Now I've got my hands on the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, I believe its inductive tech will be as much of a game-changer for mice as Hall effect is for keyboards

Analogue tech has been one of the very few genuine game changers for gaming peripherals, whether in the form of optical, Hall effect, TMR, or most recently, induction switches. Until now, however, this has primarily been reserved for your controller's joysticks or your gaming keyboards. Logitech's X2 Superstrike is the first serious effort to bring such tech to a gaming mouse, and now that I've had my mitts all over it here at Logitech's Swiss labs, I reckon it stands a chance of shoving the esports scene forwards as Hall effect did with keyboards.

The company announced the mouse late last year and since then I've been really excited to try it out, because I'm always on the lookout for something—other than diligent practice—that might improve my Counter-Strike 2 K:D ratio and headshot percentage, as well as my general performance in other shooters.

The mouse uses what Logitech is calling a Haptic Inductive Trigger System (HITS), ie, a mix of haptic feedback and inductive tech for the LMB and RMB switches.

Similar to Hall effect switches, the inductive 'switches' (should we call them switches anymore, without clicky mechanical parts?) use magnetism to measure how far down the button has been pressed. Although with induction there isn't an actual magnet that's moving, rather a teeny bit of metal moving through an electromagnetic coil.

With the Superstrike, you can set its actuation point—the point at which the click registers input—at your choice between 10 levels, the lowest of which being one that allows you to click with just the slightest pressure. The point is to reduce latency, putting less of an artificial barrier between you and your virtual gun's trigger. With this alone you'd get no mechanical 'click' for feedback, but that's where the haptics comes in. This replicates the feeling of the mouse click, kind of like the haptics in a MacBook's trackpad does. You get a handful of levels to choose from here, too, which determine haptic strength.

I must say, before getting my hands on it, I was a little worried about two things: first, how those haptics would feel, and second, whether low actuation would result in accidental clicks and be more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Accurately describing how something feels is difficult, so I'm hesitant to even try. Do the haptics feel exactly like a normal mouse click? No. Do they feel close enough to prevent any annoyance? Definitely. I can't say for sure until I've spent more time gaming with the mouse, but I reckon it might become one of those things you don't even think about before long.

Regarding accidental clicks, again that's something I'll want to test over a more extended period. But I got chance to game with the mouse for a few minutes in a practice CS2 deathmatch, and even at the lowest actuation level, I wasn't accidentally clicking. Logitech was also keen to point out that most of the many pros who have used the mouse went straight for the lowest actuation and stuck with it.

At the lowest actuation level, I did notice that shooting felt like more of an extension of thought than something requiring physical exertion. I aim, I think 'shoot', I shoot—and isn't that exactly the goal here, to eliminate any physical hindrances? Again, though, more testing is needed.

Battery life is rated at about 90 hours at 1 kHz polling, assuming an FPS playstyle and corresponding number of clicks, which is great considering the new tech packed in there. You'll get worse battery life than this, though, if your clicks per minute (CPM) are higher.

What I don't need more testing to be sure about, however, is that this thing looks gorgeous. How can you spice up a minimalist design such as the G Pro/Superlight range? Simple: make it two-tone black-and-white. It looks fantastic to my eyes. And it feels great under my palm, too, because it's kept that staple G Pro/Superlight shape that is most definitely not broken and should not be fixed.

The G Pro X2 Superstrike is available for pre-order and launches on February 10. Launch price is $180 / £160, which is expensive but also in-line with top-end gaming mice from mainstream brands. And considering what's on offer here, that being a very new and impressive technology for a gaming mouse, that doesn't make me bristle too much. Though I'll wait until I've tested it for a while longer before offering my final verdict on that price tag