Wireless Glorious O won’t connect to a MacBook?

December 25, 2021 5:55 AM

My kids have a new used laptop for Minecraft, and a new Glorious O gaming mouse. The MacBook won’t recognize the wireless Glorious O—it just never comes up in the Bluetooth window.

For an older laptop, we had the same problem. We just used a USB cable that came with the mouse—not wireless, but still works. For this laptop, a newer version, which also won’t connect wirelessly, there’s no USB port, just a C port. My questions are: 1) how can I get the MacBook to recognize the wireless mouse and 2) if I can’t make it work wirelessly, I guess I need a converter so the USB cable from the mouse to hook up to the laptop’s C port? Thank you for any advice.

posted by Ollie to Computers & Internet (14 answers total)

If it’s this mouse, it doesn’t have Bluetooth, it connects wirelessly to a USB dongle that you need to plug in to the laptop. Does the box have the USB-A to USB-C adapter the instructions mention?

If it’s not that mouse, it’d help to know the model number.
posted by zamboni at 6:07 AM on December 25, 2021

Also, it sounds like you’ll need to plug it in anyway to charge, so you’ll need the cable as well.
posted by zamboni at 6:10 AM on December 25, 2021

1) how can I get the MacBook to recognize the wireless mouse

I don't think you can. The "Glorious PC Gaming Race" manufacturer name is riffing off of Yahtzee's old "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race" bit. I would be astonished to learn they cared at all about anybody using anything but Windows, or anybody who identified as anything but totes cool with "fun, ironic" racism.

Oh hey, I'm at least partially right, their wireless mouse software is Windows-only: https://www.pcgamingrace.com/pages/glorious-core

2) if I can’t make it work wirelessly, I guess I need a converter so the USB cable from the mouse to hook up to the laptop’s C port?

Yeah, you can try a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter. USB-A is the big rectangle, the oldest kind of USB. There should be a few results at local retailers.

Here's an adapter of that kind from a hardware company I don't loathe: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter
posted by All Might Be Well at 6:19 AM on December 25, 2021

Thanks so far. Yes, it’s the model O. The laptop doesn’t have a USB port (what I think of as a USB port, what I think is called an USB-A port).
posted by Ollie at 6:29 AM on December 25, 2021

All Mac laptops that I'm aware of have a few USB-C ports (the little capsule-shaped ports, same one the charging cable plugs into). You can get a USB-A to USB-C converter on Amazon for about $10. If you need more ports, there are USB-C USB hubs, too!
posted by Alterscape at 6:51 AM on December 25, 2021

What kind of ports does the Macbook have? Are they Thunderbolt 2 (D-shaped) or Thunderbolt 3/4 (rectangle with rounded ends)?

Check the box the mouse came in. Does it have the adapter and cable the instructions mention?
posted by zamboni at 6:52 AM on December 25, 2021

Sounds like you need a USB-C "hub" that will give you a few USB-A ports plus other stuff.
posted by kschang at 8:00 AM on December 25, 2021

I believe the mouse came with everything it is supposed to come with. Here is a picture. I believe the MacBook has Thunderbolt 3/4 ports (rectangular with round ends). It is a 2018 MacBook Air, 13”.
posted by Ollie at 8:16 AM on December 25, 2021

OK, if one didn't come in the box, you need a USB-C to USB-A adapter, or a USB-C cable. The Thunderbolt 3 ports on the 2018 MacBook Air support connecting USB-C devices.
posted by zamboni at 8:32 AM on December 25, 2021

you need a USB-C to USB-A adapter

and if you're going to buy one of those in any form, you might as well get a hub that has multiple sockets as kschang suggests.
posted by flabdablet at 9:47 AM on December 25, 2021

It looks like the mouse itself has a USB-C connector, and if you got a USB-C to USB-C cable that would work. Though I think I might rather just get the smallest USB-C to USB-A dongle I could find (example), and put the wireless receiver in it as opposed to a hub or something recommended upthread. Hub vs tiny adapter depends on how much you carry your computer around and how much you care about having more stuff on your table and the ability to plug in more stuff vs just having only what you need.
posted by aubilenon at 10:00 AM on December 25, 2021

Looking at the instructions, there are two ways you can use this mouse.

1. Via wireless dongle - in this case, the wireless dongle uses a USB-A (rectangular) connection and you'll need a USB-C (lozenge-shaped connection) to USB-A adapter, which if the packing list is correct is included with the mouse.
2. Wired connection - Instead of using the wireless dongle, you can connect the mouse directly to the Mac. You'd use the USB-C to A adapter to connect the included USB-A to C cable, or you could buy a USB-C to USB-C cable to connect the mouse directly.

The suggestion for using a USB hub or docking station for the dongle is a good one, as the dongle will be dangling from the Mac with the adapter which will likely be somewhat awkward.
posted by Aleyn at 5:05 PM on December 25, 2021

Thank you everyone for your kind help. We have gotten the parts we need.
posted by Ollie at 8:15 AM on January 6, 2022

What did you end up going with, for the record?
posted by flabdablet at 10:57 PM on January 6, 2022