# OpenMouse: Browser-Based Control Panel for Gaming Mice Without a Driver

> OpenMouse is a browser-based control panel that lets users change DPI, polling rate, and sensor settings on supported gaming mice without installing manufacturer-specific driver software. It uses the WebHID API to communicate with mice directly from a Chromium browser and is deployed publicly at openmouse.app under the AGPL-3.0 license.

**OpenMouse-Project/openmouse** — Browser-based control panel for supported gaming mice — change DPI, polling rate, and sensor settings without installing a driver.

- Repository: https://github.com/OpenMouse-Project/openmouse
- Website: https://openmouse.app
- Stars: 2,148 · Forks: 137
- Language: TypeScript
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-09-17 · Updated: 2026-09-17 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/openmouse-project-openmouse

## The Problem With Per-Brand Driver Software

Each gaming mouse manufacturer ships its own configuration software: Razer Synapse, Logitech G HUB, SteelSeries GG, and others. A developer or power user with mice from multiple brands must install each separately, manage multiple background services, and accept varying privacy and telemetry policies from each vendor. OpenMouse addresses this by providing a single browser-based interface that communicates with mice directly over WebHID, without requiring any of those applications.

The WebHID API is a browser capability available in Chromium-based browsers that allows web pages to communicate with USB HID devices, including mice, with user permission. OpenMouse uses this API to send and receive the same HID report packets that a manufacturer's own driver would use. The packet codecs and WebHID drivers live in a standalone library, `@openmouse/protocol`, rather than in the control panel application itself. This separation means the protocol library can be used by other tools independently.

The project is deployed at openmouse.app and the development branch is publicly accessible. The repository is the main control panel application; the protocol library, an optional Desktop app, and a Bridge component are in related repositories.

## How OpenMouse Communicates With Mice

OpenMouse has two transport paths. The primary path uses the browser's WebHID API to communicate with a mouse directly in the browser. A second path uses OpenMouse Bridge, an optional local companion that provides a native HID transport over a loopback connection. When Bridge is reachable, the control panel prefers it over WebHID.

The reason for Bridge is Chrome 153+, which added protections on certain HID collection types that block direct WebHID access to Razer control interfaces. Bridge can reach those protected collections through native HID and relay the reports to the browser, restoring control panel access for affected Razer devices.

The control panel checks the connected Bridge version against the latest stable GitHub release and reports when an update is available. It retrieves only the version number, changelog, and download link, and never downloads or installs an update in the background. Users trigger the update manually.

Bridge connection events, disconnects, scan durations, and device inventory changes are written to the browser console under the `[OpenMouse Bridge]` prefix. HID report payloads are not logged. The same lifecycle events appear in the downloadable diagnostics from a device's Advanced panel.

## Setting Up OpenMouse for Local Development

The repository is a TypeScript project built with Vite and Preact. To start the development server:

```bash
npm install
npm run dev
```

Before pushing changes, run the full local check, which builds and runs the tests:

```bash
npm run check
```

On Linux, a device that appears in the Chromium picker but fails to open in OpenMouse typically has a permissions issue on its `/dev/hidraw*` nodes. First check the connected device IDs:

```bash
lsusb
```

For VXE R1 SE+ hardware, the mouse and 1K receiver may appear as `3554:f58f` and `3554:f58e`. The appropriate udev rule is:

```udev
SUBSYSTEM=="hidraw", ATTRS{idVendor}=="3554", ATTRS{idProduct}=="f58f", TAG+="uaccess"
SUBSYSTEM=="hidraw", ATTRS{idVendor}=="3554", ATTRS{idProduct}=="f58e", TAG+="uaccess"
```

Save the file to `/etc/udev/rules.d/70-openmouse-vxe.rules`, then reload rules and reconnect the device:

```bash
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
```

The README notes that Chromium opens the HID device before OpenMouse selects its vendor configuration collection, so granting access only to a specific collection's node is insufficient. Access must be granted to every hidraw node for each product ID.

## The Protocol Library and Adding Vendor Support

Packet codecs and WebHID drivers live in the `@openmouse/protocol` library, a separate repository. The control panel consumes the same public exports that any external consumer would use. This architecture means codec and driver contributions benefit all consumers of the library, not just the OpenMouse control panel.

