The new Logitech MX Master 4 mouse is worth its sky high price

Your computer mouse is probably something you either never think about or obsess over. Much like the world of computer keyboards, finding the right PC peripherals can be quite the rabbit hole to tumble down once you start researching the options.

You begin to learn why you might consider spending more than £100 on a mouse when you can get one for a tenner on Amazon.

Over the past few years, Logitech has established itself as the front runner in ergonomic mice. Its flagship accessory is the MX Master, which has gone through several iterations and has proven immensely popular thanks to its great design, long battery life, additional button for quick access to more features, and roller wheel.

I've been testing the new £119.99 MX Master 4 for a few weeks and am unsurprised that I love it. I've previously used the MX Master 2 and 3 (though not the previous generation 3S), so I didn't think the lineup needed much of a refresh.

How wrong I was, though the upgrade I prefer is not the one the MX Master 4 is marketed on.

The biggest change here is the new haptic button that sits where your right thumb rests. Unfortunately, there is no left-handed version of the MX Master 4. This is a huge oversight considering the range's continuing popularity.

For the righties, as you press this new haptic area, you can feel button-like feedback from a vibration motor. On older models, you can push down for a physical click, which felt less intuitive.

But this new button does nothing without Logitech's Logi Options+ software. Once installed, pressing the button calls up what the firm calls the Action Ring, a software overlay that pops up with a wheel of icons that you can customise. Holding down the button, you drag your cursor to the option you want to quickly access, such as regularly used apps or actions.

It's clever, but you might not need it depending on your workflow. At launch, it supports apps such as Photoshop and Excel, and the overlay adapts if you are in these apps and lets you quickly perform actions. You can also program it to perform actions from AI apps such as Copilot and Perlexity, but it's a big no thanks from me on that front.

This works with Windows or macOS. Confusingly, there is a specific white Mac version of the mouse available even though the regular graphite model works perfectly well on both platforms. A Logitech spokesperson told me it essentially sells the white one 'for Mac' to appeal to an Apple audience rather than the product having any specific hardware differences.

I was much more impressed with a simpler upgrade. Although the MX Master 3S introduced silent clicks, I didn't use that version, so the silent left and right buttons on the MX Master 4 blew me away. My older mice now seem to make a racket when I compare them to these buttons, which make only the faintest noise but still give decent physical feedback. It's a tiny quality of life improvement, but getting rid of the audible mouse click is great for you and your office colleagues.

I also love the new, subtle textures on the top of the mouse. Where your palm rests now is covered in tiny microdots, which are designed to stop the material wearing and becoming shiny and worn over time. The left and right buttons are now an opaque plastic, which will hopefully mean less wear too.

Battery life is excellent. From fully charged, I used the mouse every weekday for four weeks and at the time of writing, it has 35 percent left in the tank. That's 20 days and 65 percent used, so at this rate the mouse won't make it to 70 days of use, which Logitech says is possible, but if I only need to plug it in once a month or so that's still pretty good.

The firm has also made the mouse more repairable than older versions, with screws on the bottom and spare parts available.

The MagSpeed Scroll Wheel is present and correct, allowing you to scroll with traditional thunks or completely smoothly at the press of a button. You can scroll up to 1,000 lines per second, making this a good pick for the spreadsheet warrior and coders out there. It simply reacts beautifully to scrolls with precision and fluidity on Windows and Mac that cheaper mice lack. It really is a great upgrade.

One thing worth noting is that the 125Hz polling speed, which means the cursor can react 125 per second to movement, is not considered fast enough for elite PC gaming.

You also can't store the included USB-C receiver dongle in the body of the mouse, making it easy to lose. I prefer connecting over Bluetooth, but the dongle offers longer range and supposedly a more precise connection. It's good to have both options.

Who knew I could write so much about a computer mouse, and one that costs a penny under £120 at that? If I had that amount of money to spend on a mouse though, this one would be it. I don't hate Apple's flat Magic Mouse, but that accessory is a design-first mouse with a flat form that you can't charge while you're using it.

The MX Master 4 is the antithesis. It's actually quite ugly and is unapologetically plastic, designed entirely around comfort and utility. It's expensive, but it'll last years if my older versions are anything to go by, and the new software features and silent buttons are a great upgrade on your current mouse.