We happy few in the PC Gamer hardware team are big fans of Logitech's MX Master ergonomic mouse, with its fantastic main wheel and secondary thumb one. So, when a handful of images for the next iteration of the long-running series popped up in an official database, we were genuinely excited to see the changes.
The database in question is that of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the entry for the Logitech MX Master 4 was spotted by Sweclockers. There are no details about size or weight, just four product shots. And at first glance, it looks very similar to the MX Master 3S.
But if one compares the 4 and 3S side-by-side, some differences do pop out. First of all, there's an additional button next to the traditional forward/backwards thumb switches, and the entire thumb rest is now one large button. In the 3S, the button is somewhat hidden near the edge of the rest, making it a bit hit-and-miss to use at times.
My guess is that the latter will default to firing up Logitech's AI tools, but one good thing about the MX Master series is that it's always been easy to reconfigure every button to anything you like.
The MX Master 4's shape is practically the same as that of the 3S, but to my eyes, it looks a fraction smaller, a tad more curved at the rear, and the primary buttons are a little more angled. Logitech doesn't really need to change the dimensions all that much because the 3S is lovely to hold and use for long periods of time.
That said, we all mused about what we'd like to see changed in 3S (and what not to change). Top of the list was a better sensor; not necessarily one with more DPI, just faster and more accurate. The MX Master 3S is okay as a gaming mouse, but it's not ideal as it struggles at times to keep up with fast changes of direction.
We'd like to see the main buttons have a little more feedback to them, too. The 3S's quiet switches are nice, though they could do with a teeny bit more of a click to them. I don't mind them at all, and what I really want to see is a better choice of material for the chassis. The MX Master 3S gets grubby far too quickly, and after a year or so of use, it always feels a bit 'dead flesh' like.
We all agreed that there are two things Logitech must not change under any circumstances whatsoever are the two mouse wheels. The main one, between the left and right mouse buttons, is perhaps the finest creation ever to grace a mouse. Its level of feedback and flexibility is second to none. Okay, I lied—there is one thing we'd like to see changed, and that's more customisation options for the wheels.
Anyway, whatever the Logitech MX Master 4 is actually like, we won't know until we get our sticky mitts on it. But when a review sample comes are way, I can guarantee there will be one almighty clamour as to who gets to test it. Naturally, it should be me because I'm the oldest one here and deserve the best of everything.
