Logitech has a pretty firm motto when it comes to their hardware. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. And the G502 is a prime example of this. The first generation G502 came out in early 2016 and has endured, with some tweaks and upgrades, to still be a spectacular mouse in 2020.
The most recent upgrade being the addition of Lightspeed. Lightspeed is Logitech’s wireless technology, and from past experiences, it is great. So over its long and illustrious time on the shelf and in the hands of a plethora of gamers across the world, the basic design has not changed. Apart from updating the Logitech logo, it is the same mouse on the outside as when it launched.
Design
In the design department not much has really changed, as mentioned before, looks-wise, the only change you will see is the new Logitech emblem. For those who don’t know the G502, it is a right-handed, oddly shaped monster. With many bulges and sharp edges protruding, it is not a mouse that would fit into an office environment but it sure will fit splendidly into any gaming setup. The mixture of matte black and gloss inserts, as well as a significant thumb rest definitely, sets the G502 apart from all the other more “traditional” looking mice on the market. The textured rubber on either side of the mouse provides adequate grip while note making it get sweaty in your hands after extended use.
The G502 has extremely hard angles, which some might love, others will hate. The top 2 programmable buttons that can be found next to the primary click buttons, seem like they are overhanging the edge of the mouse. But thanks to the excellent build quality from Logitech these buttons do not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon! These buttons, if not programmed, will function as the DPI up and down buttons giving it a nice easy feel instead of having to scroll through all your preset DPI’s to eventually reach the first one you actually want. These buttons are also designed to be used with your index finger rather than your thumb.
Your thumb has got more than enough work to do though. Another two programmable keys are neatly tucked in the side of the mouse where your thumb can easily glide up to use them. These buttons are perfectly placed and feel natural to press. The third thumb button is an accuracy button which drops the DPI dramatically while holding the button pressed. This is great when doing fine positioning in design work or when you need to get that perfect aiming accuracy in your favourite shooter. The only problem with this button if you have smaller hands is that you might not be able to reach it without adjusting your grip. This is not a mistake on Logitech but merely an example of how certain mice suite certain hand sizes as well as grips.
For myself, with smaller hands, I found the size of the G502 to be perfect. In the past, I have reviewed many smaller mice which do come in much lighter than the G502 but after extensive time spent using them, I found my hand would often ache. The G502 has the perfect height in your palm and resting your hand on the mouse will have your fingers naturally land on the buttons, in my book, that’s a win!
Turning the G502 and clipping off the magnetic bottom end shows you where the vast options of weights can be placed. The G502, even when not weighted, still comes in at a hefty 121g, for some this might be the deal-breaker already! Add in all the supplied weights and you looking at 139g. The difference is that you can place the weights all around the mouse. Making for many options such as weighting it front-back or side to side.
Features and changes
Like previously mentioned, on the outside the G502 doesn’t look like it has changed much. Internally, the G502 has seen the Hero sensor being added, which gave the G502 Hero status… The G502 used to have a maximum DPI of 12 000, with the Hero sensor, that number bumps up to 16 000. In reality, most people would never explore the higher ends of the DPI spectrum so if that is the only motivation for upgrading I would think you might be wasting your money.
But the Lightspeed upgrade is what truly takes the G502 from good to great. Logitech has been including their Lightspeed technology in many of their products of late, and from someone who always believed wired is best, I am now a Lightspeed-believer. There truly is no input delay! The G502 can work wired, but simply plugging the braided cable into the front of the mouse, or wireless in two separate ways. Either plug the cable into the wireless receiver which houses the USB dongle, making so that the cable can be at hand when the battery does need a charge. Or get rid of the cable and simply plug the dongle straight into a USB port.
Another massive upgrade in terms of longevity for nearly all of the Logitech items is the change to Omron switches. Omron, being Logitech’s own design bolsters the click life from 20 million to 50 million, that is a lot of clicks before they might give in.
Verdict
The G502 Lightspeed delivers in nearly every aspect you could ask for. Cool design, check. Comfort, check. Great sensor, check. Wireless, check! The only possible downfall for the G502 Lightspeed might be its slightly heavier build and the fact that it is not ambidextrous like many other mice are.
But if you are in the market for a new gaming mouse that has more than enough features to keep to satisfied and happily clicking along for many moons to come, the G502 Lightspeed is the one you want to go for. Not only does it look like its ready to go, it is!
Logitech has taken a favourite and made it even more appealing to new users looking for their first gaming mouse, as well as the veterans who need a new mouse.
Special thanks to Logitech for the review content
