Our Verdict
76%
Versatile, comfortable and with excellent performance but it’s heavy and the slippery metal scroll wheel is a terrible idea. Good thing it’s currently ridiculously cheap, then.
The Logitech G502 has been around in various guises for nearly ten years, with the newest iteration adding in Logitech’s latest 25,000DPI Hero optical sensor. Billed largely as a general-purpose gaming mouse, Logitech has packed in six extra buttons and a scroll wheel that can freewheel or click to the Logitech G502 Hero, making this a much more versatile mouse than other more stripped-down gaming mice. Also, while its initial launch price was relatively high, it has consistently stayed at $40 or under, making it impressive value for its feature set.
The extra buttons consist of two to the front left of the conventional left-click button, an extra thumb button, a tilting scroll wheel (with buttons responding to both left and right tilts), and a single top-mounted button that’s fairly easy to hit with the base of your middle finger. It’s a nicely balanced and easily accessible selection that ensures all the buttons stay well out of the way when not needed but remain easy to reach when called upon.
The big caveat to this mouse’s button balance is its heavy metal scroll wheel, which to our eyes fails in several ways. The most egregious issue is its lack of a rubber coating. The shiny bare metal is a terrible surface for providing reliable grip.
Along with its slippery surface, there’s a wobbly, bouncy quality to the wheel. It presses in more before triggering its central button than most other mice and it has much more side-to-side play before triggering the tilt buttons too. Moreover, it’s easier to accidentally trigger the tilt buttons in intense gaming moments than other tilting wheels. To our eyes, it fundamentally isn’t a usable scroll wheel for any sort of gaming that requires a precise response, such as using the middle button for triggering a jump or crouch action or using the scroll wheel for weapon selection.
The one saving grace of the wheel is the button that sits behind it that removes the detents from the wheel to allow it to spin freely. This makes it great for scrolling through documents and web pages, though we’ve yet to find a use for it in games other than for tap strafing, but even then it feels a little too fast – more control is useful for tap strafing.
An addition we do find useful is the DPI indicator LEDs that sit between the back/forward thumb buttons and the left-click button. These shine out through the gap between your thumb and index finger making it easy to see at a glance what setting you’re on.
Under the mouse is a magnetically attached panel behind which can be stowed several weights that can be used to add to the already considerable G502 Hero weight of 121g, as well as to fine-tune its in-hand balance point. Along with its scroll wheel, the high weight of this mouse is one of its major drawbacks for any sort of precise, fast-action gaming. If you play FPS games – particularly competitive ones – lighter mice are far easier to fling around. That said, for the vast range of less mouse-movement-based games, the G502 Hero’s weight is less of a factor, but then equally you don’t need the fancy 25K sensor at the heart of this mouse.
Further adding to the weighty, slow, clunky feel of this mouse is its thick, stiff, braided cable. Its weight and stiffness significantly impeed the free movement of the mouse as compared to mice with very flexible lightweight cables or wireless mice. It should prove very sturdy, though.
On the plus side, this mouse’s shape is excellent, providing comfortable grip for all styles, helped by thick rubber grip pads on its side. It is quite narrow, though – particularly towards its back – so those with larger hands may find it a little cramped.
When it comes to tracking performance, we can’t fault the G502 Hero sensor. Logitech’s Hero sensor is right up there with the best and will keep up with the most extreme movements.
We also really like the way Logitech’s software recognizes installed games and will show game functions – grenade select, jump, switch weapon, and such – directly so you can assign them to buttons, rather than having to remember which key you’ve assigned to a function in-game.
Logitech G502 Hero pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent extra button positions
- Comfortable, versatile shape
- Solid overall performance
Cons:
- Too heavy for our liking
- Slippery metal scroll wheel
- Stiff cable
Logitech G502 Hero specs
The Logitech G502 Hero specs list is:
| Weight | 112g |
| Dimensions (mm) | 75 x 132 x 40 mm (W x D x H) |
| Sensor | Logitech Hero optical, 25,000 DPI, 40g acceleration |
| Buttons | 11 (left, right, scroll wheel press, 2 x scroll wheel tilt, 2 x side/thumb, under thumb, top, 2 x to the left of left-click) |
| Cable | Fixed, 1.8m, thick braided |
| Battery life | N/A |
| Extras | 6 extra buttons, RGB lighting, side tilting scroll wheel, weights system |
Logitech G502 Hero price
The Logitech G502 Hero price is $40 (£38) making it great value for a top-tier gaming mouse with plenty of features.
Price: Expect to pay $40 (£38)
Logitech G502 Hero review conclusion
The Logitech G502 Hero is one of the most popular mice in the world and for good reason in terms of its overall versatility. Its extra buttons sit in useful positions and its freewheeling scroll wheel is great for productivity. Its shape is also comfortable for a range of grip styles and hand sizes. However, when it comes to fast-paced gaming, the weight of the mouse and its slippery metal scroll wheel significantly hold it back.