Logitech has always been known for their excellent mice, whether it be part of their gaming or mainstream line, and with the introduction of their entry-level Prodigy series, the company has released an affordable but feature-packed mouse in the Logitech G102 Prodigy Gaming Mouse, would-be budget version of the company’s G Pro gaming mouse.
Design: 4/5
The G102 features the same design as the company’s G Pro gaming mouse and is reminiscent of the company’s G100s, the two are pretty much identical externally. It features a slim, low-profile design that’s almost symmetrical apart from the two thumb buttons on the left side. The G102 is also incredibly lightweight, weighing only 85 grams. It is equipped with only six buttons – a left and right mouse button, a clickable scroll wheel, a DPI selector under the scroll wheel, and the aforementioned two thumb buttons on the left side. The only exterior difference the G102 has with the G Pro is the rubber cable (the G Pro has a braided cable).
The G102’s design is perfect for those with smaller hands that use palm or claw style grips and for those who want a lightweight mouse that’s easier to move or lift around for those with lower DPI settings. Those with larger hands that use a fingertip grip will also enjoy the slim, low-profile of the G102. Weirdly enough, in spite featuring an almost symmetrical design, the G102 isn’t completely ambidextrous due to only having one set of thumb buttons on its left side for right-handed users. It would’ve been nice if Logitech also included thumb buttons on the right side of the mouse so that left-handed users could also take full advantage of the G102.
As expected though, the build quality of the G102 is incredibly impressive for its price. There’s no flexing, rattling, or creaking anywhere on the mouse; there aren’t any sharp or protruding edges; and the buttons have barely any to no wobble. The chamfered mouse feet also help the mouse glide smoothly on most surfaces. Lastly, the rubber cable on the G102 is one of the best rubber cables we’ve seen on a mouse. It feels durable but incredibly light and flexible, which makes it much easier to move the mouse around.
Hardware: 4/5
Internally, the G102 features a different sensor as well as different Japanese Omron switches for its two main buttons than its more expensive twin, the G Pro. The Mercury sensor on the G102 can go up as high as 6,000 DPI, half of the highest DPI setting of the G Pro, while its switches are rated for up to 10 million clicks as opposed to the 20 million of the switches on the G Pro. The two main buttons are also supported by Logitech’s advanced button tensioning technology, which make them much easier to click.
User Experience: 4/5
In spite having a lower click rating than the G Pro’s switches, the ones on the G102 still felt great and keep the same quality and feel you’d expect from Omron switches. The aforementioned tensioning technology made them easy and reliable to press on and the clicks are loud and satisfying with a short, fast travel and a nice feel when you bottom them out. The other buttons of the G102, while not as easy to click as the main mouse buttons, were all still very responsive and feel impressively sturdy with barely any to no wobble.
The Mercury sensor of the G102 also felt great and is almost as good as some of the best sensors in the market, including the PixArt PMW3366 sensor found on the G Pro. While it doesn’t exactly feel as accurate and precise as the PixArt PMW3366 sensor found on the G Pro, the sensor on the G102 still felt excellent and the lower top-end DPI of the sensor wasn’t much of an issue as most people don’t go beyond 4,500 DPI. There’s also no built-in mouse acceleration, smoothing, and other usually unwanted nuances in the sensor.
For illumination, the G102 features two lighting zones – the Logitech G logo and a bar that runs along the rear of the mouse right under the palm – and supports up to 16.8 million color RGB lighting. The LED lights can be programmed in a large number of ways through the Logitech Gaming Software although both lighting zones can’t be set up independently.
All the settings of the G102 can adjusted via the downloadable Logitech Gaming Software including the sensor settings, mouse button functions and macros, and the lighting options. Users can create multiple profiles to be saved on their computer while the mouse is able to host one profile on its onboard memory, something that other gaming mice have begun to leave out. The onboard memory allows owners to easily use the G102 on any computer without having to download and install the Logitech Gaming Software and/or download and sync their settings.
Value: 5/5
For a gaming mouse with an insanely low price tag of a little over PHP 1,000, the Logitech G102 Prodigy feels like a dream. It features a simple, straightforward, and classic design that feels great in hand almost no matter what your grip style is and comes with a feature set that’s worth double its cost. It has all the essentials (multiple programmable buttons, an accurate and responsive sensor, and Japanese Omron switches) and more (RGB lighting and onboard memory) in an insanely affordable, high-quality package that almost seems too good to be true. Anyone who’s looking for a new gaming mouse on a tight budget just can’t lose with the Logitech G102 Prodigy.
Bottomline:
The Logitech G102 Prodigy is easily one of the best budget mice, if not the best budget mouse in the market right now due to its top-of-the-line quality, performance, and features, at a insanely cheap price.
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE June 2018 Issue.
Reviewed by Martin Luke Patiño