By the title alone, I know some of you are questioning my technical knowledge and gaming prowess. But hear me out: wireless peripherals aren’t what they used to be. They’re much better.
Wireless keyboards, mice, and other accessories like gaming headsets have come a very long way in the last few years. Despite a massive market share in favor of wired hardware, wireless is slowly but surely creeping up to become king of the PC accessory hill.
I used to swear by the benefits of a wired mouse and keyboard – what about the battery life? And that awful latency? But the more I used them, the more I see wireless peripherals for their upsides.
Here’s why I trust them to get the job done, and why you should too.
Battery life really isn’t that big of a deal
Whenever this debate comes up, there are a few main drawbacks of wireless peripherals people tend to point to. Chief among them is usually battery life – and it makes sense, because wired peripherals have literally infinite battery life.
But what if I told you wireless peripherals today have essentially the same thing?
First off, the vast majority of wireless mice and keyboards sync up with customization software like Razer Synapse and Logitech G HUB. These apps have built-in reminder notifications that alert you when it’s time to charge up.
And on top of that, many peripherals that have RGB will also give you a visual indication, like red flashing lights, when you’re running low on juice. Going one step further, most of the best wireless gaming mice have auto-off functions, which power the mouse down after a certain period of inactivity.
Here’s the real kicker though: almost all wireless mice today can also be used in a ‘wired’ configuration, because you can simply continue using them while you work or play.
That “battery anxiety” I felt right around the time I switched pretty much disappeared completely once I came to this realization.
If my mouse battery is running low, I take a few seconds to plug it in and keep it pushing. Once the battery is full, I unplug and enjoy the freedom of a wireless setup.
No cable drag making my setup feel “off,” no worrying about the wire being the right length or turning into cable cobwebs, just my wireless companion and the task at hand.
Plus, nowadays you can even get a fancy mouse pad that charges your wireless mouse as you use it (like the Logitech PowerPlay), which is honestly just as much of a flex as it is a brilliant idea.
Is wireless latency still a problem in 2025?
I would argue that for the vast majority of gamers, and for nearly every productivity user, the latency of modern-day wireless peripherals isn’t noticeable.
You won’t jump from the bottom of the leaderboard to the top because you went from a 1ms response time on a wired keyboard to 2ms response time on a wireless board.
To put it in perspective, it takes a single frame just under 7ms to render on a 144Hz monitor.
I thought the latency would be a total nonstarter for wireless peripherals, but as I kept testing them, I honestly can’t say I felt any hint of difference between mice like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Lightspeed and wired competitors like the Razer Viper Ultralight (which, while a few years older, was my daily go-to wired option) while playing competitive online titles like Counter-Strike 2.
Connectivity may be more of an issue
OK, if you’re looking for a “gotcha,” this is where you could get one over on me. Some wireless peripherals are just plain bad in the connectivity department.
Getting a spotty mouse or keyboard can certainly leave a bad first impression. It’s no fun dealing with random connection drops while you’re trying your best to win.
I find this usually crops up when dealing with Bluetooth or shoddy software (and is sometimes fixed with a simple firmware update, but we shouldn’t have to wait around on that after spending our hard-earned money.)
This is almost never a problem with wired mice, and it is something to consider. But if you go with one of our wireless picks for the best gaming keyboards, which we’ve gone hands-on with and can attest to each of their connectivity reliability, you won’t have that problem. Check out our other roundups too, like the best wireless gaming headsets for more ideas.
And where possible, I would use a 2.4GHz receiver over Bluetooth for the best connection. That said, a solid suite of Bluetooth accessories can free up a ton of USB ports, which are stretched thin nowadays on even the best gaming laptops.
The benefits of going wireless
As I’ve touched on throughout this article, there’s a number of upsides to going wireless. Here are the main benefits I’ve seen:
- A cleaner desk setup (no cable clutter)
- Better freedom of movement
- No cable drag
- Easy portability
- Bluetooth Multipoint functionality
- Access to the latest sensors and switches
- More free USB ports
And there are even a few more niche benefits like long-range capabilities if you like to connect a mouse or keyboard to your console for easy browsing.
The biggest upsides I’ve seen are definitely the cleaner desk aesthetics and eliminating cable drag (which also goes hand in hand with better freedom of movement). I don’t have to tug on my mouse cord to get it to the right length or take my headphones off when I get up to grab a drink.
It’s also pretty convenient to just toss your wireless gear straight into a backpack without having to worry about spooling up wires and fretting about the USB connection getting damaged in transit.
Plus, as more companies focus on making wireless gear, the latest sensors, switches, and software are centered around this form factor, meaning some wireless gear is actually more efficient than wired counterparts in the latency and durability departments.
Now, I’m not saying you have to throw your entire setup in the dumpster just because it has a few wires hanging off of it. But if you’ve been avoiding the switch because “wireless is worse,” I think it’s time to reevaluate.
The benefits outweigh the few downsides for me, and since making the switch to a cordless cleaner setup, I haven’t looked back.
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marcus.mearsiii@futurenet.com (Marcus Mears III)
