Professional and High-Level Gamers: Differences in Performance, Muscle Activity, and Hand Kinematics for Different Mice

Computer mouse design can impact user comfort and performance. The effect of mouse design on gamers, who use a mouse for long hours and apply higher velocity movements than office workers, is uncertain. Professional (N = 29) and high-level (N = 19) gamers participated in this laboratory study and performed Fitts' and gaming tasks (Overwatch(TM)) with different mice, and this analysis compared results from a light-weight (87 g) wireless mouse and a very light-weight (80 g) wireless mouse. There was little difference between the mice on muscle activity, hand motion, usability, or fatigue; however, professional gamers preferred the 80 g mouse. Professional gamers achieved higher levels of throughput and lower levels of path deviation than high-level gamers and their hand movement velocities and accelerations were significantly higher (p<0.05). The observed hand movement patterns used by professionals may be useful for instructing other gamers on techniques to improve performance.