The terms wireless and gaming often don’t coincide that well with each other when describing a mouse, and the rare times that we do see it, we can’t help but be skeptical about it. That was exactly how I felt when I received a Logitech G700s as a gift last Christmas, so we were eager to know if the mouse will perform as advertised.
What’s in the box?
Logitech G700S Wireless Gaming Mouse
1x Sanyo Eneloop 1900mAh AA Battery
1000Hz 2.4Ghz Wireless Receiver
USB Receiver Extender
Full-size to MicroUSB Charging Cable
Manual
Design and Construction
The G700s is basically a revamped version of the G700 so we’re really not surprised to see Logitech keep the same form factor on their latest flagship gaming mouse.
What’s different though is the coating and different textures used on the G700s’ surface. But more than just an aesthetic facelift, these subtle changes are geared for a more comfortable use even for long periods of time.
The top of the mouse features a hydrophobic coating, complete with rad pinstripes similar to the ones found on the Logitech G500s, which prevents your sweaty palms from sticking to the mouse. From what we can tell, it does serve its purpose, but it does somewhat exude a cheap plastic-y feel for our taste.
Moving on to the parts of the G700s that would come in contact with your fingers, it has a textured rubberized finish which feels really good to the touch and doesn’t attract sweat or smudges over time.
Moving further down, we find a glossy plastic strip that runs across the edges of the mouse’s bottom panel. Unlike the two aforementioned surfaces/coatings, the strip glossy plastic doesn’t really serve any purpose other than to break the dark grey paintjob of the G700s.
Flipping the G700s on its back reveals a total of four differently-sized polytetrafluoroethylene pads that are placed at the top, left, right and bottom portions of the mouse’s underbelly. The G700s laser sensor can be found at the upper half portion, while the battery compartment that houses a single AA battery sits at the bottom covered with a removable plastic door.
In between these components lie a tiny power switch with a red and green marking to signify the state of the device. Finally we have a MicroUSB port tucked underneath the front portion of the G700s which is used for charging and for wired operation.
Button Placement and Ergonomics
We’re happy to report that users who will be upgrading from the Logitech G700 won’t have a hard time adjusting to the newer model since the button layout are virtually the same.
On the flip side though, the G700s inherited most, if not all of the quirks that its predecessor had. We’ll tackle these caveats as we go along with the button layout of the mouse.
Between your usual left and right clicks is a scroll wheel which features left and right side clicks. Just below it is a click-y button which enables/disables the infinity scroll feature of the wheel.
While we don’t have any qualms with the placement and the overall responsiveness of the scroll wheel, we feel that the scroll steps, when the infinity scroll is disabled, are not as distinct compared to the other mouse that we’ve used. Another thing to note is that left side click of the scroll is not as good as the right side click.
Placed just below the scroll switch is the G11 key which, by default, is used to switch profiles on the fly, but can be assigned to different functions with the help of the Logitech Gaming Software. This button is slightly smaller and recessed compared to the towering scroll switch that creates a slight distinction between the two, allowing users to identify which buttons they’re pressing even without looking at it.
Flanked on the left side of the left click are three programmable keys labelled G10, G9 and G8. Much like the two aforementioned buttons, these keys are shaped differently (at least that was the case with G10 and G9 buttons) to create a distinction and minimize accidental presses.
Although that wasn’t the case with the G8 and G9 keys, the angle of the G700s’ body helped in identifying which button is which. We also like how the shape of both the G9 and G10 keys follows the natural contour of the index finger, albeit the latter seemed a little more difficult to press and doesn’t provide the same tactile feedback compared to the other two G keys.
Rounding up the list of the G700s’ buttons are four G keys that are conveniently placed on the left portion of the mouse and are easily accessible using the right thumb. These keys are grouped in pairs with the upper keys (G7 and G6) slightly protruding than the ones (G5 and G4) below it.
