After having just tried the world's first wireless gaming mouse with real-time haptic technology, it's safe to say that I've seen the next big step in competitive gaming — and it comes in the form of the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike.
Now, I'm a huge fan of competitive gaming, but I would never stand a chance against the outstanding capabilities of an esports athlete. These champs are on another level of accuracy, speed and reflexes, whether that be in Counter-Strike or League of Legends. Well, Logitech G's Pro X2 Superstrike took me a step closer to tasting pro-level gaming performance.
From the outside, this looks like a gaming mouse we're all familiar with from Logitech G. In fact, you'll find it shares a very strong resemblance to the popular Pro X Superlight 2. But after one click, you'll quickly discover that the new haptics tech under the hood plays a pivotal role in making this esports-geared mouse stand out from the best gaming mice today.
After taking the Pro X2 Superstrike for a test drive over at Logitech's labs in Switzerland, I can already tell this wireless gaming mouse will be a game-changer in not just the esports space, but in competitive gaming as a whole.
'HITS' right
You're able to adjust the actuation point and rapid trigger reset, along with the strength of the haptic click feel.
First things first. This isn't the same type of haptics you may be thinking of, like in, say, a PS5 DualSense controller. It's not used for immersion in gaming. Think of it more like the Force Touch trackpad on a MacBook, but with more to it.
The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike uses a Haptic Inductive Trigger System (HITS) for both mouse buttons. However, it blends inductive analog sensing and real-time haptic feedback, meaning you can still press down, but haptics will change how the click feels.
The goal? Faster click speeds, as you're able to adjust the actuation point and rapid trigger reset, along with the strength of the haptic click feel. For esports players, that's a vital factor in gaining the upper hand or losing to the competition; in a first-person shooter like Counter-Strike, the faster a click is registered, the sooner you hit an opponent before they do.
More impressively, HITS also reduces click latency by 30ms compared to other gaming mice that use traditional microswitches. That may not mean much for casual players, but in the competitive scene, especially at a pro level, that's a huge difference in speeds.
At first, I was skeptical of trying out haptics in a gaming mouse. Would clicks feel off from the switches we're used to? Does it leave more room for technical errors? Will it drastically impact battery life? But immediately after using it, along with tweaking its haptic settings via the Logitech G Hub, my worries were put to rest.
Not only does this feel like a regular, satisfying click, but I could sense and literally see the level of control I had in reaching the mouse button's actuation point. It's an eye-opening sensation, one that I never realized on my usual NZXT Lift Elite Wireless — and that's a great gaming mouse.
Logitech G has clearly done the legwork to make sure this PC peripheral was made for pro-level competitive play. So much so, in fact, that Logitech gathered real-time data from 40 pro and non-pro gamers to develop the Pro X2 Superstrike. At Logitech headquarters, Thadeous Cooper, Head of Design by Collaboration, told me that the team collected 2.22 terabytes of data to "understand pros." That's a lot of data.
But seeing the mouse in action helped me better understand how HITS is elevating the performance of clicks for esports players and, more impressively, for more casual gamers like myself.
Control that 'clicks'
Internally, the Pro X2 Superstrike is dubbed "Quickstrike" by Logitech G, and I can see why. With haptics onboard, the mouse achieves a 10% increase in CPS (clicks per second), and in competitive matches that last 30 minutes or more, like in League of Legends, that leaves room for more actions to be taken.
Even without a test, I could've told you that my CPS isn't very high, especially when compared to the blistering speeds of an esports player. Without the Pro X2 Superstrike's HITS and rapid trigger tech, I would get an average of 7.8 CPS in CPS Test over a 10-second period (that's a rank of a "Rabbit" with three out of five stars, according to the test).
With the features of the Pro X2 Superstrike turned on, though, I boosted my CPS to an incredibly satisfying 9.0 CPS. Alright, truth be told, it took me a couple of tries to reach that speed, but I was still over my average in each test. With the Superstrike, I was getting a better feel of where the actuation point was, sticking to a mid-point in the click so I wasn't reaching the bottom — shaving off precious milliseconds.
When I’m getting faster response times, there’s no point going back
Esports player Davey "Freq" Hendriks
Logitech's G Hub also helps visualize the pressure you use when pressing down on the mouse buttons. I could see (and feel) when I was approaching the actuation point of a registered click, and if this wasn't to my liking, I could always adjust so that the "click" was right at the top of the button. But everyone has different playstyles and games they play, which makes the Pro X2 Superstrike's customization options a huge perk.
In my brief time with the mouse, I was already seeing improvements in my CPS. I would like to think I'm fast, but seeing Logitech's scoreboard of esports players reach 11 CPS and above grounded me. However, it also showed that the Superstrike was benefiting the CPS of these pro-level gamers, too.
At headquarters, Rainbow Six Siege esports player Davey "Freq" Hendriks talked about using the Superstrike, and how it didn't take him long to adjust to an all-new gaming mouse to use in tournaments. I asked whether he would go back to previous pro-level mice: “No. When I’m getting faster response times, there’s no point going back.” I mean, if a bona fide esports player is saying this is the mouse he'll continue using, I'd say that speaks volumes.
It was fascinating to see the strides Logitech G has taken to improve the potential of a gaming mouse, even if it's just to do with a simple click. But these "small" upgrades see massive gains that are instrumental for esports, and it aids more casual players to reach the heights of the pros.
Reaching the pros
There's still plenty to test on the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but I'm already convinced this wireless gaming mouse will change the landscape of competitive gaming, thanks to it incorporating real-time haptics.
When it was collecting data from players for the mouse, a Logitech rep stated that "an 18-year-old Fortnite player said he felt like he was 14 again." This player was talking about their click and reaction speeds, which is funny, as here I am trying to grasp what I had in my 20s...
But it shows that there's still room for gaming technology geared for esports to grow, and Logitech G is taking a bold step forward in the right direction.
The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike is available to pre-order now in the U.S., priced at $179 / £159, and will be on shelves soon. Stay tuned for a full review of the mouse, and in the meantime, I'll be trying to bump up that CPS.
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