The Logitech G502 X Plus gaming mouse is a strange thing to me. Not too long ago, Logitech relaunched its iconic G502 Hero mouse as the G502 X with LIGHTSPEED wireless to much success. The G502 X Plus is a follow up to that mouse(maybe even replaces it since I can’t find it available on Logitechs website) but despite the name, doesn’t add much at all other than RGB lighting.
The G502 X Plus retails for anywhere between $249.99 — $299.99 depending on when and where you buy. For that money, you get all the very best LIGHT features: LIGHTSPEED wireless, LIGHTFORCE Hybrid switches, a Hero 25K optical sensor and some beautiful LIGHTSYNC RGB. The addition of RGB is the main differentiator from the OG G502 X so, you’re basically paying $100 more for pretty lights.
But even more egregious to me is what is missing on the G502 X Plus that every other wireless gaming mouse in this price range has; Bluetooth! That might seem like a small omission but I felt the impact immediately as I use an Apple MacBook Pro for my day job and my personal gaming rig for everything else.
So I usually the dongle on my PC for lowest latency and Bluetooth to my MacBook and then easily flip a switch to jump between the two. Obviously, I am in a rather privileged position but I don’t think this is an uncommon scenario for a lot of people. Sure you can always keep swapping the dongle around so it’s not an insurmountable problem.
Beyond that the G502 X Plus is identical to the G502 X which was a beautiful mix of curvy and edgy plastic that somehow looks sleek and dangerous simultaneously. It’s a bit of a long mouse with a high back that favours more of a palm or fingertip grip. Despite its similarity to something like my Razer Basilisk V3 Pro, the G502 X Plus isn’t as comfortable for my hand. It just doesn’t quite fit right and after a few weeks, I still haven’t adjusted to the grip required.
The gorgeous LIGHTSYNC RGB lighting winds its way on the back of the mouse and boasts 8-zones that create beautifully gradated lighting. You can customise these in the Logitech G Hub software along with many of the other mouse functions. Underneath the mouse is a wireless charging puck that can also be removed to reveal a cubbyhole where you can safely store the LIGHTSPEED dongle.
And if you have one of those fancy charging mouse pads, the G502 X Plus supports POWERPLAY wireless charging so you can always keep it topped up. Not that battery life is a big concern. Logitech says the G502 X Plus will last 130 hours if you keep the RGB lighting off. That’s cool and all but I’ve been running it with the lighting and its been lasting me about a week with an average of 8-9 hours a day. This number could be much higher if the mouse supported Bluetooth but here we are.
Like the G502 X before it, this mouse has 13 programmable buttons which is far more than I personally know what to do with. A sticking point for me has always been the extra two buttons embedded in the left mouse button — i just don’t have the dexterity to use those in the heat of gaming. However, if you are, it should be fun for RTS and RPG games for all those spells and commands.
The main left and right mouse buttons are responsive and clicky thanks to the LIGHTFORCE hybrid optical-mechanical switches. These combine the two technologies for the best of both worlds; instant response from optical actuation and tactile feeling from mechanical part. That said, they don’t feel as crisp as those on my Razer Basilisk V3 Pro but that’s just a preference.
I do however really like the removable DPI paddle in the thumb well. This dandy little paddle can be rotated for best fit or even completely removed if you don’t want it. I love having it as a SHIFT key that essentially doubles the number of functions at your fingertips. All this is set up in G Hub software which is pretty intuitive as far as these things go. The mouse has on board memory so you can save your settings and carry them with you wherever you go.
As is staple by now, the G502 X Plus also comes with Logitech’s hyperfast scroll wheel which you activate by pressing a button behind the scroll wheel. The button has a really long travel before it activates and I have no idea why this is necessary since you can’t accidentally hit it. Additionally, the hyperfast scrolling doesn’t feel good at all — it feels too loose and anaemic compared to its sibling the Logitech MX Master 3S.
On the other end, the ratchet mode is so stiff and genuinely caused me strain in my wrist. There’s no way to adjust the settings in the G Hub either which is frustrating. I honestly don’t like this mouse for any kind of scrolling and its probably my biggest negative on what is otherwise a good mouse.
For sensor, Logitech is using its tried and tested HERO 25K, an 25,000dpi optical sensor with a velocity of 400 inches per second and can be adjusted from as low as 100dpi. This sensor is perfectly fine in gaming and work tasks and nothing to complain about. The DPI paddle lets you quickly switch resolutions on the fly while gaming which can be handy for you sniper types.
I didn’t test the G502 X Plus on different surfaces but I gather it will perform well on most. The PTFE skates on the base are smooth and motion isn’t a problem especially given it’s bigger size and weight.
Verdict
So after a few weeks living with the Logitech G502 X Plus, i come away generally unimpressed. As far as gaming mice goes, its more of a B-tier. Compared to my Razer Basilisk V3 Pro which is about the same size, shape and weight, the G502 X Plus falls short. It doesn’t have Bluetooth, the scroll wheel is pretty bad and the battery life is lower than average.
At $300(maybe less on sales), this is poor value for money and yet costs more than the excellent Razer Basilisk V3 Pro and the Roccat Kone XP Air. Simply put, for your money, you can do better. And if the design appeals to you, and you are married to the Logitech ecosystem, then get the base G502 X Lightspeed. It is at least $100 cheaper and you only lose the RGB but get much better battery life.
Logitech Australia kindly provided the G502 X Plus to PowerUp! Gaming for the purpose of this review.
