Gamesense's debut, the Meta, was a competent yet not exactly original release. With the MVP Wired, Gamesense hence enters new territory, as the shape is quite original. Nominally, the MVP Wired is said to be a take on the Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical (WMO), which is more than 20 years old at this point, yet remains a popular shape even today. However, despite their dimensions indeed being quite close, the MVP Wired feels decidedly different in hand. This is mostly due to two major changes made to the shape: First, the front sits much higher than on the WMO, resulting in a significantly bulkier profile. Second, the sides curve inwards to a greater degree, whereas the WMO had them almost entirely straight. The result is a shape that fails to recreate what made the WMO a classic. Personally, I would've much preferred if Gamesense had opted for simply cloning the original WMO, as Ninjutso did with the Katana and the IntelliMouse Optical. At the same time, while still cherished by many people, not everybody shares this affection for the WMO shape, and for those who don't, the MVP Wired has plenty to offer yet.

Despite weighing just 65 g, build quality is great on the MVP Wired. Creaking is minimal, there is no rattle, and actuating the side buttons by squeezing the sides is only possible by applying excessive force. The low weight is complemented by the cable, which is among the more flexible ones currently available. I'd rate it slightly above the Xtrfy MZ1 and ROCCAT Burst Pro cables and only marginally behind the Endgame Gear XM1r cable. Likewise, the feet too are of above average quality. They are a bit thicker than most, and the slightly rounded edges ensure great glide. In addition to that, a set of replacement feet is included in the box, which is always very welcome.

In terms of buttons, Gamesense has chosen a different approach compared to most manufacturers. Typically, the highest-quality switches are reserved for the main buttons, while all the other buttons are outfitted with lesser models. On the MVP Wired, on the other hand, Kailh GM 4.0 switches are not just used for the main buttons, but the scroll wheel and side buttons, too. In fact, there is but a single button not outfitted with a Kailh GM 4.0, which is the CPI button. The side buttons in particular benefit greatly from this as pre and post-travel are minimal, coupled with firm and snappy actuation. The same largely applies to the main buttons as well, though on my copy, button uniformity leaves something to be desired: The right button is noticeably duller than the left one, which has a heavier and louder click compared to the muted right one. That said, this is merely due to switch variance and thus not applicable to all units. The scroll wheel is good, too: Scrolling is noisy, but tactility is fine, allowing for controlled scrolling without being overly stiff. Lastly, button latency is simply stellar. At +2.1 ms, the MVP Wired is seriously fast, and even though slam-clicking does happen, I need to drop the mouse from considerable height to trigger actuation. In other words: a non-issue.

The MVP Wired is equipped with PixArt's trusty PMW3389 sensor. For the most part, performance is as expected: CPI deviation is appreciably low, polling stable across the board, and general tracking fine. The only issue pertains to motion delay. For some inexplicable reason, there is a base sensor delay of roughly 1.5 ms across the entire CPI range. To be fair, 1.5 ms isn't much, and during use I had a hard time noticing anything, but on a wired mouse, there is simply no excuse to have a delay like this. On wireless mice, a motion delay of 1.5 ms due to wireless transmission would be fine and not worthy of criticism, but on a wired mouse, a delay like that has no reason to exist. With some fortune, Gamesense might be able to get this fixed, but for now, the sensor delay, as small as it may be, warrants criticism.

Other than that, the MVP Wired is a competent mouse. I'm particularly pleased that the software is perfectly functional and light on resources, while still offering all the necessary options. The only flaw, so to speak, is the inability to fully disable the RGB lighting as the logo will always light up no matter what. As for the pricing, at $60 the MVP Wired is largely in line with the competition, especially when taking the premium switch selection into account. Accordingly, the MVP earns our Recommended award.

For those interested in alternatives, there are quite a few. The ROCCAT Burst Pro has a similar shape and weight, optical main button switches, flawless performance, spotless build quality, as well as great feet and cable, for $59.99. The Ninjutso Katana too does without holes, is even lighter, has good performance, but a stiffer cable and firmware issues, also for $59.99. The Endgame Gear XM1r has stellar performance, outstanding build and button quality, a similarly low weight, highly flexible cable, and high-quality mouse feet, too for $59.99. Lastly, the ROCCAT Burst Core is the budget option, yet largely identical to the Burst Pro aside from a worse sensor, stiffer cable, and less premium feet, for $29.99.