Gaming peripherals are most expensive when it comes to building a gaming PC. But unlike other gaming peripherals, gaming mice features only a few basic points that every gamer wants. They need excellent accuracy and low input to fulfill the gaming requirements. There is much top-notch gaming mouse available, but they are far behind affordable price. The best budget gaming mice under $20 and $30 are cheaper alternatives to those expensive mice. They can enhance the gaming experience at an affordable price.
After spending months on our research and testing several mice, we have hand-picked the 7 best budget gaming mice under $30. They came at the top due to high build quality, responsive sensors, good DPI, and the overall gaming experience. Unfortunately, there is no wireless mouse on this list as they are costly. These wired mice are still game-changers due to the performance they offer. Our buying guide will help you figure out what you should look into when buying a gaming mouse.
Best Gaming Mice under $20
- SteelSeries Rival 3
- Logitech G G203 Wired
- FIODIO Wired Gaming Mouse
- Razer Viper Mini
- ABKONCORE M30
- PHILIPS RGB Wired Gaming Mouse
- ROSEWILL Gaming Mouse
1. SteelSeries Rival 3
Best Affordable Choice
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | SteelSeries |
| Model | Rival 3 |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 6 |
| CPI | 8500 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 2.72 ounces |
| Dimension | 1.49 x 2.64 x 4.74 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Rival 3 features a minimalistic design that only features six buttons. The price tag is exactly what you expect from a budget gaming mouse. It provides great value to money with only a few trade-offs. The performance is stellar and helps you to excel in the game with peak performance. Overall it is an outstanding option and qualifies for the best budget gaming mouse.
The design best suits the right-handed gamers as the thumb buttons are on the left side. Besides that, the design looks similar on both the left and right sides. You can expect the dimensions best suited for the medium-sized hands as they felt small when testing on large hand sizes. However, it fits really well for the wrist and does not put any strain on them. For the palm grip gamers, the design does have small downsides as you cannot fully grip this mouse with the palm grip for some reason.
Similar to the Rival 3 Wireless, the TrueMove Core optical sensor features in Rival 3 Wired is a scaled-back version of the TrueMove3 sensor found in the Rival series. Putting the scaled-back version helped the manufacturer to cut down the costs. The DPI on this budget gaming mice is 8500, which is good for gaming but far less than flagship-grade gaming mice like Razer Basilisk V2, which has 20,000 DPI. These trade-offs, however, do not seem to affect real-life gaming during our tests.
Rival 3 is very effective at accurately tracking movements in games. This is where it truly deserves praises. In multiplayer titles like Apex Legends, accuracy and sensitivity come at par with a top-notch gaming mouse. Despite having lesser on paper specifications, the Rival 3 performed brilliantly. It never felt sluggish no matter what game we tried.
Many things win the top spot for SteelSeries Rival 3 in the low-cost gaming mouse. It has a new cost-effective sensor and many impressive features that are generally native for higher-end gaming mice. The result is an excellent device, but one with a few small problems.
2. Logitech G G203 Wired
Good Value for Money
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | Logitech |
| Model | G G203 |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 6 |
| DPI | 8000 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 5.5 ounces |
| Dimension | 6 x 4 x 2 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Logitech G203 Lightsync is a decent upgrade to the G203 Prodigy. It features customizable RGB lights and overall decent performance for an under $30 gaming mouse. However, certain areas could be better but what we can complain in this price. LightSync mouse is the best choice for the entry-level gaming mouse as it fulfills the requirements for most users.
G203 Lightsync is a wired/USB mouse. Therefore it appears extremely familiar because it looks nearly comparable to another entry-level gaming mouse. It features a six-button gaming mouse layout. There are two click buttons, a regular scroll wheel, and in the center a DPI control button. Although it lacks the ergonomic bump located at the base of the thumb, the mouse is easy to operate. Overall, the design suits best for right-handed gaming mouse layout.
The optical sensor is critical in a mouse this simple and affordable. While most high-priced gaming mice tend to perform admirably, there is more space for feature sacrifice at the lower end of the price range. Having said that, we can’t recall a single instance in which a Logitech Mouse failed to deliver on the tracking performance. The G203 Lightsync has a gaming patented sensor that limits at 8,000dpi.
