No matter what the gadget skeptics say, there is still room for innovation in PC peripherals. Case in point: the humble mouse.
Most mice have honed in on the same kinds of sensors, the same kinds of ergonomics, and the same kinds of click mechanisms. Logitech’s $180 G Pro X2 Superstrike is here to upset the status quo. Even as a first-gen product, the G Pro X2 Superstrike may already be the best mouse for the most hardcore gamers, even with its “fake click.”
Somehow, the technology behind the G Pro X2 Superstrike came as a surprise for some PC gamers. Instead of the traditional mechanical or optical mouse click switches, the G Pro X2 Superstrike uses magnetic fields to register when you hit either of its mouse buttons to a specified depth. Instead of the stock standard “click” sensation, the mouse uses customizable haptics to offer a simulacrum of the feedback users expect from their mainstay PC controls.
Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike
Logitech is pioneering a new age of gaming mouse design, though its first version of a haptic “click” is already one of the best mice around.
- Ultra-customizable click
- Feel of each click is superb
- Wide-ranging DPI
- Accurate and light
- Tacky aesthetics
- Not the best ergonomics
Most gaming controls have been moving towards magnetic-field controls for years. Modern high-end video game controllers use of Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers, which makes them more durable than older, physical sticks and switches. Many of the most popular keyboards available today are using magnetic switches instead of traditional mechanical switches. This allows users to manually set the actuation point—namely, the depth at which the PC registers an input. This same technology is found inside the G Pro X2 Superstrike, which means this mouse is—supposedly—more durable and far more customizable. And even if that sounds like a lot of extra work, Logitech’s G Hub app makes it relatively simple to set your preferred click for the type of games you play.
The G Pro X2 Superstrike feels like no other mouse I have ever used. Instead of a “click,” each press of the left mouse button feels and sounds like a “thwomp.” It’s more subtle than any other mouse with an optical switch, and that may make it more appealing. With its baseline 8,000Hz polling rate in wireless mode and an adjustable DPI (dots per inch, which measures how fast your mouse can be) between 100 and 44,000, it already hits the bar it needs to for esports-level gaming. Ignoring all the nitty gritty details, the fake click is the reason you’re here, and the fake click is the reason you’ll stay.
A customizable click makes a huge difference
When you can manually set the depth to register an input, that means you can trigger the input at a rapid pace. The G Pro X2 Superstrike sports an optional “Rapid Trigger,” enabling ultra-fast clicks. It’s that fact alone that has caused a small amount of controversy in PC gaming circles. One G Pro X2 Superstrike user claimed the mouse triggered a ban in Apex Legends for “cheating.” The user later said the company overruled the banhammer. Whether he’s telling the truth or not, the rapid-click capability has allowed one player to reportedly set a record for most mouse clicks in a minute. Yiğit “Yigox” Arslan managed to click 760 times in a minute, or around 12 clicks per second, which the Guinness Book of World Records effectively confirmed in a comment on a LinkedIn Post.
Does that ultra-fast click enhance your ability to better match skilled opponents in games like Valorant or Counter-Strike 2? Actually, yes—depending on how you play. With the right kind of haptic feedback, DPI , and rapid-click tuned to my liking, I found that I was able to snap off single shots at a rapid pace with my AK in Counter-Strike. I’m nowhere near a “pro” player in that game, but after I got used to the G Pro X2 Superstrike and incorporated its features into my playstyle, I could feel I was getting better. Suddenly, my K/D wasn’t in the gutter. I was actually aiding my team even though I’m not nearly as good at clicking on heads as some other kings of Counter-Strike 2.
Logitech’s G Hub software offers a bevy of fine-tuning features for the G Pro X2 Superstrike. You can assign various commands and macros to each of the five buttons and set your preferred DPI. The mouse comes with 11 preset sensitivities with various DPI and default polling rate settings. There’s even a setting for splitting the X and Y axes for different speeds when moving the cursor vertically or horizontally across the screen.
That’s all well and good, but the real nugget of customization is found under the “HITS” tab inside G Hub. HITS stands for “Haptic Inductive Trigger System,” though all you need to know is that you can set the actuation point for left and right mouse buttons and change the mouse’s haptic settings. I found my sweet spot was setting the haptics almost as high as they could go with a slightly more shallow than default actuation. Enabling the “Rapid Trigger” function changes the reset point on the mouse to make clicks even faster. Even then, I didn’t find I was generating any accidental inputs even with my finger lying on the proverbial trigger.
What’s interesting about this haptic mouse click is how it will remain working even with the 2.4GHz “Hero 2” dongle unplugged. As soon as you turn off the mouse, the click sensation ceases to exist. I know what you may be wondering. Is this mouse cheating? No, not really. This technology has been around long enough that it was only a matter of time somebody put a magnetic sensor in a mouse. Back in 1999, Razer’s original Boomslang mouse (not the $1,337 Boomslang revival) caused controversy for its higher-than-normal DPI at gaming tournaments, at least according to Razer. Now, high DPI and polling rates are well-established standards. Just because you have a unique mouse doesn’t mean you’ll be better than everybody else who is also trying to line up headshots.
How does it compare to the best of the best?
