AUKEY Scarab Gaming Mouse review: The best budget gaming mouse ever

Everyone needs a quality mouse for their PC, and that's especially true if you play games. Without a quality gaming-focused mouse, you'll have a harder time being accurate, precise, and consistent in your games. Because of this importance, the best gaming mice are often pricey, costing anywhere between $50 and $150. However, this is not the case with the AUKEY Scarab Gaming Mouse, which is a device aimed at the budget-focused audience. For under $20, you get a mouse that contends with the more expensive competition in all of the most important ways. And while it does lack some of the features you'll find on those alternatives; it's impossible to look down on this mouse thanks to how much value it brings to the table.

What you'll love about the AUKEY Scarab

First and foremost, you're going to love how good this mouse feels to use. Even though the AUKEY Scarab is a budget device, it feels just as comfortable as more advanced mice thanks to its ergonomic shape and light weight of only 75 grams. The build quality is excellent, too; the mouse feels solid and built-well, which often isn't the case when it comes to cheaper gaming mice.

Secondly, the optical sensor on the mouse is fantastic. Though the maximum DPI of 7,200 isn't as high as more expensive mice can go, the performance of the sensor in-game is stellar. I was able to track enemies and stay on target with the AUKEY Scarab just as well as I usually do with my more expensive CORSAIR Ironclaw mouse, and aiming as a whole was a buttery-smooth process.

Finally, the AUKEY Scarab comes with some great bonus features. Firstly, it has six customizable buttons — the mouse buttons, the mouse wheel, a button below the wheel, and two buttons on the left. All six are fully customizable, which is excellent for folks who want to have quick access to specific functions in-game. Secondly, the mouse comes with some surprisingly extensive RGB options. Both the side of the mouse and the AUKEY logo on the front light up, and you can change both the color and the style of the lights by using AUKEY's software for the Scarab (This software is also what you'll need to use to customize the buttons). You can make the lights flash, dance left-to-right, and even transition between color gradients over time — all of which are quite advanced features for a device with this low of a price.

What you'll love less about the AUKEY Scarab

Overall, the only "complaint" I have about the AUKEY Scarab is that it lacks some of the features you'll find on more expensive options, such as textured grips, removable weights for weight tuning, more customizable buttons, and metal components. At this price, it's unreasonable to expect any of these to be on the AUKEY Scarab, but after using pricier options over the years, these are some of the things that I've come to appreciate about them.

Ultimately, the AUKEY Scarab performs superbly when it comes to core performance, and that's what matters most.

Should you buy the AUKEY Scarab?

While the lack of advanced features may bother some, the fact of the matter is that the AUKEY Scarab delivers a premium mouse experience for under $20. That's amazing, and it means that you don't have to sacrifice any performance at all by opting for a budget pick.

Unless you care a lot about things like textured grips or tuning weights, I wholeheartedly recommend picking up the AUKEY Scarab. It's a gaming mouse that punches way above its class, allowing you to enjoy the core performance you'd get with the best gaming mice for a mere fraction of the price.