The G203 Lightsync is compatible with Logitech’s G Hub, which helps to configure gaming hardware. G Hub is one of the best and most straightforward pieces of configuration software for mice. It is straightforward to set the macros and remap the buttons according to the required presets. G Hub allows you to create as many customization profiles as you want and then sync them with the games installed on your system. However, there is no onboard memory in G203 for profile storage.
G203 Lightsync is a high-performance budget gaming mouse. There is an increased demand for cheap and affordable gaming mice in the e-sport market. The G203 offers competitive features at an affordable price to target this market. It, however, competes with G203 Prodigy due to its similar price and almost similar features. But a little upgrade is good to provide gamers a better experience.
3. FIODIO Wired Gaming Mouse
Seamless experience with durability
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | FIODIO |
| Model | F-9520 |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 6 |
| DPI | 2400 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 5.3 ounces |
| Dimension | 5.6 x 4.3 x 2 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
FIODIO Wired Gaming Mouse is very comfortable for use, and the plastic feels soft for the hands. It has a 5 million click lifespan that shows its good durability for long-term gaming use. The functional reliability is not substandard when we compare the price to value. Like other budget gaming mice, certain sacrifices regarding DPI and sensors are prominent in Fiodio, but they are not visible in real-life gaming.
To suit your diverse needs, whether for daily work or gaming, the FIODIO gaming mouse has a maximum DPI of 2400. 4 configurable DPI levels are easy to set by a dedicated DPI button. Each level has its own dedicated color scheme for simple identification about which DPI level is in place.
Fiodio gaming mice feature asymmetrical and elegant design comfortable holding in the claw grip for extended periods without fatigue. However, it is suitable for medium hand size for palm grip and can cause difficulty in handling large hands. Claw grip is the best option for gamers who want to hold their grasp on the controller securely throughout gameplay.
For casual gamers, this is an amazing cool wired PC gaming mouse. The use of metal-spring button tensioning maintains the principal left and right buttons positioned to click with less force, resulting in great button experience, reaction, and accuracy every time, regardless of the situation. It increases the accuracy in games as the click registers every time you when your press.
Your gaming experience gets enhanced by the use of four distinct lighting modes. The use of an outstanding optical gaming sensor allows for speedy switching between different games. It is straightforward to use, and there is no need to install any additional drivers or software. Overall, it is a good recommendation for an affordable gaming mouse.
4. Razer Viper Mini
Inexpensive Gaming Mouse
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | Razer |
| Model | Viper Mini |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 6 |
| DPI | 8500 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 3.04 ounces |
| Dimension | 4.66 x 2.42 x 1.51 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Razer Viper Mini incorporates the previous successful Viper and Viper Ultimate into one affordable compact mouse. The versatile design has a matte plastic frame and glossy detailing. The mouse is for palm and claw grips, as you can experience excellent support for both grip types. However, some other functional changes like shifting the DPI button to the center to get more convenience in use.
Razer Synapse offers complete control over the DPI level and setting up macros. You can adjust the DPI from the smallest value of 100 to max 8500. There are 5 different settings that to choose from by pressing the DPI button. It also has a single profile of onboard storage that helps use it on other devices without carrying Synapse. There is an option to switch the lighting setting and modify it, but this is not much consideration due to the base lighting in this mouse.
The performance is relatively close to the full-sized Vipers gaming mice. The improved switches are barely noticeable, and that’s just as it should be. They have haptic feedback but have a high-pitched click. The optical switches are more robust and precise than typical mechanical switches. Without the latency, the mouse can instantly register button pushes. The overall experience on Razer Viper Mini feels like you are losing nothing when choosing a budget mouse.
In real-life testing, there is no delay when playing Battlefield V and Players Unknowns Battle Ground. The click felt responsive, and we observed no lags whatsoever. However, the click sound seems disturbing if you are sharing the room with others. But it’s nothing like the mechanical gaming keyboard noise. It’s still bearable, but that is the compromise you make when buying an affordable gaming mouse.
