When it comes to gaming, few accessories are more important than a gaming mouse. Along with a keyboard, a gaming mouse is often seen in an area where computer accessory makers are looking to constantly one-up their competitors. To that end, everything from ergonomics to aesthetics plays a role in how successful or unsuccessful a mouse will be with the gaming community.
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HyperX continues to be one of the better-known gaming accessory manufacturers for PC gamers and part of their success is their mouse lineup.
When HyperX brought the Pulsefire Haste Wireless gaming mouse to market, it immediately jumped to the top of its mice spectrum offering its absolute best features and style. It doesn’t matter if you are someone who games once a month or once a day, having the right tools for the job matters and HyperX believes the Pulsefire Haste Wireless mouse is the right mouse for you.
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HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless Overview
Release Date and Price
Introduced by HyperX in February 2022, the Pulsefire Haste Wireless was a follow-up to the already popular Pulsefire Haste wired variant which was introduced back in 2020. As soon as the wired version hit the street, HyperX was inundated with requests to make a matching wireless version and even if it took two years to bring to market, HyperX listened to its customers.
The Pulsefire Haste series are not the only mice available in the HyperX lineup, but they are considered the highest end of the company’s selection.
Different Models
The HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless is one of two models bearing the Pulsefire Haste name. To be clear, Pulsefire is the proper sub-brand name from HyperX to label their mouse lineup but there are two models bearing the Pulsefire Haste name. In addition, there are two special color releases of the wireless model alongside the more traditional black and white releases.
- Pulsefire Haste Wireless (Black and White)Pulsefire Haste Wireless Naruto EditionPulsefire Haste Wireless Itachi EditionPulsefire Haste Wired
Features
As a wireless mouse, the most instantly recognizable feature is that the Pulsefire Haste Wireless gaming mouse lacks a cord. Instead, it replaces the cord with a 2.4GHz wireless connection and up to 100 hours of battery life on a single charge. This low latency connection is around a 1ms report rate so you don’t miss out on any opportunities to slay your opponent.
The honeycomb design of the mouse hardware is not just ergonomic but also IP55 anti-dust and water-resistance to help eliminate any concerns that sweat could interfere with functionality during long or short gaming sessions.
HyperX has designed the mouse to be able to handle up to 80 million clicks over its lifetime which should be more than enough for most gamers. These TTC golden micro dustproof buttons are one of the reasons why the Pulsefire Haste Wireless is such a popular option in the HyperX lineup. Add in low-friction PTFE skates that make for an effortless glide across a mouse pad or different types of surfaces and you have a mouse that’s ready to go right out of the box. Last but not least, the feature set for this mouse comes complete with compatibility for HyperX’s NGENUITY software platform for easily customizing a variety of different settings.
Specifications
HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless Review
Design
If you were to look at the Pulsefire Haste wired and wireless versions of the mouse, you’d be hard-pressed to see the difference. Coming in at 58 grams, everything about the mouse feels low profile and lightweight which is exactly what you want from a quality gaming mouse. Most importantly, the lack of a cable means you are free from the burdens of cable management and worrying about USB connections. To be fair, that’s not a frequent concern for most gamers, but the knowledge that you are free from cables permanently is welcomed.
Whether you choose the matte black or white build, you are receiving the same honeycomb design that gives you excellent ergonomics. This design ensures proper airflow so your hands don’t sweat as much as they would with a more traditional solid design. Whether you will love the honeycomb look is completely personal but this design is starting to appear more and more from gaming mice manufacturers. Still, the honeycomb housing of the mouse feels solid and durable, and like it can withstand 7 am to 7 pm gaming sessions every day for a very long time.
For RGB fans, there’s some lighting around the scroll wheel which is a nice touch as it adds a little bit of color and personalization without dramatically impacting battery life.
Buttons
Across six different buttons, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless is a happy middle ground between something like a mouse from Razer which might offer a dozen buttons and more corporate-friendly mice which usually stick to a two-button configuration. The main clicky buttons on the right and left are built using TTC golden micro switches that come rated for up to 80 million clicks and HyperX ramps up this marketing as part of their pitch for their Pulsefire lineup.
