteries, dedicated USB receiver, 2500 DPI capability, and 11 programmable buttons, is a distinct take on the undefined wireless gaming mouse mold. Though it's considerable cheaper ($79.99 vs $99.99) than Logitech's own G700s, the G602 benefits from both a newer design and by eschewing some of the less sensible features of G700s.

While the G700s boasts more programmable buttons (13), the G602's button placement is vastly superior, with the six button thumb cluster the most sensible and usable version of MMO worthy mouse keys on a mouse to date. The one exception is unsurprisingly the two extra buttons that are stowed in the G700s tilt wheel, which some gamers have come to love. (more on the mouse wheels later)

DPI

Likewise, the G700s can manage a crazy 8200 DPI, a level of sensitivity that I have yet to ever want for in a game. The G602s maxes out at 2500 DPI, which while considerably less sensitive, easily makes the mouse as sensitive as I could want even when covering extremely high resolutions. Any owner of an adjustable DPI mouse should realize his or her own tendency to adjust DPI on the fly or to favor extreme sensitivity (which sacrifices precision - move the mouse slightly and it flies across the screen). My favorite mouse, the wired G500 goes up to 5700 DPI, which is already far beyond useful. (The revision, the G500s goes up to 8200 DPI.)

And then there is the power supply. Some users, like myself, have no interest in recharging a mouse, which is required for the G700s, Razer Mamba, and most other wireless gaming mice. Though the G700s has the ability to run and recharge while plugged in, the G602 adopts the crazy advances in normal wireless mice to get the most use out of its standard AA batteries, while still remaining free of lag in Performance mode.

Power Modes

The G602 has a switch on its top (flush in line with the wheel) that toggles the mouse Between Performance and Endurance modes. Performance is rated to give 250 hours of battery life, but I found that number to be very conservative as it really means 250 hours of gaming time. Game for a several hours day while also using the mouse for hours of regular computing, and the battery life extends exponentially. This is very fortunate, because toggling over to Endurance mode reduces the mouse to something much more like its $20-$40 counterparts. I consider Endurance mode as something good for traveling, and since the tiny USB receiver can be tucked away in the G602's battery compartment, the mouse travels easy.

As with any gaming mouse, some features, like assigning macro keys and reprogramming buttons require the use of special software from Logitech, but the mouse does have its own on-board memory to retain many of these settings, which again shows how travel-ready the mouse is. Logitech's software has come a long way, but it's nice that the mouse still functions well without it.

Ergonomics

Now compared against my favorite mouse, the G500, and its predecessor the G9 Laser, and even the G5, the G602's ergonomics feel like a next step, and one that effectively accommodates the additional buttons. The six mouse feet (four large and two small slick Teflon-like feet) give the mouse a stable, but smooth feel, which looks to wear evenly over the life of the mouse. The rubber palm rest was a worry area, but it has performed well and shows no signs of picking up any smudges or debris. This is likely the best looking mouse of the new Logitech gaming line and thereby looks good and avoids the silly look common to several lines of complicated looking gaming mice.

Scroll Wheel

Unfortunately, one feature present on the G700s, the G500, and the G9 (as well as many other Logitech offerings), the free-spinning scroll wheel is not part of the G602 feature list. If you used this wheel in the past, you may know that it's such a joy for scrolling through long pages and 3D environments. Logitech has offered in these free-scroll models a button to engage the click gear specifically for instances like weapon switching with the wheel, which wasn't great in the G9 but I love it in the G500. Either due to power saving considerations or just feature distinction, or some other arbitrary reason, the G602 has a very basic wheel, there's no free-spin or tilt wheel. Losing this much loved feature was nearly a deal-breaker for me.

As with the mouse's DPI and ergonomics, some settings tweaks and hours of use alleviated this separation anxiety. The G602 wheel is fine, better than what I would expect in a $20-$40 mouse, but its lackluster nature is the one flaw in an otherwise great package. That one feature aside, which seemed less important the more time I had with the mouse, and the G602 is an excellent choice for any game FPS, RTS, MMO or even 'Batman: Arkham Origins.'