Lots of features for work and play

The Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum gaming mouse is a refined, feature-packed beast that fits just as well in the office as it does with a gaming rig.

The Proteus Spectrum is the RGB version of the Proteus Core launched two years ago. The newly-added lights, which take the form of a softly glowing "G" on the back of the mouse, are the only flash of levity in an otherwise serious product.

It eschews the usual lurid colours of gaming peripherals in favour of a formidable, coal-black shell that calls to mind Christopher Nolan's take on the Batmobile, with its harsh edges and angular accents.

The housing is ergonomically- curved plastic, with comfortably textured rubber grips on the sides and chrome-coloured accents. The thumb rest on the left of the mouse is a nice touch, but also one that makes it strictly a right-handed product.

It weighs a mere 121g without the cable, on par with the more basic Steelseries Rival 100 (120g), despite having RGB lighting and 11 programmable buttons.

Users who prefer a heavier feel can add up to five 3.6g weights to the bottom of the mouse for an additional 18g of heft.

Performance-wise, the Proteus Spectrum, which has a massive DPI range of 200 to 12,000, does not disappoint. In the months that I used it, the mouse was always responsive and accurate, with no noticeable shortcomings in its optical sensor.

The Proteus Spectrum also comes with Logitech's patented hyperscroll function that can be activated by pushing a button behind the mouse wheel. Pressing it makes the wheel free-scrolling, which is great when going though long documents in the office.

As with many of Logitech's other gaming peripherals though, I did find the Proteus Spectrum slightly overly-complicated.

The mouse comes with 11 programmable buttons, including tilting the scroll wheel left and right. However, they are not all arranged in a strict formation, unlike the Razer Naga's 12-button thumb grid.

Instead, you get a scattered array of two index finger buttons, three thumb buttons, and two more perched behind the scroll wheel. The index finger buttons are also not the most accessible, especially if you use your mouse with a claw grip like I do.

The feet of the mouse also have a tendency to peel, and catch on fabric mouse pads. It would have been better if the Proteus Spectrum came with replacement feet that could be easily swapped out.

Verdict: The Proteus Spectrum is a sublime marriage of form and function, although its 11 buttons and their placements are a tad overwrought.

TECH SPECS PRICE: $129

DIMENSIONS: 132mm (L) x 75mm (W) x 40mm (D)

WEIGHT: 121g (mouse only), 168g (mouse and cable), with up to 18g of additional weight DPI: 200 to 12,000

RATING FEATURES: 5/5

DESIGN: 4/5

PERFORMANCE: 4/5

VALUE FOR MONEY: 3/5

OVERALL: 4/5

This article was first published on April 6, 2016.
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