So I've sort-of been trending towards PC gaming, not in the hardcore camp outside a store for a graphics card way, but I bought a little APU-based mini PC that has been surprisingly good late last year.
It's hooked up to my TV (I will not do desk gaming) and I'd like to play some things that are really not controller friendly, like Age of Empires, Deus Ex, Stalker series, maybe some old Sim City etc. Was thinking a trackball would be nice since I can lounge around without needing a flat space to sit it. It's a weird market though, there's different types yet not much to choose from. Seems like maybe stuck with Logitech, which the way I've been not thrilled with their stuff lately I'd be as happy trying out one of the capital letter Chinese brands that won't be much different.
Anyone that's done this for light (or heavy) gaming have any suggestions? I haven't used a trackball since my laptop had one over 25 years ago.
Been using a trackball for day-to-day computer stuff for the past 15 years. Have a bunch of logitech M570s (the ones where the ball is next to your thumb), then before that whatever the wired version of that trackball was. Preferred the wired, but they don't make them anymore.
The switches they use for the mouse buttons are pretty shitty and wear out after a few years' of use. First thing I do when I buy a trackball is replace the switches with some better ones, which isn't hard to do if you have some basic soldering skills. If you do that they basically last forever because the switches are the only thing that wears out.
I don't like them for gaming where you need speed and accuracy (eg. an FPS). The reason is that at a sensitivity you need to set the trackball for them to be usable you don't get a lot of accuracy making such small movements with your thumb. Even with practice it's not going to be as good as you can do with a mouse. For day-to-day stuff this isn't a big deal, but for gaming it can be.
For stuff like SimCity and Civ they're fine. For things like Hitman I use one of those high DPI mice.
Digikey. I used these. Higher spring force too, which I like.
Switches had trouble on my last Logitech mouse too, after the one prior to that lasting years of everyday use at work no less. Never thought to replace the switches because I hated the keyboard that I had with it anyway.
M570 seems to be the hot pick, but apparently not the M575 they are replacing it with, from reviews it sounds like they Logitech-ed it up some more.
I doubt I really do much FPS with anyway. New stuff offers controller support which I'm totally fine with and I don't really play online anymore.