Logitech has enough gaming mice to form an army. So does the G309 do enough to stand out from the rest? Or is the mid-range marvel better left to sit out the PC mouse battlefield?
The Logitech G309 is based on the shape of the Logitech G305 gaming mouse, just with a little extra thickness. Its thicker shape is meant to make the compact mouse easier for palm grippers over its more colorful predecessor.
Over my time spent with the G309, I set out to discover if the lightweight mouse is all it is cracked up to be. Or are PC gaming fans better left to stick to Logitech’s other gaming mouse offerings?
Key Specs
- Weight: 86g (with battery) 68g (with Powerplay desk pad)
- Connectivity: Lightspeed Wireless & Bluetooth
- Buttons: x6 programmable left-side buttons
- Sensor: HERO 25k
- Maximum DPI: 25,600 dpi
- Polling rate: 1000
- Battery life: 300+ hours (constant motion, Lightspeed wireless)600+ hours with Bluetooth
- Features: Powerplay support, up to 5 onboard memory profiles, PTFE feet, precision tracking, Lightforce Hybrid optical switches, soft grip scroll wheel, removable back plate
- Price: $79.99
PROS | CONS |
Long battery life | Powerplay sold separately |
Lightweight | Runs off battery |
Simple setup | Uncomfortable for big hands |
Easy-to-use software support (G Hub) | Limited colorway options |
Affordable mid-range price |
Design
The small stature of the G309 still feels awkward in my overtly large hands – even after multiple weeks.
It’s worth noting that my grip is halfway between a claw and a palm grip. This already makes the best gaming mice awkward to hold onto. But the shape just wasn’t comfortable enough to get my hand around. So, anyone with larger hands, be warned.
The entire mouse is pretty compact on all sides, reaching a height of 39mm. Being a battery-powered wireless mouse, there are no unsightly wires to be seen.
The G309 comes in either a black or white colorway. Rather than having a glossy cheap-looking finish, the white version looks pretty professional with its matte finish and silver details.
The professional look continues as despite being a gaming mouse, there’s no RGB lighting to be seen. Instead, the G309 features a single LED under the left and right-click buttons, alongside the blue LED on the underside for connectivity.
Features
The Logitech G309 lightspeed wireless mouse comes with a single AA battery, optional grip stickers, a USB cable extender, and a Lightspeed USB receiver. It’s lightweight, coming in at only 86g in total with its single AA battery inserted. While great for esports or twitch-action games, it’s not my cup of tea.
This ightweight feeling made my wrist over-compensate for moving it around, which added an uncomfortable strain on not just my wrist, but my hand overall.
Lightweight Powerplay
Typically, my trusty Corsair Nightsabre gaming mouse weighs in at 99g, which is at that perfect mid-way point. However, after multiple weeks, I still found it difficult to get used to the drop in even just 13g for the G309.
If, unlike myself, you prefer something even lighter, the G309 has its options. You can swap out the battery and lighten the mouse to 68g if you have a compatible Logitech Powerplay desk mat. The nature of the Powerplay tech will also continuously keep the mouse going, rather than using that single battery.
Battery life
In this day and age, I’m much more of a fan of wireless gaming mice I can charge over time. However, the battery power of the G309 meant I never had to worry about it dying out while I was mid-way through a stressful game of Left 4 Dead 2 with friends. (Just so long if I remembered to switch the mouse to the ‘off’ position at the end of the day.)
As stated above, the G309 can be powered by a single AA battery, which is included. This single AA battery is cleverly inserted into the mouse by pushing down the front to reveal a battery-shaped hatch.
Running on an AA battery, Logitech boasts that the G309 can last up to 300 hours. While I never reached that figure, in the multiple weeks since having it in my possession, I never had any issues with the battery dying on me.
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Logitech G Hub software
Once the G309 was up and running, it already required a firmware update.
Luckily, Logitech’s G Hub is known for being one of the better free accompanying software packages out there. Once the mad scientist-looking cable setup was complete, the G309 quickly updated. Navigating around Logitech G Hub’s various customizable options was the same simple process I’m used to.
G Hub always feels like the more accessible software of the bunch. It’s got easy-to-read chunky text, and optional tutorials which make it straightforward to use. With the sensitivity feeling a bit off of the box, setting it to a comfortable DPI was an easy task.
Gaming performance
Even with the DPI set to my liking, something about the G309 always felt off. Whether I was using it for work, or trying to secure my aim in Left 4 Dead 2. The feeling of the compact mouse in my hand felt uncomfortable, which meant my aim was a little off.
The G309 isn’t low-powered by any means. It’s decked out with Logitech’s HERO 25k sensor. This boosts the mouse up to a supported 25,600 DPI and equips it with “sub-micron precision.”
However, with its thin width, the palm of my head was left constantly trying to get comfortable.
As outlined earlier, the rear bump of the mouse was specifically designed to be more accommodating for palm grippers. However, as someone who mostly uses a palm grip, I could never find that sweet spot.
This awkwardness left me unable to focus when in games. Instead, I felt the compulsion to switch to my Nightsabre mouse repeatedly throughout testing, just to avoid any possible strain on my right hand.
Should you buy the Logitech G309 Lightspeed gaming mouse?
At $79.99, the Logitech G309 sits at a reasonable mid-range price point, which makes sense.
While the lightweight mouse is capable of being decent for approaching first-person shooters, it doesn’t have the extra parade of features you’d expect from a similar-tier gaming mouse. However, for the more competitive gamers who care about getting every single precision pixel perfect, and need a little more comfort for those extra-long gaming sessions, it doesn’t quite live up to its palm-gripper-friendly expectations.
Verdict: 3/5
The Logitech G309 is almost as compact and lightweight as the single battery it runs on. However, its small stature makes for an awkward mid-range option for PC players who prefer a more comfortable grip.
In a sea of better gaming mice, the G309 does little to stand out on its own.
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