There are a ton of great gaming mice on the market right now. If you are an avid PC gamer having a mouse that is built specifically for gaming is essential. The differences between a “normal” mouse and a gaming mouse are drastic. Gaming mice are more precise, more comfortable, more durable, and have other features a regular mouse just doesn’t have.

The prices of gaming mice are all over the place. You can find one for as little as $10 or you can pay well over $100 for one as well. This post aims to find a few of the best budget gaming mice available. When you are looking at mice under $30, there is likely going to be a few sacrifices you will need to make, such as really high DPI or top-notch software. However, overall, you will still be able to find a really solid gaming mouse in this price range.

Gaming Mouse Benefits

Before we dive into the list, let’s look at a few benefits of a gaming mouse when compared to a standard mouse.

Comfort and Ergonomics

A gaming mouse is designed to feel comfortable in your hand even during long periods of use. As a matter of fact, manufacturers take pride in gaming mice because they are crafted to conform to the human hand better than regular mice. It is therefore practical to consider a gaming mouse as a good investment. Every piece of a gaming mouse is made with comfort in mind. Due to this, experts say that it is an excellent choice for gamers and non-gamers alike. I personally use a gaming mouse when working as well, not just while gaming.

Performance

Gaming mice are built with more precise and accurate sensors, more buttons, and often come with software to optimize performance. A better mouse sensor can give you a bit advantage in any game that requires quick and precise movement like an FPS. The extra buttons come in quite handy for all kinds of games as well. You may use a mouse button as a push-to-talk key for cleaner comms or use a mouse button to replace a hard to reach key bind on the keyboard. Last, most gaming mouse come with software which will allow you even more of an ability to customize your setup.

Durability

Gaming mice are specifically designed to last for lengthy periods of use. They are made using high-quality materials for better performance. That is why they are considered very durable. If you opt for a gaming mouse, it should perform at a high level for a long time. You may wear out multiple regular mice before you would wear out a gaming mouse, especially if you are hard on your peripherals.

List Criteria

• Even if it is only a few hours, we look at our personal experience with the mouse. We try to judge the overall performance, ergonomics, software, and styling.
• Since we only get a limited time with each mouse, we consider gamer reviews from top sites like Amazon and Newegg.
• For this list, we consider the price to performance ratio.
• We look at the raw specs including the DPI, sensor, tracking speed, size, weight customization, etc.

Best Gaming Mice Under $30 Summary

1. Reddragon M601
2. Razer DeathAdder
3. SteelSeries Rival 100
4. Technet Raptor

Read on to see why these are some of the best budget mice on the market right now.

Redragon M601 CENTROPHORUS-2000 DPI Gaming Mouse

This value gaming mouse had an original list price of $60 a few years back. However, it is going for $15.99 right now. With over 14,000 reviews on Amazon, it has a 4.4/5 star ranking by people who have purchased the mouse. It offers an adjustable DPI of up to 2000 and also has 6-buttons. Many users of the Redragon M601 note that this mouse is very comfortable and provides comfortable gameplay for hours at a time. Another nice perk of this mouse is it comes with a weight tuning set to help get the mouse feeling just right for you. The overall construction of the mouse feels pretty solid as well. For its current price, you really can’t go wrong with this mouse.

Razer DeathAdder Essential Gaming Mouse

This gaming mouse comes in under $20 right now as it is on sale.  Even when it is not on sale, it should be just under $30. The Razer gaming mouse comes equipped with 5 programmable buttons and allows for a respectable 6400 DPI. It also allows you to change the DPI between multiple settings. The DeathAdder has a simple, but nice looking design. This mouse boosts a 4.5/5 rating at Amazon with over 3,800 reviews. According to the reviews, the design is simple yet sturdy, making it very comfortable to use. Overall, this is a solid gaming mouse for a pretty cheap price.

SteelSeries Rival 100 Gaming Mouse Alchemy Gold

This budget gaming mouse is currently on sale for $16. At this price, the SteelSeries Rival 100 is a great deal. This is a solid gaming mouse from an industry leader. Like a few of the other mice on this list, it boosts a 4.5/5 rating on Amazon with over 2,500 reviews. It has 6 buttons and can reach a maximum DPI of 4000. The durability also seems to be pretty solid. The SteelSeries Rival 100 design is simple and lightweight, making it quite comfortable. Overall, it seems pretty similar to a Razor Deathadder. If you are looking for a great mouse for a great price, the SteelSeries Rival 100 is a great choice.

TeckNet Raptor Gaming Mouse

This mouse from TechNet is one of the most affordable gaming mice available right now. It is currently priced under $14 and at this price is a great value. This mouse offers an adjustable DPI that maxes out at 2000 DPI and has an extra 40g of weight added that helps with overall comfort and feel. Many gamers believe this mouse to be one of the most accurate in the budget category. The cable for this mouse is braided, which really makes it feel like it is a high quality product and makes it quite durable. Overall, with such a low price, this mouse provides excellent performance for any gamers who are on a budget.

Want to suggest another awesome gaming mouse under $30? Let me know in the comments!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also be interested in our recently updated post about the top gaming keyboards under 100 dollars.