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You need to be careful when buying a gaming mouse for your Mac. The problem? Many gaming mice will work fine on an Apple computer, but the mouse software may be incompatible with Macs, cramping its style (and thus yours, too). At PCMag, we evaluate every mouse we review based not only on its features, ergonomics, performance, and value proposition, but also on its software compatibility and the quality of its utilities. So you can rest assured that this guide has everything you need to know about how to pick a mouse that will play nice not only with your favorite games but also with your favorite Mac. Our current top pick among Mac-ready gaming mice is the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2, but keep reading and check out our breakdown of the other top models we have tested for more specific scenarios (and different budgets).
Our Top Tested Picks
HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2
Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2
Logitech G203 Lightsync
Corsair Darkstar Wireless RGB MMO Gaming Mouse
Corsair Katar Elite Wireless
Corsair M75 Air Wireless
Best Overall Wired Gaming Mouse for Macs
HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2
- Reasonably priced for the feature set
- Lightweight
- Attractive design
- Fully customizable via software utility
- Not a good fit for large hands
- Limited RGB
- No onboard profile storage
As an update to the original Haste esports mouse, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 innovates on everything that made the original great—including a super light weight—while remaining well-priced.
Best Overall Wireless Gaming Mouse for Macs
Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2
- Consistent, spot-on performance
- Long battery life
- Onboard dongle storage
- Made of pleasingly grippy plastic
- No DPI switch
- Staid design
- Expensive
The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 is a simple, powerful ultralight mouse for gamers who don't mind trading more money for less weight.
Best Budget Gaming Mouse for Macs
Logitech G203 Lightsync
- Improved lighting options
- Solid sensor specs for the price
- Very affordable
- Basically identical to the G203 Prodigy
- Small for a palm-style grip
It's a modest update, but Logitech's G203 Lightsync is a good budget-conscious choice for fans of small-shell mice.
Best Gaming Mouse for MMOs on Macs
Corsair Darkstar Wireless RGB MMO Gaming Mouse
- Unique, lightweight design
- Impressive sensor enables gyro controls
- RGB lighting used sparingly and effectively
- Wide range of customization options
- Expensive
- Battery life could be better
- Button layout takes some getting used to
Corsair's Darkstar Wireless RGB mouse offers an excellent sensor, a unique design, and tons of customization options that will thrill players of MOBAs, MMOs, and fast-paced first-person shooters.
Best Gaming Mouse for Claw-Grip Play on Macs
Corsair Katar Elite Wireless
- Lightweight
- Powerful sensor
- Lots of premium upgrades over the previous model
- Shaped specifically for claw- and fingertip-style grips
- Small, tapered shape isn't comfortable for standard palm grip
- Only stores one onboard profile
It has only niche appeal, but Corsair's Katar Elite Wireless gaming mouse perfects the design for claw and fingertip players.
Best Low-Latency Wireless Gaming Mouse for Macs
Corsair M75 Air Wireless
- Lightweight
- Long battery life
- High DPI settings
- Costly
- No DPI switch
- Right-handed only
The Corsair M75 Air is a simple wireless gaming mouse with no real frills to distract from its ultralight weight. It's expensive, but an excellent choice for esports fans.
Your basic needs from a gaming mouse don’t change whether you’re playing on Windows or macOS. A good mouse 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 we're 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.
At the minimum, gaming mice 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. Apple's 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.)
What Makes a Gaming Mouse Mac-Friendly?
Being able to plug in a mouse and open a folder on the desktop 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 to 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. We've compiled a list of the best keyboards for Macs for the same reason. It's about the software as much as the hardware.
Which Mouse Brands Are Best for Macs?
Of the major manufacturers that PCMag regularly covers, three offer macOS-compatible configuration software: Corsair, Logitech (specifically the G series), and SteelSeries. You'll also find a handful of smaller manufacturers that make software available on Macs. Oftentimes, you'll have to customize your profile on a Windows computer or settle for default settings when gaming on a Mac. That's just one of the (many) reasons why hardcore gamers shy away from gaming on a Mac.
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.
What Features to Look for in a Mac Gaming Mouse?
While 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. The latest Mac laptops come with limited access to physical ports; often, you get a couple of USB Type-C ports and that’s it. Most gaming mice rely on USB Type-A to plug in the mouse cable directly, or to insert a 2.4GHz wireless dongle that allows for a low-latency wireless connection. If you get a mouse that requires USB Type-A, you'll need a USB Type-A-to-C adapter, which can be awkward to use. However, a handful of new wireless mice (including at least one Mac-compatible model) 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 laggier.
Ready to Get the Right Gaming Mouse for Your Mac?
Armed with what you now know about gaming mice for Macs, it’s time to pick the one that’s right for you. Our favorites in this guide will help you get started. 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. And if these gaming-centric mice don't quite do it for you, our more general guide to the best mice for Macs might have the one that's just right.