With regards to performance, the Razer Viper Mini does not fall into the low-performance category. Even though it is significantly lighter and has lower specifications on paper, what you can feel in games is practically identical to the more costly Viper versions. When it comes to ultralight gaming, the Razer Viper Mini is a good entry point as long as you don’t mind using a claw or fingertip grip.
For more information, read Razer Viper Mini Full Review.
5. ABKONCORE M30
Customizable RGB and buttons
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | ABKONCORE |
| Model | M30 |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 6 |
| DPI | 3500 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 8.8 ounces |
| Dimension | 8.07 x 6.3 x 2.1 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Abkoncore M30 is another budget gaming mouse that provides excellent material quality at an affordable price. The value for money is real as it offers more features at a lower price tag. A 3500 DPI may look bad on paper, but it performs as par with the best ergonomic gaming mouse for real-life gaming. There are certain issues like loud click noise, but they are in bearable range.
M30 features a DPI switch that lets your toggle between different DPI settings. 7 DPI settings are easy to select with the button. It can work on 500, 1000, 1500, 1750, 2000, 2500, and 3500 DPI. The accuracy and reliability depend on these values. Still, you can select a balance where the performance meets the responsiveness, and you get a lag-free mouse movement for playing your favorite games.
There is rapid movement recognition precisely and accurately by the AVAGO 3050 gaming sensor. It has excellent precision and accuracy for providing a seamless gaming experience with four selectable polling rates to ensure smooth and high-speed mouse movement. Polling rates of up to 1000Hz make it quicker than a conventional mouse and help it to secure its place in the cheap gaming mouse.
The ergonomic design delivers exceptional comfort for your hand and wrist while gaming or doing other tasks in both left and right-handed versions. The smooth footpads and 20 million keystrokes of this highly-rated gaming mouse will allow you to use it for many years to come, making it a terrific investment in your gaming experience.
The ability to modify the color spectrum from 16 million to more than 16 million colors allows you to design game environments that deliver visual enjoyment while you’re gaming or working. Overall, this is the gaming mouse you are looking for in this price range if you can withstand mouse click sounds.
6. PHILIPS RGB Wired Gaming Mouse
Good Overall gaming mouse
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | Philips |
| Model | RGB Wired |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 7 |
| DPI | 3200 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 4.9 Ounces |
| Dimension | 5 x 2.59 x 1.49 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Philips RGB Wired Gaming Mouse works extremely well for being a fast mouse on budget. It is not light and feels heavy when operating for long hours. You can choose between 3 distinct speeds to have better accuracy. The RGB lights give it a beautiful appearance and make your gaming setup look more colorful and classy.
7 configurable buttons on the Philips Gaming mouse enable you to be more productive and efficient while meeting all of your gaming requirements. It suits every working environment. But its true strength lies as a gaming mouse. The precision and accuracy of this budget mouse become more evident when you set up the programmable keys according to your requirements.
Philips gaming mouse has four DPI levels by default, ranging from 1200 to 3200 DPI. This is not the highest DPI on the affordable gaming mouse, but there is no need to worry. In our test, we suggest that it’s less DPI than competitors still perform excellently. With DPI control, it becomes easy to modify the mouse speed to instantly match the speed of various games.
To fast adapt to your gaming needs for accuracy, mobility, or quickness, you may instantly swap between six different settings on the fly. These settings help you to adapt to the situation quickly. We found these features useful, especially when testing first-person shooter games. The aim and accuracy needed no further tweak as they worked like a charm and didn’t feel that we are playing on a cheap gaming mouse.
7. ROSEWILL Gaming Mouse
Precise and comfortable
Specifications:
| Manufacturer | Rosewill |
| Model | M59 |
| Sensor | Optical |
| Interface | USB/Wired |
| Buttons | 6 |
| DPI | 10,000 |
| RGB | Yes |
| Weight | 9.8 ounces |
| Dimension | 8.7 x 6.2 x 2.7 inches |
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The ROSEWILL M59 RGB backlit gaming mouse features a sleek design and 11 different lighting modes to provide all gamers with an engaging gaming experience. The pattern created by the gaming mouse’s RGB LED surround is unique and shares a uniqueness. It has a very responsive performance that enables it to perform excellently in most gaming titles.
