Logitech Shroud G303 Review

This is the second time that Logitech has worked with Shroud and luckily for mouse enthusiasts they’ve brought back the cult G303 shape instead of going with something safer. Does it live up to the legacy of the original?

Measurements (L x W x H)

117mm x 69mm x 40mm

Weight 

74g

Packaging and Presentation

If you’ve ordered a Logitech G product in the past year, the Shroud G303 will be very familiar. No real extras to speak of but always a nice premium unboxing feeling. There is a carrying pouch available on the Logitech website but unfortunately it does cost extra.

Design and Build Quality

The Shroud G303 takes direct inspiration from it’s corded predecessor, the G303 Daedalus Apex. The mouse has since been discontinued but it gained a cult following for its angular claw-grip shape. The G303 evolves this by adding lightspeed wireless functionality and shedding some extra weight as well as the RGB sides. Unfortunately for smaller handed gamers, they also made the mouse larger to fit Shroud’s actual grip size. This means that the Shroud G303 is wider, longer and has a higher hump than the original. Although these measurements were only tweaked slightly, it’s a difference you can feel in hand.

In terms of build quality, this is on par with the most recent Logitech releases like the Superlight. There was no side or bottom flex on my copy. The coating feels premium, smooth and grippy and is pretty similar to the Superlight as well. I would have liked to see the rubber coated scroll wheel upgraded to something more in line with the competition with the addition of some texture. Weight is well balanced on the mouse although it is noticeably slightly back heavy.

There were some nitpicks for me in terms of the build quality, the mouse did develop some slight creaking in just a few days of use and there’s a weird echo-ey/bouncy feeling from the shell when you set the mouse hard after re-positioning. You can even feel the shell vibrate a bit from scrolling the mouse wheel hard. It’s not a deal breaker but it’s a constant annoyance if you use this mouse long enough. Another nitpick is that since the mouse can rock back and forth since the mouse is larger on top and you can even tip the mouse upwards accidently just by pressing hard on one side of the mouse.

One thing I have to comment on as an improvement is that this is the first Logitech mouse to feature a USB-C charging port. This will make it easier to swap out and charge multiple devices with one cable. There is also a pullout tray at the back of the mouse that lets you store the USB dongle safely. There is a DPI button and a LED indicator light that shows DPI and battery level.

Buttons & Scroll Wheel

Logitech once again went with 20M Omrons on the Shroud G303. The button design feels really nice with a slight finger grooves and large triggers which result in M1 and M2 feeling about as good as these switches can realistically feel. The mouse offers up quiet but tactile and rapid feeling clicks. The actuation weight is quite light but you won’t easily click these by accident. There is no real noticeable pre travel and post travel is kept minimal as well as side play or button wobble. While Omrons feel good here I think this mouse in particular would have been a prime candidate for some Kailh GM 8.0s to differentiate the G303 from other gaming mice.

The side buttons are well positioned to easily use in-game with an aggressive claw grip but their shape is really small and their response is kind of dull. They are skinny in shape and remind me of the side buttons on the G203. The lack of tactility and crispness here is a disappointment. I would have expected them to make the side buttons a bit better here but I don’t overly rely on them in game but this is something you should be aware of if you use side buttons a lot.

The scroll wheel is also an older style scroll wheel like that found on the original G303. It’s got a grippy rubber coating but the lack of any sort of texture on the wheel is a bit of negative in my opinion. It’s got a looser quicker scroll feeling which I don’t mind but I do wish the there was a bit more tension in the scroll wheel movement. The middle click is satisfying to click with a decent amount of travel and a medium articulation force.

Shape, Performance and Software

The shape is the main attraction on the Shroud G303 and it’s definitely tailored strictly to claw grippers. While you could try and palm or fingertip this mouse, it’s just not a comfortable affair. The angular sides force your hand into a claw position and the diamond shape allows you to use your palm to stabilize your grip when you need to while still giving you space to make micro adjustments. While the shape felt a bit foreign at first, I got really comfortable with it after a few days and it felt right in my hand.

While this is not the mouse I would choose if I was only worried about the speed of my aiming, I do think it offers a great bit of control in-game as it was a mouse I could comfortable track, flick and control recoil with over time. I played well with the mouse and found it well suited to tactical shooters in particular. Keep in mind that if you have not tried this shape before, it will take a few days with it to get comfortable with the G303.

The software gives you a ton of customization options and I think Logitech G Hub has been improving with recent software updates so no real complaints there.

Sensor, Skates and Battery Life

The sensor on the G303 is the same as found on the Superlight and offers up excellent performance across the board with a low default LOD. This is a top of the line sensor and I doubt you’ll run into many issues with it even over thousands of hours of gaming.

The skates are once again the no-addictive PTFE feet. These feel a bit slow out of the box but once they break in after a day of use they feel quite smooth. While they’re not as fast as aftermarket skates I liked the blend of pure speed and control they offer. If you liked the Superlight feet you’ll like these. I’m glad they re-vamped the skates as the original had horrible mouse feet and these are well shaped to offer consistent glide.

The battery life is pretty insane on the Shroud G303 and I think you can expect a couple weeks of gaming on one charge. The battery is rated for 145-hour battery life and I can see some casual gamers getting even more use out of it without needing to plug in.

Conclusion

I want to commend Logitech for bringing back the G303 shape at all. It wasn’t a best seller back in the day and having a more angular, experimental shape like this for the mainstream gives a lot of claw grippers a new wireless option. That being said don’t expect a revolution from the G303. It has some flaws that can become pet peeves if you use this mouse long enough.

Pros

  • Excellent wireless performance and battery life
  • Main clicks and coating feel great on the G303

Cons

  • Mouse can rock back and forth if you press down on the sides
  • There’s a spring rattle when scrolling fast or setting the mouse down hard

Bottom Line

The shape changes to the G303 may alienate some fans of the original but the other updates will make the G303 a cult favorite among a new generation of gamers.

Rating
8.5/10

US Stores

Logitech USA

Best Buy

Amazon

Canada Stores

Logitech Canada

Amazon CA

EU Stores

Amazon UK

Amazon Germany