Along with the two main buttons, there is an additional button behind the scroll wheel which serves as your DPI selector. Dual thumb buttons are available as shortcut buttons and can be programmed to your liking as part of the NGENUITY software. Lastly, the scroll wheel also serves as a button as it can be pressed down to serve as a click.
Comfort
Few things matter more about a gaming mouse than comfort and it’s easy to say that the HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless mouse offers excellent comfort for its price. The overall shape appears friendly to hand sizes large and small though it’s a relatively slim profile. A low-profile mouse is definitely a personal preference but for users, the lower profile is pretty parring for the course as far as gaming mice go so it’s not a deal breaker by any stretch.
Where HyperX adds a little bonus is the inclusion of grip tape included to help accentuate your control over the mouse. The grip tape is incredibly easy to apply to both the left and right buttons as well as the left and right sides of the mouse. Once the grip tape is on, there’s little concern about it coming off and it quickly goes from a nice-to-have bonus to how did you ever live without grip tape before?
Battery Life
Even as HyperX offers more than 100 hours of battery on a single charge for the Pulsefire Haste Wireless, it remains on the low end for battery-operated gaming mice. The Logitech G305, one of the most popular budget-friendly gaming mouse options on the market, offers more than 250 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Still, the 100 hours HyperX promises is good enough for around about four full days of gaming which is more than most people should be in front of a computer screen. HyperX could go a long way to establishing a greater position in the market if it could increase the battery life to be more in line with the competition, so hopefully, that’s on the to-do list for future Pulsefire Haste Wireless model updates.
Where the mouse really sets itself apart is that charging doesn’t have to stop your gameplay. The included USB-C to USB cable provides a temporary wired connection so you can keep gaming while charging which is a really great perk.
Performance
What good is a gaming mouse if it doesn’t perform well, and thankfully, the Pulsefire Haste Wireless performs pretty well. For starters, you have up to 16,000 DPI available and that’s far more DPI than most gamers will ever need. Depending on the type of game you are playing, lower is better but it’s good to know you have such a wide range of DPI scalability. With the quick access DPI selector on the mouse, you can quickly jump between various DPI levels on the fly.
The 1ms reaction time for input lag is also pretty good as far as wireless gaming mice go and that’s especially true when you factor in the price. Add to that the immediate reaction of both the left and top buttons plus the side of the mouse shortcut buttons and you can just how quickly a 1ms reaction time in real-world practice. Lag is almost nonexistent and that’s good news as it’s often the primary concern of anyone making the switch from a wired to a wireless gaming mouse. There’s also a really satisfying click with every left and right button pressed so that’s a welcome addition.
HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless Pros and Cons
Pros
- Wireless connectionIP55 water and dust resistanceIncludes grip tape for extra comfortErgonomic and comfortable designWired connectivity is available when charging
Cons
- Short battery life compared to the competitionRGB lighting only extends to the scroll wheelThin plastic design might feel too inexpensiveLacks higher DPI rates
HyperX Pulsefire Haste Wireless: is it a Buy?
Buy it if…
- You want an inexpensive wireless mouse that plays really well, is ergonomically comfortable, and offers good enough battery life. You want a mouse that can be personalized using computer software so you can customize the side buttons to your liking. This can come in real handy depending on the games you play as you can make a shortcut for one of the buttons to act as a quick reload or as a hand brake in a racing game. You want a mouse that can double as a wired option when it needs to charge so you don’t have to stop gaming temporarily.
Don’t Buy it if…
- You have concerns over latency when it comes to wireless mice. No matter how good of a score 1ms might be as far as latency, that still won’t be good enough for a small minority of hardcore games who live in a wired mouse world. You want a more expensive look and feel for your gaming mouse. While the Pulsefire Haste Wireless is a great mouse, it’s not a premium-feeling mouse. You want a Bluetooth connection instead of a 2.4GHz connection. The likelihood is that the latter is going to provide less lag overall but there are still some gamers who prefer Bluetooth as their wireless connection.