Having spent a copious amount of time playing games, I’ve had my fair share of gaming mice.
Some were fantastic, others not so great.
But the one feature I've noticed is that a high-end gaming mouse lasts much longer than a regular mouse.
Which begs the question; how long do gaming mice last?
Gaming mice have a very long life span and do not become obsolete in terms of functionality as new gaming mice enter the market. Gaming mice tend to have better, more accurate sensors, buttons that can withstand millions of clicks, and durable build quality that can withstand use for years.
A gaming mouse I bought ten years ago, which I used to play Counter-Strike 1.6, still works today.
Gaming mice will continue to work, and their performance will stay consistent as long as you take good care of your mouse.
Below is a guide on what you should do to maintain your gaming mice for years and some common problems as to why gaming mice stop working.
Let’s dive in!
I’ve been a hardcore gamer ever since the Counter-Strike 1.6 days, and therefore I have had my fair share of gaming mice.
Every “proper” gaming mouse that I have owned is still in perfect working condition.
Here’s my personal experience with gaming mice:
| Gaming Mouse | Years Owned | Still In Perfect Working Condition? |
| Thermaltake eSPORTS BLACK | ~6+ Years | Yes |
| Logitech G502 HERO | 3 Years | Yes |
| Razer DeathAdder Elite | 1 Year | Yes, but the rubber grips on the side have worn off. (Details are explained here) |
| Glorious Model O- (Glossy) | <1 Year | Yes, but glossy paint has chipped a little bit. |
I can comfortably say that gaming mice have the best build quality compared to many standard office mice…
And as you can see from the table - the longest-reigning mouse that I’ve owned for years is still working.
Many variables determine why a gaming mouse stops working.
Different brands tend to have specific issues associated with their line of gaming mice, and usually, that’s due to manufacturing problems.
But if you get a mouse in perfect working condition, the chances are that mouse will last years.
Two types of common faults occur when using a mouse:
Below is a deeper dive into what may cause faults in the first place:
There are a couple of reasons why your mouse may break or stop working temporarily, and they are:
As you can see, there aren’t many ways to “accidentally” break a mouse, and if it does occur, most of the time, you will know the root issue.
Where problems may occur that aren’t so obvious is when it is the manufacturer's fault.
A few notable faults that I’ve had with gaming peripherals dying on me include:
And there are other “brand-specific” faults, such as Logitech’s double clicking issue or Razer’s erratic cursor issue.
These faults usually occur within the first day of use or months down the track, but usually, you can get the mouse replaced within the warranty period.
There are specific actions within your control to ensure that your mouse lasts a long time, and they are:
It’s a no-brainer that you should have a consistent ritual to clean your whole setup, including your gaming mouse.
Your mouse is most likely the second most used peripheral in your setup, so ensuring that it’s clean and hygienic is essential for your long-term health and the health of the mouse.
Dirt can cause your sensor to produce inaccuracies, so regular cleaning is the best way to prevent this.
If you want to ensure the safety of your gaming mouse’s cord, then consider cable managing your setup.
It will make your gaming setup look clean and minimal and ensure that your cable stays put and that it’s not prone to accidental tugs that can accidentally break your mouse’s cable.
You can also look at grabbing a mouse bungee which ensures consistent and accurate mouse movements by providing a clear and uninterrupted path for your mouse cord.
The gaming mice industry continues to move forward and innovate, with gaming mice adopting more lightweight builds.
It seems that the market has responded well to light gaming mice builds of around ~60g.
So it would be best if you looked to upgrade when your gaming mouse’s functionality becomes obsolete.
For example, if you have an old-school mouse which is around ~120g, then you may want to opt for a lighter mouse build, like the Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT or Glorious Model O- which both weigh ~60g (½ the weight of what I would consider a “heavy” gaming mouse).
Suppose you're looking for a hybrid mouse for both gaming and productivity...
You can grab a mouse like the Logitech G502 HERO, which has an unlimited scroll wheel feature which makes surfing the web much more accessible while still being a decent mouse to game on.
You don’t need to buy every new mouse that comes out, but rather one that suits your needs the most.
If you’re in the FPS scene and are looking for an upgrade, check out our gaming mice picks for FPS games like VALORANT and CS:GO.
Below are some frequently asked questions.
Premium gaming mice that are wireless should last you just as long as any typical gaming mouse should - which is years.
As long as you maintain your wireless mouse well, you shouldn’t have any issues with the longevity of your gaming mouse.
Just be wary that wireless mice come with their onset of problems, which may be related to interruptions with the connection.
You won’t have connection problems with wired mice since you connect the mouse directly to your PC.
I will say that wireless gaming mice have come a long way, with their response time has improved a ton, with only a ~1ms delay of input lag.
As a gamer, you won’t notice a difference between a wireless or wired mouse in terms of delay, which is a feat that brands only achieved over recent years.
The best wireless gaming mouse can be charged through a USB-C cord and are 10x easier to maintain than battery-powered gaming mice.
Wired mice last a long time, as long as you keep the cord safe.
One of the leading problems that arise with wired mice is that the connector stops working suddenly, which could be due to several reasons.
Cable management and a mouse bungee can help prevent cord problems from happening and thus allow you to keep your mouse running for a long time.
Before I switched to the Glorious Model O-, I was using the DeathAdder Elite, which lasted me a solid year without any faults.
The only problem I had with the mouse was the rubber on the side started to wear out, which led to my thumb slipping off the grip.
As a result, the grip became hard to maintain and uncomfortable for long gaming sessions, so it was time to upgrade.
More minor issues like the one mentioned above are specific to me and won’t happen to everyone.
The DeathAdder Elite still works perfectly even now, and when I occasionally game at the office, I switch from my G502 to the DeathAdder Elite as my gaming mouse of choice.
So how long do Razer gaming mice last? It will last you years.
My DeathAdder is still in perfect working condition, and I would be more than happy to give the mouse to a friend or sell the mouse to someone better suited to use it.
As of writing this article, I am using the Logitech G502 HERO, which was my first upgrade from my old CS 1.6 gaming mouse that I wrote about earlier.
I have since transitioned from using the Logitech G502 HERO as my primary gaming mouse to using it at the office as my primary productivity mouse (the unlimited scroll feature is such a game-changer).
Needless to say, it is still in perfect working condition.
I have had this mouse for three years now, and it has not failed to produce excellent results.
I’ve never had any double-clicking issues, nor have I had any button break on me.
So how long do Logitech mice last? Potentially years. I don’t see my G502 dying anytime soon.
The bottom line is that gaming mice can last an extremely long time (years, even) if you maintain your mouse correctly and don’t have any manufacturing issues.
Unless you rage when gaming or your mouse cord gets stuck, the chances of your mouse dying on you are minimal since the likelihood of you accidentally breaking your mouse is low.
Overall, gaming mice last longer than regular mice because of their superior build quality, higher-end features, and ability to be used for long periods without fail.
If you’re interested in buying a gaming mouse, you can check out our top picks on the best gaming mice for different grips, including; the claw grip, fingertip grip, and palm grip.
Happy gaming!