Is a Vertical Mouse Good For Gaming? (2023)

This post is about ergonomic mice and whether you can use them for gaming. More specifically, let’s look at whether these types of mice might not be better for gaming than conventional mice.

A vertical or ergonomic computer mouse is a suitable replacement for a regular mouse in games with a low click rate. The more relaxed hand position has many advantages. In specific genres, such as first-person shooters, this kind of mouse’s click rate and precision is too low.

Something is fascinating about the strange vertical mice in the electronics store or at your colleague’s place of work. But would it be worth playing with an ergonomic mouse? Could you perhaps even play better with it than with “standard” gaming mice?

Let’s illuminate this rough answer above a bit and clarify a few detailed questions.

Note: This article was written in English. Translations into other languages may not provide the same linguistic quality. We apologize for grammatical and semantic errors.

Is a Vertical or Ergonomic Mouse Good For Gaming?

In general, it can be said that ergonomic computer mice protect tendons and muscles through their vertical hand position.

This is good and enormously advantageous for games, where many mouse movements and mouse clicks come together.

Most people do not start directly with a vertical mouse when using a computer. We learn how to use a computer with a regular horizontal mouse. Therefore it is very unfamiliar to work with a vertical mouse at first.

Therefore, it is not surprising if many users are frustrated that the vertical mouse feels comfortable but cannot compete with the regular mouse in terms of precision and speed.

The scenario could be compared to someone writing with the right hand and suddenly having to correspond with the left due to a broken arm. The result looks similar.

It is therefore not entirely fair to say that an ergonomic mouse is not suitable for gaming. There is simply no one who has started playing games natively with a vertical mouse.

After a more extended period of getting used to it, a gamer would have to play most games as well or as badly as someone with a regular computer mouse. 

Suppose the use of a computer and playing video games is started with a vertical mouse. In that case, an ergonomic mouse’s performance will not differ from the results with a regular computer mouse in most genres. For the FPS genre, where extremely fast horizontal movements are required, a regular mouse has an advantage.

Honest recommendation: 
You have the skill, but your mouse doesn't support your aiming perfectly? Never struggle with your mouse grip again. Masakari and most pros rely on the Logitech G Pro X Superlight. See for yourself with this honest review written by Masakari or check out the technical details on Amazon right now.

A gaming mouse that fits you makes a significant difference!

Is a Vertical or Ergonomic Mouse Good For FPS Gaming?

As I wrote at the beginning, specific genres do not fit the ergonomics of a vertical mouse.

First-person shooters are one example. In shooter games, the crosshair has to be moved horizontally rather than vertically in fast jumps. In so-called “flicks”, a very fast and precise movement is performed from the wrist. It has been proven that this unusual movement can be performed much faster with a regular mouse than with a vertical mouse. 

Simply put, this is due to the angle of rotation in the wrist.

 

Is a Vertical or Ergonomic Mouse Good For Gaming on a Console?

In principle, the above applies here. If you start with a vertical mouse into the gaming world on the console or if you have never had a regular mouse in your hand before, then gaming with an ergonomic mouse is the most normal thing in the world for you. But with a console, the question always arises: Why do you want to put the controller aside and take a mouse instead?

All games on a console are optimized for the use of the controller. Playing with a vertical or even regular mouse is not intended by the manufacturer. Anyway, the result will be the same for most genres if you have a vertical mouse with as many keys as a controller. Otherwise, you would miss essential control options. 

In the case of a console, you don’t have an advantage with a mouse in first-person shooters because, in FPS games, there is always an Aim-Assist function on the console. This function helps you move the crosshair precisely to a target if you have brought the crosshair relatively close to the controller’s target and pressed the appropriate key.  

 

Are There Any Vertical or Ergonomic Gaming Mice at All?

If you google for vertical gaming mice, you get “the ten best vertical gaming mice” and so on as results. But on closer inspection, these are all standard office computer mice.

There are currently precisely two vertical or ergonomic gaming mice, but neither of them can be recommended.

One of them (NPET V20 RGB) is allowed to call itself a gaming mouse because it is brimming with LED lighting. The mouse fits common gaming equipment but can’t even begin to compete with a real gaming mouse regarding the individual functions and components’ performance.  

NPET RGB Gaming Mouse

The second candidate (TRELC Vertical Gaming Mouse with 5 D Rocker) deserves the name gaming mouse because it has a unique feature that standard mice do not have: A small joystick. The joystick is attached to the ergonomic mouse’s top and can be operated more or less well with the thumb.

TRELC Gaming Mouse

There may be games where this feature is superior to a regular mouse – unfortunately, none came to my mind. 🙂

Conclusion

If you are reading this article because you are interested in vertical mice, it is probably already too late. You have almost certainly googled and clicked this article with a regular mouse with a horizontal hand position. This means that your complete motoric skills regarding mouse movements are already imprinted. Your muscle memory expects the same movement signals as always.

If you use a vertical mouse, you will have to be patient and train your muscle memory.

There is a fascinating video about this process in which someone has reversed the movement when steering a bicycle. After a very long period of getting used to it, the guy could normally drive the bike.

If your brain is not yet predefined, i.e., you started your computer life with an ergonomic mouse, you will get the same results in gaming as with a regular mouse. There is one exception: Games that require “flicks,” i.e., fast horizontal movements, like FPS games, do not get along very well with vertical mice. The vertical angle of the wrist provides slightly restricted horizontal mobility in contrast to regular mice.

I can only encourage you to give it a try. Especially during longer sessions, an ergonomic mouse is very relaxing.

Have you ever wondered if wireless mice might be good for gaming? Here is the answer.

If you don’t even know which is the best gaming mouse for you, then check out this article:

If you have a question about the post or pro gaming in general, write to us: contact@raiseyourskillz.com.

If you want to get more exciting information about becoming a pro gamer and what relates to pro gaming, subscribe to our newsletter here.

GL & HF! Flashback out.

Related Topics