blackfriday From the amount of thumb buttons privately to the amount of LED colors on the palm rest, gaming mice haven’t been more versatile. Do we actually need another one?
Logitech’s answer can be an enthusiastic “yes,” as made evident by its two brand-new mice: the G403 Prodigy ($70) and the G403 Prodigy Wireless ($100). They’re both part of Logitech’s new Prodigy line, which aims to supply peripherals for new PC gamers who aren’t yet prepared to invest in more hardcore tech.
Both mice are properly comfortable and functional enough for up-and-coming PC gamers. However, the wired G403 is priced exactly like any other gaming peripheral, the look is overly familiar and the buttons lack brio. The G403 continues to be a fairly good mouse in the grand scheme of things, but I’m uncertain why it’d be friendlier to newcomers than almost all of its competition and counterparts.
Design
When I first used the G403, I thought that it felt extremely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. A couple of minutes later, it hit me – it’s nearly the same as the Razer DeathAdder. As the DeathAdder looks more angular and streamlined, the G403 feels extremely similar: an ergonomic, right-handed mouse with a gentle thumb groove, a wide thumb rest and a medium height. (The G403 measures 4.9 x 2.7 x 1.7 inches; the DeathAdder, 5.0 x 2.8 x 1.7 inches.)
The DeathAdder is hardly a bad design; actually, it’s one of the best mice. However the DeathAdder has inspired many imitators among both first- and second-rate manufacturers, and Logitech hasn’t tried to produce a similar mouse before. To its credit, Logitech has pulled off the look very well, but it isn’t practically as distinctive as something similar to the business’s G502 Proteus Spectrum, or the G303 Daedalus Apex.
The G403 keeps things simple with just six buttons: the right button, a left button, a clickable scroll wheel, a dots-per-inch (DPI) sensitivity shifter and two thumb buttons. The thumb buttons specifically were a letdown following the positively beautiful kinds on Logitech’s G Pro gaming mouse. Both thin plastic buttons feel flimsy, and deliver a shrug-worthy click instead of an extremely satisfying one. They’re big and simple to differentiate from one another, though, so that’s good.
Features
The G403 runs on Logitech Gaming Software, as does almost every other modern Logitech gaming peripheral. I’ve expressed my admiration for the program during the past, as it’s robust, easy-to-use and doesn’t demand much in the form of system resources.
With the program, users can transform the mouse’s DPI (between 200 and 12,000), program buttons, link individual profiles to games, change the illumination color and, on the wireless version of the G403, monitor the battery life. The colour in particular will probably be worth mentioning, as the G403 is a complete RGB mouse, and will even sync up with other Logitech products for a coherent color pattern. The mouse also offers three onboard profiles, that could be best for players getting their feet wet on the competitive scene, or perhaps establishing shop at a friend’s house.
The wireless version of the G403 also deserves a mention because of its excellent fidelity. If you have used the practically flawless G900 Chaos Spectrum, the G403 gets the actual same wireless sensor, and you could expect a lot more than 20 hours of battery life about the same charge. Just don’t lose the sensor; it’s tiny and black, that can be a deadly blend in almost any crowded computer station setup.
Performance
In terms of gameplay, the G403 is beyond reproach. I tried it out with Overwatch, StarCraft II, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Marvel Heroes, to provide it the full spectral range of first-person shooter, real-time strategy, action/adventure and massively multiplayer online flash games.
The performance was good over the board, whether I was bathing in fire as D-Va in Overwatch, or hurling my shield at baddies as Captain America in Marvel Heroes. There is no particular standout genre; the G403’s programmable buttons managed to get equally suitable for commanding armies in StarCraft concerning exploring shipwrecks in Rise of the Tomb Raider.
My only complaint was that the unsatisfying thumb buttons made me adhere to the keyboard whenever you can. Don’t assume all gamer needs thumb buttons – in most cases, I avoid them unless I’m testing a mouse – however the G403 does little to inspire newer players to look at them.
Bottom Line
Logitech wants the G403 to be an approachable mouse for novice PC gamers, and for the reason that, it’s succeeded. My only question is whether it certainly succeeds any much better than the cheaper Daedalus Apex, the same-priced G Pro or the only-$10-more-expensive Proteus Spectrum. The G403 isn’t simpler to use at all that I could determine, and be it convenient depends largely on your own personal tastes.
The G403’s wireless variant deserves a nod to be an inexpensive wireless gaming mouse in a field where its competition could exceed $150. Otherwise, the G403 is proficient at what it can, but it’s just one single mouse among many.
