Logitech MX Master 2S and MX Anywhere 2S: Multicomputer mousing made easy

At first glance, Logitech’s latest mice—the MX Master 2S and the MX Anywhere 2S—are a typical incremental upgrade. They feature an improved “Darkfield” optical sensor, which tracks on most surfaces, including glass, and are more accurate thanks to a jump from 1,600 DPI to a user-adjustable 4,000 DPI. The sensor is more power efficient too, with battery life now rated for up to 70 days based on eight hours of daily use. Unlike Apple’s obtuse Magic Mouse, when the battery does run out, there’s a micro-USB socket positioned at the front, which allows you to keep clicking while charging.

The larger MX Master 2S, which replaces the MX Master, sits at the top of Logitech’s non-gaming lineup, retailing at a substantial £90/$100 (buy here). Like its predecessor, the MX Master 2S is a large mouse with a prominent thumb rest and tall stature that is extremely comfortable, so long as you’re right handed.

The sweeping curve of the older Performance Mouse MX that angled the mouse ever so slightly to the right has been softened, resulting in a more natural feel. Meanwhile, new buttons have been added, including a thumb wheel and a button under the thumb rest, which allows you to replicate touchpad gestures on a Mac or PC. Naturally, all the buttons are completely customisable.

The scroll wheel has been improved over thePerformance Mouse MX too, allowing you to select from notched scrolling, free-wheeling smooth scrolling, or a new adaptive mode that automatically switches between the two depending on how forcefully you move the wheel. I particularly like the mechanical clunk of the gearing mechanism as it grabs onto the wheel to slow it down after smooth scrolling—it’s weirdly addictive to fiddle with.

The smaller and more portable MX Anywhere 2S, which retails for £80/$80 (buy here), isn’t quite as sophisticated, but still sports the same Darkfield sensor and improved battery life as its bigger brother. Plus, it’s ambidextrous, so sinister southpaw users aren’t left out.

But what sets the MX Master 2S and the MX Anywhere 2S apart isn’t so much the hardware as it is the software. Both mice are compatible with Logitech’s new Flow software, which allows you to seamlessly move the cursor between up to three different Mac or Windows computers. Before Flow, Logitech only offered the ability to pair some of its mice with three different computers and manually switch between them with a button located underneath. Flow takes care of that switching for you. While third-party solutions do exist—Ars UK editor Sebastian uses Synergy to marry together his main Windows PC, a Mac laptop, and numerous *nix boxen—Logitech's Flow is far easier to use.

You simply pair the mouse with each computer you want to use (either via Bluetooth, or the included “Unifying” dongle, although you need a dongle for each computer if you want to use that) and enable Flow. So long as the computers are on the same network, Flow works instantly—you drag the cursor to the edge of the screen and it appears on the other computer. You can arrange the computers however you like, similar to how you would set up multiple monitors in Windows (incidentally, it works with multiple monitors too), and enable or disable screen corners to switch, or require holding down the Ctrl key to switch.

Best of all, you can copy and paste between the two computers. That includes files of any size, as well as text. Logitech keyboards like the K780 and K380 also work with Flow and will switch between computers based on wherever the mouse cursor is located. Having written this review flitting between a MacBook Pro and a Windows desktop, I can confirm that the Flow works brilliantly. It took less than a minute to get everything up and running.

Sure, Flow is something of a niche feature for the most demanding of power users. But if you fall into that camp, as I’m sure many an Ars Technica reader does, Flow is a great addition to what are already compelling mice. (Happily, Flow does work with the older M590 and M720 too.)

Where others branch out into garish gaming mice (although, it has its fare share of those too), Logitech continues its unchallenged run at the top of productivity with sensibly styled and perfectly practical mice. The MX Master 2S (buy here) and the MX Anywhere 2S (buy here) come highly recommended.

Now read: Corsair Lapdog vs. Razer Turret: Which is better for couch gaming?

Listing image by Mark Walton