Logitech G305 Lightspeed review: So close to greatness

While Logitech has put out some of the best gaming mice we have reviewed, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed feels like a missed opportunity for what could have been a killer budget mouse.

At first glance, there is a lot to like about the G305 — an eclectic mix of colors and the classic egg shell case are great aspects of the mouse’s design. The plastic all feels great to the touch, and the PTFE skates are some of the best I’ve used, gliding effortlessly across my mousepad.

Sadly, you will be left underwhelmed at best by the lack of versatility. With a required AA battery (thankfully included) as well as only supporting wireless connections via a 2.4G dongle, you would be hard pressed to find a more restrictive gaming mouse for this price. I would have loved to see the components that I liked with a standard level of connectivity and features, akin to that of the cheaper Keychron M7 ($49) or Redragon M916 Pro ($44).

Overall, it's difficult to fully recommend the G305 as your next wireless gaming mouse, but I won’t hold it against you if you are lured in by the fun color schemes.

Read on for my full Logitech G305 Lightspeed review.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A budget wireless gaming mouse
• Who is it for? Those who want some color to spice up their next gaming mouse, and are looking for the best quality at this price
• What does it cost? The MSRP is $59/£59, but as the time of writing it's on sale for $39 at Logitech and $37 at Amazon
• What do we like? The quality of the build is great, and it performs well in games
• What don’t we like? Powered by an AA battery and reliant on a USB dongle, the mouse feels restricted while plenty of cheaper alternatives simply offer more

Logitech G305 Lightspeed review: Specs

Logitech G305 Lightspeed review: The ups

The G305 has enough going for it for it to be worth considering if you need an affordable gaming mouse. The quality of the mouse’s construction is one of the best you can get at the $50 price point, and it performs admirably across any game I tested it on.

Build

The G305 has a fantastic build, with high-quality plastic components contributing to a smooth, substantive-feeling plastic case — it’s remarkably well constructed for a mouse costing just $59. The 3.5 ounce/100g weight of the mouse is fairly light, although it is double that of ultra-lightweight mice like the Redragon M916 Pro or even the larger Endgame Gear XM1r ($49). 

Any added effort required to move the mouse from the increased weight is eased by the excellent skates on the base — four small skates in each corner of the mouse cause less friction than the usual two larger skates found on most mice, and they are made of a durable and smooth PTFE. These ensure high-speed movements remain fluid and easy.

The case features no lighting, but the 5 colors available, including blue, mint and lilac, makes up for this in my eyes. Each design, besides black, features a two tone scheme with bright, complimentary color choices. My personal favorite is the lilac color, which features deeper purple highlights, a refreshing change from dreary black and white gaming mice, even without customizable LEDs.

The only problem with the build is the removable case shell, which stores a single AA battery and a slot for the USB-A dongle. It lacks the neat magnetic attachments seen on another modular mouse, the Fantech Aria XD7 ($78), or the easy-to-use crosspoint attachments of the Lofree Touch’s ($69) removable shell. On the G305, it is difficult to slide the shell back into the case due to awkward slots — fortunately, you probably won’t be doing this frequently enough for it to be a dealbreaker.

Performance

Logitech’s ‘Hero’ sensor is excellent, and the G305 is one of the most affordable models boasting it. Much like other mice with the sensor, such as the Logitech G502 X Lightspeed ($134), the G305 offers snappy performance in games. I tested the mouse in Valorant and the mouse buttons in particular feel tactile and reactive to rapid presses, which is particularly useful when trying to get those quick headshots with the Vandal or spamming with the Guardian. 

The extra weight on the mouse makes it well suited to slower-paced games — clicking through the menus and dialogue of Baldur’s Gate 3 was no problem for this mouse, and I was able to bind the thumb button to toggle individual or group stealth while getting through Act 1 on my new Tiefling Rogue character.

This is as good a mouse for work use as it is for gaming, and although the click is a little on the loud side, the lack of garish RGBs suit it better to an office than your average gaming mouse. You can use the DPI switch on top of the mouse to quickly switch to a higher DPI for productivity, made all the easier by the ability to save up to 5 onboard profiles via the companion app. The max DPI is only 12,000, which is quite low when compared to other mice at this price, and unlike the Redragon M916 Pro the G305 only supports a standard 1,000hz polling rate — both of these numbers are good enough for the average user, but competitive players wanting more power will have to look elsewhere. 

