For gaming purposes

[u/Themanintheworld]

/r/Trackballs/comments/lu1h1b/any_recommended_trackballs_for_gaming/

I saw this post which was written like 3 years ago about trackballs for gaming and I was wondering are those recommendations are still legit or something new came to the market? Thanks for the help and Merry Christmas to you

[u/lalulunaluna]

I saw this post which was written like 3 years ago

You'd have to share what posts you're looking at. For example, the Gameball came out roughly 3 years ago at this point. If it doesn't include a review of that, then the guide is pretty outdated.

But at the end of the day, when it comes to trackballs, the most important thing is how compatible you are with the trackball - and everyone is different. I use a L-Trac. Hardware is pretty dated, but it's one of the only trackballs that do not cause me pain.

Gameball Pro is suppose to come out in 2025 ~ I have high hopes for that one.

[u/Assault_Vehicle]

The best gaming trackballs I own are 

1. Gameball ($160)

2. Ploopy Classic ($150)

3. Porlei TM552 ($22)

I do about equally well with all of them. Maybe slightly better with the Ploopy than the other two. Looking forward to the Gameball Pro coming out in spring/summer of 2025

[u/Meatslinger]

The GameBall and the Ploopy Adept would be my top two recommendations, both for build quality but also for the features that make them fundamentally useful for gaming. Both have a polling rate of 1000 Hz which I’ve really learned I’d rather not live without especially if accuracy is on the line, but also both of them have very smooth motion. The GameBall uses static bearings but is still buttery smooth and great for “throwing” the cursor for long movements, and the Adept uses roller bearings which are likewise smooth but make some noise when moving. The GameBall feels a bit more like a normal mouse in the hand, but the Adept is programmable with QMK/VIAL which is hugely beneficial for gameplay. The Adept also has a far lower click latency.

I’ve tried a thumb ball or two here and there, but none of them worked well for me; I guess I just don’t have the necessary dexterity in my thumb.

Edit: spelling.

[u/Keensworth]

Depends on the user. I have one, I find it OK but it's not my main mouse for gaming and in general

[u/AkhIL_ru]

I have Kensington Expert and Logitech Marble trackballs. I have found that I can move my thumb more or less separately from the rest of my fingers. So I can not roll the large ball while pressing the non-thumb button on the Kensington Expert. I find the Logitech Marble to be better for FPS games, but not for work.

So I think for gaming I would prefer a non-ambidextrous trackball with at least two thumb buttons and a medium to small sized ball.

[u/MinalanSpellmonger]

Finger ball:

Ploopy Adept 44mm ball, ambi, roller bearings

Ploopy Classic 44mm ball, right or left, roller bearings

Gameball 38mm ball (I think), ambi, static bearings

L-trac 57mm ball, ambi, roller bearings

Thumb ball:

Gameball thumb 34mm ball, right hand only (I think, haven't seen left one), static bearings, ONLY ONE W/ WIRELESS

All the above have 1000hz (L-trac comes stock at 500, but OC's to 1000 w/ 3rd party software).

Each has it's own pros and cons, but all perform well. If all you care about is how well the ball rolls, the L-trac wins hands down. However, it has limited functionality and add-ons are expensive unless you print your own. I returned mine for an Adept and never looked back.

NOTE: If you order a Ploopy I highly recommend to build it yourself, especially the Adept (only have to solder the sensor). It saves you a lot of money. The classic is more involved, but definitely not that hard.

The Kensington and logitech mice that everyone else is peddling only do 125-250hz. They are great for work and slow games, but will spin out in fast paced stuff.

I would kill for a 1000+hz kensington expert with ball bearing upgrades...

The Gameball Pro is supposed to be 2k hz wired and 1k wireless, bigger ball, etc. Though I have no idea when it will launch.