There are already a mountain of quality gaming mice available for all folks of all strokes. Before the G Pro X2 Superstrike came along, the $170 Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro was my go-to gaming mouse. Not only was it just the right scale and ergonomics for my hand, but its latest-gen optical switches and low-latency connectivity gave it the slightest edge compared to other similarly weighted PC controls.
Going several rounds in a variety of FPS and RTS games, I could tell that the G Pro X2 Superstrike was modifying my gameplay to a surprising degree, though more so in a twitch-based shooter like Counter-Strike 2. It was also surprisingly deft in single-player titles that demand a hell of a lot of clicks. Playing Hades II with a mouse and keyboard isn’t my forte, but I preferred the rapid spam of button presses I could achieve with the G Pro X2 Superstrike compared to other mice.
I went as far as to conduct multiple rounds of tests comparing my click rate between Razer’s and Logitech’s top-end gaming mice. With the DeathAdder V4 Pro and its newfangled optical click sensors, my top score was 179 clicks in 30 seconds and a 5.97 clicks per second ratio. With the G Pro X2 Superstrike set to the fastest click settings possible, I managed to top off at 188 clicks per second in the same time and a 6.27 clicks per second ratio. Such a marginal difference won’t actually change my gameplay. The main distinction is that the smooth action of Logitech’s magnetic mouse button catapulted me into the next click. When rapidly clicking on an optical sensor like Razer’s, my finger tends to seize up, leading to the occasional misclick.
Either way, I’ll never be as good as Yigox (and I don’t actually want to be). The similarly priced DeathAdder V4 Pro still has an advantage with connectivity. Its “hemispherical dongle” will let you know by the lights on the side how strong your connection to the mouse is. It will also notify you of when your mouse’s battery runs low. The DeathAdder V4 Pro’s dongle is a nice accoutrement to a sedentary gaming setup. Logitech’s G Pro X2 Superstrike is only slightly easier to transport.
The G Pro X2 Superstrike looks extraordinarily tacky
For the $180 you spend on the Pro X2 Superstrike, you’re essentially buying a Logitech Pro X Superlight 2 with a unique click sensor and few other standout hardware features. Its size and shape don’t offer my preferred form of ergonomics. However, this gaming mouse is still worth consideration beyond the desire to be on the cutting edge. Once I was used to the “fake click,” I wasn’t sure I wanted to return to the more traditional optical mouse. I just wish it didn’t look so goofy.
The G Pro X2 Superstrike includes two side buttons (regular switches) on the left side and the usual scroll wheel (again, a typical sensor and click-in switch). It only weighs 61g, or 2.15 ounces. That’s not the lightest available. A HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini clocks in at 59g. A Razer Blackadder V4 Pro weighs 56g. I know there are esports pros who will swear they can feel the difference, but most users couldn’t possibly measure grams of weight in their palm, like they were some gamer-fueled rendition of “The Princess and the Pea” fable.
I would have preferred if the mouse were less symmetrical. My wrist tends to ride on the desktop when using the G Pro X2 Superstrike. Lefties will have a better time with this mouse than others, though they still won’t have access to the two side buttons unless they claw their hand further back onto the mouse hump. The skates on the bottom of the G Pro X2 Superstrike feel smooth on both my desktop and the Razer Firefly mousepad I have at home. Some more particular gamers may demand something even floatier.
What I can’t forgive is the overall look of this mouse. It would appear fine with only the black and white accents and the Logitech “G” logo on the back. The extra “Pro X2,” “Superstrike X2,” and “X2” text stenciled on the mouse clicks and sides are overkill and make the entire device seem tacky. It’s not as if I’ll be paying much attention to mouse aesthetics when in-game. Then again, merely leaving it on my desk in between rounds of Counter-Strike would have me wishing I could stuff it away behind a curtain in case anybody comes too close to judge. And that’s coming from somebody who unapologetically loves RGB lights in any and all gaming products.
No mouse will make you a gaming god
The G Pro X2 Superstrike is no slouch in the battery department, either. Logitech claims the gaming mouse can get 90 hours of active playtime before you need to plug it in. That number will likely vary based on what haptic and DPI settings you choose. I played roughly 10 hours of gaming with this mouse and lost around 10% of its battery in that time. Razer’s DeathAdder V4 Pro claims to get 150 hours. I personally find specs like this negligible unless you plan to take these mice on the road and there’s no single plug or USB-C cable in sight.
There is a meaningful advantage you can get from gaming-specific hardware. However, it’s less about having an upper hand than it is about raising the ceiling for your own capabilities. I can play a fast-paced first-person shooter at 60 fps and play just about as well as I would at 120 fps or even twice that. I’m a filthy casual, and I’m proud of that fact. That 240Hz monitor on my desk doesn’t naturally grant me some preternatural ability to achieve good positioning in Overwatch. If I want to “git gud,” I still need to put in the work.
A gaming headset like the Razer Blackshark V3 Pro, whose drivers and equalization (EQ) settings are tuned for hearing other players’ footsteps and gunshots, will naturally enable better play. It doesn’t change your skill level and the same can be said about the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike. If it modifies how you play, it will be to a minimal degree compared to most other high-end gaming mice available. However, it is the kind of mouse that’s worth getting used to. I can already tell this design will become the next big thing that every other company will eventually copy. Somebody will eventually need to come along and change mice before they get stale once more. Until then, I’m happy with the slick—gaudy-looking—G Pro X2 Superstrike on my desk.