Since the laser uses precise, concentrated light and captures better images, the laser mouse is more accurate and precise.

Once the laser illuminates the surface, the CMOS sensor captures a more accurate, crispier image. Besides this, the working principle is exactly the same. The laser mouse uses an actual laser beam of light to illuminate the surface. Perform best on irregular or rough surfaces.Starting with the DPI of 400 and going up to 16000 DPI or even more. The optical mouse also has a lower DPI compared to the laser mouse. This is why you do not see bright red LEDs under a modern optical mouse. Nowadays, the LED sensor is so powerful that it does not require a bright LED light, a faint LED will do the trick. You will see a bright red LED light under the mouse. Since a smooth surface will not have any irregularities or textures, the optical mouse will not record any movement. Since the light needs to be reflected to catch the surface irregularities, you cannot use this on a smooth, transparent surface like glass. The mouse uses this LED light to emit a series of photons to the surface, and an optical sensor captures the image. The optical mouse has a Light Emitting Diode (LED) on its board. Laser Mouseīefore we get into comparing the two mouse, let us first see how the two types of mouse work. This rate of recording the mouse’s physical position and sending it to the OS is called polling rate of the mouse. The computer will now move the mouse cursor according to the data received.Īll these processes occur thousands of times in one second. Once it gets the new surface texture, the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) compares the two surface details and analyzes the new mouse position.Īccording to the physical mouse movement, the mouse then sends mouse position data to the system. When the mouse moves, the CMOS again captures the surface details. This enables the sensor to picture every surface detail. The CMOS sensor captures the depths and valleys of the surface.

Photons from the light source hit the surface and illuminate the surface.

Every circuit board in a mouse has an emitter and a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. As stated earlier, whether it be wireless or wired, most mice released these days use light to track their physical movement.

Which is Better for Gaming, Optical or Laser?īefore comparing the two, let us see how a modern mouse works.

Best wireless mouse 2021 gaming