For passionate gamers, a gaming mouse is a must-have due to its high build quality and the fact that professionals also use the devices. However, the trend has been to provide tactile and auditory feedback for both mice and keyboards, so it’s helpful to know how to make them quieter.
Here are 5 ways how to make a gaming mouse click quieter:
- Modify the mouse switches directly.
- Insert memory foam.
- Apply electrical tape.
- Switch mouse mats or surfaces.
- Consider silent mouse options.
If your mouse clicks are very noisy or annoying, this article provides some easy ways to make a gaming mouse click quieter.
1. Modify the Mouse Switches Directly
Modifying the mouse switch involves opening up the mouse and making some adjustments. Before you attempt this, keep in mind that many mice have tamper-proof screws or are designed in a way so that it voids your warranty if you try the following tips.
Additionally, it’s best to look up your specific mouse for any video guides on how to do it or detailed instructions for your exact mouse to ensure you don’t inadvertently break something.
Here’s how to modify the switch:
- Open up the mouse by looking for any screws on the bottom of the mouse. Undo these and then work the two shells apart. Generally, the mouse’s body is held together by internal plastic clips, so you need to open it up a certain way so as not to break these.
- Open the circuit board and mouse click switches and adjust using a hammer and screwdriver. The switch has a plastic cover that’s held by a clip on the side. Push this in to expose the clicking mechanism.
- Move the clips. This is done by bending the metal clips with the tip of the screwdriver, aided by taps using the hammer, so they don’t collide so heavily with the mechanism, causing a softer clicking sound.
- Test how the mouse clicks will sound. Keep in mind that the clicks will be a lot louder with the cover and mouse body off.
- Put the cover back on by pressing on the metal switches with a screwdriver.
You can watch a step-by-step video here by PatonHaus on Youtube to see what this involves for a Lenovo mouse:
Note: This can only be performed on a specific type of mouse switch. If your mouse switch instead consists of a metal disc that pops, this technique and the following foam technique likely won’t work at all.
2. Insert Memory Foam
If you don’t feel confident with bending the small switch mechanism, that’s fine, you can instead use a small piece of memory foam to soften the clicking sound.
Once you’ve done the above steps and taken the cover off the switch, cut up a rectangle-size of foam that has the dimensions of a pill. This piece of foam can be inserted into the clicking mechanism, stopping metal tapping on metal.
Test whether the clicking mechanism can still be pressed and moved; otherwise, the mouse clicks can’t be registered due to being blocked by the foam. You can use a smaller piece of foam to give the mechanism more room to move.
3. Apply Electrical Tape
You can layer electrical tape on top of the clicking mechanism to add padding so that the mechanism does not directly strike metal on metal, which generates the noise.
Access the switches and remove the plastic covers, then use a sharp utility knife to cut out strips of tape that’ll fit over the mechanism. It’s crucial to check that the tape is in between the tab at the back of the clicker, as this is where the sound comes from.
You can follow this guide from Brit to see some pictures of how the whole process is done.
Instead of modifying the switches directly, there are other ways to dampen the clicking sound. While the clicking mechanism generates the clicking sound, this can reverberate around the inside of the mouse.
Thick tape, like electrical tape, may help absorb and dampen the sound. Amazon sells Scotch Electrical Tape that comes in a 66 feet (20 meters) roll and is 0.7 inches (1.77 centimeters) thick and will be perfect for this application.
After opening up the mouse shell, apply the tape to the inside surfaces of the mouse body, particularly above the clicking switches.
4. Switch Mouse Mats or Surfaces
If you have your mouse on a hard, solid surface, this can act as an amplifier for the clicks of the mouse. The clicks involve vibrations of components, and these sound waves will be transferred through solid objects, including the surface you have your mouse on.
Try using a cloth mousepad or other soft mouse-friendly surface. The Steelseries QcK is one of the best-selling mousepads of all time, rated for its high quality, smooth texture, and thick material. This’ll help your mouse track better and insulate the sound.
5. Consider Silent Mouse Options
The move towards loud, tactile, and clicky gaming peripherals has also created a market for quieter equipment for use by people who want to be discreet or have sleeping housemates.
Logitech has even gone so far as to dedicate a whole page to it with the Silent Mice article.
You can search for these on Amazon by using keywords like quiet click mouse or silent mouse. The Logitech M330 Silent Plus is an excellent choice as it’s wireless and boasts the same tactile feel of a click, with 90% less noise.
Key Takeaways
Gaming mice can let out loud noise in clicks due to a market demand that there are stiff, mechanical parts with tactile feedback. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t try and make your gaming mouse quieter.
Some of the things to try include:
- Bending the clicking switch to make it softer
- Inserting memory foam to dampen the switching noise
- Covering the inside of the mouse shell with electrical tape
- Considering switching mouse mats or surfaces
- Finding a silent version of your current mouse