ROSEWILL optical USB wired gaming mouse’s ergonomics allow gamers with large or small hands the most pleasant gaming experience possible. At the same time, the lightweight build minimizes tiredness even after extended periods of gameplay. It fits well in the hands and does not put stress on the wrist and palm. Despite the compact size, it is easy to operate with both claws and palms. But most gamers will like it with the claw method as it works best due to its small size.
If you are facing pain while using your mouse, you need to get the best vertical mouse to prevent wrist strain.
The customizable DPI and polling rate pickers on the Rosewill laser gaming mouse enable quick and easy changes insensitivity on the go, allowing for complete control in any gaming circumstance. You can change the DPI directly by using the button while playing games. It helps to adjust the cursor movement and control the aiming sensitivity without opening the software-based DPI control.
It does take only a few clicks to customize your ROSEWILL budget gaming mouse with the included software suite, which allows you to easily modify the DPI settings and the several modes of LED backlight effect. However, you cannot program keys and macros despite having software utility. This is a major downside for gamers who like to personalize the key mapping and set up macros.
Besides that, the overall gaming performance of the mouse does not look underpowered in most gaming titles. We have tested its performance on many titles, and each game reflected the same performance regarding the in-game aim and movement. If you are tight on budget and do not want to spend big bucks on an expensive gaming mouse, then Rosewill can suit your gaming needs.
Buying Tips For A Budget Gaming Mouse
Whether your budget is low or high, if you’re looking for the finest mouse money can buy, there are a few factors to consider to ensure that you don’t spend your hard-earned money on a lousy purchase. While not every mouse in this price range will score highly in each of these areas, they must nevertheless satisfy a high threshold for casual gaming to be considered worthwhile.
Buttons
The quality of the buttons on budget gaming mice and expensive gaming mice can be inconsistent, so it is crucial to select the highest quality. There are low-quality buttons available on both budget and costly mice that provide poor actuation and extra wobble. They can also show high click noises that spoil the gaming experience. The inexpensive mice selections on this list feature many programmable buttons that do not break your bank and heart.
Sensor Efficiency
We won’t find the more expensive mice sensor models because we only have $20 and $30 to work with. To keep the price of these mice as low as possible, we had to compromise for older versions of sensors. All gaming mice on this list have more than adequate DPI, so this is never a concern, and you won’t need anything higher than 4000 DPI anyway. The top choices in this category all have extremely dependable sensors, and as a result, they are at the higher end of the pricing spectrum compared to others.
Design and Material
The architecture of a gaming mouse is critical since it is used more frequently than any other item in a gamer’s inventory. A gaming mouse must be sturdy and durable, with a switch lifespan sufficient for the task at hand. It should have a practical design and construction to suits the handgrip for working long hours. Besides the construction, we can compromise slightly on other things, but a fragile mouse with a poor handgrip can cause serious issues.
Aesthetics
The fact that the manufacturer is producing something beyond the just functional is gratifying, even if aesthetics are not significant. While RGB lighting will not improve your gaming experience, it will give a splash of color to your workstation and provide a much-needed function to some of the more affordable mice on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several good performance mice under $30. However, SteelSeries Rival 3 tops our list due to its stable performance and high DPI settings. You can expect a stellar performance with custom RGB lights to improve the overall gaming experience second to none.
Buying a budget gaming mouse needs few things to keep in mind as you are trying to get maximum features on a limited budget. However, an excellent mouse-like SteelSeries Rival 3, Logitech G G203, and FIDIO Wired gaming mouse are top choices for best budget gaming mice under $20 and $30.
An excellent gaming mouse guarantees that its design is suitable for a wide range of hand sizes and grips when used for long hours on gaming. The three most commonly used mouse grip patterns are palm, claw, and fingertip. Decide the gaming mouse according to your grip type.
