Logitech G305 Review

Logitech G305 specs

Alternatives

If you want a lighter gaming mouse: The Razer Viper Mini is similarly-sized and weighs less. It is also faster with better latency performance. However, it is a wired gaming mouse.

If you want a bigger gaming mouse: The Glorious Model D is available in both a wired and wireless version and is slightly bigger, making it a fit for more hand sizes and grip styles. The Glorious models are also lighter and glide better as a result.

If you want a mouse with rechargeable batteries: The HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless has a rechargeable battery, is competitively-priced, and uses a similar symmetrical design language.

Performance

Weight

The Logitech G305’s 82-gram weight is light enough to confidently wield it nimbly in fast-paced titles, but this mouse isn’t a fit if you seek the lightest gaming mouse. The best gaming mice if weight matters most are superlight and ultralight models, typically weighing under 70 grams or 50 grams, respectively.

One reason the Logitech G305 weighs more than its lighter counterparts is that it is powered by a AA battery instead of a lighter rechargeable battery. AA batteries weigh more than rechargeable batteries but you get two to three times more battery life, albeit with the added cost of swapping out batteries when drained.

Sensor

The Logitech G305 has a high DPI sensor for a budget wireless gaming mouse. The Hero 12k sensor has a DPI range of 200 to 12,000, which can be adjusted in increments of 50. Logitech’s best gaming mice include its newer Hero 25k DPI sensors, adding a few performance bells and whistles. But it’s important to consider that few gamers set their DPI higher than 1,000 in first-person shooter titles, so high DPIs are mostly marketing hype.

Beyond the DPI, the sensor is fast and accurate, especially for a cheap gaming mouse. The Hero 12k sensor tracks accurately at up to 400 inches per second, more than enough for the fastest arms sweeps and mouse flicks.

Polling rate

The higher your mouse polling rate, the lower your latency, though there’s a diminishing return once surpassing 1000 Hz, which is the Logitech G305’s max polling rate. While you can adjust the polling rate to 125 Hz, 250 Hz, or 500 Hz as well, we see little reason to do so.

Choosing the max polling rate of 1000 Hz means your mouse reports actions to your computer 1,000 times per second, improving latency. One downside to a higher polling rate is the potential to drain the battery faster. But we’ve not tested the Logitech G305 to understand if there is a battery life difference when selecting different polling rates.

For perspective, 1000 Hz is a standard max polling rate among the fastest gaming mice. Few models on the market offer higher polling rates. Select Razer gaming mice run at 4000 Hz with Razer’s aftermarket HyperPolling dongle. The Razer Viper 8K Hz natively runs up to 8000 Hz, though it is a wired gaming mouse.

Button performance and sound

There’s been a multi-year trend where good gaming mice are becoming cheap and cheap gaming mice are becoming good. That theme holds with the feel of Logitech G305’s L/R buttons. The Omron D2FC-F-7N switches feel crisp when actuated, although the sound can be hollow.

One disappointment with the switches is their durability rating, a corner Logitech cut to bring down the price. The Logitech G305’s switches are rated for 10 million clicks, far lower than many other budget gaming mice, commonly rated for upwards of 50 million clicks. Consider the HyperX Pulsefire Haste if switch durability is a concern.

Gliding

The Logitech G305 glides well for a gaming mouse, though its heavier weight adds some drag compared to the smoothest gliding gaming mice available, which are almost always the most expensive. The added drag is most noticeable when micro-adjusting the mouse with just your fingertips, such as with a claw grip when aiming in first-person shooters. But the Logitech G305 glides well from a stopped position and when changing directions.

The Glorious Model D or the Razer Viper Mini are better-gliding options around a similar price point. The Logitech G Pro X Superlight is also exceptionally-smooth gliding across a mousepad.

Connectivity

Wireless connection

Many budget gaming mice powered by a AA battery offer Bluetooth connectivity, but the Logitech G305 doesn’t. This gaming mouse runs over a standard 2.4 GHz connection via the included USB receiver.

A 2.4 GHz connection is much faster than possible over Bluetooth, which explains why many gaming mice shun Bluetooth. But the added versatility of Bluetooth outside of gaming has advantages for some gamers who value a mouse that pulls double duty for productivity or if you don’t want to use a USB receiver.

Nicely, the USB receiver can be stored onboard in a dedicated slot next to the battery. This storage option reduces the risk of losing the receiver and improves portability. The Logitech G305 also includes a USB extender, which improves latency performance when moving the USB dongle closer to your gaming mouse.

