The best gaming mouse varies from a traditional computer mouse in several key ways. Gaming mouses are built to withstand intense gaming activity, and calibrated to provide the sensitivity and functionality that gamers need. If you’re an avid gamer, consider these reasons you should have a gaming mouse:

Sensitivity
Ever wondered how opponents can turn on a dime and blow you away while you’re still panning your video camera? It’s all about mouse sensitivity in many video games. Having a computer gaming mouse with high sensitivity, or adjustable sensitivity, means you can set the sensitivity to whatever level you need.

If you want to be able to turn quickly with a minimum of motion, set the mouse to high sensitivity and you’ll only need to move it a millimeter to do a complete 180. For games where high sensitivity costs you finite control, reduce the sensitivity to provide the rough movements you need. A gaming mouse makes these adjustments easy and precise, giving you the ultimate control in your video games.

Built for Abuse
Gaming can be intense. Computer gamers may sit at their computers for hours at a time, holding the mouse and moving it around, even banging it on a surface or otherwise abusing it in the heat of the moment. A gaming mouse has to be tough enough to withstand long hours and lots of repetitive motion and clicking.

Low-quality mice may suffer a range of malfunctions, from broken buttons to outright failure in the middle of your gaming session. When you use a gaming mouse, you can feel comfortable knowing your mouse is ready for you when you need it, and you’re not likely to break it just by using it a lot.

Ergonomic Design
Because gamers tend to spend such a long time in front of their computers in a gaming session, the ergonomics of a gaming mouse are an important consideration. If you have an ergonomically unsound mouse, hours of hanging onto it, manipulating it and clicking buttons can cause a repetitive stress injury such as carpal tunnel, wrist or elbow injuries, or even lead to early-onset arthritis. An ergonomically correct gaming mouse can help prevent injuries and protect your long-term gaming career.

Customization
You might be able to adjust the sensitivity or button clicks for a regular mouse, but a gaming mouse gives you a vastly increased range of customization options. A gaming mouse may have extra buttons to enable you to set more controls to your mouse and free up keyboard shortcuts. You can also customize gaming mice to reprogram mouse clicks and sensitivity to exactly what your needs dictate. Need a right click to be a double-click? Want to set a third button to shoot or pan the camera? Gaming mice give you the option of complete customization in a way that other mice just can’t provide.