Many new updates are introduced in gaming as well as gaming peripherals which is worth the investment. These updates have made gamers capable of achieving success through gaming. Most gamers play games for entertainment while others may play for money through competition that is held nationally and worldwide.
The gaming mouse has also been enhanced in the last decade providing a lot of new features helping gamers to achieve high ranks in gaming. Among these features include USB which stands for Universal Serial Bus (will be discussed below). Many new versions are introduced with higher updates and speeds. USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 are the best-known USB versions. Gamers are confused about – do gaming mice need USB 3.0.
The simple answer to this question is NO, gaming mice do not require USB 3.0 as the 2.0 version of USB provides the speed necessary for gaming. Although the speed of USB 3.0 is faster than USB 2.0, however, you won’t feel any difference in their performance while gaming.
I will be discussing the differences between USB 2.0 and 3.0 and also – is USB 3.0 required for gaming. Read till the end to have a clear idea.
So without any due, let’s begin.
What is USB 3.0?
USB basically stands for Universal Serial Bus which is a connector used to connect devices to a computer. The introduction of USB was done in 1996 and from that time on, this connector is almost used for all kinds of data transfer and connectivity of devices with computers.
Since 1996, many new versions of USB are introduced including USB 1.0, USB 2.0, and USB 3.0, and many more are to come. Currently, gamers are mostly using USB 2.0 version, but after the introduction of USB 3.0, gamers are willing to shift toward this new version which is interesting as USB 3.0 provide more speed than USB 2.0.
A USB 3.0 connection can transfer data at a maximum rate of 5 Gbps, while a USB 2.0 connection can transfer data at a maximum rate of only 480 Mbps. Therefore, USB 3.0 is faster than USB 2.0 having 10 times more speed. Also, the power consumption of USB 3.0 is less than USB 2.0 and provides a consistent power output.
Differences between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
The major and primary difference between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 is the rate or speed of the transfer of files. 480 Mbps transfer speed is provided by USB 2.0 while USB 3.0 offers a transfer speed of 4.8 Gbit/s. This means that USB 3.0 is very fast in transferring large files than USB 2.0. Some differences are also found in the various ports, however, they are not needed and are not used mostly.
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What port do gaming mice use?
Most gaming peripherals are using USB 1.0 or USB 2.0 ports rather than USB 3.0 ports. The basic reason behind this is that computer peripherals don’t require such a high transfer rate as USB 3.0 is providing.
That much data are not transferred by these peripherals including mice. Even those gaming mice having onboard memory and other high-end features usually transfer only a few megabytes of data per second, which is easily accomplished by using USB 1.0.
Furthermore, USB 3.0 require some extra connectors that unfortunately most gaming mice don’t have. Due to this, it is not possible to use USB 3.0 port on a mouse.
Tips to check if your port is 3.0?
If you are willing to check whether the port on your computer or computer devices is 3.0, then there are a few tips to check it.
1. Check the “SS” logo
SuperSpeed (SS) is used for the transfer rate of USB 3.0. For this reason, the USB 3.0 port is sometimes labeled with an “SS” logo. So if the “SS” logo is present on your port then the port is USB 3.0.
2. Check the color of the port
Different versions of USB ports have different colors. The USB 2.0 port is typically white or black in color, while the color of the USB 3.0 port is mostly blue. If the port is blue, then the USB port is non-other than 3.0.
3. Check the Device Manager
If the color on the port and the SS logo does not make you satisfied, then you can also check in the Device Manager of your computer. First, go to Start, then Control Panel, in the control panel search for System and Security. Then, under “System,” click on “Device Manager.”
In the Device Manager, search for “Universal Serial Bus controllers” and click it. Several devices should be listed there, including the “USB Root Hub (USB 3.0)” and the “USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller.” These are signs that your port is USB 3.0.
Does anything happen if a USB 2.0 device is plugged into a USB 3.0 port?
The next question that arises in the mind of a gamer is that OK, my mouse is USB 2.0 but would anything happen if I connect or plug my mouse into a USB 3.0 port?
The answer is simple, nothing will happen to your mouse if you connect it to USB 3.0 port. The reason behind this is that the USB 3.0 version of USB is compatible with all previous versions whether it be USB 1.0, 1.1, 2.3, or 3.0.
The mouse will work perfectly but you should be well aware that even if you connect your mouse with USB 3.0, still your mouse will work at the same speed as it did with USB 2.0. In simple, you won’t get the higher transfer rate that USB 3.0 provides. Because as mentioned before, USB 3.0 require special connectors that USB 2.0 mice or any other device doesn’t have.
The transfer data will be at the speed of USB 2.0 if you plug a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 port. The speed and transfer rate with which the mouse work won’t change with the use of a USB 3.0 port.
Do gaming mice need USB 3.0?
Polling rate is the feature showing the data transfer rate or speed of gaming mice. A gaming mouse having high polling rate shows that this mouse can communicate with the computer more often due to which more responsive gaming is experienced.
There is no gaming mouse that has a polling rate higher than almost 1000 Hz, or one millisecond. This means that 1000 bits of data from the mouse can be transferred per second. On the other hand, the standard USB 2.0 polling rate is about 125 Hz.
While USB 3.0’s polling rate is still 125 Hz, raising it will not increase the mouse’s speed or give you any more edge or give you the ability to send data more quickly.
Also. USB 2.0 has a bandwidth of 60 Mb/s, this power demand can easily be met by USB 2.0. Therefore, gaming mice do not require USB 3.0 as they can work very well with USB 2.0.
Benefits of using USB 3.0
You might be wondering if are there any benefits of using USB 3.0 or not. Well yes, there are.
Bulky files that need rapid transfer can be transferred using USB 3.0. Mass storage devices can take the biggest benefit from USB 3.0.
Hard disks, Flash Drives, phones, etc, and other devices can benefit greatly from USB 3.0. Whereas, it fails to make an impact with mice. Due to the minuscule size of data sent by mice, they can even be transmitted over Bluetooth without any delay. Therefore, does not require USB 3.0.
Conclusion
After the detailed explanation of USB 3.0, it is clear that mice do not require USB 3.0 and can work well with 2.0. USB 3.0 is simply a new version that provides enhanced speed for transferring data than USB 2.0 provides.
However, as mentioned above the mice don’t need USB 3.0 and they can work perfectly well on USB 2.0, although, the speed provided by USB 3.0 is fast but still gamer won’t feel any difference between them while gaming.
In this article, I have clearly explained – do gaming mice need USB 3.0. If you want to ask anything, go ahead and contact us.
Thanks for reading.
