Logitech’s Mx Master 4 Adds Haptic Feedback, Mostly Just For Fun

If you saw the leaks, you astir apt already cognize that haptics are nan big, caller point successful Logitech’s $119.99 MX Master 4 wireless mouse, coming successful October. No, it’s not adding rumble effects to YouTube videos aliases to your favourite websites (on 2nd thought, I’d for illustration to effort that). And, it’s different from Logitech’s haptics-based click strategy successful its Pro X2 Superstrike gaming mouse coming successful 2026.

The Haptic Sense Panel embedded successful its grippy thumb remainder vibrates erstwhile pressed, opening Logitech’s Action Ring overlay. That overlay tin beryllium filled pinch immoderate app- and system-level shortcuts you want. You tin moreover nest aggregate Action Rings wrong one, if you want, letting you drill down to highly circumstantial commands. The haptics is simply a hardware characteristic that, unsurprisingly, requires you to prosecute beautiful heavy pinch nan company’s software, Logi Options Plus.

The haptics punctuate each engagement you make pinch Logitech’s features, from gestures and Action Rings to its Smart Actions (pre-made aliases civilization macros to automate definite tasks). My favourite usage lawsuit for nan haptics was 1 that’s switched disconnected by default; you tin alteration a mounting that provides a mini jolt of haptic feedback erstwhile you move betwixt screens, reducing nan magnitude of “where connected world is my cursor?” moments each day.

Before digging into nan app integration, it’s worthy sharing what’s caller astir nan MX Master 4 itself. It has frosted, semi-transparent main buttons that adhd successful a dash of elegance. Some group mightiness beryllium happy to perceive that this exemplary includes a USB-C Bolt transmitter, which nan different compatible Logitech products (including nan caller Signature Slim Solar Plus keyboard) tin link to arsenic well. 

In position of artillery life, Logitech claims it tin past up to 70 days connected a afloat complaint (although, mounting haptics to “high” strength successful nan app will output a shorter lifespan per charge).

Lastly, its motion fastener has moved from nan thumb grip, wherever it was successful nan MX Master 3S from 2022, to a dedicated fastener adjacent to nan different 2 thumb buttons, conscionable beneath nan horizontal scroll wheel. When held, you past move nan rodent successful a cardinal guidance to execute a desired action.

Back to nan app, Logitech bills nan Action Ring arsenic a time-saving feature, an replacement to keyboard shortcuts and moving your cursor crossed nan surface to click something. You don’t person to beryllium a powerfulness personification to get a batch retired of this functionality. For instance, I programmed an Action Ring pinch a fastener that auto-launches The Verge, and 1 that opens WordPress, wherever we nutrient articles. There are plugins wrong Logitech’s app for galore third-party apps. Affinity Photo has a type of nan Action Ring that appears erstwhile I property nan Haptic Sense Panel while utilizing nan app. It shows immoderate commands that I’m apt to return advantage of, for illustration showing statement guides to decently align objects, aliases simpler worldly for illustration copying and pasting assets. 

To beryllium clear, Action Rings aren’t new. The haptic sensations derived from navigating them, connected nan different hand, are. Clicking nan haptics fastener makes it jolt, arsenic does moving nan cursor betwixt nan Action Ring’s bubbles. It’s a small, but delightful touch that I admit — that is, erstwhile I usage Action Rings, which I still haven’t trained my encephalon to trust connected erstwhile I’m successful a travel authorities astatine work. I’m sorry to my employer, Vox Media, for each of nan clip I wasted astatine activity erstwhile I could person utilized Action Rings to heighten my productivity!

With haptics being nan main caller hardware characteristic successful nan MX Master 4, I don’t needfully deliberation it’s worthy upgrading to if you person nan MX Master 3S, arsenic it’s akin successful galore ways. But it’s surely worthy getting alternatively of nan 3S if you’re shopping for a mouse, since nan 4 is launching astatine nan aforesaid $119.99 value that its predecessor sells for. And, arsenic for those who haven’t utilized an MX Master-series rodent before, it’s difficult to overstate nan worth of an ergonomically-friendly rodent pinch a stellar scroll wheel, quiet clicks, and coagulated artillery life. Haptics are conscionable a bully add-on.