The explosion in competitive gaming in terms of participation and spectatorship caused an uptick in interest in PC gaming peripherals in the last number of years. Innovation in mouse and keyboard sectors, in particular, has been driven by this newly swelled market and devices with Esports’ pretensions define the cutting edge. HyperX Pulsefire Haste is a child of this wave of progress. – a 59 gram wonder born to point and click at n00bs until they are no more.
Skeleton Warrior
While angular and aggressive aesthetics are usually thrown on gaming peripherals to mark them as such, Pulsefire Haste works one of its practical design elements into its look. The mouse’s 59g weight is facilitated by its honeycomb shell that gives it a skeletal look.
The use of RGB LED is kept to the mouse wheel and the device’s silhouette is free from superficial plastic. HyperX Pulsefire Haste knows its chassis is enough and doesn’t overdo it. The mouse’s all matte-black colouring is punctuated by honeycomb and LED leading to a balanced look.
Grip Fire
The matted plastic used all over the upper of the mouse was easy for me to grip. For claw grip gamers, the smaller overall shape and choice of texture is perfect. At 38mm tall, it might not be snug enough for the palm grip posse but it still offers some support.
The lightness of step is mostly aimed at those who use low sensitivity. Thanks to its light weight and excellent grip, flinging HyperX Pulsefire Haste around a yoga mat-sized work area is a breeze. The 1.8 metre (6ft) ‘HyperFlex’ cable also aids sweeping and broad movement.
For those who need extra grip, Haste comes with rubber bumpers for either side as well as for both of the main buttons. Those with sweaty hands may find these useful. Though it must be pointed out that the inherent ventilation of a skeleton mouse will keep palms cooler than usual.
Fine Motor Kills
At the other end of the mouse pad, HyperX Pulsefire Haste can be incredibly precise. That light weight and virgin-grade PTFE skates allow wristier players, like John Troy, to flourish.
The Pixart 3335 sensor is rated at 450 inches per second and can handle between 200 and 16,000dpi. While 16,000dpi is unlikely to be used by many, that level of precision makes it feel more responsive across the board. The dpi selector has five presets which are set to a sensible-enough 400/800/1600/3200/16,000. All of these can be adjusted.
Using HyperX NGENUITY, players can adjust this in steps of 100. Players can also remap buttons, assign macros and create/assign profiles. The six buttons (left, right 2x thumb buttons, wheel click and palm-placed dpi selector) are entirely programmable. There is only one slot in the mouse’s onboard memory which is a bit of a shame.
Haste’s maximum polling rate of 1,000Hz is the standard for good gaming mice. It also has three other polling speeds – 125, 250 and 500Hz.
Competitor
A reliable mouse that fits with a performance level that allows you to perfectly display your skills is the bare minimum for anyone serious about competing. HyperX Pulsefire Haste does all of this with a little extra. And at around $49/€59, it’s also competitive in terms of price.
The attention to detail that went into maximising the inherent benefits of their design is worthy of great praise. Additional grips just in case the airy chassis isn’t quite cool enough. 1.8 metres of HyperFlex (yes, the Hyper is real).
Similarly, the nods to the balance of the mouse are obvious and very welcome. The ability to offer some support for palm grippers while pandering to the claw crowd. Ultra-smooth movement for high dpi players while catering specifically for hand-roamers.
