Choosing a Gaming Mouse for Work-From-Home Computers

Choosing a Gaming Mouse for Work-From-Home Computers

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, working from home was becoming an increasingly popular career move. Whether it’s under the employ of a flexible boss, or as a freelancer going it alone, more people are choosing to earn their living from the comfort of their home offices and kitchen counters than ever before. One downside to this state of affairs is that most of us can only afford one proper computer setup in the home.

It might be a space limitation or a financial limitation (or perhaps both), but it’s rare for your average home worker to have a separate work rig and a gaming rig. Gaming is increasingly one of our favourite pastimes. When you consider that people who work from home (especially those who work for themselves) tend to work harder than people who work a regular nine to five, you start to see how gaming can be a pretty important release.

Fortunately, it’s not necessary to choose between the two. Not all business hardware is incapable of being a decent gaming rig, and not all gaming hardware is impractical for working on. The computer itself is the most apparent aspect in this area, quickly followed by the keyboard. But we’re going to take a look at a far more underappreciated component: the mouse.

Looks Aren’t Everything

There has been a trend (thankfully one that is dying out) for gaming mice that look more like a transformer caught mid-transform than they do a computer peripheral. While it may be cool to have a mouse that looks like a piece of abstract art and lights up bright enough to illuminate the whole room, it doesn’t actually make it a better gaming mouse.

When it comes to how the mouse feels and operates, it’s all about ergonomics and responsiveness. If a mouse is laggy or uncomfortable in your hands, it’s going to make for a lousy gaming mouse.

Comfort

When it comes to working from home, the responsiveness isn’t as big an issue (unless you edit spreadsheets really fast), but the ergonomics are just as important, if not more. That’s why any mouse that is going to be doing double duty as both a gaming mouse and a working mouse should be comfortable to use.

On the subject of comfort, if you or a friend is planning to work from home and game, you are essentially making sitting at your computer the primary activity you do. Consider pairing your new mouse with a wrist rest to reduce the chances of any repetitive strain injuries.

Performance

Of course, while lag may not be an issue for the average home office use, it certainly is for gaming. Particularly and fast action games such as the ever-popular Fortnite, or any competitive eSport game. The beauty of this is that it will never harm your work to have a performance mouse at your disposal. Granted, you won’t get the benefits of that performance while editing documents, but it won’t hurt. So you can go ahead and opt for a high-performance mouse and, as long as it satisfies the above criteria regarding the comfort of use, it will be fine for use during the daily work routine as well.

Recommendations

It wouldn’t be much of an article without a few recommendations to point you in the right direction. Whether you’re buying for yourself or you want to get a gaming mouse for your work from home friends today, here are a few contenders to consider.

Razer DeathAdder Essential

Starting with a modestly-priced option, the DeathAdder Essential boasts a sleek black design with subtle green highlights. It is comfortable to hold and performs well under the stresses of high-intensity gaming.

Logitech MX Vertical

Moving up the price scale someway, the MX Vertical is a bit of an oddball, and we would recommend a try-before-you-buy situation before purchasing this one. It sports a unique vertical profile that is designed to be ultra-ergonomic.

Razer Viper Ultimate Wireless

The most expensive mouse you’ll find in this article, and for a good reason. The mouse sports a standard profile and ambidextrous design; however, it is the sensor that sets this one apart. At 20,000 DPI, it is five times as accurate as the Logitech MX Vertical.

Conclusion

For people finding themselves thrust into a home-based career, a decent gaming mouse can make a great gift (or treat for yourself) that will help any home office rig become a dual-purpose machine.