Namely, updates to the Lightspeed wireless connectivity to deliver 68% faster response times, updated hybrid optical mouse switches for improved speed and reliability, and an extended battery life. But these do come at a cost, as that already high $149 price tag of the G502 Lightspeed rises even further to a lofty $159. So, the question is simple: is this all worth it? Let’s find out.
Logitech G502X Plus design
Logitech is legendary in its ability to stick to its guns on a particular design for years and years. This is evident in the near-identical ergonomic stylings of the Logitech G502X Plus to the original G502, but that’s no bad thing. The sculpted curve of the bridge of this mouse welcomes a palm grip over a glaw or fingertip, as your fingers slide into the optimal position for reaching all of the on-board buttons. The premium build feels durable yet lightweight, the rubberized grips around the side have a nice, comfortable texture for your thumb and pinky, and the USB-A wireless sensor has its home behind a door on the bottom of the mouse for improved portability. I’m a huge fan of the white finish on offer here, but it does also come in black for those who prefer a darker set of peripherals. On both, the subtle RGB glow adds a pop of color that can be synchronized with your setup and doesn’t feel garishly over-the-top like you see in a lot of gaming peripherals. There are a couple of problems though. The first comes in its dimensions: 5.2 x 3.1 x 1.6 inches. That size is simply too large for smaller hands to really benefit from the ergonomics and finger placement. For example, Corsair’s M65 Ultra RGB Wireless comes in at 4.6 x 3.0 x 1.5 inches. The difference is small, but that slightly reduced length makes it usable across more palm sizes. There is no way to customize the weight of this mouse, which may leave some players looking to alter the weight between genres. But as the G502X Plus has shaved some mass off the original at just 3.7 ounces, which when paired with the PTFE feet means you can glide effortlessly across any surface with ease. The other problem is that the G502X Plus ignores about 10% of the population., I’ll keep campaigning for left-handed versions of mice until I’m blue in the face — especially with Logitech. Southpaws exist and the button placement is specific to right-handed folk.
Logitech G502X Plus features
Right out of the box, the G502X Plus is good to go with plug and play capabilities, but this doesn’t unlock everything you can do with it. Plus without fine tuning, the mouse control feels a little sluggish at first, you need to go into Logitech’s G Hub software to increase the sensor speed. While you’re there, you also have full control over button mapping, macros and the aforementioned RGB lighting. Normally, I’m the kind of guy to use macros on my keyboard, but for more laborious games with many forms of interaction like F1 Manager 2022, offloading some of the more regularly used processes to my mouse breathed new life into the gameplay for me — using the function buttons mounted on the side of the left-click mouse button to open up ERS strategies for each of my drivers. The scroll wheel on top has two settings: free-flowing and fixed, tactile scrolling. Both are accessible via a mechanical switch just below the wheel and it makes for a brilliantly versatile scrolling experience — whether you need granular control to switch weapons, or the slicker scroll to zoom down a web page and catch it at just the right section. You can also customize the DPI sensitivity, with options from 100 all the way up to its max of 25,600 and it can be tweaked in tiny increments. Plus, the ability to save DPI presets and access them via the DPI switch button makes it a cinch. Upping your sniper rifle performance on-the-fly by lowering the DPI was a godsend to me, as someone who is usually terrible with a long range rifle.
Logitech G502X Plus performance
We’ve talked a lot about numbers, specs and the feel of using this mouse, but even the most comfortable gaming mice can still suck for gaming. Performance matters and put simply: this is a joy to use across all the genres I threw at it — provided you fit into the particular category of a right-handed person with a larger hand size. Once you’re acclimated to the design, the speed from its lightweight construction and PTFE glide pads, the responsiveness of the 25,600K DPI sensor, and the tactile feel of the Lightspeed optical hybrid buttons and scroll wheel makes it great for both gaming and productivity. For fast twitch gaming with a blend of strategic gameplay in Halo Infinite, the G502X Plus really comes into its own. The programmable buttons and ability to hot switch DPI presets gave me a competitive edge when flipping between the SMG and sniper rifle to take out my enemies, which is always served up with a satisfyingly tactile click. And that 68% speed increase in the Lightspeed wireless connection led to completely imperceptible lag. I’m sure that when slowed down, there will be some sort of latency — that’s the pain point of removing the cable. But for what you get, this is a strong performer across even games that require lightning fast reactions.
Bottom line
Love a tidy, cable-free gaming setup but don’t want to see your peak performance suffer because of it? The Logitech G502X Plus is the mouse you’ve been waiting for — packing a fantastically responsive sensor, a ton of well-placed, customizable buttons and virtually lag-free switches into a sleek, ergonomic design. It won’t be for everyone. The larger size was great for my hands, but anyone with smaller palms may struggle to play at their best with this. Plus, the $159 asking price is a little steep. But this packs the specs for esports domination and improves the G502 formula in key areas, such as the wireless connection speed and longer battery life, to deliver something that is sure to give you a competitive edge.
