When it comes to using a computer mouse, not everyone wants flashy RGB lighting or extra features in their mouse. However, nowadays gaming mice have become incredibly popular and you’ll find them in different price ranges in tandem with regular use mice.
But you might be wondering if a gaming mouse can be used as a normal mouse? Well, if that’s the case, then you’re in the right place because that’s what I’m here to tell you.
In this article, I’m going to talk about gaming mice, what features make them gaming-forward, what normal mouse functions are, and whether a gaming mouse can be used as a normal mouse or not.
So, without wasting any further time, let’s get started with this guide.
Table of Contents
What Features Make a Gaming Mouse?
Gaming mice aren’t called gaming mice for no reason. There are a few features and elements that they’re supposed to have that give them that title. Let’s take a look at some of the main features that make a gaming mouse effective.
- RGB Lighting – A big part of gaming mice is RGB lighting. From the simple single line of LED lighting to complex and customizable RGB patterns stretching across the entire mouse, lighting can be found implemented in different ways on a gaming mouse if you’re thinking of getting one.
- Extra Buttons – Gaming mice are known to offer extra buttons other than the simple two-sided buttons as well as the scroll wheel so that gamers can assign different actions to these buttons and make their gameplay experience better. These buttons can also be used to assign different functions as well.
- Gaming Design – Not only the internal functionality but the external design also matters quite a lot when it comes to gaming mice. Gaming-forward designs that are over-the-top and have many contoured edges and ergonomic spaces are really important when it comes to gaming mice.
- Adjustable DPI – If we talk about the mouse sensitivity, normal mice tend to have a fixed DPI. But when it comes to gaming mice, different games require different DPI and for that, dedicated buttons are created for a single-click DPI change. You can also fix the DPI range and change things around if the mouse allows it.
What Functions of a Computer Mouse Qualify as Normal Ones?
If you don’t really need your computer mouse to function too with extra features and just do the bare minimum that allows you to effectively use your computer, then you need a basic computer mouse. Here are the features that a simple normal mouse tends to have:
- Scrolling – The simplest function that a computer mouse performs is scrolling the screen. Using this feature, you can scroll documents, webpages, and even perform some actions in games and other applications. Regular mice come with scroll click buttons as well to add a bit of variety to the buttons at times.
- Moving Cursor Around – The main function of a computer mouse is moving the cursor around. You can move the cursor around on the monitor screen and perform a variety of different actions. This function also allows you to move around in games and on other applications as well.
- Dragging and Opening Files – Another very basic function that normal mice tend to perform is opening files. You can open files by double-clicking them and you can drag files around and move them from one place to another by holding the left-click button on them. These actions can help quite a lot in functioning the computer.
- Accessing Options – By right-clicking on a file or folder or any application for that matter, you can easily access the options of that particular element. From opening to deleting and even renaming, these along with many other options can be accessed through this menu. These are the majority of functions a normal mouse performs.
Can a Gaming Mouse be Used as a Normal Mouse?
Well, you must be thinking to yourself, does a gaming mouse have all these basic features? The simple answer is yes. A gaming mouse can be used as a normal mouse if you have no other function for it.
If all you need to do with your mouse is simply scroll your screen, click on files and folders, drag, copy, and paste things around the screen, then you’re going to be able to do all that.
Got a problem with the extra flashiness? Most of the gaming mice right now on the market have the capability of switching off the RGB lighting so you can focus more on productivity and not on the blinking lights.
If you have any kind of problem with the DPI settings, you can lock them to a certain point so that you don’t swipe the whole screen with just an inch of movement of the mouse.
The fact of the matter is that any feature that a gaming mouse has that you feel is excessive can be restricted to a certain point so that the mouse can behave the way you want.
So, yes, if you want to use your gaming mouse just for basic computer usage functions, you’re definitely going to be able to do that. You’ll be missing out on great features but it is a personal preference decision and you can use it for just the basic functions if you want to.
Conclusion
If you have the right gaming mouse with all the great features in it, not only will it be able to function as a proper gaming mouse in different spaces, but it will also help you achieve all your basic normal computer usage functions as well.
So, if you have a gaming mouse and you’re getting one without any special gaming needs, you’re still going to be able to use it for normal computer usage.
Now you know that a gaming mouse can be used as a regular mouse, but what about the opposite? Check out this article here: Can a Regular Mouse be Used as a Gaming Mouse?