We reviewed Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed wireless mouse. How did it perform? Check out our review below to see whether or not it’s a mouse we recommend.
Logitech’s G502 gaming mouse has a venerable history, so its latest ‘G502 Lightspeed’ wireless mouse has a lot to live up to. The G502, through its different iterations, has proven to be a fan favourite with its angular design, comfy thumb rest, hyper-fast scroll wheel, and numerous buttons – so many that it almost makes you wonder what an MMO mouse is for. It’s often described not just as one of the best Logitech mice, but as one of the best gaming mice full-stop.
The one drawback for those who loved the G502 was its lack of wireless capability. This is where the Logitech G502 Lightspeed comes in: almost nothing external has changed about the G502 with the Lightspeed edition, except that it connects wirelessly via Lightspeed USB or a Logitech G PowerPlay mousepad. For fans of the G502, this ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ approach is perfect.
The problem with turning a wired mouse into a wireless one, however, is that wireless technology is more expensive to implement. And this shows with the G502 Lightspeed, with its $149.99 price tag pushing it out of midrange territory and squarely into the high-end. The question is, is it worth such a steep price for wireless? I think yes, undoubtedly.
Tech Specs
| Dimensions | 132mm (H) x 75mm (W) x 40mm (D) |
| Weight | 114g – 130g (adjustable) |
| Max CPI (DPI) | 25,600 |
| Sensor | HERO 25K |
| Max polling rate | 1,000 Hz (1ms report rate) |
| Wireless | Yes (Lightspeed) |
| RGB | Yes (Logitech G logo and battery status) |
| Right/left-handed | Right-handed |
| Battery life | 48hrs (RGB on), 60hrs (RGB off) |
| Compatibility | Windows, MacOS |
| Buttons | 11 programmable |
| G Hub compatible | Yes |
For all intents and purposes, Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed is the same as previous G502 models, except it now has Lightspeed wireless capability.
It boasts a whopping (if entirely unnecessary) 25,600 CPI – as do all previously-16,000 CPI HERO sensor mice thanks to a software update released in late 2020 – and its high polling rate allows for a 1ms report time to prevent input delay. It also features 11 programmable buttons, and a battery life of up to 60 hours with RGB lighting disabled or up to 48 hours with RGB turned on.
Design and Build Quality
People have come to expect a lot from Logitech’s G502 gaming mice, and the G502 Lightspeed doesn’t disappoint. It’s maintained its right-handed angular design, sporting 11 buttons and a thumb-rest without being too cluttered, and its materials feel light but durable. With a perfect mix of matte, gloss, and textured surfaces, it’s just as practical and stylish as previous models.
What’s particularly impressive about this wireless version is that it’s managed to maintain a sturdy, premium build quality while boasting wireless technology and a weight of 114g – 7g lighter than the previous wired G502 HERO. It’s achieved this feat thanks to an internal redesign which has thinned the external walls of the mouse but added a lightweight endoskeleton inside to maintain firmness and rigidity.
That said, it’s still a relatively heavy mouse. The similarly priced Logitech G Pro Wireless, for example, weighs only 80g. So, if you want a light and zippy mouse for fast-paced FPS gaming, the G502 Lightspeed might still be too heavy for you despite the weight reduction. If, on the other hand, you’re not enamoured by the recent ultra-lightweight shift in gaming mouse production, the G502 Lightspeed feels very nicely weighted. And if you prefer an even heavier mouse, it includes 4x2g weights and 2x4g weights that can be added underneath to push the weight up to a total of 130g.
Comfort
The Logitech G502 Lightspeed feels and handles like a premium gaming mouse. Its grippy sides keep your hand in place easily, and the thumb rest is surprisingly supportive once you get used to it. Its buttons are satisfying and easy to click, and its PTFE feet glide over cloth and hard pads with ease.
My only criticism is that the new scroll wheel – the same as previous G502s in size and shape but hollowed out and rubberised – feels slightly too wobbly for my liking, which probably isn’t helped by its ability to be tilted left and right for an extra two button presses. But this is only a minor criticism: the mouse wheel still feels quite premium.