To add support for a new vendor, the README outlines the steps: add transport-independent packet definitions and codecs under the vendor's folder in `mouse-protocol/src/<vendor>/`, add the WebHID implementation under `mouse-protocol/src/drivers/<vendor>/`, register the driver and browser filters in the shared driver layer, and add tests. The state which product IDs were verified on hardware requirement is important: the project expects contributors to test on real hardware and to document which product IDs they confirmed.

The control panel itself should only need changes when a new driver introduces a genuinely new UI capability. For most vendor additions, the control UI discovers supported clients through the protocol library registry automatically. Hardware-specific validation checklists are in the protocol repository's `docs/` directory.

## Limitations: Browser Dependency and Supported Hardware

OpenMouse works only in Chromium-based browsers because WebHID is a Chrome-origin API. Firefox does not implement WebHID and Safari does not support it. Users on those browsers cannot use the web control panel at all.

Hardware support is limited to mice for which `@openmouse/protocol` includes a driver. A mouse without a protocol driver will not appear as configurable in the panel, even if it connects physically. The support roster is community-driven and grows through pull requests to the mouse-protocol repository.

The AGPL-3.0 license is a more restrictive copyleft license than MIT or Apache-2.0. Any product or service that distributes modified versions or provides network access to the software must release the corresponding source under AGPL-3.0. Proprietary applications that want to embed the OpenMouse protocol library would need a separate commercial license arrangement if one were available, or would need to comply with AGPL-3.0 terms.

A comparison with manufacturer software: Logitech G HUB, for example, supports any Logitech G-series device and offers macros, RGB customization, and cloud profile sync beyond DPI settings. OpenMouse covers a cross-brand subset of settings (DPI, polling rate, sensor) and is limited to whatever each vendor's protocol library driver exposes. Depth of configuration per device is currently lower; breadth across brands is the trade-off.

## License, Architecture, and Maintenance

OpenMouse is licensed under AGPL-3.0. The control panel application is version 2.0.0. The last push was on 2026-09-27, one day before this article. The development branch is the default branch, and the most recent releases are development pre-releases.

The codebase uses TypeScript with Vite for bundling and Preact for the UI. The `src/` directory is organized by responsibility: `control.ts` coordinates the application, and template, event handling, DOM helpers, preferences, battery history, device selection, and rendering each live in focused modules. The `.env.example` file shows that Supabase and Cloudflare Turnstile environment variables are used in the production deployment, though these are not required for local development.

The project is one repository in a family that also includes a Desktop app, the `mouse-protocol` library, and OpenMouse Bridge. Contributors who want to add hardware support should start with the protocol repository rather than the control panel repository.

## Conclusion

OpenMouse is the right tool for users who want to configure a supported gaming mouse without installing the manufacturer's proprietary software, and for developers who want to contribute vendor support or codec implementations to a shared, open-source mouse protocol library. The AGPL-3.0 license is a meaningful constraint: products that use the library must release their own source under the same terms. Check the supported hardware list at openmouse.app before committing; the support roster grows through protocol library contributions, and not all popular mice are covered. The last push was on 2026-09-27.

## FAQ

### How do I use OpenMouse to configure my gaming mouse?

Open openmouse.app in a Chromium-based browser, grant the WebHID permission when prompted, and the control panel will display supported settings for the connected mouse. No driver installation is required.

### What is OpenMouse?

OpenMouse is an open-source, browser-based control panel for configuring supported gaming mice. It uses the WebHID API to change DPI, polling rate, and sensor settings without installing manufacturer software, and it is deployed at openmouse.app under the AGPL-3.0 license.

### Does OpenMouse work on Linux?

OpenMouse works on Linux in Chromium-based browsers, but requires udev rules to grant user access to the device's /dev/hidraw* nodes. The README provides example rules for the VXE R1 SE+ and instructions for reloading udev rules after adding them.

## Sources

- [Issues](https://github.com/OpenMouse-Project/openmouse/issues)
- [License: AGPL-3.0](https://github.com/OpenMouse-Project/openmouse/blob/main/LICENSE)
- [OpenMouse-Project/openmouse on GitHub](https://github.com/OpenMouse-Project/openmouse)
- [Project website](https://openmouse.app)
- [README](https://github.com/OpenMouse-Project/openmouse/blob/main/README.md)

---

Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/openmouse-project-openmouse