Group test
WIRELESS MICE
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This integrates wireless charging right into a
mousemat, meaning the mouse is always charging.
This works really well, though the impact on
long-term battery remains to be seen. Also, the
PowerPlay mat costs an extra £125 which is quite
an investment. Otherwise, the G903 has lots going
for it, though you wouldn’t know just from looking:
its ambidextrous design doesn’t look comfortable.
In use, however, the G903 works well, and the
secret is its interchangeable buttons. You get back
and forward buttons on both sides of the mouse,
but whereas this usually makes such mice awkward
to hold, here you can take out the buttons from
whichever side you’re not using and insert a cover.
Its other features work well, too, such as the two
DPI buttons behind the scroll wheel. We’re less keen
on the tiltable scroll wheel, but the fantastic optical
sensor pulls things back.
There isn’t a feature that makes the
G903 shine – other than PowerPlay –
but it’s still a versatile option.LOGITECH G903
The default switches are rated for 20 million clicks
and require a 60 gf (gram force) to activate, while
the alternate pair require a 75 gf. They’re only rated
to a million clicks, though, which suggests Asus
knows most people won’t swap them.
The mouse itself has six extra buttons, as well as
your usual left, right, back, forward and middle. Four
of these are positioned where your thumb rests,
which brings us to a major frustration.
That positioning means there’s basically no
room to rest your thumb, making it awkward to lift
and move the mouse without accidentally hitting a
button. This is made worse by the device’s large size
and its heavy build, measuring 135x90x43mm and
weighing 179 grams.
These ergonomic issues rather kill the Spatha’s
chances, and the choice of a laser sensor further
reduces its appeal for some gamers. If, for some
reason, the ergonomics do work for you
and you do prefer a laser sensor, it
offers good performance and value.ASUS ROG SPATHA
http://www.asus.com £130
80 % 70 %
4This is Logitech’s new first-class gaming mouse. It
includes a bunch of features, including an ambidextrous
design and a freewheeling scroll. However, its headline
feature is the inclusion of Logitech’s PowerPlay tech.
The Asus ROG Spatha is bursting with features. In the
box you also get a dock and stand, cables,
interchangeable button switches, a mini torx screwdriver
for dismantling the mouse and a case to store it all in.