Best Gaming Mice With Side Buttons in 2026: 6 Picks

The best gaming mouse with side buttons in 2026 depends on how many extra buttons you will truly use: the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless gives five side buttons at only about 74 grams, the Logitech G502 X Plus gives a generous button set in a large body, and the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro keeps just two excellent thumb buttons for the lightest possible build. For most players, two to five side buttons is the sweet spot, because it covers push-to-talk, grenades, abilities and browser navigation without needing a full MMO grid.

Our top picks

Top pickLogitech G502 Hero Wired Gaming Mouse

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Also greatLogitech G203 Wired Gaming Mouse

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Also greatLogitech G502 X Plus Wireless RGB Gaming

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Quick Comparison by Side-Button Count

Button counts follow manufacturer listings and comparison databases, and these sources count controls differently, since some include the scroll click and DPI switch. Treat the totals as a guide and check how many buttons sit under your thumb.

How Many Side Buttons Do You Need?

Two buttons: back and forward

Two side buttons are the standard on almost every gaming mouse. They are enough for web navigation, a grenade or utility key in a shooter, and push-to-talk. If your genres are FPS and battle royale, this is likely all you will use.

Three to five buttons: abilities and layers

MOBA, action RPG and hero shooter players gain real value from three to five side buttons, as they can hold abilities, ping, or a weapon wheel without stretching to the keyboard. Productivity users also like the extra controls for copy, paste, undo and window switching.

Twelve buttons: a full grid

If you need ten or more thumb binds, jump to a dedicated MMO mouse. The Naga V2 Pro in this table can bridge the two worlds, but a full grid is its own category.

Where the Buttons Sit Matters

A button you cannot press by feel is worse than no button. The most common layouts are a front-and-back pair, a stacked column of three, and a tight cluster of five in a diamond or tiered pattern. Fingers of different lengths reach different spots, so look for buttons that are differently shaped, raised or textured. Also check that the buttons do not sit where the thumb naturally rests, since accidental presses are the most common complaint.

Switch type and travel

Side buttons with a short, clearly defined click make for confident presses. Mushy or tall buttons slow you down. Some mice use the same switches as the main buttons, while others use smaller tactile switches. Spec sheets rarely say, so reviews and shape drawings are your best clue.

Best for Many Binds at Low Weight: SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless

The Aerox 5 Wireless packs nine buttons, with five on the side, into about 74 grams. It uses a perforated shell and a TrueMove Air sensor listed at 18,000 DPI, with wireless, Bluetooth and wired modes. Side buttons are arranged in a small cluster and sit at different heights, so a thumb can distinguish them.

Who it is for

Players who like the idea of a full set of binds but still care about swing speed, such as hero shooter and MOBA players. It fits medium to large hands in a claw or relaxed palm grip.

Pros

• Five side buttons with a weight that remains competitive.
• Multiple connection modes and good battery life for its class.
• Sturdy build for the weight.

Cons

• Perforated shell is not to everyone’s taste and lets in some dust.
• Sensor DPI ceiling is lower than rival flagships, though this rarely matters in play.

Best for Large Hands and Mixed Use: Logitech G502 X Plus

The G502 X Plus has 13 programmable controls, with five on the side, a dual-mode scroll wheel and a sniper-style DPI button. The listed weight runs from about 106 to 114 grams and the sensor reaches 25,600 DPI. It connects with Lightspeed wireless and offers RGB lighting.

Who it is for

People with large hands who work and game at the same desk, as the many buttons double as shortcut keys for editing tasks, and those who prefer a stable, heavier mouse.

Pros

• Very complete button set with strong software for profiles.
• Wide body that supports a full palm.
• Hybrid switches with a crisp click.

Cons

• Heavy for fast-paced shooters.
• Large footprint suits only medium to large hands.

Best Clutch Button and Scroll Control: Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K

The Basilisk V3 Pro 35K weighs about 112 grams and measures about 130 by 75.4 by 42.5 millimetres. It has 11 programmable controls, including a removable thumb paddle that can act as a temporary DPI change, and a scroll wheel with adjustable resistance and free-spin mode. The Focus Pro 35K sensor reaches 35,000 DPI.

