When first studying to drive a car, the wheel may not feel familiar, the pedals seem far away, and the stick shift is strange. Over time, these tools become an extension of the driver’s arms and feet. Controlling them becomes second nature. Computer mice are the same for gamers. A mouse is a tool meant to be an extension of the user for more control over the device itself. Its user must consciously remember which buttons do which functions, but using the mouse becomes second nature over time.
This type of design isn’t any accident. Human interface systems teach that the user shouldn’t have to think too much about how they’re using a product. For example, the volume knob on a stereo is self-explanatory. People may even associate volume automatically with a knob. If asked to mime turning the volume up, it’s likely many people would mimic turning a round knob clockwise.
A computer mouse was one of the first in technology to go the length of becoming an actual extension of the user’s hand, arm, and fingers. It allows for more control while requiring little conscious decision-making from the user.
Designers of gaming mice are constantly working toward better, faster, more precise second-nature control for gamers. But it all had to start somewhere.
The primary laptop mouse
In the early 1960s, Doug Engelbart created a device that could be used to select options displayed on a computer monitor. The device was simply a wooden block with rolling wheels—one that moved vertically and one that moved horizontally. Around the same time, Telefunken, a German engineering company, designed a computer mouse as well, but instead of using wheels, they used a rolling ball, very much like the trackballs used in some mice today.
Engelbart’s mouse was a wooden block covering the two wheels, where the user could rest their hand as they moved the mouse. A button perched in the corner allowed users to select an option on the monitor, and a white cable extended from the other side. The small device somewhat resembled a mouse, with the button resembling an eye and the cable resembling a tail.
Computer mice today
For many years, manufacturers made computer mice using trackballs. More common today are optical or laser mice. In simple terms, optical mice take images of their surface to detect motion and translate that into cursor movement on the screen. Laser mice use light to perform the same task.
Gone are the days of food crumbs and pet hair sticking to a trackball and causing disruptions. Optical mice can glide across a surface without collecting debris like trackballs. They also led to the redesign of mouse pads, since users no longer needed the same friction to move the cursor effectively.
Computer mice have certainly evolved, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that a brand specifically designed a mouse for gaming.
The first mice made for gaming
Today, there are two main input methods people use for gaming: mouse and keyboard, and controller. Mouse and keyboard are the most commonly used for PC gaming. Early games on personal computers (PCs) were played using only keyboard keys. Arcade machines had built-in controls, usually including a joystick and a few buttons, which resemble modern controllers.
A computer mouse made for gaming didn’t appear until 1992 with the release of Mario Paint on Super Nintendo. Purchasing the game included a special mouse. Mario Paint required players to point and click to paint pictures, needing more movement freedom and precision that a mouse could offer.
Other brands quickly followed suit. In the 1990s, Sega released gaming mice such as the Shuttle Mouse for use in several of their games like 3D Lemmings. These new gaming mice were similar in structure to Telefunken’s trackball mouse.
Mice made point-and-click adventure games and creative building games more engaging and precise. Gamers had a better, more reliable extension of their hands to take more natural control over their actions.
The first competitive gaming mouse
While Nintendo and Sega designed mice meant for playing their own games, another brand created the first mouse meant for competitive gaming. In 1999, Razer designed the Razer Boomslang.
Unconventional and innovative at the time, the Boomslang was the first mouse capable of 1,000 to 2,000 DPI (dots per inch). In 2003, the Boomslang 2100 was released, likely named for its upgraded 2,100 DPI sensitivity. No one had ever engineered a mouse this sensitive, making Razer the pioneer of gaming mice.
The Boomslang was designed to be a comfortable, ergonomic mouse for long gaming sessions. Shaped like a pear, the left and right mouse buttons were round, wide, and long—unlike most computer mice at the time. The buttons sat slightly lower than the base, and the unusually large scroll wheel protruded more prominently than those on traditional mice.
In 2008, Razer launched a Boomslang Collector’s Edition so gamers could relive the early days of PC gaming. This CE version included customizable mouse settings, personalized bindings, and adjustable polling rates.
Gaming mice today
At first, mainstream culture didn’t see gaming as a serious industry. It was more of a hobby that seemingly consumed people in unproductive, hours-long sessions. However, as we now know, gaming gave way to global esports and a multi-billion-dollar industry. Today, gamers can choose the perfect mouse for their gaming preferences from a wide variety of brands and designs.
Companies like Logitech, SteelSeries, and pioneering Razer continuously improve on older gaming mouse designs. Optical and laser mice have become the norm, and nearly every gaming mouse is customizable—even down to the color of the light shining beneath the plastic.
Technology has advanced rapidly over the past few decades. While the fast-paced development of gaming mice continues, each high-tech model still builds upon that original clunky wooden block with wheels. Who knows what kind of gaming tools we’ll be using twenty years from now?