Gaming Mouse

I am currently looking to buy a new mouse and am really confused by the extra buttons. The mouse I am looking to buy has two extra buttons for backward and forward in browsing but can I also set them up as hotkeys in games (like numbers keys correspond to a specific spell or weapon in Skyrim)? Normally, you can set any button as anything in a game but, then, I look at these $100 mouses which come advertised as having "programmable buttons" and I can only think of the higher DPI and the inability of the mouse I am buying as the only reasons of commanding such a premium.

I also came across some software called X-Mouse which seems to allow any mouse button to be substituted as anything else so does this mean that while the $100 ones support this from the get-go and I can still buy the cheaper mouse and use this software to set those extra side buttons as hotkeys?

Higher DPI doesn't even necessarily help you. I couldn't find the mouse you were talking about but here's a list of some pretty good ones for half that price http://brandonhart100.hubpages.com/hub/Wireless-Gaming-Mouse .Good qustion about the X mouse. I've never thought about buying a cheaper mouse and using the software to set the extra buttons. Hopefully someone has an answer.

@anonymous1a: I have a razer naga molten, 12 buttons on the side, two more extras on the top. You can make them do whatever you want. It is awesome.

I don't know where you find 100$ mouses, but most gaming mouses sold for about 50$, I got mine for 35$ (CM Storm Spawn)

@PredatorRules: Take the example of those Razer mouses. They're well above a $100.

No one seems to have answered the question; if any mouse has more buttons than the normal clicks and scroll, can they be designated as specific functions in a game or does it have to be a mouse that comes advertised as "programmable"?

Nope, I see Naga for 70$, I see DeathAdder for 50$, Abyssus 50$, Taipan 70$, Imperator 70$ - the only ones that are above 100$ are the wireless ones.

As for your Question, yes they can be programmed to do whatever you may want them to do with the mouse software.

I'd only suggest a mouse with extra buttons if that's what you feel you need.

My mouse only has five buttons (left, right, scroll wheel, and two buttons on the side). I get far too overwhelmed by the mice that have more than that. I don't even understand mice like the Razer Naga. I've tried it, and I don't think I could achieve the muscle memory to perfectly execute pressing 12 buttons with my thumb... I don't even use the two buttons on the side of my current mouse. It just feels clumsy to use my thumb.

I believe when a mouse says it has "programmable buttons" that's talking about purely in a workstation context such as being able to program them to do things on your desktop. Of course there may be buttons on your mouse specifically designed to change only the settings of your mouse that may not be programmable to do anything else for instance a button that increases sensitivity/dpi.

But as far as gaming goes, any game that allows you to change your key bindings should accept any type of mouse button input (except those mouse-specific buttons). Whether your mouse has 3 buttons, or 300 buttons, it shouldn't matter. I've never seen that problem occur, and I've used tons of mice.

I would not recommend a $100 mouse though. That seems way too expensive. You can get very nice ones anywhere from $20-$60.

@papatrop: Well, thank you! That's exactly what I was looking for and exactly how I feel about something like the Naga. I mean, I don't use that many hotkeys on the keyboard, where the keys are much more spaced out and easier to press simply because, even in something like Skyrim, I only use 5-6 different spells regularly so no use for 12 buttons on the mouse alone. Then, there's the muscle memory question like you've said; instead of having to break away from the game to find "9" on my keyboard where it's much easier, I break away to find a tiny "9" on the mouse.

If it's with regard to desktop functions only, does X-Mouse not do the same thing for free? Check this video where the guy can basically choose any mouse button to do literally anything, such as acting like the number 5, zoom, and anything else:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sKV5Yb2160

To both you and to @PredatorRules: (Predator, since I am also looking to buy a tablet with only one USB port that's not position very well, I was actually only looking at wireless mice with Bluetooth so that I can use it on my tablet as well - guess that's why they were more expensive than what you were referring to...) I am actually even more of a budget shopper! The one I linked to in my first post was only 13 and with two extra buttons to serve my needs as hotkeys and changeable dpi to somewhere around 2000 (I've forgotten the exact specs), I am happy enough. I should try out one of the more expensive mouses like the ones from Razer to see exactly why people buy them...

Anyways, thanks a lot to everyone who helped me out with the question!

I'm going to guess that X-Mouse program is just a "Universal" driver for any mouse that doesn't come with programmable buttons. Some mouse makers don't put forth the extra money to write their own software to lower the price of their product.

I'm personally not a fan of wireless mice nor am I a fan of Razer products (but that's because I've never found one that I like the feel of).

You can get really cheap/basic wireless mice if you want to use one with a tablet.

You can get a cheap gaming mouse too though.

I think the best recommendation I can give is to just start cheap. Start with a baseline; something you can feel, and play with. Over time you'll come to understand what more you want out of a mouse. I actually spent $8 on a gaming mouse recently, and it's quite awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/Optical-2400dpi-Gaming-Laptop-Pc-Computer/dp/B00KHYYW6C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405713325&sr=8-2&

It's just a cheap backup, but it feels pretty good.

Get a cheap mouse so you won't get sad if you break it out of rage. You can get a decent mouse for less than $20