Opinion
How a mouse with a ball drove me to despair
by Valentin Oberholzer
A tough decision: healthy wrist or healthy score?
30/6/2024
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
To take the pressure off my wrist, I tried out an ergonomic, vertical gaming mouse. It’s rubbish for gaming, but great for working.
Lately, I’ve been getting cramps in my right wrist after long gaming sessions. After all, I spend hours gaming with my hand tilted inwards. This posture can lead to inflammation and pain. To relieve the strain on my forearm, I bought a vertical gaming mouse. Before that, I didn’t even know they existed. So I was all the more happy when the mouse arrived: tall, beefy, with RGB lighting and a CPI switch.
I’ve also noticed that the vertical mouse is heavier and doesn’t glide across the mouse mat as smoothly as my regular one. But what’s way worse is that it keeps tipping to the side because of the high centre of gravity. As a result, the sensor doesn’t read my movements accurately.
In games that require precision, these inaccuracies are fatal. I miss stationary enemies in PUBG, click on the wrong mobs in World of Warcraft and fire my ultimates into oblivion in Smite. My performance worsens, and I get killed in situations where I technically have the upper hand.
In search of solutions and some consolation, I look into what others think of vertical gaming mice. Scanning YouTube and Reddit, it soon becomes clear that most people feel the same as me. It seems the mice are just too clunky, too heavy and too imprecise. There are only few positive voices out there.
Good for work, but not for play
Vertical mice are mainly used in an office environment. And that’s where I’m putting mine to work now, too. After all, my mouse movements don’t have to be particularly fast or precise at work. Plus, I’m enjoying the advantages of ergonomics without the disadvantages of lacking precision.
For gaming, I’ve gone back to using my usual gaming mouse. With it, my headshots are precise and I’m slowly building up my K/D again. To take the strain off my forearm, I’m trying out stretching exercises. Or taking a quarter-hour break for every hour of playing time, as is generally recommended. Let’s see how long I can keep up the discipline.
Valentin Oberholzer
Freelance Editor
v4lentin.oberholzer@gmail.comMy retreats have names like Middle Earth, Skyrim and Azeroth. If I have to part from them due to IRL commitments, their epic soundtracks accompany me through everyday life, to a LAN party or to my D&D session.
Opinion
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