Logitech G502 Hero review: A slight improvement on an old standard - sheppardahmiltoorly

Rarely does a piece of hardware have the sticking power of Logitech's G502 mouse. We originally reviewed the G502 back in 2014 in its first iteration, the Proteus Gist, and both it and the later RGB-armored Proteus Spectrum revision have been pinnacle mouse picks ever since.

Now Logitech's back with its third freshen up, the G502 Hero. Atomic number 102, it's not the long-awaited wireless version, but it does pack Logitech's new and patented Hero sensing element. Thu the constitute. And relinquished that Hero was originally designed as an efficient wireless detector…maybe it's a sign of the zodiac of things to come?

Note: This review is piece of our roundupof best g aming mice. Pop off thither for details on competing products and how we reliable them.

If IT personal't broke

Okay, don't get your hopes up besides high withal. Let's focus on what we have.

Surface-even out, non so much has changed from the G502 Spectrum to the G502 Hero. The old Logitech logo's been swapped outer for the new one and…that's it, really. And that's okay! The G502 is a beloved aim as-is, a supremely comfortable right-hand pussyfoot with a embarrassment of buttons and a ungrudging thumb rest.

Even now, four eld on from my initial review, IT's the most well-to-do mouse I've ever used. Does that mean it's going to be the most comfortable mouse you've ever used? Of course not! Mice are subjective, and shape is one of the most subjective aspects. Just because the G502 fits my hand perfectly doesn't ungenerous it'll feel the same in yours.

That aforesaid, the G502 was purportedly (reported to Logitech anyway) the best-selling mouse on the planet for a number of geezerhood. IT's precise popular, and those who love it generally seem to love it a lot. Get to of that what you will.

In any case, the G502 is an elongated, almost pill-attribute mouse with a relatively high grievous bodily harm. The egg-shaped form factor makes it ideal for palm grippers, but it's as wel narrow enough to suit claw and fingertip grippers no problem.

Few buttons might beryllium harder to come to with claw/fingertip grips, but IT's non a huge deal because the G502 is covered in them. Covered, with 11 buttons in total. That includes left-, right-, and mediate-click of course, and the 2 standard thumb buttons—merely also a third thumb button arrayed towards the presence, plus two more on the edge of the left mouse button, another in the dead centre of the computer mouse, and a tilt cycle.

Speaking of, the G502 Hero distillery bears the dual-mood tilt wheel of its predecessors. There's a dedicated hardware button that switches between a smooth ringlet and a serrated curl wheel. I prefer notched personally, simply smooth can be great for browsing webpages and such.

Interchange over the mouse and you can pry slay the bottom panel. Underneath is the G502's customizable weight unit scheme, a serial publication of grooves designed to business firm capable cardinal 3.6 g weights. That makes the G502 a hefty 121 grams unweighted Beaver State 139 grams fully loaded. I tend to opt for the latter, preferring a heavier mouse, but it's a limber design. You can even skew the weight region Beaver State front-to-rear if you'd equal.

The G502 nails the fundamentals, then adds just adequate end-user options so you commode make it your own. There are otherwise mice that approximate these days. I like Logitech's own G703 and G903, Razer's Mamba Radio, and the Mionix Castor, to name a few. But I'd still pack a G502 over the rest, and coming back to it after about a year felt weirdly nostalgic. The G502 slipped right back into my hand like an old protagonist.

I take a Hero

So what did change? I mean, aside from the logo?

It's subtle. The switches are directly rated for 50 million clicks instead of 20 million, bringing them ahead to equivalence with the rest of Logitech's mice and indeed the challenger. They'rhenium Omron switches, the standard present, and flavor a bit clickier than the previous coevals—though my Genus Proteus Spectrum framework got a good deal of practice, and then that could also be the perpetrator. In any type, the G502 Fighter should be more durable.

The line's as wel been redesigned. IT's thinner and lighter than the old G502 cable, and less prone to kinks. That's a relief, as my old G502 cablegram often snagged on the edge of my desk—I used to do the lift-riffle-locate move a lot to prove and sort information technology out, only haven't had to execute that once with the G502 Cuban sandwich. The new cable also seems less prone to pick up dust, which is another small but welcome benefit.

And one miniscule change: You can salt away quintet profiles to the G502 Hero, as opposed to three on the G502 Proteus Spectrum.

The Hero sensor is the big overhaul though, as evidenced by the name. The bad news? You probably won't notice a difference if you're coming from any mouse free in the last five old age or sol. The old G502 used the PWM3366, which when IT released marked a big shift in mouse sensor tech. Most mice released since have victimized a PWM3366 variant, like the PWM3360, PWM3389, etc.

Information technology's a fantastic detector.

Hero's a great sensor too, and marks a huge leap forward for radio mice. It's why the G603 can run up to 600 hours on two AA batteries, all while matching the performance of the PWM3366.

Just for wired mice? Hero is specifically planned to mimic the execution of the PWM3366, because that was Logitech's flagship. The numbers have risen slightly, thusly Hero is pixel-accurate up to 16,000 DPI instead of 12,000 like the PWM3366. Those numbers are largely meaningless though, because the average person is using a DPI someplace between 400 and 3,500. The PWM3366 and Hero should feel pretty much the same in that DPI range, so there's not much reason to climb from the old G502 to the new model, Beaver State really from any PWM3360 variant to Hero. Leastwise, not for carrying into action reasons.

Hero is Logitech's new flagship, and we were told that all Logitech mice would be converting over. Hence it's no surprise to see a Hero-weaponed G502. It's meet not a huge selling point.

Now, if the G502 Hero is the first pace on the elbow room to a G502 Wireless? Once more, don't cause your hopes up, but it does seem like a natural next pace.

Tooshie line

Logitech didn't transfer much with the G502 Hoagie, but it didn't have to. For trio years I kept some variation of the G502 on my desk, swapping it out for reviews but always returning to information technology afterward. These days I purpose a G903, chiefly because Logitech hooked me on its uncomparable Powerplay mousepad last summertime. Only a few weeks with the G502 Bomber made Pine Tree State want to rifle back again. It's a extraordinary conception, with smart button placements and a great scroll wheel. I've reviewed a lot of mice since 2014, just I've yet to find unrivalled I lovemaking more.

If you already have a G502, there's non practically reason to upgrade to the new reading—it's essentially identical. But if you're looking for a new play mouse, or maybe your first gaming mouse? The G502 Hero is a top-tier pick. Time hasn't dampened its appeal one chip.