Aim:Determine if low-cost magnification devices (USB computer microscope, smartphone) enable the acquisition and maintenance of basic microsurgical skills by comparing skills learned using these devices against those learned using a surgical microscope. Determine whether skills acquired using these devices can be transferred to the surgical microscope.Material and Methods:Twelve neurosurgical participants, ranging from faculty to postgraduate year-1 trainees, were randomly divided into three groups for training using a surgical microscope, smartphone, or USB microscope. All performed a pre-training evaluation for two surgical skills (round-the-clock suturing, anastomosis) using the surgical microscope, followed by 10 training exercises using only the assigned device. Upon completion, these tasks were evaluated again using the surgical microscope, and pre- and post-training exercise completion times and quality were compared. Results:Following training, all groups significantly reduced the time to complete each task, and all groups significant improved task completion quality. There were no significant differences in task quality or time to complete between the three groups, either pre- or post-training. Conclusion:Microsurgical skills training using smartphones or USB microscopes enabled the acquisition and improvement of the examined microsurgical skills that were equivalent to skill improvement obtained by training with a surgical microscope. These acquired skills transferred from the low-cost magnification devices to the surgical microscope. Thus, training using smartphones and inexpensive USB microscopes can provide an affordable alternative for teaching and individual study to learn and maintain basic microsurgical skills, especially when access to operative microscopes are limited.