You’d be forgiven for thinking that every computer mouse is just like every other computer mouse. It clicks things on your screen and lets you move your cursor around. Believe it or not, there are quite a few ways companies can differentiate their mice from each other, especially when it comes to gaming. Gaming mice can range from just a few dollars to well over a hundred dollars, but you don’t always get what you pay for. That’s why I’m here.
You might recognize Cherry as the company that’s dominated the mechanical keyboard switch market for decades, but it also makes great mice. The top-tier, e-sports-inspired M64 and M68 mice are very well designed, with the basic gaming features you need, but don’t quite live up to their asking price.
What I like about the Cherry M64 and M68
The M64 is an ergonomic, right-handed mouse while the M68 is symmetrical. Even though I have small hands, I prefer the feel of the M64 since it just sits a bit better in my grip. With that in mind, I focused mostly on the M64. Both versions come in black and teal, blue and orange and white and teal. Sadly, there’s no RGB lighting.
The soft-touch plastic on the M64 feels really nice to use. It’s cool to the touch and softer than a lot of the hard plastic you see on other mice. I much prefer it over Logitech’s mice and many other mice I’ve used. I appreciate that my hand never got sweaty or felt sticky during long periods of use, even in the warm Texas weather. It doesn’t feel cheap either, though I would hope not given the price tag.
The buttons are responsive and clicky, even if they aren’t the strongest I’ve used. The two-tone color scheme is subtle, but I like it. It’s also impressively lightweight for not having any holes in it, only 53 grams. Personally, I hate those honeycomb-style mice, so I’m very happy Cherry was able to keep it so light without making it look like Swiss cheese.
Solid, yet limited performance
I enjoyed using the M64 and never experienced any performance issues. It was effortlessly smooth and great for both gaming and daily use. Cherry claims you can get up to 75 hours of continuous use between charges, but your mouse would probably be at settings that would be far too slow to be usable. I never had an issue with battery life though. While using it as my primary mouse for work and play for about a month, I only had to charge it once.
The sampling rate tops out at 1,000 Hz on the base M64 I reviewed, but there is a Pro version available for $30 more that goes up to 8,000 Hz if you need that. For me, the performance was spot on.
What I don’t like about the Cherry M64 and M68
There are absolutely no software controls available for the M64 or M68. It doesn’t connect to Cherry’s Utility software, which means you have to manually adjust all the settings. Worst of all, the design team went full Apple and put the adjustments on the bottom of the mouse. Not only do you have to interrupt what you’re doing to change the settings, but you have to memorize or lookup how to change them every time you do. It’s just extremely poor design, especially on a mouse that costs $100.
Can’t use it while charging
If the button and switch on the bottom wasn’t bad enough for you, Cherry also followed Apple’s footsteps in the placement of the charging port. It’s not on the bottom, thankfully, but it is on the side and sticks out in such a way that makes it extremely annoying to use the mouse while charging. Sure, it’s technically possible, but you constantly feel the cable pulling at the mouse while in your hand, so much so that it was too distracting for me to use it.
Give me Bluetooth
It doesn’t seem like Cherry intends for this mouse to ever leave your desk, yet it’s small and lightweight enough to be a perfect travel companion. However, there’s no Bluetooth connectivity or storage for the 2.4GHz dongle. That’s likely a minor problem for most, but it’s a big annoyance for me. Since I can’t use the mouse while plugged in, that means I need to be extra diligent keeping track of the dongle whenever using the mouse away from home so I don’t lose it.
Should I buy the Cherry M64/68?
For me, the M64 and M68 are a tough sell, especially at $100. If it was $50 or $60, it’d be a no-brainer. But considering there are several other mice with similar specs, better features and more robust software support available, it’s hard to recommend the M64 and M68. The design is fantastic, but except for those of us who are most hardcore gamers, this mouse doesn’t outweigh the cons for me. But hey, if you can find it on sale, go for it.
