These days, the trend of gaming mice is “to be as light as possible” without sacrificing durability. In that regard, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is a perfect case in point. On paper, it does seem to check a lot of the boxes for a good option – It has a light body that also offers good grip, a high-quality sensor for precision, switches that offer a satisfying click, and software that allows for a good level of personalization.
Specifications
| Shape | Symmetrical |
| Sensor | Pixart PAW3335 |
| Resolution | Up to 16000 DPI |
| Speed | 450ips |
| Acceleration | 40G |
| Left/Right Button Switches | TTC Golden Micro Dustproof |
| Left/Right Button Durability | 60 million clicks |
| Onboard Memory | 1 Profile |
| Polling Rate | 1000Hz |
| Connection Type | USB 2.0 |
| Weight | 59g (without cable) |
| 80g (with cable) |
Design and Build Quality
The Pulsefire Haste Lightweight uses an Ultra-light hex shell design, which basically looks like a honeycomb pattern of holes that cover most of its body, including the top section of the left and right buttons. This results in a weight that’s just shy of 60 grams without the cable, and 80 grams with it. Apart from saving weight, the design also allows for better airflow and ventilation.
As for its size, the mouse is large enough for my hands, which are, I would say, average-sized. While mainly for right-handed use, it should also be usable for left-handed people, though it’ll probably be a challenge to use the side buttons, which are located on the left, along with the HyperX branding.
Underneath, you’ll find a set of pure virgin-grade low-friction PTFE skates which allow for a smooth glide, especially when it’s used with the HyperX Pulsefire Mat. The package even comes with a replacement set of skates, which is convenient. This uses TTC Golden micro dustproof switches fitted with anti-dust coating. These offer good clicky feedback and are rated for up to 60 million clicks.
All six buttons on the mouse are also programmable using HyperX’s NGENUITY software. For the left and right buttons, you’re only allowed to set the function to either left or right click.
The scroll wheel is the only place you’ll find RGB lighting, which is a bit underwhelming for me, personally. But then again, it’s not about pure aesthetics, but more on performance that we’re looking for here. You even get grip tape for the side and the left and right buttons for improved control.
Perhaps the only caveat I have about this mouse’s design, is that its HyperFlex USB Cable isn’t detachable. That makes it a bit of a hassle in terms of storage. It also means that if for any reason, the cable fails, you’ll have to bring in the entire mouse for service. Don’t get me wrong, the light and flexible paracord material do a good job of reducing resistance to avoid causing issues during gameplay.
Performance
The Pulsefire Haste packs a Pixart 3335 sensor, which according to the brand, offers a good balance of weight and performance. It allows for a DPI of up to 16000 for that responsiveness and precision that you need. For the benchmarks, we’ll be using the HyperX Pulsefire Mat XL as our mousepad.
CPI Divergence
Using MouseTest v1.5.3, we can check how close the measured CPI values are to the default ones. In this case, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. This test was done by dragging the mouse along a straight 10cm line.
Polling Rate and Stability
For this test, we should ideally have a result wherein the dots are very close to the line. This test was done with Polling Rate set to 1000Hz and dpi set to 800, dragging the mouse in a straight line for 3 seconds.
Input Lag and Smoothing
With dpi set to 800, I then dragged the mouse in a zigzag motion from top to bottom. Again, we are looking for dots that are very close to the line. While the graph shows several stray dots, I did not experience any noticeable input lag when using the mouse both for general use and gaming.
Software
HyperX NGENUITY allows for a good level of personalization for the Pulsefire Haste Lightweight. You can set the Polling Rate, the RGB lighting effects, re-assign buttons, and set dpi levels (and add new ones) according to your preferences.
Verdict
While it doesn’t have some of the fancy features of more expensive mice like a DPS burst button, macro buttons, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste manages to deliver good performance, along with some of its own nifty tricks, all for an affordable price of PhP2,490.
Apart from being very light, it’s also very comfortable to use, offering a very smooth and uninterrupted gliding feel. You also get responsive buttons that also offer a satisfying click, and the scroll wheel is neither too hard nor too light to roll. HyperX’s NGENUITY software also offer a decent amount of options to personalize the mouse.
If I really have to nitpick, I just wish that the cable was detachable, so I don’t have to bring in the entire mouse for service in the event that the cable gets damaged. I also would’ve wanted a second RGB zone for more bling.
Other than those minor things, I can easily recommend this to those who are looking for an affordable light and responsive mouse for both general use and gaming. Get it here.