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It’s been two years since the Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum debut, the wireless gaming mouse that made lower latency a specification that mice of this type should aim for. In all but name, the Chaos Spectrum used the same Lightspeed wireless technology that now powers the all-new Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse. This is our Logitech G305 Lightspeed Review.
Logitech claims that it will only take 1 millisecond (ms) from the moment you click a button to the moment that alien craft is blown up in horror into your favorite space shooter. We couldn’t quite measure that, but our hand told us this is a snappy gaming mouse for a wireless model. It is also quite simple. The Logitech G305 Lightspeed lacks many of the features you’d expect from a high-end wireless gaming mouse like the Logitech G903 Lightspeed.
The great strength of the G305: it migrates the same wireless functionality in that great mouse to a precious peripheral that both gamers and non-gamers will appreciate for its minimalist design, good battery life, and impressive real-world performance.
Logitech G305 Lightspeed Review: Design
The appeal of the Logitech G305 Lightspeed comes to the fore by touching it, not looking at it. Not that it’s homey in any of the finishes (matte black or white), but it won’t top other, more muscular models in Logitech’s lineup. The 1.5 x 2.5 x 4.6 inch (HWD) shape starts curved at the heel, fits in the palm of your hand, and narrows as you reach the two front mouse buttons. Between the main buttons is a grooved scroll wheel that provides tactile, bumpy feedback as you roll it. Behind the wheel is a sensitivity button that allows you to change the tracking resolution, which varies up to 12,000 dpi.
Weighing 3.42 grams, the G305 Lightspeed is comparable in weight to other mice in its class. For example, the Roccat Kova weighs 3.5 grams, and the HyperX Pulsefire FPS comes at 3.3 grams. The Razer Mamba, a more expensive, Editors’ Choice-winning wireless competitor to the G305 Lightspeed, on the other hand, weighs a relatively “whopping” 4.32 grams. It is noteworthy that the G305 does not feel heavy, even though there is an AA alkaline battery in the shell as a power source.
Speaking of which, if you can’t find the 2.4GHz USB dongle initially, it’s because it’s stored in the right mouse to the left of the battery for safekeeping. You can access both items by pressing and sliding the back half of the mouse shell. Note that the USB receiver (which you can plug into a supplied USB extension cable if required) is the G305 Lightspeed’s only wireless transfer tool. This mouse does not support Bluetooth.
On the back of the mouse is the Logitech “G” logo, which of course, stands for “Gaming.” Gamers accustomed to more ostentatious mice will find that colorful lights do not shine through that emblem. Since the G305 Lightspeed rejects all forms of LED frippery, the adjustment is limited to the pair of buttons on the left. These are programmed by default for the forward/backward actions in your browser. Still, by downloading the Logitech Gaming Software, you can assign them to any mouse function, keystroke, or multi-key macro you can whip up.
Features
The resolution ranges from 100 dpi to 12,000 dpi, so don’t expect the same amount of flexibility you would get from the Razer Mamba with a maximum of 16,000 dpi. That said, at the top of the mouse resolution, it’s usually a numbers game, unlike what you can observe.
Besides, many gamers claim that tracking speed and acceleration are more important specifications than DPI. Especially from the G305 Lightspeed, you can count on a maximum speed of 400 inches per second (IPS) with which the mouse can accurately follow movements. Meanwhile, the maximum gravity with which the G305 Lightspeed can track your exact movements is rated as “40G”. In this regard, the Razer Mamba fails to keep up with speed specific sweepstakes, at 210 IPS, although the acceleration is higher at 50G; it also costs $ 30 more than the G305 Lightspeed.
Except for sports professionals, these numbers won’t mean much to most people because I doubt you’ll move your mouse over 30 feet in a second unless you’re so disgusted with your teammates’ performance that you throw the G305 Lightspeed through the room. (And that’s just poor sportsmanship.) As for the gravity threshold, anything between 30G and 50G is enough to register your hand’s abrupt shocks and shocks.
Logitech G305 Lightspeed Review: Performance
When testing the Logitech G305 out for myself in Fortnite and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, I notice no difference between it and the Razer Basilisk I use at home in terms of performance. Then again, I think that’s what Logitech was going for: A wireless mouse with latency low enough to be indistinguishable from the wired mice preferred for competitive gaming and first-person shooters. I can swing my cursor across the screen and aim in all directions no slower than I do with the Basilisk, a feat for a gaming mouse in this price range to pull off.
Logitech says the G305 Lightspeed’s switches can withstand 10 million clicks, half the rating of the Logitech G603 Lightspeed. Given that it would take years to understand that claim, we’ll have to take Logitech’s word, but the fact that the G603 is rated for much longer endurance tells us that a lesser-source switch was used in the G305 Lightspeed.
Likewise, Logitech advertises “advanced button tensioning” in the G305 Lightspeed, which is marketing-speak for “the buttons require less force to click than other gaming mice on the market.” In practice, I could perceive no difference between the click force of the Logitech G305 Lightspeed and, say, the HyperX Pulsefire Surge. And I noted a negligible amount of resistance compared with the Razer Basilisk.
The polling rate of the Logitech G305 Lightspeed ranges from 125Hz to 1,000Hz. (As is our custom, we tested at 1,000Hz.) In addition to letting you designate the DPI “steps” and the number of sensitivity levels you can access by way of the dedicated DPI-switcher button, LGS allows you to set the polling rate. What’s more, you can choose from the LGS home menu whether you want the G305 Lightspeed’s settings stored on your computer or in the on-board memory of the mouse itself. This could prove useful when traveling, say, for gaming competitions.
Battery Life
We just mentioned the AA battery. Logitech claims 250 hours of battery life from that AA cell in the G305 Lightspeed. However, that’s only the case when the mouse is set to default Performance mode in LGS. Another mode, called Endurance mode, is a choice next to it. When enabled, Logitech says battery life will be extended to nine months, but response time from 1ms to 8ms; in other words, an increase in latency is one of the tradeoffs in extending battery life.
To my surprise, the two modes feel quite different. In Endurance mode, the cursor lags a bit behind my movements, while in Performance mode, it feels one much closer to accurate 1-to-1 tracking.
Once the battery life drops to 15 percent, light below the sensitivity button will flash red to alert you that it’s time to replace the disposable AA Duracell that comes in the G305’s packaging. Otherwise, there is a gray five-bar battery meter icon in the top left corner of LGS. In the week that I used the Logitech G305 Lightspeed, that battery meter in Performance mode didn’t drain a single bar.
Logitech G305 Lightspeed Review: Conclusion
It’s been done before, the wireless mouse for the frugal gamer – but ready good is another matter. The Logitech G305 Lightspeed may be simple compared to competitors like Razer’s Mamba, but the power comes from its guts rather than its outer shell. By packing a wireless gaming mouse with low latency and an extensive resolution range at a low price, tradeoffs are inevitable. Here, Bluetooth, lots of buttons, and a rechargeable battery are the big ones. But if you want to save money and play fast-twitch games wirelessly, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse is the solution.
That’s it for our Logitech G305 Lightspeed Review. For more options, check our list of Best Gaming Mouse