In today’s market, we have such a number of PC mouse models that it can be overwhelming, especially when we talk about gaming-oriented models. However, there is a specific feature that not many mice have that differentiates them from the rest: infinite scrolling. In this article we are going to tell you what this infinite scroll is, how it works, what it is for and what you would want it for on your PC mouse.
Among the most recognized brands of PC mice, only the manufacturers Logitech, Corsair and Razer implement infinite scroll in their products, but other brands such as Rosewill and even Chinese OEM brands implement it as well, each in their own way. The fact is, of the literally hundreds of mouse models on the market, only about twenty have this ability.
What is infinite scroll and how does it work?
As you know, practically all PC mice (there are some models that do not, although it is somewhat surprising because of how basic it is) have a scroll wheel, which allows us to move the screen when there are vertical scroll bars (some mice , in fact, they have 4D scroll that allows you to move horizontally as well) by moving it up and down.
Normally, the typical scroll of any mouse has a piecewise operation, that is, when we move it up or down it has a point of resistance that when we exceed it it makes a slight “clap clap” sound and only when we do it is when the screen go up or down. This faculty is also configurable in the operating system itself, being able to select in the mouse options the number of lines or pages that we want to scroll when we activate the mouse scroll.
In mice with infinite scroll, this behavior is different, since that component that acts as resistance in the wheel is eliminated and therefore that clap clap noise when scrolling is also eliminated. In other words, we can go up and down using the scroll wheel freely, as it will be activated as soon as we move the wheel. This means that the definition of “infinite scroll” is literal, we can rotate the wheel indefinitely to be able to scroll much faster and unlimited in the active window that we have selected.
A peculiarity of these mice (or at least of many of them) is that the possibility of having infinite scrolling is eligible for the user; In other words, they usually have a button or switch at the bottom that allows us to select if we want to activate this function or use the scroll in the traditional way, which is always an advantage since we can choose at any time if we want unlimited scroll or normal.
In some models such as Razer’s, this is not a real infinite scroll, but instead of a switch they have a wheel that allows increasing or reducing the resistance to “almost” leaving it released, as in those that do have a real infinite scroll .
The fact is that, whatever its implementation, the basic idea is the same, and shortly we will explain what it is for.
Mice that have infinite scrolling
As we said at the beginning, there are not many mice that incorporate this technology, and in fact we can easily list them according to the manufacturer (keep in mind that the implementation may be different from one manufacturer to another, as in the Razer example that we have put before) .
- Corsair: Nightsword RGB.
- Razer: Basilisk Ultimate, DeathAdder Elite.
- Logitech: G502 Hero, G502 Proteus Spectrum, G502 Hero, G300s, G703 Lightspeed, M705, G602, M510, G402 Hyperion Fury, G5, G500, G9x.
- Rosewill: ION D10.
- Pictek: GEPC034AB.
What is this technology for?
At first glance, this technology may seem like something useless that is not used, but the reality is that users who try it no longer want another mouse that does not have it, although there are also users who consider that a scroll of this type is uncomfortable because it is too smooth and does not allow exact control of how much they want to move the window.
Because the reality is that, a mouse with infinite scroll serves to scroll through the window vertically without the impediment of the “clap clap” of traditional scrolls, allowing you to reach the end of the documents quickly and without having to give the wheel constantly. No more no less. This is especially useful for long documents, as well as for web browsing the Internet, especially if you are taking an overview and don’t want to read everything on the screen all the time.
Some users have discovered that infinite scrolling also provides some advantages in gaming, since if you assign certain actions to the scroll you can make infinite repetitions of these in record time (especially, those known as “speedrunners” tend to use this ability frequently). Since normally in shooter games the scroll wheel is used to select the equipped weapon, some also use the infinite scroll to select random weapons by stopping it at a given moment.
Do you really need it on your mouse?
As always, it will depend on you and your preferences, but as we mentioned a moment ago in general terms, those users who try it usually find it very useful and no longer want other mice that lack it. Actually, we consider that the important thing is that the mouse has the possibility to select if you want to activate the infinite scroll or use the traditional method of scrolling vertically, since this opens the doors for the user to decide when they want to use one. or another.
It is obvious that it is a feature that we can live without any problem, but it is also undeniable that it has great utility for many users, and we would say that especially for those who have to be dealing with long documents on a regular basis or for those who like to take a quick look at the news sections of web pages.
