THE CRUNCH
Gaming mice have long settled at a 1,000 Hz polling rate, meaning the mouse reports its position and clicks to your PC once every millisecond. Over the past couple of years, though, nearly every new ultra-lightweight, esports-oriented mouse has pushed to 8,000 Hz, which reports 8,000 times per second for a latency of just 0.125 ms. Tom's Hardware's verdict on whether you need it: probably not. The jump from a standard non-gaming mouse's 125 Hz (8 ms latency) to 1,000 Hz is genuinely noticeable, but going from 1,000 Hz to 8,000 Hz shaves off less than a millisecond, a difference the average gamer is unlikely to perceive.
There are real downsides too. A higher polling rate means more frequent communication with your PC, which can tax the CPU; on a weaker processor, the performance hit may cancel out the tiny latency gain. And without a monitor refreshing at 240 Hz or faster, any smoother mouse movement is largely in your head.
Battery life takes a beating on wireless mice. The Corsair Sabre v2 Pro Wireless manages 120 hours at 1,000 Hz but only 21 hours at 8,000 Hz; the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K drops from 150 hours to 28; and the Turtle Beach Burst II Pro falls from 150 hours to 40. Razer's HyperFlux V2 and Logitech's PowerPlay 2 charging mouse pads can sidestep the drain, but 8,000 Hz still requires pairing via an 8,000 Hz dongle (included with some mice, sold separately in other cases), as neither pad supports it through its built-in receiver.
If you still want it, it no longer costs flagship money. Razer's Viper V3 Pro includes 8,000 Hz out of the box and is currently $110 at Amazon, down from $160, while the wired DeathAdder V3 is $45, down from $70. Budget brand Redragon's M916 ULT offers 8,000 Hz wireless in a 49g body for $50.