It might not be the most alluring mouse out there, but it's definitely one that takes me by surprise.

As someone who uses a PC almost primarily for work and barely anything else, unique peripherals continue to feel like a new thing to me. It was only last year that I tried out a mechanical keyboard, and next up was a fancy new mouse: the MSI Clutch GM51 to be exact.

At first glance, it’s a typical PC gaming mouse. It has side buttons, a nice prominent logo on it, and RGB lighting to boot. It didn’t look like anything special from the get-go, and maybe that’s just the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ design - after all, I’ve seen some mouse designs that are far more questionable as they try to become unique.

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However, what drew my attention was the wireless functionality, and - as an accessory to this - the charging dock. The little magnetic charging dock that I can satisfyingly sit the mouse atop at the end of my day is such a trivial-yet-exciting thing; an aspect that I absolutely love, while it doesn’t add much to the actual use of the device. The general wireless functionality, however, does add a lot to the use.

Wireless technology is not a new thing, and many people still swear by wired tech because of the difference in latency when gaming. So far though, using the GM51 as a wireless mouse (which does have the option to be used wired) has given me no disadvantage that I have noticed in my time with it so far. The response time seems to be absolutely perfect, there has been no stuttering or cut-outs at all, and both the Bluetooth and 2.4G USB options have been excellent.

Besides this, the rest of the mouse is pretty standard in features - two mappable buttons where your thumb sits, a firm and responsive scroll wheel, and a button for switching between sensitivity levels. That said, this button is on the bottom of the mouse, making it inaccessible while the mouse is in use. I can see benefits to both approaches - if the button was on the top, it would be convenient, but it may be pressed inadvertently, and I’m not switching up the sensitivity so much that it affects my day-to-day.

The overall experience with the mouse is otherwise good enough - I have no complaints, and it’s fairly comfortable to use. The lightweight design means it remains easy enough to use with little-to-no strain, and it’s even lighter than my previous wired mouse, making it better in that regard. That said, as someone who is not well-versed in the ins and outs of PC mice, this isn’t such a huge benefit for my use case - even when I do play games on the PC, neither seems to be noticeably more beneficial than the other. If you’re a regular Valorant or CS:GO player, you might feel more of a difference than when I’m playing Divinity or survival games, for example.

I might not reap the benefits as much as some more dedicated computer users, and I would be just as happy using my previous one, but I can see the appeal of the GM51 and why it may be favored by many for gaming and general usage alike - probably more so the former. The battery life is fantastic and the charging dock means that it never becomes a problem. However, if you are someone who is going to be looking for all the specific reasons and benefits of picking up this mouse, then know that the customization options are not the best nor easiest to use. The MSI software is somewhat lacking in comparison to others I have seen in the past, and if you’re looking into this mouse, chances are you’re looking for a complete, optimal experience overall. You’ll find a damn good experience here, but perhaps not the top of the line.

The manufacturer provided the product for this review.

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Sam has been writing online for over 8 years and ran a small-scale website on the side. Looking to bigger things, he joined TheGamer as an editor in 2021, and now acts as Deputy Lead for Evergreen.