Logitech has been on a mission to redesign its entire PC gaming peripheral line; from a new suite of mechanical keyboards to the G430 7.1 headset it introduced last year. Its latest entry is the G502 Proteus Core wired gaming mouse. Groan inducing names aside, this updated mouse features several new internal bits including a 32-bit processor and the somewhat-unique ability to calibrate its infrared sensor to work on any surface the user wants.
Beyond adjusting the mouse's sensitivity or DPI – which on this mouse, cranks up to an absurd 12,000DPI - the G502 can be custom tuned to track movement on more surfaces beyond your typical wooden table, mouse pad or gaming surface. Normally optical mice work best on a soft pad and laser mice on hard surfaces. The G502 can be tuned to work well on anything like paper, a wall, or any surface the user chooses. On top of adaptability, Logitech claims users can make the mouse perfectly accurate no matter what the surface.
Early Verdict
As for the actual adjustment, all the calibration happens in the included software. It comes with a few common presets like foam mouse pad versus hard pads. Users can also opt to custom tune their mouse to their desk or own surfaces and the calibration only takes a few seconds.
Newfangled optical sensor customization aside, the Logitech G502 is a very familiar-feeling right handed wired mouse. Its design builds off of the olderG5 and G500s platforms. One big shake up is that the mouse's shape isn't bulbous anymore. The Proteus Core mouse features sharply angled buttons and a segmented body. Along the sides Logitech has melded a rubber material etched with little triangles for extra grip. Meanwhile, the top is treated with a UV cured matte coating, which Logitech G Product Manager Chris Pate claims is extremely durable.
Right-handed gamers will feel right at home with the new the Logitech G502. Instead of going for a ambidextrous-friendly symmetrical design, the left side of the mouse features a sculpted thumb rest. The entire mouse really is made for right-handers and its shape should be more than comfortable for gamers whether they have small hands or a giant bear-like paw.
There haven't many changes on the button front as the G502 features the same programmable 11-button layout as the Logitech G500s. To the left of the left mouse clicker Logitech has slipped two DPI shifting buttons. This is also about the most awkward part of the mouse's button setup because we ended up mashing the left mouse button whenever we tried to change the sensitivity.
Above the thumb rest there's another set of two side buttons. The G502 also features a full metal scroll wheel, which can be unlocked into free spinning mode by tapping on the button directly below, and just slightly more southward is another programmable button. Mechanical micro switches actuate all the button presses, which gives the mouse a tactile feel and a resounding click for every action.
Along with the customizable buttons, flipping over the mouse reveals a removable magnetic panel that houses the G502's weight system. The Proteus Core mouse can be outfitted with up to five 3.6 grams of weight, driving up the overall heft of the mouse from its original 120 grams to 138 grams.
Alternatively users can slip the chevron-shaped weights into the sides of the mouse or towards the back if users so prefer. It's an interesting concept that's different from the simple weight cartridge found in the G9x and G500s but we didn't really get a chance to play with it at PAX East.
For $79.99 (about £47.79/AU$85.12), the Logitech G502 seems like an incredible value. Right-handed gamers will simply love the ergonomics of the mouse. Serious PC gamers, similarly will appreciate the wide variety of ways to customize the mouse down to its ability to track on specific surfaces.
In a field full of customizable PC gaming mice, Logitech has put forth a full-featured platform. Our time with the mouse proved it was accurate on a hard mouse pad but we'll have to get in some serious Titanfall hours before we can definitely say this is a mouse you can rub on anything from a metal table to a towel and still be accurate.


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