Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse

Pardon the obvious pun, but MMO mice are a different breed of mice altogether. Unlike gaming mice designed with, say, first person shooters in mind, they are typically equipped with many more buttons so gamers can execute a swath of commands in various settings with just one hand. This accordingly frees the other hand to remain glued on the A, W, and D keys. The Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse ($79.99 direct) fits nicely in this mold, and though not as customizable as some of its peers, it's a well-designed and reasonably priced gaming mouse for hardcore and casual MMO players alike.

Design
The G600 doesn't sport a flashy, in-your-face design like that of the Robocop-esque Mad Catz Cyborg MMO 7 Gaming Mouse . Instead, it sports a subdued minimalist aesthetic, ultimately looking very much like an ordinary mouse that happens to be stuffed with programmable buttons. Gamers looking for a mouse with a more textured finish for a better grip would be better off with the Editors' Choice Gigabyte M8000Xtreme , which is outfitted with a soft rubber exterior. On the plus side, though, the plastic material used for the G600's body was surprisingly resistant to sweat-induced splotches, even after prolonged periods of use. Also, while adjustable weight isn't as consequential with MMO mice as it is with those geared toward first-person shooters, it's nonetheless worth noting that the G600's 0.31-pound weight cannot be calibrated specifically to the user's preference with weight cartridges.

Since MMO mice cram so many buttons onto a limited surface area, the button arrangment is paramount and can singlehandedly make the difference between a great and mediocre mouse. This was the case with the Razer Naga Hex , whose awkward hexagonal button placement marred what was an otherwise terrific mouse. The G600 handily sidesteps this pitfall with a judiciously designed button arrangement. Its three primary buttons are standard left- and right- click, with a "G-shift" button in the middle that functionally doubles the number of commands that can be assigned to the twelve programmable buttons located in a thumb panel on the left side of the chassis. Back on top, the rubberized scroll wheel is fairly modest, and nowhere as pronounced as that of the Corsair Vengeance M60's hulking metallic wheel. G7 and G8 buttons are located beneath the scroll wheel, and the latter allows gamers to cycle through three different profiles in the G600's built-in memory: Primary MMO, Alternative MMO, and Generic gaming. These profiles can be modified with the G600's downloadable software. In addition to creating custom profiles, the downloadable software also allows users to select different color combinations that can illuminate the thumb panel's twelve backlit buttons.

Unlike the Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming Mouse by Razer , which can work as both a wired and wireless mouse, the G600 is a strictly wired affair that connects via braided, tangle-free USB 2.0 cable. Despite the extra clutter on your desk that inevitably comes with wires, it's generally accepted that wired mice offer a greater degree of precision that as of yet cannot be guaranteed by their wireless counterparts, a seemingly minor attribute that can make all the difference on the gaming grid.

Performance
In and out of gaming, the G600 felt comfortable in my palm, which isn't always a given with mice crammed with an unwieldy amount of buttons. During a brief run in World of Warcraft, I quickly grew accustomed to the twelve-button arrangement in the thumb panel and was able to easily access the appropriate buttons whenever I needed to utilize a particular skill that I had mapped out. This is due in large part to the layout of the buttons, as they are divided into two sets comprised of six buttons each, making differentiating between the keys a seamless endeavor. Moreover, the G-shift button's convenient placement between the left- and right- click buttons effectively doubled the functionality of the thumb panel's buttons which, in conjunction with the G8 button's ability to switch between gaming profiles on the fly, ultimately made for a satisfyingly customizable experience. And while the G600 falls short of the insane customizability seen in the Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Gaming Mouse , it's forgivable given the fact that the latter costs nearly twice as much as the G600. And while DPI adjustability isn't as important with MMO's as it is with first person shooters, it's still worth noting the G600's lack of a dedicated DPI-switching button. Consequently, the DPI can be adjusted only by toggling between different profiles with pre-set DPI's ranging from 200 to 8,200 that must be programmed in advance through the G600's downloadable software. Since the task can't be done purely through hardware, just be sure to plan in advance before jumping headfirst into a quest.

The Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse is a well-designed mouse for hardcore and casual MMO enthusiasts alike. While it may not be as customizable as some of its peers, it makes up for this shortcoming with a reasonable price tag. For gamers on a budget or for those who simply aren't concerned having their mice tailored to exact specifications, it's a good choice. Otherwise, the Gigabyte M8000Xtreme hits all the marks and remains the mouse to beat.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse with several other computer mice side by side.

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