Logitech G502 HERO Gaming Mouse Review

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Logitech G502 HERO Gaming Mouse Review
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By Meng Vang

Manufacturer: Logitech International S.A.
Product Name: G502 HERO High Performance Gaming Mouse
Model Number: 910-005469
UPC: 097855141996
Price As Tested: $67.90 (Amazon | Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Logitech International S.A.

As the successor to the G502 Spectrum, the G502 HERO maintains an identical appearance and exterior design except for a different sensor. The sensor powering this mouse is the HERO optical sensor, which has been built from the ground up by Logitech. It is not based off of the popular 3360 optical sensor, but it does have a DPI range from 100 -16,000. The HERO sensor is also rated as the most accurate gaming sensor from Logitech thanks to its zero smoothing/acceleration/filtering design. Other features of the mouse include a redesigned company logo and braided cable, RGB illumination, a tunable weight system, and the Logitech G Hub gaming software. Benchmark Reviews will test the G502 HERO to see how well it performs against the competition.

Features

• High-performance HERO 16K Sensor: Logitech’s most accurate sensor yet with up to 16,000 DPI for the ultimate in gaming speed, accuracy and responsiveness across entire DPI range
• 11 Customizable Buttons and Onboard Memory: Assign custom commands to the buttons and save up to five ready-to-play profiles directly to the mouse
• Adjustable Weight System: Arrange up to five removable 3.6g weights inside the mouse for personalized weight and balance tuning
• Programmable RGB Lighting and LIGHTSYNC Technology: Customize lighting from nearly 16.8 million colors to match your team’s colors, sport your own or sync colors with other Logitech G gear
• Mechanical Switch Button Tensioning: Metal spring tensioning system and pivot hinges are built into left and right gaming mouse buttons for a crisp, clean click feel with rapid click feedback

Specifications

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G502 HERO: Overview
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The Logitech G502 HERO gaming mouse is currently available online for $67.90 (Amazon | Newegg). The box has a picture of the product along with its features and specifications listed around it.

Inside of the box, we can see that the mouse is nicely packaged under a clear plastic shroud. This will prevent any damage to the product during shipping.

In terms of accessories, we find a few documentation booklets as well as the weights for the tunable weight system. There are five weights, each weighing at 3.6 grams each. The weights come in their own little storage compartment for easy storage.

Not much as changed about the body shape and design when compared to the previous G502 Spectrum. The sides still have a textured grip and the mouse still maintains the same dual-mode hyper-fast scroll wheel seen on its predecessor and other Logitech mice.

Now that we have seen a quick overview of the G502 HERO, let’s go into more details on what this product has to offer.

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G502 HERO: Detailed Features
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At the top of the mouse, we can see the standard left and right buttons along with the scroll wheel and two additional buttons. Towards the left mouse button are two additional buttons, which are programmable via the Logitech G Hub software.

At the bottom of the mouse, there are a few Teflon glide pads for smooth tracking. The tunable weight system sits right in the center of the mouse for a balanced feel. The 16000DPI HERO sensor is placed at the center of the mouse, which is ideal for precise tracking.

On the left side of the G502 HERO, we see a few more buttons for forward and backward controls, a sniper button for the thumb, and a thumb rest.

No additional side buttons are present on the opposite side. Instead, we can see the textured side grip where the pinky finger rests.

At the front of the mouse, the removable USB cable attaches to the center. The two left and right buttons also extend further out from the edge of the mouse to accommodate larger hands.

At the rear, the surface is mostly smooth with the textured side grip, a glossy trench, and the plastic top cover.

There are a few more things to cover about the G502 HERO, so let’s take a look at them in the next section.

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G502 HERO: More Detailed Features
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Up to five 3.6 gram weights can be placed in the mouse and tucked away under the plastic cover.

Like all Logitech gaming mice, the USB cable is wrapped nicely around the product itself when packaged. I personally like this idea since it prevents the cable from developing kinks. This method is less stressful to the cable.

One aesthetic difference in the G502 HERO compared to its predecessor is the company logo. Logitech changed their logo on their most recent products, and we can see that with the G502 HERO. The logo is still RGB capable, which can be customized through the Logitech G Hub software as well.

Like most gaming peripherals, the G502 HERO connects to a computer via a standard USB 2.0 connector.

In the next section, we will take a look at the Logitech G Hub software.

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Logitech G Hub Software
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Like the Corsair Utility Engine and the Razer Synapse software, Logitech G Hub can manage multiple gaming peripherals simultaneously. Once the application is running, we are greeted with the home screen where it can display all of our G Hub supported peripherals.

Logitech LIGHTSYNC is a lighting technology that enables dynamic and customizable illumination that synchronizes to games, video, and music. Lighting on the device will adapt to a LIGHTSYNC supported game and display critical player information such as health, weapons, and other abilities. With multiple LIGHTSYNC compatible devices, we can sync lighting across the keyboard, mouse, and speakers for an enhanced gaming experience.

