Logitech G502 X Plus Review: Lightspeed RGB Gaming Mouse

When it landed in 2014, the G502 shook up the mouse world: Logitech had a model with outstanding ergonomics and a full feature set, and for a long time it was the only mouse to offer a declutchable free-spin wheel — perfect for office work while keeping top-tier gaming credentials. The G502 X is the synthesis of everything Logitech has changed since. This review is based on that published test, not on a hands-on trial of our own.

Since the G502 is a reference, Logitech had no reason to tamper much with the recipe, and the G502 X shares plenty with its predecessors. Look closer, though, and the silhouette is a touch slimmer and less hunched, so the hand falls naturally onto the back of the mouse for a palm grip.

It comes in three versions on one base. The plain G502 X is the entry model — wired only, 89g, no lighting. The G502 X Lightspeed adds Logitech's wireless dongle but stays unlit. The G502 X Plus reviewed here is the top of the range, identical to the Lightspeed save for an eight-zone RGB strip along the back. There is no left-handed version, and smaller hands — children especially — may struggle to reach the thumb buttons. Those buttons are one of the mouse's strengths, though: alongside the two main clicks there are two by the index finger and three for the thumb, including a customisable "sniper" button that ships with swappable caps so you can angle or remove the tab. On top sit a wheel-declutch button and a spare "G9" command, just ahead of the famous wheel — which still free-spins without notches and carries a main click plus two side clicks. The back is finished with a grip, especially towards the rear, and the RGB strip is kept discreet. Underneath are four PTFE feet, a USB-C port, a power switch and dongle storage; the old weight-adjustment system is gone, so each version has a fixed mass — 89g, 102g and 106g respectively.

The G502 X's ergonomics are exceptional — no surprise, as this shape has always been praised, though a palm grip is a personal thing. The main clicks use Logitech's Lightforce hybrid switches, marrying a mechanical feel to optical speed and reliability. The sensor is Logitech's HERO 25K, and while some may wish for more than 25,600 dpi, it is hard to see the point of going higher; precision is beyond reproach and it never dropped out in testing. The glide is excellent too, and the diet Logitech has imposed tells: under 90g the base model is genuinely light, and even the wireless versions, at 102 to 106g, are light for what they pack. Logitech quotes close to 40 hours of battery with the Plus's LEDs on — a figure borne out in testing — rising to 130 hours off, and 140 on the Lightspeed. The Lightspeed 2.4 GHz wireless is impeccable: rock-solid, with very low latency, the wired connection only marginally and imperceptibly ahead. The sniper button drops sensitivity on the fly, and the free-spin wheel is a joy for scrolling long web pages, though its notched mode could be quieter and the main buttons are perhaps a touch thin — tiny quibbles against so much polish.

A mouse this well equipped naturally leans on software, and here it is Logitech's G HUB, which installs and recognises the device without fuss and gathers all the brand's peripherals into one portal. The G502 X's settings sit across three tabs: sensitivity, adjustable in 100-dpi steps between 400 and 25,600 and switchable at a button; button assignments, freely remappable with a second function on each; and Lightsync for the eight LED zones, with a good range of animations. The polling rate can be set to 125, 250, 500 or 1,000 Hz. A couple of enthusiast options are missing — lift-off distance and debounce timing — but neither is essential for most people.

Of the three G502 X models, the top Plus is the focus here, but the conclusions hold for the range bar the wireless features — and they nearly all point the same way, because Logitech has once again delivered a near-perfect mouse. Beyond a price that is perhaps a little high, the only real flaw is the absence of a left-handed version, which will bother at most 15% of people; there is also a relative lack of newness and the loss of the weight-adjustment system, but neither is troubling. What stands out is the reference-grade ergonomics, the sober design lifted by tasteful lighting, the many quality, well-placed buttons and a wheel that is simply the best of its kind, side clicks and free-spin included. Add the ability, on the wireless versions, to pair several Logitech devices on the one dongle, plus excellent battery life and a lighter body, and with the HERO 25K sensor and Lightforce switches proving perfectly effective whatever the use, the G502 X Plus is a marvel.