Companion App

A special mention goes towards Logitech’s G Hub companion software, which provides an easy way to tweak the mouse’s settings, allowing you to set four different DPI levels as well as fully remap the 6 buttons. You can set an unlimited number of per-program profiles — great for those with large app and Steam libraries who want to bind frequently used actions for specific productivity apps or games. This includes a solid list of shortcuts for commonly used system actions like undo and zoom, as well as dedicated integration with Discord and OBS to allow for easy microphone muting or screen record toggling.

The companion app also supports ‘G-Shift’, allowing you to set an extra layer of keybindings on the mouse accessible by holding down a designated key or button. This reminds me of the thumb shift button on the Turtle Beach Kone XP Air ($129), minus the awkward placement on the mouse. This has cross compatibility with the G-shift binding on Logitech keyboards, which worked well in testing alongside the Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL ($139) keyboard — particularly thanks to the 2-in-1 wireless dongle on the G515.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed review: The downs

Despite having the foundations of a top-tier gaming mouse, the G305 disappoints with a general lack of versatility. In testing, I felt restrained by the reliance on battery power, and the frustratingly small size prevented me from finding a comfortable grip. Likewise, a few more gaming features would round off an otherwise decent mouse.

Connectivity

The G305 feels very limited in connectivity. Gamers probably won’t miss the lack of Bluetooth support due to the forced low polling rate this brings, and it is something that even highest-end Logi mice like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 ($159) tend to drop entirely. But for those who want to use the mouse on a device without a USB port, this is an unnecessary hit to the mouse’s flexibility. No wired connection is also an inconvenience, preventing you from using the mouse without relying on a battery.

The mouse is powered by a single AA battery. It’s rare to see a battery powered gaming mouse, especially retailing for over $50 — and I can’t say I am a fan. The ability to swap it out when it runs low might suit some people who don’t want to wait for their mouse to recharge, and the advertised 250-hour battery life beats any built-in battery handedly. I prefer built-in lithium batteries for the ability to charge and play, and the convenience of the mouse standing by itself — the idea of having to buy a new battery or recharge the battery separately when depleted feels antiquated when most wireless mice, especially at this price, have moved past this.

Lack of features

For a gaming mouse, the G305 doesn’t offer all that much, especially to those looking for high performance. Most mice I have tested contain features that can help you get the most utility out of your mouse, with even the affordable Redragon M916 Pro offering angle snapping, ripple control and adjustable debounce time, while both Turtle Beach and Razer mice like the Kone XP Air and Deathadder V2 offer the ability to adjust the sensor to your mousepad or desk surface. Angle snapping in particular is something that most manufacturers provide, with mice like the SteelSeries Aerox 5 allowing you to specifically tune the strength, so it's tricky to recommend the G305 if this is a feature that you tend to use. While not everyone would take advantage of them, the ability to make adjustments to both the sensor and switches is useful for those who want to get the most out of their mouse. This is definitely a weakness of the otherwise superb G Hub app.

Ergonomics

It's hard to recommend the G305 for those with medium to large hands, due to its small size. I found that the mouse was a little too narrow and short for it to feel comfortable, and I was forced to use it in a claw grip rather than my usual palm grip. The narrow width of the mouse in particular was a struggle to get past, as my hands were too wide for it to fit the form of my palm.

The mouse does not offer any real ergonomic support either, so it won’t be the healthiest or most comfortable mouse for office use, or for marathon gaming sessions — if this is something you are after, the Keychron M7 is a superior option for the same price.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed review: Verdict

My time with the G305 was certainly not bad by any means, but it just doesn’t stand out from the crowd. The biggest potential claim the G305 has to sit among the best cheap gaming mice is its fantastic build quality, but apart from that there is very little to set it apart from great mid-range and budget mice like the Fantech Aria XD7, Redragon M916 Pro or Endgame X1Mr.

If you have smaller hands, and don’t mind using AA batteries, the G305 is definitely an easier recommendation. This mouse is small, light and sturdy enough to sit in your bag and replace a laptop trackpad, while its 1ms response times and 1,000hz polling rates make it absolutely competent for gaming on the go. However much I wanted to love the G305, though, there are just too many mice you can get for $50 (or cheaper) that offer more bang for your buck.