14 DAY TRIAL // Remember when mice had little rubble balls inside? They would gather all kinds of dirt and dust on the small wheels that controlled that ball, making it more and more difficult to use. You had to open the door to the rubble ball and clean everything. Only then the mouse would return to normal.
We've come a long way since then, and we’re no longer concerned with dust and dirt. For the most part, and for the mundane tasks, we don’t even care all that much about the surface being used. A regular optical mouse will work on pretty much anything, except for clear glass.
With the rise of professional gaming, having a dedicated and high-performance mouse became a thing. The optical technology advanced tremendously, and now we have to look for specific sensors and specifications when looking for a proper mouse.
The shape of mouse
The companies that are making gaming peripherals seem to have opted for two different design directions. One is following a conservative trend, with a simple shape that’s usually ergonomic, and the other that looks futuristic and ready to look like a transformer.
There are a few models in the middle ground, but not all that many. Users can usually spot what kind of mouse it is with just a look. They also know instantly if they like it or not.
Despite all of the technical specs that need to be consulted when getting a gaming mouse, people will still decide if they like how it looks first, before reaching any decision. On the flip side, the way a mouse looks is no longer enough to warrant a purchase.
Peripheral makers have to implement all the latest technologies and features, and that can only be a good thing for the consumer. That’s one of the reasons why we can now get something like the Logitech G903 mouse at a regular price, starring some outlandish features that would have been only a dream a decade ago.
As for the design, Logitech 903 falls into the latter category, meaning that it’s shaped like something from the future. And the way that it’s packaged allows users to see how nice it is. The box opens with the mouse sitting on a pedestal.
Since this is a gaming mouse, it means that it’s not a small one. It sits somewhere in the middle, slightly on the larger side. It’s not going to be ideal for small hands, but the buttons are easily pressed even halfway.
It’s made this way to accommodate various styles of holding a mouse. You have to understand that not everyone holds the mouse in the same way. For example, I tend to keep my hand on the back end of the mouse, and the fingers don’t reach the front (palm grip). Other people like to keep the fingers right on the front edge (claw grip).
Functions and specs
We tested the Logitech G903 gaming mouse along with Powerplay, a wireless charging system. It’s the kind of thing that you might think you don’t really need, but once you try it, going back is going to be difficult.
“wireless operation and charging, without latency and batteries? sign me up!!1one”
Powerplay is a neat system that gives you complete autonomy from batteries or charging cycles. You simply don’t have to worry about that anymore. And despite popular belief (that used to be true a long time ago), there is no kind of latency from the wireless system. It’s just there, with a great mousepad and even some RGB lighting.
Let’s take them one at a time. First of all, the Logitech G903 is perfectly capable of working without the wireless charging, and I’m sure that many people will choose to use it this way.
In any case, the mouse uses the famous PMW3366 sensor, which has been around for some time. It’s both praised and hated, but it depends just how deep you want to go into the online world. I can’t say that I found anything wrong with it, and I’m gaming for many hours during a day.
There are no acceleration problems or smoothing issues, and it works flawlessly all the time. Even when I combine the mouse with Powerplay, I never noticed anything that would warrant an observation.
The sensor supports up to 12,000 dpi, but that’s not a good thing. Since it’s technically not DPI (dots per inch), but CPI (counts per inch), all these high numbers don’t make such a big difference.
What I liked was the fact that DPI is adjustable, so if you think that it’s a little bit too sensitive, you can set it to a lower value. The fact that it comes with its own 32-bit ARM processor is sure to help.
Also, the main buttons are expected to resist for a whopping 50 million clicks, but it’s only a relative number. What’s more important is that the mouse comes with replaceable buttons for right-handed and left-handed gamers. Swapping them is easy and makes all the difference in the world.
The mouse also comes with an incredibly nifty button, right above the scroll wheel that allows users to unlock it. By that, I mean that the scroll wheel no longer has any feedback and can be moved with minimal effort. Actually, if you give it a spin, you will notice that it’s not stopping.
And, to finish with a high note, Logitech G903 also has a complementary 10gr weight, for people that want their mouse to be a little bit heavier. I would have loved to see a couple more, but I’m happy that at least one is present.
Powerplay Wireless Charging
Not having to depend on the battery life is a great feature, and the Logitech G903 mouse is compatible with Powerplay. What’s nice about is the plug-in and forget option. A couple of days after you’ve installed it you'll forget that it’s there.
It uses the same type of cable as the mouse, with a weird USB micro connector with two plastic horns. It's supposed to keep the cable from moving too much from side to side. Powerplay integrates a wireless receiver as well, which means that you won’t need that nano receiver that comes with the mouse. It’s compatible with a number of mice, and that list will most likely increase over time.
Furthermore, Powerplay is a proper mouse pad, and it comes with two different surfaces, cloth and hard. Depending on the preferences of the player, the mouse can be adjusted to work on both of them with just a few clicks.
Software support
As you can imagine, both Logitech G903 and Powerplay need software support to work. Don’t get me wrong, they will work just fine if you plug them in, but you won’t get any of the bells or whistles. RGB anyone?
“lighting settings can be synced between devices with one click”
The Logitech Gaming Software has support for all the devices made by the company. Anything can be adjusted from the application, starting from simple stuff such as light patterns and DPI, to more complex features like heat maps.
It’s also a great tool to monitor the battery consumption for the mouse. Let’s not forget that the G903 can be used without the USB cable. At best, without light, it should go on for a little over 30 hours of gaming. The application can read the battery level, and you want that.
Users should also know that if you have multiple devices from Logitech with RBG support, you can sync the light between them, and that’s always a goal to be achieved. What good is to have RGB lighting on everything if you can’t make them sync?
The Good
The makers of the device also figured an excellent way to adapt the mouse for right-handed and left-handed people, without building a device that works for both. Users will find in the box buttons for the left hand, which can be swapped with ease.
Finally, the switch that turns the scrolls wheel loose is a delightful option and something that you’re not going to find on many devices.
The Bad
If you plug in the wireless charging module for Powerplay, you can’t use the weight at all, making the mouse even lighter. It’s possible that some users have different preferences, but I think that most gamers will appreciate some weight to their mouse.
Also, I think that the shape could have been designed better. It’s OK most of the time, and it looks good, but the sharp edges on the buttons can be annoying if your finger accidentally slips to the side.
Conclusion
The only big drawback is the wireless battery life, which is about 32 hours without any light (and who really wants to live in darkness?) On the other hand, the included cable is high-quality, and I have a feeling that a lot of people will want to use the G903 with it anyway.
