What is an Infinite Scroll on a Mouse? Do you Need it?

In today’s market, we have several PC mouse models that can be overwhelming, especially in gaming-oriented models. However, there is a specific feature that not many mice have that differentiates them from the rest: infinite scrolling. This article will 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 PC mice brands, only the manufacturers Logitech, Corsair, and Razer implement infinite scroll in their products. Still, other brands such as Rosewill and even Chinese OEM brands implement it well, each in their way. The fact is that 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 (some models 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 have a 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 go over it, it makes a slight “clap clap” sound and only when we do it is when the screen goes up or down. This faculty is also configurable in the operating system itself. We can select the number of lines or pages in the mouse options that we want to scroll when we activate the mouse scroll.

In mice with infinite scrolling, this behavior is different since that component that acts as resistance in the wheel is eliminated. 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 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 wish to infinite scroll or normal. Now If you want to buy the best mouse, we recommend Theaaronstrong.com to read a mouse review there, or if you want to read about the best logitech mouse so read it here. 

In some models such as Razer’s, this is not an actual 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. Still, the reality is that users who try it no longer want another mouse that does not have it. However, some users consider that a scroll of this type is uncomfortable because it is too smooth and does not control 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 quickly reach the end of the documents without having to give the wheel constantly. No more, no less. This is especially useful for long documents and web browsing the Internet, especially if you are taking an overview and do not want to read everything on the screen all the time.

Some users have discovered that infinite scroll also provides some advantages in gaming. If you assign certain actions to the scroll, you can do infinite repetitions of these in record time (especially, those known as “speedrunners” usually 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 them at a given moment.

Do you need it on your mouse?

It will always depend on you and your preferences. Still, 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. We consider that the important thing is that the mouse can select if you want to activate the infinite scroll or use the traditional method of scrolling vertically. This opens the doors for the user to decide when they want to use one. Or another.

It is a feature that we can live without any problem, but it is undeniable that it has great utility. We would say that especially for those who have to be dealing with long documents regularly or for those who like to take a quick look at the news sections of web pages.