This Entry-Level Gaming Mouse Is a Great Way to Up Your PC Gaming on a Budget
What's great about the Cherry MC 2.1
CNET/Jason Cockerham
The most important thing a mouse to get right is the feel in your hand. If it's uncomfortable, you're not going to want to use it no matter how many killer features it has. Thankfully, Cherry got the feel of the MC 2.1 right. It's not going to blow you away with revolutionary ergonomics, but for an inexpensive gaming mouse it feels solid and comfortable for long periods. The sides have some extra grip to help keep your hand steady and it's lightweight at only 107 grams.
I used it for hours both while gaming and for daily use, and I never once got a cramp or experienced any soreness while using it. Cherry says it's an ergonomic design geared for right-handers. It's fairly symmetrical, so a leftie might be able to use it just fine, though there are dedicated leftie mice that would probably work better.
The other important feel to get right is the clicks. I couldn't find any technical information about what buttons are used (or their stated lifespan), but suffice it to say they're tactile and responsive. Oddly, the two side buttons felt a bit softer than the main two. I'm not sure why, but it's not a dealbreaker. Aside from the main buttons, scroll wheel, and two side buttons, the only other one is right behind the scroll wheel on top. This button with the Cherry logo toggles between four DPI settings, all of which are fully customizable. Four pill-shaped, red LEDs let you know which setting you're on. If you hold the button, it will launch the Cherry Utility software.
Design
CNET/Jason Cockerham
For an inexpensive gaming mouse without many frills, I think the design is OK. It's pretty unassuming and only comes in black, but again, it's not meant to be a showstopper. On the bottom you've got one long skate up top and two smaller ones below, which is fine, but I tend to prefer larger skates.
There's also customizable LED lighting, which is surprising at this price. It's only around the scroll wheel, but I'm a fan of how it looks. It's subtle but doesn't feel like an afterthought.
Specs and price
Truth be told, I think Cherry nailed it here. For around $40 the MC 2.1 has a 5,000 DPI sensor with up to a 1,000 report rate, LED lighting, and the ability to save custom profiles for all your games (and for work, if you must).
What I don't like about the Cherry MC 2.1
CNET/Jason Cockerham
The MC 2.1 is fully compatible with Cherry's Utility Software, but the app leaves a lot to be desired. The UI only recently got updated to something that looks like it was made in the 21st century, but it's still simplistic. The customization options are also a bit lacking, even considering it's a budget mouse. Plus, it wouldn't always load properly when I needed to change something.
What was also a tad concerning was that when you hold the Cherry button, you actually see a Run command window open with the command being typed out before the software opens. Just a bit odd. There even seems to be two versions of this software. The one I downloaded directly from Cherry's site is not the same one that opens when you hold the Cherry button. I never got any detailed information about this, so I'm not sure what or why this is the case. The one that launches when you press and hold the button is the much better version, so I'd recommend using that one.
Cherry
I don't know why, but having the ability to unlock the scroll wheel or customize the scroll speed outside of the Windows settings seems to be a rarity among non-flagship mice, and that's a bummer. Granted, most games don't require extensive use of the scroll wheel, but for daily work usage, it's really annoying to be stuck with a slow scrolling speed. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but either way, give me the option. There's also no horizontal scrolling, but that's not expected at this price.
Should you buy the Cherry MC 2.1?
Honestly, the MC 2.1 is a great mouse for $40. You get a solid, reliable, responsive mouse, with some RGB lighting thrown in, at a reasonable price. There's no wireless option, though, so if you need that you'll need to look elsewhere and likely pay more. Plus, the software situation is limited, not to mention odd, but if you don't care too much about customizing your mouse then there's nothing to worry about.
Even with the slower scroll speed I still found the MC 2.1 to be a great mouse for daily usage. If you're looking for a solid, inexpensive mouse that's great for both work and play, the MC 2.1 is an easy choice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
25 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
China Is Quickly Eroding America's Lead in the Global AI Race
Chinese artificial-intelligence companies are loosening the U.S.'s global stranglehold on AI, challenging American superiority and setting the stage for a global arms race in the technology. In Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, users ranging from multinational banks to public universities are turning to large language models from Chinese companies such as startup DeepSeek and e-commerce giant Alibaba as alternatives to American offerings such as ChatGPT.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Up Over 80% This Year, Is It Too Late to Buy Roblox Stock?