Who it is for

Players who want the thumb paddle for a sniper-style clutch and a scroll wheel that can free-spin for fast list scrolling in workplace tasks.

Pros

• Thumb paddle is a unique extra input.
• Scroll wheel flexibility for work and play.
• Three connection modes.

Cons

• Heavy and wide.
• Paddle can be pressed by accident until your thumb adapts.

Best Light Shooter With Two Buttons: Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro

The DeathAdder V4 Pro keeps two side buttons on the left of an arched, right-handed shell of around 56 grams. Listed dimensions are about 128 by 68 by 44 millimetres. Those two buttons are firm and located where the thumb rests, which is why many shooter players choose it despite the small button count.

Who it is for

FPS players who want clean, accidental-press-free thumb buttons and a very low weight with an ergonomic shape.

Pros

• Excellent weight-to-size ratio.
• Two well-placed side buttons.

Cons

• Only two side buttons, so it is not suited to ability-heavy games.
• Right-handed only.

Best Symmetrical Shell: Razer Viper V3 Pro

The Viper V3 Pro weighs about 54 grams and has a symmetrical shell with its two thumb buttons on the left side, laid out for right-handed use. The Focus Pro 35K sensor is rated at 35,000 DPI, and the dongle supports polling up to 8,000 Hz.

Who it is for

Right-handed claw and fingertip players who prefer a low symmetrical shape to an arched one, and who still want two reachable thumb buttons. Left-handed players should check Razer’s current listing before buying, since the thumb buttons are not mirrored.

Pros

• Low symmetrical shape with firm thumb buttons.
• Very light with a fast sensor.

Cons

• Narrow shape that does not suit palm grip on large hands.
• Only two side buttons, and a shape that suits neither palm grip nor large hands.

Best Step-Up to a Full Grid: Razer Naga V2 Pro

The Naga V2 Pro is listed at about 134 grams and ships with plates offering 2, 6 or 12 thumb buttons. It begins as an ordinary side-button mouse with the 2-button plate and grows into an MMO mouse when you change the plate. It is right-handed only.

Who it is for

Players who are not sure how many side buttons they will use and want to find out without buying another mouse.

Pros

• Plate system covers every button count.
• Three connection modes.

Cons

• Heavy.
• Premium cost for a feature you may not use.

Choosing by Game Type

A Worked Example: Binding Five Buttons for a Hero Shooter

Take a hero shooter where you use two ability keys, an ultimate, a ping and push-to-talk. The default keyboard layout has you moving a finger from the movement keys to reach Q, E and Z, which delays the next action.

1. Map the two ability keys to the two buttons that are easiest to reach with the thumb, and leave movement on the keyboard.
2. Assign the ultimate to a third thumb button that you can press only on purpose, so it does not fire during a scramble.
3. Place ping on a fourth button, as it is used less often and does not need a fast reaction.
4. Put push-to-talk on the fifth, or on a rear thumb button if the mouse offers one, because it is held rather than tapped.
5. Save the layout in the mouse software, and use a second profile with just back and forward for browsing.

With this plan, five side buttons remove four keyboard reaches per fight. At roughly 20 fights a match, that is 80 fewer reaches, which is why players who use many abilities value a mouse like the Aerox 5 Wireless.

Testing Button Reach Before You Commit

Product photos hide the one thing that matters most with side buttons, which is whether your thumb can find them. A few simple checks, done with a printed outline or a store demo unit, save a lot of returns.

1. Rest your thumb in its natural position on the side of the mouse and note which buttons sit directly under the pad of the thumb and which require a stretch.
2. Press each button without lifting the palm from the shell. If you have to lift the palm or shift the whole hand, the button is too far away to use in the middle of a fight.
3. Pick up the mouse and shake it gently in your hand, imagining a fast flick. Buttons that your thumb brushes during the movement will cause accidental presses.
4. Check the thumb rest, if there is one. A mouse that forces the thumb to float in the air will cause fatigue.

Hand size and button spacing

Short thumbs usually prefer buttons that are close together and near the front of the shell, while long thumbs have room for a rear button. A cluster of five buttons such as that of the Aerox 5 Wireless packs the buttons into a small area, so small hands can reach all of them, whereas the broader spread of a G502 X Plus rewards larger hands.

