Logitech Addresses G5 Tracking Issues

December 4th, 2005

Owners of the Logitech gaming rats who have felt the troubles of black mousepads will be glad to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Logitech has released a firmware update on their website that patches the G5 to 1.1, enabling the mouse to work on more surfaces where tracking would otherwise be an issue.

The problem stemmed from the latest Agilent laser sensors used in the Logitech G5, G7, and Razer Copperhead and their incompatibility with modern mousepads that were designed for LED optical mice which make up the vast majority of the market. Black mousepads (especially those with rough surfaces) such as the Icemat and fUnc pads were particularly to blame.

Logitech advises gamers experiencing issues with the G5's tracking to install the latest firmware, and avoid matte or very high gloss finishes. For now, the G7 remains unpatched since the majority of complaints were from G5 owners, although this may change in the future. Owners of the G7 that are experiencing issues are encouraged to call Logitech's support line at 702-269-3457.

Razer has already released a firmware update a while ago to mitigate the problem with their Copperhead. Likewise, Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff has also retracted his blog statement that the competition's mice can't be upgraded.

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