The two buttons above also have a different shape compared to the two keys below. This subtle contrast in shape, plus the difference in protrusion, are meant to create a distinction between the different keys and are thoughtfully designed for comfortable side clicks.
The thing that we didn’t like about these thumb keys though is that they don’t provide a satisfying feedback when pressed compared to the three G Keys above. This was the same experience we felt on the G700 and we were kinda hoping that Logitech would address it on the G700s, but sadly it’s still there.
Button quirks aside, we feel that the G700s is still one of the most ergonomically-designed gaming mice in the business. From the mouse’s shape, down to the ample space on the left side for the thumb rest, the Logitech G700s is really comfortable to use and would’ve easily been the perfect mouse if not for its weight.
Unlike its lower-tier cousin, the G700s doesn’t offer weight customization with the use of ball bearings or other methods. Sadly, the closest thing that users will get to weight adjustment is by removing the AA battery which disables the wireless feature in the process. If weight is not a factor though, we feel that users will definitely enjoy the ergonomics of this gaming mouse.
Software
We’ve always been a fan of Logitech’s software, and that still holds true to this date. The company implements an uncluttered and intuitive UI, the menus and settings are where they’re supposed to be, and it has a light footprint both in the actual size of the software and the amount of resources required to keep it running in the background.
Another thing we like about the Logitech Gaming Software is its ability to detect games on your system and automatically download appropriate mouse profiles for each of these games.
Apart from doing the legwork for the user, the software also automatically loads the mouse profile once it detects the game was launched/played.
Lighting (or lack thereof)
Users who are in the market for a pimped-out gaming mouse, complete with various lighting colors and lighting schemes, should automatically remove the G700s from their list.
Besides the three tiny profile/battery status LED indicators near the left G keys, no other portions of the mouse lights up. This is quite disappointing given that Logitech is asking a pretty penny for this gaming mouse, but we know some people will like the no-frill approach that the manufacturer did on this device.
Performance
One of the major concerns that crippled the G700’s success in the gaming scene is the noticeable difference in performance between wired and wireless. Luckily, Logitech addressed this issue on the G700s and we can definitely say that we didn’t notice any difference (or at least not that evident) when the mouse is hooked up to our rig or when it’s on wireless mode.
While we don’t normally go beyond 3000dpi for day-to-day use and during games, people who have a high-resolution display or running a multi-display setup will be glad to know that the G700s’ “gaming-grade” laser sensor can go as high as 8000dpi and maximum poll rate of 1ms.
It is, however, in the tracking performance where the Logitech G700s shines the most. Regardless if we’re playing a first-person shooting title, or MMO (where this mouse is primarily geared for), the mouse provided a smooth and lag-free tracking on almost every flat surface excluding glass.
Battery Life
The Logitech G700s runs on a single AA battery which, fortunately, already comes pre-bundled with the mouse upon purchase.
One’s mileage will greatly vary depending on the usage and mouse settings used, but in our experience we only managed to get around 2 days (3 days the most) before we have to swap the battery with a fresh one or reach for its USB cable to charge it.
This kind of battery life is not that bad for a wireless gaming mouse that offers the same level performance when it’s wired, but it’s not that good either, especially if we pit the G700s against the G602 which is billed to last for 250 hours of continuous gaming.
Conclusion
Although the G700 has not won the hearts of gamers, it laid the foundation that Logitech used for its successor, particularly in the design department. All the company had to do for the G700s was to polish some of the aspects that were noticeably missing on the first model, give it a much-needed paintjob and skin-deep facelift.
In our opinion though, the most significant improvement that the company implemented on the new model is its ability to bridge the gap between wired and wireless performance, an area where the G700 failed miserably in.
In conclusion, the Logitech G700s should be a perfect candidate for users who are in the market for a legit wireless gaming mouse that can provide the same level of performance as if it was a wired one. It should also be a perfect fit for those who are looking for those extra buttons for MMO gaming or added functionality, but not as overwhelming compared to the Logitech G600.
What we liked about it:
What we didn’t like about it:
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