TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
And players have been urged to switch to wired mice.
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Wireless gaming mice are great and have only gotten better with time. They're so good, in fact, that I would not go for a wired model unless I was really looking for a budget option. And yet it turns out wired mice were the best choice for the Valorant Champions tournament in Shanghai, where custom desks were apparently interfering with the signal.
The Valorant Esports X page recently revealed that "repeated mouse interference issues have caused multiple tech pauses and disrupted our most important tournament of the year" and that it would be asking all players to swap to wired mice until the problem is fixed.
In a match between FUT Esports and 100 Thieves, player xeus had an issue with their mouse where it was unable to fire. Xeus is part of FUT, which lost to 100 Thieves, two to zero.
Riot claims, "Following an official post-game evaluation, we concluded that a round rollback should have been allowed. We take responsibility for that error." Riot also said, "After considering the available options, we have decided that the match result will stand, as other options would result in overturning a victory by a team that competed under the same conditions and was not responsible for the error."
Riot fabricated custom metal desks for the tournament, and believes the material choice could be the cause of the interference problem here. For most players, they will be able to use their wireless mouse simply in wired mode, but some mice without USB Type-C ports, like the recent SteelSeries Rival Pro, would pose a significant problem.
An update on VALORANT Champions Shanghai. pic.twitter.com/AWkQAMwUsSOctober 1, 2026
In this use case, a pro would have to swap the mouse altogether, which means getting used to a new shape, weight, and feel. At the highest level, this could be a slight disadvantage.
But even using the same mouse, being tethered to your rig poses a slight problem too, as it adds some resistance in movement. This will likely mean that many players have to ever so slightly change the way they play for the tournament, or at least until things are fixed.
The PC Gamer Circuit Breaker newsletter breaks down the latest PC gaming tech, and finds you the best deals on the best products
There's a reason why wireless mice are so popular among competitive players. They're easy to move around; you don't have to factor in the tether of the cable as you move your arm, and polling rates are now so high that wireless mice are as quick as wired. Regardless of how fast this issue is fixed, it's still likely quite the setback for pro players, and may make them bring a spare USB cable with them in the future.
1. Best wireless: Razer Viper V4 Pro
2. Best wired: Logitech G502 X
3. Best budget wireless: Mchose G3 V2 Pro
4. Best budget wired: Glorious Model O Eternal
5. Best competitive:Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike
6. Best lightweight: Corsair Sabre V2 Pro
7. Best MMO: Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE
8. Best small: Razer Cobra HyperSpeed
9. Best ambidextrous: Logitech G Pro
10. Best ergonomic: Keychron M5
11. Best customizable:Orbital Pathfinder
👉Check out our full gaming mouse guide👈
James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.
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When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Wireless gaming mice are great and have only gotten better with time. They're so good, in fact, that I would not go for a wired model unless I was really looking for a budget option. And yet it turns out wired mice were the best choice for the Valorant Champions tournament in Shanghai, where custom desks were apparently interfering with the signal.
The Valorant Esports X page recently revealed that "repeated mouse interference issues have caused multiple tech pauses and disrupted our most important tournament of the year" and that it would be asking all players to swap to wired mice until the problem is fixed.
In a match between FUT Esports and 100 Thieves, player xeus had an issue with their mouse where it was unable to fire. Xeus is part of FUT, which lost to 100 Thieves, two to zero.
Riot claims, "Following an official post-game evaluation, we concluded that a round rollback should have been allowed. We take responsibility for that error." Riot also said, "After considering the available options, we have decided that the match result will stand, as other options would result in overturning a victory by a team that competed under the same conditions and was not responsible for the error."
Riot fabricated custom metal desks for the tournament, and believes the material choice could be the cause of the interference problem here. For most players, they will be able to use their wireless mouse simply in wired mode, but some mice without USB Type-C ports, like the recent SteelSeries Rival Pro, would pose a significant problem.
An update on VALORANT Champions Shanghai. pic.twitter.com/AWkQAMwUsSOctober 1, 2026
In this use case, a pro would have to swap the mouse altogether, which means getting used to a new shape, weight, and feel. At the highest level, this could be a slight disadvantage.
But even using the same mouse, being tethered to your rig poses a slight problem too, as it adds some resistance in movement. This will likely mean that many players have to ever so slightly change the way they play for the tournament, or at least until things are fixed.
The PC Gamer Circuit Breaker newsletter breaks down the latest PC gaming tech, and finds you the best deals on the best products
There's a reason why wireless mice are so popular among competitive players. They're easy to move around; you don't have to factor in the tether of the cable as you move your arm, and polling rates are now so high that wireless mice are as quick as wired. Regardless of how fast this issue is fixed, it's still likely quite the setback for pro players, and may make them bring a spare USB cable with them in the future.
1. Best wireless: Razer Viper V4 Pro
2. Best wired: Logitech G502 X
3. Best budget wireless: Mchose G3 V2 Pro
4. Best budget wired: Glorious Model O Eternal
5. Best competitive:Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike
6. Best lightweight: Corsair Sabre V2 Pro
7. Best MMO: Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE
8. Best small: Razer Cobra HyperSpeed
9. Best ambidextrous: Logitech G Pro
10. Best ergonomic: Keychron M5
11. Best customizable:Orbital Pathfinder
👉Check out our full gaming mouse guide👈
James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?