I’ve been using the MX Master since the first generation. Back when I used Macs, I fell for the design and tried Apple’s own mice, but despite the insane price tags, nothing lasts as long or is as comfy as this one. Recently, thanks to some "corporate grace" (the company paid for it), I snagged an MX Master 4, so here are my thoughts.
Pro #1: Finally, no more PU coating. There's this stuff called polyurethane that gets used on electronics and umbrella handles to give them a soft touch. But because of hydrolysis, it gets sticky and nasty over time. The main reason I’ve had to replace this mouse every few years was because of that coating. Looks like they finally ditched it for the MX Master 4 (cost-cutting? lol). Instead, they gave the plastic a micro-textured finish to keep that soft feel.
Pro #2: More premium button design. The buttons now have a translucent acrylic look. It finally feels like a mouse that's actually worth the money. Pro #3: USB-C Bolt Receiver. Finally! A lot of laptops don't even have USB-A ports anymore, so even though there's Bluetooth, a USB-C receiver is a huge win. Pro #4: Better repairability. The design changed to make it easier to fix. Before, you had to peel off those black "skating" stickers to find the screws, but I really want to give them props for this change. The stickers feel like they're made of plastic now, and there are even little grooves to pop them out easily.
Con #1: Lost the "tactile soul" with the silent buttons. They went with silent buttons this time. Noise is down, but that crisp mechanical click feedback is gone. If you live for a satisfying click feel, this might feel a bit mushy or dull. Con #2: Overly sensitive thumb buttons. Depending on your grip, the tension on the thumb buttons is lower now, leading to accidental clicks. To be fair, I hated how hard they were to press in the old version, but this might be too much.
Other gripes: Easy-Switch only really works between PCs/Laptops. It's a cool feature that lets you switch devices without flipping the mouse over, but it’s a pain to set up. If one of the devices is a tablet or phone, it often gets stuck and won't switch back. I really wish they’d just let us map the bottom switch to a top button via software.
Overall: There wasn't much change up to the 3s, but this time it feels like a proper leap. Design and durability-wise, it feels like it’s reached its peak. Seeing Logitech finally catch up with tech like USB-C makes them feel like a proper "big tech" company now. They released a Mac version, but there’s not much difference—I wish they just gave us Clicky vs. Non-clicky options instead. If they could let us toggle that via a switch or software, that’d be the dream. If you don't have sweaty hands, buying the now-cheaper 3s is also a solid move. More photos on my blog (link in source).
"While users appreciate the build quality and the long-awaited USB-C receiver, they are collectively roasting Logitech for keeping the device switch on the bottom of the mouse."
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