Logitech G303 Shroud Edition Review: Not For Everyone

The Logitech G303 Shroud Edition is a Logitech G303 mouse that’s been redesigned in a partnership between Logitech and Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek, a popular streamer and former pro Counter-Strike player. That makes this a very unique mouse, and it’s rather taste-specific as a result. Fit for wider hands, this rechargeable wireless mouse is powered by Logitech’s powerful Hero 25K sensor, but it’s the unique design that will probably be the deciding factor in whether you really enjoy or dislike it. 

Specs for Logitech G303 Shroud Edition

Design of Logitech G303 Shroud Edition

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I typically use a Logitech G602 mouse for gaming, and I’ve been using it as my go-to mouse for many years. The G602 has a thumb rest along the side, multiple programmable buttons, and it’s a heavier mouse that allows for a palm grip. If you can imagine the G602 as the mouse that perfectly fits my hand, the G303 Shroud feels like pretty much the exact opposite. 

At first glance, the G303 Shroud mouse is attractive, sleek and mature looking. It’s not particularly flashy—no RGB lighting or anything like that (although there’s a battery LED indicator just above the scroll wheel). However, it’s a nice-looking mouse with a Logitech G logo on the lower portion, right and left click buttons, a scroll wheel, a button below the scroll wheel and two hot keys on the left side. 

In spite of its attractiveness at first glance, it does feel somewhat flimsy. This is partly due to its extremely light weight, but it’s also because it just doesn’t feel as sturdy as other mice I’ve tested. The build quality is decent overall, but I can see the internals when I turn the mouse at certain angles. 

The sides are made of translucent plastic, too. That’s arguably more of an aesthetic issue than a quality one, but I can’t overlook how there’s a visible screw on the mouse’s underside, which to me just felt lazy in a mouse at this price point, especially considering there’s ample opportunity to hide the screws without impacting performance or access to the internals. You have to remove the skates (which ruins them) and the four screws underneath to get inside the mouse anyway, so it’s not like this visible screw is there for easier part-swapping. 

On the back portion of the mouse, there’s also a pull-out drawer where you can store the USB dongle for the 2.4GHz “lightspeed” wireless connectivity. When the dongle is stored in the drawer, there’s a highly noticeable rattle when you move the mouse about, as the dongle doesn’t secure very well into place within the drawer. 

This is a rechargeable mouse, so it doesn’t contain disposable batteries. It weighs only 2.2 ounces (about 75 grams), so it’s extremely light. The package doesn’t include any weights for tuning either. The USB-C charging and data cable plugs into the top of the mouse, which can cause added resistance when you use the mouse along with the cable plugged in. 

On a more positive note, the G303 Shroud’s scroll wheel is robust and sturdy. The bottom skates are smooth and don’t cause excess drag, and the matte black design will go well with just about any gaming setup.

The shape of this mouse, which is almost like a rounded-off diamond, is something I haven’t seen in too many other mice. The side angles are sharp, and I had trouble accessing the side buttons with my thumb in a natural way. Because of the shape, I found myself forcing a sort of combination claw/fingertip grip and accidentally pressing the front side button at times when using the mouse to surf the web. Also, because this grip style was uncomfortable for me, my hand actually cramped up after a few hours of use (but this could have been because I’m so used to the grip on the G602). The rear side button is also extremely difficult to press in the middle of a match, as it’s too far back on the mouse for me. 

In other words, this mouse might work best for those with larger, or at least medium-sized, hands.

Buttons on Logitech G303 Shroud Edition

The best gaming mice have enough buttons to map all your most vital actions to, and they position those buttons for easy access during a match. There are five main buttons on the G303 Shroud, plus a clickable scroll wheel. By default, the side buttons serve as back and forward buttons, but you can assign these within the Logitech software (more on that later). The button below the scroll wheel controls DPI by default (instead of alternatively adjusting between continuous and ratcheted scrolling like on some other Logitech mice), and there’s no designated thumb rest. The ratcheted scroll wheel consists of an internal metal bar configuration, so it feels quite pronounced.

Software for Logitech G303 Shroud Edition

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Like most recently released Logitech mice, the G303 Shroud uses Logitech’s GHub software. You can adjust just about everything you can imagine within the software, including DPI speeds, button assignments, and more. There are even presets for specific games like Far Cry 5, COD: Black Ops, Destiny 2, and Hitman 3, but I didn’t find the presets particularly useful since the mouse is already so specialized.

Because of the difficulty I had with the back side button, I ended up favoring the front side button and reserving the back button for tasks I seldom use in-game. However, the software allows you to assign macros to your keys, which is quite helpful. I would have liked to have more programmable keys than the six available here (counting the scroll wheel), but I was able to make it work for most games.

Performance of Logitech G303 Shroud Edition

If you can get past the design quirks, performance is the area where the G303 shines, especially if you're highly skilled at battle royale games, shooters or other games that require a lot of precision. I'm no pro gamer by any means, so I'm coming from the perspective of a hobbyist. I'm also a bit of an anxious gamer at times, so I like a heavier mouse to help reduce knee-jerk reactions. With the 2.2-ounce weight, I had quite a bit of trouble with overscrolling at first, but the on-the-fly DPI adjustment helped me tailor the G303 Shroud mouse to my specific sensitivity needs. After a few days, I was able to play COD with this mouse and maintain my typical stats. I did not see an improvement in my stats, though.

Although I wish the G303 Shroud had more programmable button controls, the right and left buttons are extremely responsive and they feel good during play. This mouse has absolutely no noticeable lag, and the sensor allows for no smoothing, acceleration or filtering. The G303 Shroud contains Logitech's Hero 25K Sensor, as well Logitech's Lightspeed wireless technology for low latency performance. 

During testing, I found the wireless range to be about 30 feet, and I have yet to have to recharge the battery after a week of testing for three to five hours a day. The published battery life is 140 hours, and that seems reasonably accurate given I still have about 50% battery remaining after turning the mouse on and off, surfing the web, programming buttons and messing around with it for a week. You can also get another two and a half hours or so of use if you plug it in for five minutes, thanks to USB-C fast charging.

Bottom Line

The Logitech G303 Shroud Edition might lean too much on the side of the collaborator's tastes and not enough on the needs of the wider gaming audience. It would have been nice if this collaboration between Logitech and Shroud resulted in a mouse that served the needs of the gaming community at large, as opposed to only right-handed gamers with medium to large-sized hands who happen to have thin fingers and enjoy a modified claw grip.

All in all, I appreciate the unit's low latency, accuracy, battery life and first-glance aesthetic, so it does have a lot to offer. I just wish it had a more universal shape that wasn't so uniquely crafted to the collaborator's hand, as well as more button and weight configuration options to make it more desirable to each individual gamer. If you're a gamer who prefers a very lightweight, rechargeable mouse with a combo claw/fingertip grip, you might really like the G303 Shroud Edition. But if you prefer a palm grip, a thumb rest, weight adjustment, or multiple buttons, this isn't the mouse for you. Instead, consider the Razer Basilisk V3 or MSI Clutch GM20, both of which have thumb rests and plenty of customizability for people who don't fit Shroud's mold.