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 the big, caller happening successful Logitech’s $119.99 MX Master 4 wireless mouse, coming successful October. No, it’s not adding rumble effects to YouTube videos oregon to your favourite websites (on 2nd thought, I’d similar to effort that). And, it’s antithetic 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 with immoderate app- and system-level shortcuts you want. You tin adjacent nest aggregate Action Rings wrong one, if you want, letting you drill down to highly circumstantial commands. The haptics is simply a hardware diagnostic that, unsurprisingly, requires you to prosecute beauteous heavy with the company’s software, Logi Options Plus.

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

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

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

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

Back to the app, Logitech bills the Action Ring arsenic a time-saving feature, an alternate to keyboard shortcuts and moving your cursor crossed the surface to click something. You don’t person to beryllium a powerfulness idiosyncratic to get a batch retired of this functionality. For instance, I programmed an Action Ring with 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 mentation of the Action Ring that appears erstwhile I property the Haptic Sense Panel portion utilizing the app. It shows immoderate commands that I’m apt to instrumentality vantage of, similar showing enactment guides to decently align objects, oregon simpler worldly similar copying and pasting assets. 

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

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