You’ve probably noticed a lot of weird and interesting mouse designs for gamers over the past few years. It makes one wonder if some of those design quirks even have a practical use at all, for instance, holes. Are the holes doing anything, or are they there just to make the gaming mouse look cool and unique? Gaming mice have holes in them for weight reduction. The holes significantly cut down the amount of plastic used for the body of the mouse. Thanks to the rigid hexagonal shape of the holes, they don’t feel any less sturdy compared to traditional gaming mice.
The rest of this article will go into detail to explain why holes in gaming mice are such an ingenious idea. I’ll also discuss the drawbacks of using a gaming mouse with holes and suggest a great alternative if you don’t like how gaming mice with holes feel in your hand.
Why Holes Are a Great Invention for Gaming Mice
Okay, so there must be a reason behind the madness of a mouse full of holes. The hole for the optical sensor on the bottom is definitely useful!
All jokes aside, there’s a good reason why every manufacturer on the market is trying to sell you a gaming mouse littered with holes.
A common trend in gaming-oriented computer gear is that every detail of its design is either extremely useful for something…or completely useless and just there to look cool. Companies might say a mouse with holes is more lightweight, and that’s true. But that can be achieved without poking holes all over the mouse.
Still, reducing the weight of a gaming mouse is a valid concern, especially when many of them are quite bulky and heavy. Mice made for gamers tend to be more durable and have a lot of add-ons, like extra buttons and RGB lights, which contribute to the overall weight.
This can make it harder to move the mouse quickly. For someone playing a real-time FPS game requiring fast inputs, the weight of the mouse can be a big deal.
Adding holes to the body of a mouse is a creative way of reducing its weight. Depending on how many holes there are, it can help a fair bit. There are other ways to reduce weight, but those would involve removing actual features from the mouse, like the very important RGB lights we all love and cherish.
There’s also the added benefit of making the mouse look cooler, or at least more unique and eye-catching. In the gaming industry, this is important; most gamers look at their computer setup like soccer players look at their expensive cleats. The more unique a piece of hardware looks, the more gamers tend to like it.
Health Benefits
Aside from an enhanced appearance and better performance, another benefit of a more lightweight mouse is reduced wrist strain. Using a computer generally won’t strain your hands or wrists too much. Still, it’s a different story for people who spend a lot of time playing intensive video games.
Overuse of a computer mouse in particular is known to increase the risk of carpal tunnel due to the constant wrist strain. Competitive games, such as the popular MOBA and FPS genres, require precise and constant cursor movements around the screen.
This can and often does lead to wrist damage over time, especially for competitive players. A lighter mouse means less strain and a reduced risk of developing long-term health issues like carpal tunnel syndrome down the line.
The Drawbacks of Using a Gaming Mouse With Holes
“If you’re concerned that something might enter the mouse through the holes and cause damage, that’s a valid worry.”
There’s also a very real possibility that a mouse with holes will be unreasonably pricey, like designer clothing. These mice look unique, which is a perfect excuse to charge more for them. It’s kind of odd when you think about it — you’re paying more money but getting less mouse. Advertising the odd appearance as a technical benefit helps justify the pricing.
In short, if you get a gaming mouse that’s full of holes, it’ll likely be very expensive and must be handled with care to avoid getting it dirty.
Best Alternative if You Don’t Want a Gaming Mouse With Holes
If you don’t care about the unique design, there are other options and arguably better ones.
Take this Razer Viper Ultralight Gaming Mouse (available on Amazon.com) as an example. Razer achieves a lighter weight by making the mouse more compact rather than by putting holes in it.
With that said, holes are trendy in the world of gaming mice, so most brands are doing that now. Lightweight mice that achieve their status through other means are still around, such as the above example, but you may have to do a bit more searching to find them.
Putting holes in gaming mice does have a practical use in making them more lightweight. It’s not the only way to do this, but it comes with the perk of making the mouse stand out more, which is arguably just as important to the target audience.
Despite the benefits, it’s still a largely unnecessary design choice that creates problems like vulnerability to dust and other environmental hazards. The holes will do as advertised and make the mouse more lightweight. Still, if you want the most practicality for the price, other gaming mice manage to be lightweight without sacrificing anything important.
