Logitech MX Master 3S overview: The greatest Mac mouse will get higher

Best Prices Today: MX Master 3S

$99.99

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$99.99

Free

Since its debut about two years in the past, we’ve got thought-about Logitech’s MX Master 3 to be the very best total Mac mouse for productiveness.

Now it has been up to date to the MX Master 3S, and the enhancements, although minor, are sufficient for it to carry on to the highest spot. The MX Master 3S is just about an identical to the MX Master 3 however options an improved 8000dpi sensor and quiet-click buttons. There’s a brand new Options+ app as effectively, although that can work with lots of Logitech mice, together with older fashions.

A snug design (for right-handed customers)

Logitech’s design for the MX Master 3S is an identical to the MX Master 3. It’s obtained a pleasant sculpted form that matches effectively within the hand, with a mild left-to-right slope and a thumb relaxation for a extra snug resting place.

There are nonetheless two main buttons, which are actually extremely quiet. They nonetheless have a pleasant clicky really feel, not mushy in any respect as some quiet-click mice are, however they make nearly no sound. Your coworkers will thanks.

Between the left and proper buttons is a metallic knurled scroll/click on wheel, with a toggle button to change it from easy scrolling to a ratcheted really feel. I desire the ratcheted mode, and should you scroll actually quick it’s as if a clutch releases that permits the wheel to spin freely for a couple of seconds, with some flyweel-like inertia. It’s an effective way to scroll down actually lengthy paperwork or net pages shortly whereas preserving that line-by-line precision when transferring slowly.

Above the thumb relaxation, you’ll discover one other scroll wheel of kinds, made for left/proper scrolling in spreadsheets or the like, together with two extra mouse buttons. The thumb relaxation itself may be pressed downward, towards your desk, as one other programmable mouse click on. By default, it’s set to gestures—click on down and drag the mouse up, down, left, or proper to carry out one in all a number of gestures, as you’ll do with a touchpad.

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I discovered the thumb-rest button a bit tough to click on, nevertheless it appears to be one thing you’re meant to make use of sporadically, and it’s good to have a substitute for all these two- and three-finger trackpad gestures while you leap from a trackpad to a mouse.

The mouse is wi-fi solely, utilizing both Bluetooth or the Logi Bolt USB dongle (which is included). The Bolt adapter is used for plenty of Logitech wi-fi merchandise—actually, a single adapter may be paired with as much as 6 concurrently. What’s extra, the mouse may be paired with three totally different gadgets (Bolt or Bluetooth), and you’ll flip between them with a small swap on the underside. It’s useful for individuals who need to use their mouse with a number of computer systems; Mac or Windows/Linux PC.

Battery life is claimed to be 70 hours and is recharged by way of a USB-C port within the entrance of the mouse. In my expertise, that battery life estimate within reason correct. In 5 days of on-and-off use, my mouse battery has solely dropped to 90 p.c. Plus you need to use the mouse whereas it fees with out concern (I’m you, Apple Magic Mouse).

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Improvements over the MX Master 3

With the exception of the almost silent buttons, all of the options of the MX Master 3S are kind of an identical to these of the MX Master 3. There’s one different minor enchancment: the optical sensor, which does an excellent job of monitoring throughout all types of surfaces, has doubled to 8000dpi from 4000dpi.

That will probably be a welcome swap for individuals who use a number of 4K or 5K screens. Moving round all these pixels can imply dragging your mouse all around the desk, or selecting it up and transferring it usually, and the high-res sensor actually cuts down on the mouse journey obligatory.

Options+

To go together with the launch of the MX Master 3S and new MX Mechanical keyboard, Logitech has a brand new Logi Options+ software program to switch the outdated Logi Options software program.

It’s primarily a facelift, with the identical broad-stroke options as earlier than: select mouse buttons and reassign their capabilities, even selecting OS options or particular shortcuts or keystrokes. There are world settings and you’ll assign new settings and button assignments per utility.

Your choices are saved to the cloud (with a Logitech account) and comply with you to different techniques you utilize Options+ on. It additionally permits a function known as Flow that allows you to transfer management from one laptop to a different simply by transferring the mouse off the sting of the display screen (assuming your gadgets are paired to each and have Options+ put in on each). You may even copy and paste between machines on the velocity of your native community.

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It works effectively sufficient, and I used to be even in a position to transfer simply between my iMac and Windows 11 PC. Thankfully, Options+ is a Universal app (excellent news for M1 Mac customers), whereas the outdated Options app is Intel-only and runs underneath Rosetta emulation.

But it’s not with out faults. For starters, it solely helps particular Logitech productiveness gear, whereas Logitech gaming gear, Blue microphones, and webcams use the similar-but-a-little-different Logitech G Hub. I shouldn’t should run Options+ for my mouse and keyboard and G Hub for my webcam and Blue Yeti, however that’s how it’s.

What’s extra, there are options obtainable in G Hub that appear arbitrarily lacking from Options+, comparable to the power to create multi-step macros. This isn’t only a gamer function—programmers would most likely love that choice, however you may’t get it with out shopping for a Logitech gaming peripheral to make use of G Hub (or counting on third-party mouse or keyboard macro software program).

Logitech does say that Options+ will get options and assist that Options by no means had. We can solely hope that management over webcams and Blue microphones, in addition to full macro management, are excessive on the listing.

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Should you purchase a MX Master 3S?

The MX Master 3S isn’t a lot of an improve over the MX Master 3, nevertheless it doesn’t must be. Logitech has taken what we nonetheless assume is the very best all-around mouse for Mac customers and made it even higher with a higher-resolution sensor and superior quiet-click buttons that also really feel nice.

The new Options+ software program is a pleasant facelift, and whereas we want it will do extra, it’s a number of the greatest first-party mouse and keyboard management software program round. If you usually use a couple of laptop, you’ll particularly respect how simple it’s to make use of the MX Master 3S with as much as three machines.