Roblox is trading at its 52-week high as it's coming off a strong quarter that saw improvements in both its top and bottom lines. It still has many avenues for future growth, including through advertising and diversifying its games and reaching broader audiences. Roblox still isn't profitable, and it may not hit breakeven anytime soon. 10 stocks we like better than Roblox › One of the hottest gaming stocks to own this year has been Roblox (NYSE: RBLX). The company's gaming platform is easy for kids to use and has 40 million games, providing users with a wide range of entertainment options. On average, there are also close to 100 million daily active users on Roblox. The stock has been on fire since early April, with its year-to-date returns now sitting at around 80% (as of June 30). It's trading near its 52-week high, and it has a market cap of more than $70 billion. With a high valuation and the stock doing so well, is it too late to invest in Roblox right now, or could there still be more gains ahead for investors who buy the stock today? Roblox has a popular gaming platform that appeals to young kids. The vast majority of the revenue the company generates is from the sale of its virtual currency, Robux, which allows users to purchase in-game items and experiences. While that has enabled the business to grow its sales significantly over the years and has now brought in $3.8 billion in revenue over the trailing 12 months, Roblox is still only scratching the surface of its longer-term potential. One way the gaming company can grow its top line even further is through advertising, and offering companies unique ways to reach users through games. This can be a tricky avenue to navigate, given that most of its users are under the age of 18, but it's a relatively untapped opportunity for the business. Earlier this year, it announced rewarded video ads, where users can choose to watch 30-second video ads in exchange for receiving in-game benefits. The company has also been allowing creators to make games targeting older, more mature audiences. Not only can that help grow its user base, it also means it'll be easier to advertise to a wider range of demographics, which is appealing to more businesses. A big challenge for Roblox is staying out of the red. In its most recent quarter, which ended on March 31, the company's net loss totaled $215 million, on revenue totaling just over $1 billion. The good news is that it's making some progress in the right direction. From a cash flow point of view, there is even better news: its quarterly operating cash flow for the period totaled $444 million, which was close to double the $239 million it brought in over the same period last year. By strengthening its financials while also expanding its growth opportunities, Roblox will become a more appealing stock to more growth investors in the process. Smaller losses and improved cash flow can make it a less risky investment to own. Roblox is still in its early growth days, which is why I don't think the stock is anywhere near hitting a peak. With many young users on its platform, there's the potential for them to become life-long customers through the company's immensely diverse games. Even though there are tens of millions of games already, that number can get much bigger, especially as developers make games serving broader audiences. Plus, a big advantage Roblox has over other gaming companies is that its users can also make games on its platform themselves. This means that it doesn't have to spend heavily on producing and developing games. Although the stock has been red-hot in recent months, it's by no means too late to invest in Roblox. This can be a great growth stock to buy and hold for years. Roblox possesses a lot of upside over the long haul, as its business continues to evolve and diversify. Before you buy stock in Roblox, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Roblox wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $722,181!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $968,402!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,069% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 177% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 30, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Roblox. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Up Over 80% This Year, Is It Too Late to Buy Roblox Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
4 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Stock Movers: Tesla, Warner Bros., Constellation
Listen for comprehensive cross-platform coverage of the US market close as heard on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, and YouTube with Romaine Bostick, Scarlet Fu, Carol Massar and Matt Miller. - Tesla (TSLA) shares fell today as investors expect vehicle deliveries to decline for the second consecutive quarter. CEO Elon Musk has assumed oversight of Tesla's sales in Europe and the US following the departure of longtime deputy Omead Afshar, people familiar with the matter said. Afshar was responsible for Tesla's sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe before leaving the EV maker late last month. Following his exit, Musk and Tom Zhu, a senior vice president, are divvying up reporting lines as Tesla looks to recover from another quarter of declining vehicle deliveries. Tesla likely delivered around 389,400 vehicles in the three months that ended in June, according to analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would be down roughly 12% from a year earlier, following a 13% drop in the first quarter. - Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shares were lower after Advance/Newhouse sold 100 million shares for about $1.1 billion via a block trade, according to a recent filing. - Constellation Brands (STZ) reported earnings and profit trailed expectations in the first quarter due to weaker consumer demand for alcoholic beverages and higher costs from aluminum tariffs .Earnings excluding some items were $3.22 a share in the period, missing the average analyst estimate by 10 cents. The company's beer margins were hit by President Donald Trump's 25% tariff on imported aluminum cans — a key packaging material for its Mexican-made beers such as Modelo and Corona. Constellation is navigating multiple headwinds including tariffs, muted beer sales, and more drinkers cutting back on alcohol and turning to alternatives such as cannabis. The company has also cited a pullback among Hispanic consumers — who make up more than half of Modelo drinkers — amid concerns about inflation, immigration and job security.
