I like Logitech’s G403 Prodigy Gaming Mouse a lot, but it’s hard to explain why. I mean, I’m not a diehard MOBA guy who needs to have precious milliseconds shaved off response times. Yes, the G403’s box boasts that it has a “1ms wireless report rate and gaming-grade sensor” but it’s like giving me a shun fuji chef’s knife to make a grilled cheese. I’ll use it, sure, but can’t pretend it makes me some kind of pro.
Which is kind of the spirit behind the G403 and the new Prodigy line. Logitech is aiming to make casual gamers more comfortable with the oft-intimidating bells and whistles of hardcore PC gaming culture. They still make plenty of PC gear that looks like it belongs in the batcave , but the G403 isn’t that. It’s a supremely comfortable, capable mouse that looks rather ordinary.
But don’t be deceived. There’s plenty going on between the buttons. It has the same 2.4GHz wireless connection the much ballyhooed G900 Chaos Spectrum mouse has, as well as the PMW3366, which it calls “the world’s most advanced gaming mouse sensor.” It’s noticeably faster than the vanilla mouse that came with my PC, but I didn’t put it through a Pepsi Challenge-style gauntlet alongside any competitors of note. And I really can’t fathom the amounts of caffeine/adderall/not being over 30 I’d need to notice the microseconds piling up.
What I did notice, and what anyone else will likely notice, is that the G403 Prodigy Gaming Mouse feels good (man). It’s exceptionally light, and comes with a removable weight that I put in and left in. The soft rubber sides and smooth plastic shell feel natural and the plastic doesn’t show my greasy gaming fingerprints. Like the speed it didn’t strike me at first, until I switched back to a regular mouse, how comfortably it fit in my hand. If you’re going to log the kind of hours I do on a mouse that level of comfort really matters.
Like other Logitech products, the G403 is integrated into the Logitech G companion software. If you’re unfamiliar, the Logitech G app allows for some high-level customization of all your Logitech gear. At a glance, this is all about the pretty lights that you can play with. A backlit logo and a small stripe on the scroll wheel are the only illumination on this model, but I like the sparse lighting paired with my G410 keyboard (which is about as subtle as a Times Square acid trip). The lights are a fun feature to play with, but my favorite thing about the Logitech G approach are the customized profiles you can make for settings across all your stuff.
Since the G403 comes with six programmable buttons, I set up different configurations for editing at work (putting Ctrl-I on a button was a game changer), playing MMOs and a Stardew Valley setting that maps specific numeral keys to the mouse. The Logitech G software is very intuitive and not too intimidating at first, but you can get into the nitty gritty with your DPI sensitivity levels and report speed, too. And the wireless setup is as simple as plugging an adapter into a USB. You’ll want to keep the charging cord nearby, just in case, but the battery life is more than sufficient for consistent daily usage.
Priced at $100, the G403 might not be in the range for casual PC users. But if you spend a lot of time on the PC for work or school, and then use it as your primary gaming device on nights and weekends, I’d call it a good investment. The comfort and customization are top-notch and it’s definitely a step-up from an ordinary mouse. If you can’t bring yourself to splurge $100, a wired version retails for $70. And if you can’t afford that, you probably won’t have any qualms about putting it on a holiday wish list, at least. I’d put it on mine if I didn’t already have one.