In the Assignments tab, we can reprogram each button to take on a different purpose. We can also assign macros, system keys, and functions to any button we choose.

The Sensitivity tab let’s us adjust report rate along with the DPI speeds.

When we go into the settings for the G502 HERO, we have a few options to choose from. We can also store up to three profiles on the mouse itself. Doing so will allow the lighting effects and key assignments to work without having the G Hub software running in the background.

In the next section, we will take a look at how the G502 HERO performs.

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Testing and Results
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Sensor Tracking Performance and Polling Rate

As expected, the G502 HERO performed very well and was able to handle very fast flicks across the surface thanks to the HERO optical sensor. No acceleration was present during testing and the average polling rate was around 1000 Hz as advertised. Lift-off distance was at a comfortable distance for gaming. At 2000 DPI, sensor performance was almost identical to the 3360 optical sensor, and it was difficult to tell the difference especially for the average gamer.

Because it maintained the same body shape and design as its predecessor, the G502 HERO was a very comfortable mouse to grip. Built specifically for right-handed users, the G502 was easy to control even with all of the weights inside the mouse. The weights surrounded the HERO sensor, giving the mouse a balanced center of gravity for the best possible tracking performance.

As for the sensor, Logitech built the HERO sensor from the ground up, so it is not based off of the popular 3360 optical sensor. The HERO sensor promises to provide no acceleration, smoothing, or filtering for the best possible response and precision while saving 10 times more power over the previous Logitech G gaming mice.

During my time with the mouse, I played mostly at 2000 DPI since I have found that to be the most optimal for me. There are gamers who would prefer a low DPI of around 400… which sort of defeats the purpose of buying a mouse with a ridiculously high DPI.

There is a lot that goes into a topic like this; should you use a low DPI or a high DPI for gaming? I personally prefer something over 2000 DPI but nothing more than 3500 DPI for gaming. I can notice quite a bit of jittering with slow movements at a very low DPI, but the jitter was nonexistent at the 2000 DPI I am using now. But if you can pull off fancy moves and headshot every enemy that gets in your way, stick with whatever you have and be happy with it.

Button Response and Placement

The buttons were in the right locations and never interfered with any of my games. With the extra buttons beside the left click, I was able to reprogram these through the software and use them for productivity purposes. Overall button response was spot on, but I was not in favor of the loud scroll wheel.

Size Comparison with Other Mice

When it came to size, the G502 HERO was slightly smaller than the Fnatic Clutch 2, but larger than the Logitech G Pro gaming mouse. I preferred the body shape of the G502 HERO over the these other mice because it was easier to grip. The grip also easily accommodated a variety of hand sizes, which is probably one of the reasons why Logitech kept this body design for so long.

Let’s go into my final thoughts and end this review with my conclusion in the next section.

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Gaming Mouse Final Thoughts
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As expected, the G502 HERO performed very well with its HERO optical sensor. With a comfortable body shape and design, this helped with improved grip along with its balanced center of gravity. Because the 11 buttons are programmable, the G502 HERO also makes a good mouse for productivity purposes. I found this to be very useful when editing these photos.

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G502 HERO Conclusion
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The HERO sensor provides great tracking precision since it does not introduce any acceleration, smoothing, or filtering. While playing multiple games, I found my aim to be just as good or better than the 3360 based mice I compared this to.

In terms of appearance, those who like the design of the G520 Spectrum and G502 Proteus Core will find that the only significant change to the G502 HERO is the company logo and the redesigned cable. Everything else is pretty much the same. But for the ones who are looking at the G502 for the first time may have mixed feelings about the aggressive design.

The mouse feels very solid overall. There is just a slight rattle in the scroll wheel when I shake it around, but everything else seems pretty bulletproof. With a rating of 50 million clicks, the main left and right mechanical buttons should last beyond your next upgrade.

For a gaming mice, everything seems very spot on the G502 HERO. The body shape allows for easy grip, the sensor is located in the center of the mouse, the weight system provides a balanced center of gravity, and the HERO sensor tracks well in a wide DPI range. Because there are 11 programmable buttons total, this mouse is also suitable for productivity.

As of January 2019, the Logitech G502 HERO optical gaming mouse currently sells online for $67.90 (Amazon | Newegg). This does seem a little steep when compared to the other gaming mice that are priced around the $60 range. This would not make a good upgrade if you currently have the G502 Spectrum or a similar 3360 based gaming mice. But for someone who is coming from a more basic, then the G502 HERO is worth the extra premium.

Pros:

+ Redesigned braided cable
+ Excellent sensor performance
+ Functional as a gaming and productivity product

Cons:

– Loud scroll wheel steps

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.75
• Appearance: 9.25
• Construction: 9.00
• Functionality: 9.25
• Value: 8.75

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Final Score: 9.20 out of 10.
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