Reviewing The Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse

Reviewing The Logitech G502 Proteus Core Gaming Mouse
Rating

Logitech is a brand that doesn't really need an introduction anymore, especially among gamers. They've recently launched a new tunable gaming mouse, the G502 Proteus Core. A very interesting device that caught our attention, so we wanted to see what it has in store. We've tested it for a while and we're ready to share our conclusions with you. Read on to learn whether or not the Logitech Proteus Core is a worthy to include in your gaming arsenal.

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Unboxing The Logitech G502 Proteus Core

The Proteus Core ships in a sleek and quite beautifully designed cardboard box, as do most of Logitech's peripherals. The front side of the box, which is also a magnetic cover, shows a picture of the mouse itself along with the included weights.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

On the bottom side of the cover you'll find the full name of the mouse along with its tagline - G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse.

The sides and back of box display a series of technical specifications in multiple languages.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

Once you lift the magnetic cover, you get the first glimpse of the Proteus Core, through a protective transparent plastic wrapping.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

The inside of the cover shows some marketing text with the SCIENCE WINS tagline at the bottom, somehow suggesting the amount of studies that Logitech has put into designing the Proteus Core.

After we opened the box, we weren't particularly impressed by the contents. Logitech chose to stick to the basics this time. You'll find the mouse along with the removable weights, accompanied by a short quick start guide showing you how to install the weights and a Safety, Compliance and Warranty leaflet.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

That's pretty much it in terms of packaging. Now let's get a bit more technical.

Hardware Specifications

The Logitech Proteus Core uses one of the most advanced optical sensors on the market, being the first mouse in the world to go from 200 DPI up to a staggering 12000 DPI. Yes, that's twelve thousand. What's that I hear? Overkill? Maybe, we'll see.

Along with the high-DPI sensor you also get a plethora of buttons, almost all of them programmable. 11, to be precise, out of which you can customize 10.

The scroll wheel is one of Logitech's exclusive dual-mode scroll wheels that allow you to use it in a free scrolling mode, useful when working with long documents or browsing lengthy web pages.

The Tunable Gaming Mouse tagline refers to both the programmable buttons and the included set of weights. There are five 3.6 gram weights that you can use to modify the mouse's weight according to your needs.

The Proteus Core stores three configuration profiles in its internal memory and you can switch between them with the dedicated button.

The connectivity is made via a braided USB cable and Logitech says that the feet of the mouse are optimized for a very low friction level.

You can find the full list of specifications here: Logitech G502 Proteus Core - Specifications.

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Using The Logitech G502 Proteus Core

Using the Logitech Proteus Core was a real pleasure. Logitech's interest in quality products is visible right from the first moment you grab the mouse. It feels solid, sturdy, there are no squeaky parts and you simply feel like using a high quality product.

The matte black finish of the Proteus Core keeps the fingerprints at bay, which is just great.

What you need to keep in mind is that this mouse is not designed to be ambidextrous, so left handed users won't be able to make the best of it. This is because half of the programmable buttons are on the right side, designed to be used with your thumb and right index finger.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

An interesting addition is the dual-mode scroll wheel. The button next to the wheel switches between a classic scroll wheel operating mode and a free-spin one where you can just spin it as hard as you can and it will keep rolling. Thank you, physics!

The weights come in a specially designed hexagonal case and you can use them to adjust the weight of the mouse. There are five weights available, each weighing 3.6 grams.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

Simply pull out the mouse's bottom cover and arrange the weights in their slots as you see fit.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

Simply pull out the mouse's bottom cover and arrange the weights in their slots as you see fit.

The smooth feet make the Proteus Core glide effortlessly on most surfaces. We've tested it on a Razer Goliathus Control and a Steelseries 4HD. It worked great on both mouse pads, as well as directly on the surface of the desk.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

We've encountered no issues in games because the sensor does a great job at eliminating any kind of latency. One might argue about the utility of the 12000 DPI sensor, and one might be right in certain contexts. While this speed is definitely enormous for a full HD resolution, it will definitely come in handy in future 4K or even higher-resolution scenarios. In other words, if you buy the Proteus Core, you'll probably not going to need a replacement any time soon.

Logitech Proteus Core is a high quality gaming mouse that works great in both gaming and office environments and offers an excellent user experience.

Software & Drivers

Logitech Proteus Core was almost instantly detected by Windows 8.1, but that's really not the way you should be using it.

The Logitech Gaming Software utility is Logitech's software hub for connecting and configuring all of their gaming peripherals. And it's a really good one, too. Truth be told, it's one of the best gaming peripheral software products out there.

When you first launch the software, it allows you to select what location to use for storing the profiles: the on-board memory of the mouse or the local hard drive.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

You can configure each programmable button of the mouse via an interactive interface where you can actually click the desired button and define a new function for it.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

The same interface allows you to define the DPI sensitivity level and assign a DPI shift level. This is especially useful in shooters, where you need to steady your aim but you don't want to switch your DPI level completely. This way you can simply keep the DPI shift button pressed and the DPI will go to that level only for the duration of the press.

Another section of the interface allows you to configure the logo lighting on the mouse. You can enable a breathing effect and choose whether to light up the DPI indicator or not.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

The software also allows calibration of the device for different surfaces. By default, it has three presets: the G240 Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad, the G440 Hard Gaming Mouse Pad and a factory default preset. We've calibrated the Proteus Core for our Razer Goliathus and it optimized the sensor's settings accordingly, offering a really good user experience.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

If you choose to store the profiles on the local hard drive, you can also define macro commands.

Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming
Logitech, Proteus, Core, mouse, review, gaming

All in all, the Logitech Gaming Software is a really good platform for managing your Logitech gaming peripherals and it really brings out the best in the Proteus Core.

Product rating 4/5

Verdict

The Logitech Proteus Core is a great gaming mouse that also works great in non-gaming scenarios. The multitude of customization options, the build quality and the great software all beg us to recommend the Proteus Core to all our readers. If you're OK with the right-handed design of this mouse and you are on the lookout for a quality mouse, do keep the Proteus Core on the short list.

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