You need to be careful when buying a gaming mouse for your Mac. Frankly, you can’t tell whether most of them are fully compatible with MacOS just by looking at the box. In fact, you can’t even tell by plugging them in. It’s only when you dig down into their deeper features that you’ll test the boundaries of their compatibility. To make sure you get the most bang for your buck, we’re going to break down what makes a gaming mouse right for Mac.
Mac or PC, the Basics Don’t Change
Your basic needs from a gaming mouse don’t change whether you’re playing on Windows or macOS. It should feel light and well-balanced in your hand, with easily accessible buttons and a comfortable chassis that encourages an ergonomic grip. Other perks include RGB lighting and the ability to customize a mouse to work with specific games as needed.
There really aren’t any gaming mice made to work exclusively with Macs—at least not that I’m aware of—so assessing these features is functionally the same across both platforms. If a mouse has a great shape, it has a great shape.
Gaming mice always adhere to the core five-button mouse layout: left click, right click, a clickable scroll wheel, and two side buttons. Sometimes they have more buttons and options, but those are always there and usually in the same spots. Most games (and a lot of other apps) call for all these buttons. The Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 are great productivity tools with unique advantages, but gesture controls won’t help you win teamfights in League of Legends.
As for compatibility, every mouse I’ve reviewed in the last three years has been able to at least connect with a Mac, either wirelessly or using USB, and scroll or click without any extra hassle. (Sometimes macOS will ask to calibrate it, but you can usually skip that.)
Why Do You Need a Mac-Friendly Gaming Mouse, Then?
Being able to plug a mouse in and open a folder doesn’t mean it’s fully compatible. Almost all gaming mice worth their premium price tags come with matching configuration apps that allow players to select what each button does and tweak other settings.
Even if you aren’t a frequent customizer, these apps are crucial to accessing many of a gaming mouse’s features. Why pay for a mouse dripping in RGB lighting if you can’t set it to shine in your favorite colors or sync up a pattern with your gaming keyboard?
Only a handful of companies have made their configuration apps compatible with macOS, and their mice are the only ones that work to their fullest potential on a Mac.
So Which Mouse Brands Are Best for Macs?
Of the major manufacturers that PCMag regularly covers, there are three with macOS-compatible configuration software: Corsair, Logitech (specifically the G series), and SteelSeries. There are also a handful of smaller manufacturers who make their software available on Macs. No matter how good a deal you’re getting on a mouse without Mac customization options, we can’t really recommend buying one that you can’t use to the fullest.
Though it may feel restrictive to be limited to a handful of brands, you still have a fair number of mice to choose from, and you won’t need to compromise on quality. If you look across our mouse-related recommendations lists, including the best gaming mice, best wireless gaming mice, and best esports mice, you’ll find that mice from all three companies routinely make the cut.
It’s worth pointing out that players with Apple’s new M1 Macs will likely need to run these apps using the Rosetta 2 emulator for the foreseeable future. (This is subject to change, so check with your mouse manufacturer from time to time). As far as I’ve seen, peripheral configuration apps run smoothly in Rosetta 2, so that shouldn’t be a deterrent from a buying perspective. That said, I could see how emulation might introduce some hiccups, so keep an eye out for manufacturers producing native Mac apps down the road.
The Devil’s in the Details
All the inputs and features on most gaming mice work across Macs and PCs, some gaming mice are, perhaps coincidentally, better suited to working with Macs. In 2021, the majority of new Macs come with very limited access to ports; often, you get a couple of USB-C ports and that’s it. Most gaming mice rely on USB-A to plug in directly or use a 2.4GHz wireless dongle that allows for a low-latency wireless connection. If you get one of those, you’ll need a USB-C adapter. However, there are a handful of new wireless mice (including at least one Mac-compatible model) that have USB-C dongles. Getting one of those will simplify your life considerably.
In a pinch, many wireless gaming mice also support Bluetooth, though that connection may be less stable or more laggy.
Ready for Our Recommendations?
Armed with what you now know about gaming mice for Mac, it’s time to pick the one that’s right for you. Our favorites will help you get started. Check them out and let us know what you’ve picked. If you’re looking for a full set of gaming gear, don’t forget to look at the best gaming keyboards and the best wireless gaming headsets.
