Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum, the wireless mouse for professional gamers

Presentation

In order to demonstrate that its new G900 is as fast or even faster than a wired mouse, Logitech presented it to us in preview in its Swiss laboratories, before entrusting us with a final copy so that we could make our own tests. A good opportunity to discover the technical specifications and learn more about the development of this high-end mouse, thanks to engineers who were able to answer our questions without tongue in cheek.

Already visited several times by our teams, the Logitech laboratories house several test benches that we were able to use with the G900, in order to compare its performance with that of several competing mice, wired or not. Performance of course verified later with our own test protocol, focused on the actual use of the equipment.

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Precision

A mouse for such a high-end gamer must be irreproachable in terms of performance, both in terms of responsiveness, precision and speed of its sensor. To do this, Logitech uses the PMW 3366 optical sensor which is already found on the G502 and which is entirely satisfactory. No need to dwell on its sensitivity of 12,000 dpi (adjustable in steps of 50 dpi) which is mainly there for the marketing aspect - players rarely exceed 2,000 dpi in fact. Precision is indeed there and this sensor tolerates various coatings (our semi-gloss white office does not pose any problem to it, which is not always the case with other optical sensors), even if of course we recommend using a good mouse pad. With a capture frequency of 300 fps, exchanges with the computer that operate at 1000 Hz and a maximum acceleration of 40G, even the most furious of players will not be able to take the G900 in default.

Of course, in the case of a wireless mouse, the question of reactivity arises. On this point, Logitech has redoubled its efforts to minimize latency times and achieves results equivalent to those of a G502 and better than those of many competing mice. In any case, this was what we observed on the various test benches in Switzerland during our visit to its laboratories, before verifying it in practice during our test. Thus, on an acceleration test, the G900 in wireless operation displays an average latency of 4.2 ms, when the Mamba 2015 is satisfied with double with 8.4 ms. On the wire side, the DeathAdder reaches 7.2 ms, while a G502 offers results equivalent to those of the G900. Same observation regarding the latency of each click, the G900 surpasses the competition (wired as wireless) with very short activation times. Please note, these are only raw values here. In practice, it remains very difficult to perceive this difference and this indicates to us above all that the latest wireless mice - and in particular the G900 - now reach a sufficient level of reactivity so as not to penalize the players. This is what we observe in practice and this is why we try as much as possible to evaluate the mice in real conditions, with fast games. Logitech wanted in any case to show that its G900 was able to equal or even exceed the reactivity of its wired competitors and we can say that the objective is reached here.

Also, let's not forget to talk about the stability of the wireless link, which is so important for a good gaming experience. Indeed, wireless mice are subject to electromagnetic interference from other surrounding devices. If the conditions in the domestic environment are often acceptable - although care must be taken to move away from the Wi-Fi router, preferably - this is conversely rarely the case during competitions, where wireless networks are multiply. To prevent the link from being interrupted between the G900 and its wireless receiver connected to USB, which would cause sudden dropouts, Logitech engineers have ensured that the antenna integrated in the mouse can transmit in all directions. Its transmitting power is also increased - while remaining within the limits of sanitary standards - to ensure that the signal is sufficiently strong and does not suffer interference from other signals. We were able to verify this in the anechoic electromagnetic chamber of Logitech's laboratories, the G900 is effectively imperturbable, unlike its wireless competitors, more or less affected depending on the strength of the parasitic signals. Behavior verified during our practical tests, despite our attempts to interfere with the signal (Wi-Fi box, mobiles in communication, etc.).

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Conclusion

The G900 is the wireless mouse that demanding gamers - right and left handed - can expect. Logitech has won its bet and offers an extremely reactive and light mouse, which has nothing to envy its wired counterparts. We can simply criticize it for a slightly weak autonomy, associated with the absence of a recharging base, as well as a very high selling price (€ 179 at launch) which reserves it for pros or wealthy players.

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