If you recognize the Logitech G203 Lightsync, you're not alone. Logitech G's latest gaming mouse may be touted as a newcomer, but functionally it is almost identical to the G203 Prodigy that came before it. Nevertheless, it is a popular and inexpensive enough gaming mouse that perhaps it is time for a re-review.

The G203 Lightsync is a wired mouse, and if you are looking for a wireless rodent, look for the Lightspeed. Instead, Lightsync indicates that this mouse is fully compatible with the Logitech G app and RGB lighting system, allowing for a unified RGB lighting effect across compatible Logitech products. Somewhat confusingly, non-Lightsync compatible products can also be integrated with this app to varying degrees.

One of the changes introduced in G203 Lightsync is the ability to tweak RGB lights within the app. This is one of only two small changes in total compared to the G203 Prodigy; whereas the Prodigy has only one Lightsync zone that can be set within the Logitech G app, Lightsync has three.

Far from a major overhaul, the G203's simple construction admits of few areas in need of change: all three lighting zones are in a thin strip that spans the rear palm rest, with the logo above in the same color as the central RGB lighting zone It is. While it would have been nice if the logo itself could have been controlled independently, this option allows for a gorgeous three-color gradient effect that extends from one side of the mouse to the other.

G203 Lightsync's 3-zone lighting also allows for two newly available RGB lighting effects, Color Wave and Color Blend.

Combine these with G203 Lightsync's slightly tweaked white and gray options (as opposed to the black and white options previously available with Prodigy) and you have something amazing for $40. That's right, the only difference between the G203 Lightsync and its predecessor is that the scroll wheel's reserved color has changed from the standard black to gray.

For the purposes of this review, the test unit came in the white colorway; we don't know what it will look like in five years, but we do know that it looks very beautiful right out of the box.

That's all we have to report on the changes between the two G203 models, but we did say they were nearly identical. However, the G203 Prodigy is now discontinued, and it appears that all parts that were once intended for the Prodigy will now be allocated to the Lightsync.

The G203 Lightsync is expected to have a nearly identical ambidextrous design, with two buttons under the right-hand thumb pad. This is a surprising shortcoming of the Logitech G203's one-size-fits-all design. Nevertheless, it is a simple design, and one that Logitech is rightly calling "tried and true."

The unnamed "gaming grade" sensor on the G203 offers a DPI range of 200-8,000, more than enough for all but the most massive 4K monitors. This sensor is more than adequate for decent, stable gaming, and it has produced clean results in our mouse-sensor tests.

At $40 (£35), the G203 Lightsync is in the fray among budget-minded gaming mice. The lineup in this price range includes the Deathadder Essential, Basilisk Essential, and Viper Mini. However, the G203 Lightsync performs well enough to hold its own. Its simple design packs the bare essentials and has an aesthetic that is rarely seen elsewhere.

Perhaps Logitech is quietly confident in what it is trying to bring to the more affordable segment of its vast mouse lineup, rather than trying to recreate a budget-conscious gaming mouse with every G203 improvement. with the G203 Lightsync The changes introduced, no matter how few, could be an important slim review, but we haven't even jumped at the chance to exclude it from our Best Gaming Mice list yet.

That said, if you happen to stumble across the inexpensive G203 Prodigy in this post-Lightsync world, you should jump at the chance while you can. It won't be around in the $30 range for long. Almost all of the above applies to the older versions as well, all of which make great budget gaming mice.