Logitech G502 X improves on a gaming great in nearly every way

Logitech’s flagship gaming mouse, the G502, has gone through a few iterations since its launch in 2014 – but for the first time Logitech has revamped the range entirely with a top-to-bottom rebuild and a trio of mice dubbed the G502 X series.

At the heart of the redesign are brand-new Lightforce hybrid switches, which combine the speed and reliability of an optical mouse switch with the crisp feel and click of mechanical. Essentially, this is as satisfying as any mechanical mouse to use, but packs all the performance benefits of the latest optical options.

All three G502 X models benefit from the company’s Hero 25K high-DPI sensor, adjustable with a side-mounted DPI Shift button. Following feedback from fans, this switch is now reversible, which lets you set it closer to or further from your thumb to suit different grip lengths – or you can take it off entirely and swap in a sleek switch cover if you’d rather.

Available in black or white, the G502 X is also impressively lightweight for its feature set: the wired entry model weighs just 89g, a 32g reduction from its predecessor.

That’s joined by two wireless models, the G502 X Lightspeed and G502 X Plus. They use an updated version of Logitech’s Lightspeed tech for connectivity, with a 68% reduction in latency. In a welcome touch, you can use the included Wi-Fi connection dongle to run a G502 X along with a Logitech keyboard simultaneously, though this only works with the G915, G915 TKL, or G715 for now.

The Plus version also throws in RGB lighting with the company’s Lightsync tech, in a faintly organic looking ‘crack’ in the mouse’s body. That does hit the battery hard though: while you can get 140+ hours of battery on the Lightspeed model, the Plus drops to just 37+ hours if you switch on its RGBs.

Both wireless versions support Powerplay wireless charging if you own a compatible Logitech mouse mat though, which essentially enables infinite battery life as it can charge the mouse while you play; or there’s simple front-facing USB-C charging if you prefer.

All three versions of the mouse work with Logitech’s G Hub PC software, where you can set up and customise profiles, and tweak the 13 programmable controls.

The G502 X will be available from September for $79/£79/€79, with the Lightspeed rising to $139/£129/€149, and the RGB-enabled Plus model for $159/£149/€169.

Check out our ranking of the best gaming mice around to see what it’s up against, or our overall pick of the best mice, gaming and otherwise.