Soon after its release, Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum has gained a reputation as one of the best all-purpose gaming mice. Well, I agree to a point. It is a wonderful all-rounder indeed and I was pretty worried that I will not be able to outline even one major drawback in my review. Later I found out that the mouse does have its faults but the pros definitely outnumber the cons. If you are among those gamers who often switch between genres, you will totally like the G502. It is a wonderful, highly customizable, inexpensive gem that will give you a competitive advantage in fast-paced FPS and strategic MOBAs.
Logitech is among the brands that offer both super affordable gaming gear as well as high-end peripherals that meet the requirements of pro gamers. The G502 Proteus Spectrum is the happy medium between quality and affordability. It is the worthy successor of the Logitech G502 Proteus Core mouse but it is twice less expensive than the Core.
As a matter of fact, the biggest difference between the Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum and the Logitech G502 Proteus Core is the addition of RGB lighting. “You must be kidding me”- some of you would say. No, folks, I am dead serious, the G502 has RGB lighting and interestingly enough, it comes at a pretty reasonable price. Apparently, Logitech has followed the rule “If something works fine, don’t tweak it.” Let’s dig deeper into the matter, though.
G502 Proteus Spectrum Basics
The Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum is a high performing gaming mouse, tailored to fit the playstyle of every gamer. In terms of performance, the mouse is frequently compared to the DeathAdder Elite. Well, it seems that Razer has also decided to make some mild upgrades to the DeathAdder Elite and it is not a big departure from its predecessor. I was lucky to put my hands on the DeathAdder Elite, too and I dare to say that I could not notice any significant difference in the performance of the DeathAdder and the G502 Proteus Spectrum. Both of them have incredible tracking capabilities; they are similarly priced and offer decent customization features. However, the G502 Proteus Spectrum offers a max DPI of 12,000, while Razer’s rodent goes all the way up to 16,000 DPI. I cannot imagine a situation in which someone would need such crazy DPI settings, but we have what we have. That being said, those who prefer to have more buttons would opt for the G502 as it has 11 buttons, while the DeathAdder Elite features 7. I guess it is a matter of personal preference.
G502 Proteus Spectrum Design and Button Layout
In terms of design, button placement, and features, the Proteus Spectrum is not too different from the Proteus Core. The former has texturized rubber grips; the left side is also equipped with a thumb groove with three buttons – a DPI shift in front, and forward and backward buttons. The button placement implies that the mouse is unsuitable for lefties. Sometimes, I think that manufacturers have entered a secret competition named: “Avoid ambi shape at all costs” and you have my word that soon I will compile the best gaming mouse for lefties list.
There are another two buttons beneath the scroll wheel – the top button toggles friction for hyper-fast scrolling and the bottom one enables users to switch between three gaming profiles. The scroll wheel itself is ridged and tiltable.
G502 Proteus Spectrum Weight Tuning System
If you pay attention to how the G502 Proteus Spectrum is listed on Amazon, you will definitely notice the word “Tunable”. Yes, it is among the rodents that enable you to tweak the weight so that it corresponds to the genre and your individual playstyle.
If you are planning an Overwatch marathon, you will probably need a lighter mouse that smoothly glides across the surface and helps you land precise headshots. However, for a competitive LoL game, you will need to fine-tune the mouse and make it heavier in the center or towards the palm. To cut a long story short, you can add the weights via the magnetic cover and push the mouse to its limits.
G502 Proteus Spectrum Sensor
The G502 Proteus Spectrum has the same optical sensor as the G303 Daedalus Apex and offers a max DPI of 12,000 and up to 1000Hz polling rate.
To optimize sensor’s tracking accuracy, you can fiddle with the settings and adjust it to glide smoothly on a mouse pad or on your desk. I consider it useless to explain why in-game accuracy is important. All I have to say is that I was impressed by the feature and the difference it makes.
G502 Proteus Spectrum Software
The G502 is fully customizable via the Logitech software and enables you to switch between the customized profiles. In other words, you save your settings in the onboard memory; the mouse automatically detects the game on your computer and set up the profiles accordingly.
As I have already mentioned, the Proteus Spectrum features RGB lighting that can be adjusted via the software as well. If you own any other Logitech branded peripherals, you should totally make your own color synchronization heaven.
Is the Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum Worth the Purchase?
My most honest answer is YES. Overall, the G502 is the perfect all-purpose gaming mouse and the best of all is that you don’t have to break the bank to purchase it. I tested it in a variety of games: CS:GO, Overwatch, and The Witcher 3 being among them, and I did not notice any significant lag.
The buttons are well-placed, although the preset DPI adjustment buttons gave me some hard time. I mean, it is not a big deal but I found them a bit prone to misclicks when trying to increase/ decrease the DPI. Luckily, you can always reassign these functions to a button that is convenient to you.
In conclusion, right-handed gamers will appreciate the great performance, the wealth of customization options and the whopping number of buttons. The Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum is without a doubt, a worthy alternative to products that have the same capabilities but carry quite a hefty price tag.
- PowerPlay wireless charging
- Light speed wireless gaming mouse
- Hero 25K sensor through a software update from G HUB, this upgrade is free to all players
- 11 customizable buttons and hyper fast scroll wheel
- Adjustable weight system