Using Side Buttons Beyond Games

Extra buttons are not only for games. Many people use them to shorten repetitive desktop work, and a good profile makes the same mouse useful for both.

• Browser: keep back and forward on the first two buttons, which is the factory default on almost every mouse.
• Editing: bind undo and redo, or cut and paste, to the next two buttons for faster work in documents, spreadsheets and photo editors.
• Streaming and calls: put mute or push-to-talk on a button you can press without looking.
• Window management: bind a virtual desktop switch or a screenshot shortcut to a rarely used button.

Most vendor software can switch profile automatically when a program opens, so the same buttons can mean different things in a game and in a spreadsheet. This is the main advantage of a mouse with five side buttons over one with two.

Wireless, Wired and Bluetooth for Button-Heavy Mice

Extra buttons mean extra wiring and a bigger battery, so the connection choice matters more here than with a basic mouse. A dongle link is the right choice for gaming, because it keeps delay low and handles frequent presses without dropped inputs. Bluetooth is useful for a laptop on the road, but it can add noticeable lag and is best kept for office tasks. A cable removes charging worries altogether and is the cheapest route to a stable connection, which is why wired mice such as the G502 X remain popular for button-heavy use.

Battery life varies with lighting and polling rate. Turn off RGB effects and the same battery can last noticeably longer, and lowering the polling rate from its maximum gives another large gain. If you plan to use many profiles, check that the mouse stores them onboard so that you do not need the dongle plugged into a computer running the vendor software.

Grip tape and shell finish

A mouse with side buttons is held with a firmer thumb, so the surface where the thumb and ring finger rest should have grip. Matte plastic works on cooler days but turns slick when hands are sweaty. Many players add a thin sheet of grip tape to the sides, taking care not to cover the button edges, which improves control without changing the shape.

Ownership Realities

Which parts fail

Side buttons are small switches mounted on a flexible board, and they take thumb pressure that the main clicks do not. The usual failure is a button that registers weakly or not at all, and warranty coverage is more helpful than a switch rating on paper. Cheaper mice often skimp on the side switches while keeping good main switches.

Accidental presses

If a side button fires unexpectedly, shift your grip back a few millimetres, or disable the button in software. Some mice let you swap the button function so that the ones nearest the palm are inactive.

Software and storage

Store your bindings on the mouse to avoid background software. If a mouse lacks onboard memory, the software must be running for macros and layered binds to work.

Cleaning

Dust collects around the edges of side buttons. Use a dry soft brush and, if necessary, a lightly dampened cotton swab, taking care to keep liquid away from the switch openings.

Buying Checklist

• Decide the number of side buttons by writing the binds you would actually use in your main games.
• Match shell length and width to your hand size, then check weight.
• Check which hand the mouse is designed for before buying.
• Prefer onboard memory if you move between computers.
• Look for at least a two-year warranty, since side switches are a common failure point.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many side buttons should a gaming mouse have?

Two is enough for most shooters and general use, while three to five suit hero shooters, MOBAs and action RPGs. More than five usually means an MMO grid. Choose by how many binds you will actually use rather than by the count on the box.

Do extra side buttons add weight?

They add a little, but weight depends more on the shell design than on the button count. The Aerox 5 Wireless fits five side buttons into about 74 grams, while some two-button mice weigh more. Compare the listed weight rather than assuming that more buttons means a heavier mouse.

Is a left-handed gaming mouse with side buttons available?

Yes, though choices are limited. A few older symmetrical models carry buttons on both sides and some brands sell mirrored versions, but most current ergonomic shapes are right-handed only. Check each listing for thumb button placement before ordering.

Can side buttons be remapped?

Yes, every mouse in this guide lets you remap them through its software, and most store the settings on the mouse. You can assign keystrokes, shortcuts, DPI changes or profile switches. Check your game rules if you plan to use multi-key macros, since some games restrict them.

Why do my side buttons stop working?

Weak or dead side buttons are usually due to switch wear, dirt around the button, or a loose connection in the cable or board. Cleaning the gaps can help, but a worn switch normally needs warranty service. If the problem is intermittent, test the mouse in another program or computer to rule out software.