Not only I get this question asked by my friends who are thinking about buying MX Master 3 but also I had the same questions before I got this mouse. What if power runs out in middle of some important work? Would it work wired? If not then what would I do?
If you are a hardcore gamer and thinks that connecting the mouse to your pc via USB cable is gonna make the mouse wired and remove that slight lag that you feel in fast pace gaming while using this mouse, then sorry to pop your balloons, The answer is “No. Logitech MX Master 3 can not be used as a wired mouse.”
But that doesn’t mean Logitech MX Master 3 can not be used wired. It’s just that both are different things. I’ll explain it in a minute.
The Rumor and misguide
What is prevalent in many of the forums that MX Master 3 can be used wired, which gives off a false vibe that the mouse can be used just as same as the wired mouse out there when plugged in to pc via the provided USB cable. I even read one or two blog posts claiming the same which compelled me to write down a post that clarifies it all for you.
What does working wired truly mean?
The mouse only works wirelessly via Bluetooth or the Unifying receiver. The only use the USB cable has is to charge the mouse. The mouse can be used anytime whether it’s being charged or not. So, even if the mouse is connected to the pc via cable i.e. even if the mouse is wired, it will work just fine. It’s just it won’t work with the help of the cable, but through wireless signal all while being connected to your pc or a charging port via USB cable. As I didn’t need to plug in the mouse for some reason other than charging ever, I never really tried to test the feature. But to write the post I had to test it with my mouse, and several others for an honest answer. When plugged in via cable the mouse works fine but stops working if I pull off the unifying receiver, as there is no Bluetooth signal or the signal from the receiver. So, it would work wired just fine but not as wired mouse.
Does it matter?
Well, people generally don’t buy this mouse for gaming purposes. This is mainly used for productivity works. And in that field I have never felt any issues or lag so far with the mouse. There is a slight chance that you are going to feel some glitches in fast pace games but I doubt if you are gonna use this mouse for such purposes. If you are worried about this mouse running out of juice at the crucial moment, that’s not gonna happen unless you are really careless. The Logi options+ software gives out notifications as soon as the battery level falls below a certain range so that you can get it charged at your convenience. In the rare case scenario that you miss to get it charged and it runs dry, Logitech claims that this mouse can go for 3 hours straight with just 60 seconds of charge. Even in worst possible scenario, that’s still gonna save you from disaster.
My take
So, you don’t need to think about whether it works wired or not at all if your are buying this mouse for the purpose it was designed for. If it still bothers you then the clarified answer is, No, the mouse does not behave like a wired mouse when it is plugged in but it works wirelessly just fine even when it is wired to a pc. It will just get charged and keep working wirelessly all while being attached to a pc or charging port in wired fashion.
The same can be applied to Logitech MX anywhere 3 also. I recently wrote a comparison between MX Master 3 and MX Anywhere 3 to help you guide selecting your next mouse. You can go through the article here.