Battery life

The battery life is incredible for the Logitech G305 at 250 hours. Other gaming mice with rechargeable batteries typically max out at around 100 hours. But consider that there is a nominal long-term cost. AA batteries offer longer battery life than rechargeable batteries, but AA batteries must be replaced once drained.

Charging cable

The Logitech G305 doesn’t include a charging cable since it uses AA batteries. The Logitech G305 can only be used wirelessly via the included USB receiver

Design

Buttons

There are six buttons on the Logitech G305, including two side buttons, a clickable scroll wheel, and button behind the scroll wheel for cycling through DPIs pre-configured in G-Hub.

A six-button layout is common for performance-oriented gaming mice. While more buttons offer more versatility, those additional buttons aren’t critical in fast-paced titles. Reducing the number of buttons reduces weight, which is more of Logitech’s chosen focus.

One area for improvement is the size of the two side buttons, which would be easier to hit with your thumb if they were bigger. We found there is a slight learning curve to using the Logitech G305. But after a few short gaming sessions, we developed the muscle memory to locate the side buttons easily.

Scroll wheel

The Logitech G305’s scroll wheel is covered in a rubberized surface that adds a good amount of friction, which helps with precision scrolling. But you do feel the downsides of the budget price point when scrolling the wheel through each step. Each step felt a bit clunky during our testing. The clicking action on the scroll wheel also occasionally left us wondering if the switch had been actuated. Reducing the scroll wheel’s resistance and adding a more tactile click would improve the feel.

No L/R tilt or free-scrolling functionality exists, as is the case with other performance-oriented gaming mice.

Shape

Overall, Logitech’s chosen design language here makes this a comfortable mouse to hold over long gaming sessions.

The Logitech G305 is symmetrically shaped and almost egg-like when viewed from the sides and top down. Only side buttons are on the left side, so it’s not fit for left-handed users. If you’re left-handed, the Logitech G Pro Wireless and the Razer Viper 8K Hz are better options.

The Logitech G305’s curves are smooth and rounded without sharply-designed corners and angles that are common with other gaming-inspired designs, like the Logitech G502 Hero and the Razer Basilisk V3. Unlike these ergonomic gaming mice, the Logitech G305 doesn’t include slight recesses on the left side for added gripping power.

Hand size and grip style

The Logitech G305’s shape and design make it an excellent choice for claw and fingertip grips and small to medium-sized hands. But consider your hand size and grip style before putting this mouse on your shortlist. This is a great gaming mouse if you use a claw grip or fingertip grip, mostly due to the shape that provides good gripping power where your fingers rest.

But if you have large hands and use a palm grip, we wouldn’t recommend the Logitech G305. Your hand will likely cramp when maneuvering the mouse, and your fingers will probably hang over the front of the L/R buttons.

Customization and software

RGB

There is no RGB lighting on the Logitech G305. Lacking RGB isn’t a death sentence in games, so the added lighting isn’t missed when considering only performance. Removing RGB also reduces weight, which we see as a good performance over aesthetics decision.

Profiles

You can carry onboard one profile you customize in G-Hub. This disappointment limits the Logitech G305’s potential in some scenarios. Including the ability to carry more profiles onboard is convenient since you can seamlessly switch between customized configurations on the fly, useful when playing across different games and productivity tasks.

The Logitech G203 Lightsync is an alternative that includes up to five onboard profiles and is similarly shaped and priced, albeit a wired gaming mouse.

While you can’t change full profiles on the fly, the Logitech G305 does include a DPI cycling button behind the scroll wheel.

G-Hub software

G-Hub is where you manage the settings for your Logitech G305 and other Logitech gaming peripherals. The software has a quick learning curve and is well-designed to customize the most important mouse settings easily.

• Remap your mouse buttons and enable G-Shift for an added layer of customization
• Adjust the DPI presets in increments of 50 from 200 to 12,000
• Adjust the polling rate from a list including 125, 250, 500, and 1000 Hz presets
• Set custom profiles by game and multiple custom profiles per game
• Set up integrations with OBS and Discord

One nice feature of G-Hub is its macOS compatibility. Few gaming peripheral brands include full macOS support, including Razer. With full macOS support you can not only use the Logitech G305 on an Apple machine, but you can also fully customize your settings as well. Most gaming mice work on Apple machines, but the customization software doesn’t, which limits the capabilities.

In the box

• Logitech G305
• USB receiver
• USB extender cable
• Sticker
• Operating manual