Logitech’s radical new mouse ditches clicks for magnets

There are a lot of different gaming mice you can use, but all of them have something in common: physical switches. They’re similar to the electrical switches in keyboards and controllers. But there’s a newer option as well, supplied by Logitech—the switches in the Pro X2 Superstrike are magnetic and adjustable. In the latest PCWorld video on YouTube, Will Smith tells us why that’s important.

The Pro X2 Superstrike‘s primary left and right buttons use a magnetic sensor under each button which can measure the distance you press down. There’s no physical contact between the components. In order to simulate a more conventional “click” experience, it uses haptic feedback, just like a phone keyboard or a touchpad on more premium laptops.

Both the actuation point (how fast the click, um, clicks) and the intensity of the feedback are adjustable. Like adjustable actuation keyboards, you can also choose how long it takes the release action to trigger, or even bind separate actions to the release.

So, what’s the point of all this? Incredibly rapid clicks!

If you’re playing a shooter and using a semi-automatic weapon, wherein each click is a separate shot, the “hair trigger” adjustments you can make to the mouse absolutely make a noticeable difference in game. The mouse is also much quieter than a conventional design since it lacks a physical contact with the buttons.

“Are you actually better with this mouse?” asks Adam.

“Look… it’s impossible to tell,” answers Will.

As with all premium gaming equipment, the better you are at the actual game, the more you’ll be able to take advantage of the hardware’s capabilities. But unlike some controversial adjustable actuation keyboard features (like Snap Tap), the rapid firing enabled by the Pro X2 Superstrike isn’t widely regarded as “cheating” (at least for now).

The Pro X2 Superstrike gets all of Logitech’s best gaming mouse capabilities, including wireless charging while playing if you use the compatible PowerPlay 2 pad. It’s also got a frankly insane 44,000 DPI sensor, grip pads in the box, all that jazz. Unfortunately, it relies upon Logitech’s G gaming software to adjust all those variables, and getting it to run on Linux might be a bit of a headache.

This mouse doesn’t come cheap, though. It’s $180 at retail. For more takes on gaming hardware, be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube and check out our weekly podcast The Full Nerd.