I’d never used a Logitech G502 mouse before this review. At first, I wasn’t used to the shape and feel of the mouse at all, with its thumb rest and numerous buttons. To begin with I also found myself accidentally pressing the ‘DPI Shift’ button with my thumb (this button shifts the mouse’s CPI to whatever you’ve set it to while it’s held down). But, after some hours of gaming, my hand became more familiar with the design, and I came to realise that this is possibly the most comfortable mouse I’ve ever used.
Of course, this is all highly subjective – what’s comfortable for me might not be comfortable for you. This mouse is better suited to larger and medium-sized hands, and those with smaller hands might struggle. Similarly, it’s better suited to palm and claw grip gamers – fingertip grip gamers might find it too cumbersome. But personally, after some hours of use I found it perfect for my hybrid palm-claw grip style, despite previously being used to the simpler mouse design of Zowie’s EC2-A.
Gaming Performance
As is to be expected from such a pricey gaming mouse, Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed is no slouch when it comes to gaming. It houses the same HERO 25K sensor as the G Pro Wireless, a mouse that’s used by many pro gamers, and its 1,000 Hz polling rate reduces input latency to an imperceptible level.
Further confirming what I experienced when testing Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed wireless gaming headset, Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless technology really does eliminate any worries about wireless latency. The mouse connects to the tiny USB dongle instantly, never loses connection, and feels just as quick and responsive as a wired gaming mouse, proving that the best wireless gaming mice can compete with their wired counterparts.
On top of its great responsiveness and comfort, this mouse also has the benefit of 11 programmable buttons, making it a great choice for MMO gaming. Unlike some MMO gaming mice, however, the extra buttons don’t come at the expense of comfort and responsiveness for FPS gaming performance. Many of the buttons are tucked away and lay flush with the mouse’s design, so you have a host of buttons at your disposal without feeling overcrowded. In all, the G502 Lightspeed’s performance is worthy of its high price tag, providing its design suits your grip style and hand size.
Features
One bonus of owning a G502 Lightspeed is that it can pair with a Logitech G PowerPlay mousepad. Simply replace the plastic weight cover with a PowerPlay Powercore module, and the G502 Lightspeed can now connect to your PC just by sitting on top of the mousepad, and it will charge while it’s there, too. Once paired with a PowerPlay mousepad – which is, admittedly, expensive at $120 – you never have to worry about plugging it in to charge again.
But if you don’t own a PowerPlay mousepad, the G502 Lightspeed has so much battery life that you can get through an entire week of heavy daily use without needing to charge it. This is in part because its RGB lighting is minimal, but moreso because its HERO 25K sensor turns itself off when not in use.
Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed is also fully compatible with its G Hub software, which lets you adjust its RGB lighting and sync this lighting with other devices. It also lets you adjust the mouse’s base and Shift CPI, re-bind its buttons, and even create two button profiles that you can switch between by mapping ‘G-SHIFT’ to one of the mouse’s buttons.
Verdict: Worth the High Price for Versatility
Our rating: 9.0/10
Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed gaming mouse is in direct competition with its own G Pro Wireless gaming mouse. The question is whether the G502 Lightspeed is justified sitting at such a high price tag alongside such top-tier competition.
The answer is, I think, yes. It boasts the same HERO 25K sensor and Lightspeed connectivity as the G Pro Wireless and has a similarly premium build quality. The difference between the two is that the G Pro offers a more simplistic design, is lighter, has fewer programmable buttons, and lacks some of these buttons’ functionality, such as DPI Shift and hyper-scroll wheel unlocking.
But if you want something that’s a little heavier, has a more complicated, angular design, and offers more programmable button functionality, Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed’s price tag is justified. And while I was initially concerned that I’d find the mouse’s unique design uncomfortable given my familiarity with the more minimalistic design of Zowie’s EC2-A, after some use the opposite turned out to be true: I found the G502 Lightspeed to be the most comfortable mouse I’ve used, and it now has a permanent place on my desk. For this reason alone, it’s well worth its price tag to my mind.
