HyperX Pulsefire Haste Review

In the heat of battle, you don't want to be weighed down by a bulky mouse with a stiff cable if you can avoid it. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste cuts no corners in hardware and design to deliver one of the lightest weight mice with the nimblest of cables on the market. HyperX even managed to pack in some customizable lighting supported by its extremely well-engineered software while keeping the cost manageable for the blue-collar gamer.

Performance Comparison

Performance

First and foremost, our evaluation of gaming mice looks at the performance because, let's face it, high-end performance is the reason we fork over extra money for a game-specific piece. Specifically, we look at the DPI/CPI, the sensor, the tracking speed, polling rate, and, of course, the weight. When the details are taken as a whole, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste checks in at the top of the class in performance. However, there are some aspects of this mouse's performance that are arguably preferential, so keep reading for those details.

This HyperX Pulsefire Haste has a lot to offer — particularly at its price point, so let's get the negative points out of the way first and move on to all the goodies packed into this periphery. Firstly, while the DPI/CPI has a respectable range of 200 to 16000, the Haste limits the fine-tuned adjustments to steps of 100. Okay, not a huge deal but, the other knock against the mouse is that it uses mechanical switches — as opposed to optical ones — which leave them susceptible to all the bounce issues that plague these devices. Pretty minor issues, but some might find them to be deal-breakers. Let's move on to the numerous benefits on offer from this mouse.

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste use a flawless PAW3335 Optical sensor that eliminates any corrective software that would affect the onscreen fidelity of your hand movements. The Haste has a tracking speed of 450 inches per second — not the highest in the class, but it's pretty darn fast. Additionally, the unit has a stepped polling rate of 125, 250, 500, and 1000 Hz. Lastly, the Haste tips the scales at a mere 59 grams, making it one of the lightest we've tested.

Customization

As with performance, customization is a key aspect of a gaming mouse. Three components comprise our customization analysis: lights, buttons, and scroll wheel; we also tack on the handedness of the device and whether one can adjust the unit's weight. We look at the action of the buttons and scroll wheel later on. Here, our investigation focuses on the adjustability of these components. Unfortunately, the nature of ultra-light mice limits a good deal of the customization, and so the HyperX Pulsefire Haste didn't rate highly in this area compared to its heavier counterparts. That being said, the Hyper is quite customizable where it counts such as button binds.

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste allows the user to customize four of its six buttons to macros. However, the device is only capable of storing a single button profile at a time. As far as lights go, there is a single light zone on the scroll wheel and it can be set to three primary effects: solid, cycle, and breathing. There is also an array of colors and speed that you can apply to these effects. Unfortunately, there are no scroll wheel adjustments, no weight adjustments, and the shell is fit exclusively for right-handers. As a bonus, the HyperX comes with “grip tape” that you can apply to match your gripping points.

Ease of Use

If the HyperX Pulsefire Haste suffers a bit in our customization assessment, then it certainly makes it up in the ease of use evaluation. This metric takes a close look at the aspects of the mouse's design that make it more or less difficult to interact with the device. Essentially, we ask, how hard is it to get this product to do what it is designed to do. In the Haste's case, it's pretty darn easy.

To be more specific, I look at the mouse's cable, which for the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is six feet and as unobtrusive as a cable gets without getting rid of the cable altogether. The software, too, is quite good. However, I thought it was a little weird that I had to download the software from the Microsoft Store instead of the HyperX site, but that's a small detail. The software covers customization features like DPI, lights, and button binding. These settings are easy to make and change, and the software is quite easy to learn and navigate. Finally, the on-the-fly adjustments — meaning those that don't require the use of the software — are limited to a button on the top of the unit that toggles between four DPI settings. All told, it is the simplicity of the device that makes it so easy and effective to use.

Scroll Wheel

This metric evaluates the action and sound of the HyperX Pulsefire Haste's six buttons and scroll wheel. I found the HyperX buttons to be comfortable, and I especially liked the “comfort grips” on the left and right buttons. All buttons were easy to reach and actuate.

Additionally, the scroll wheel action offers easy clicking and the scroll wheel action is super smooth with subtle, tightly spaced steps. While I liked the wheel's feel, if you're looking for something more tactile, then this is probably not what you are looking for in a scroll wheel. Taken as a whole, I found the button experience provided by the HyperX to be well-balanced such that they were easy to actuate but not accidentally depress.

Value

We see value as a ratio of the performance of the product as compared to its peers and its price, again, as compared to its peers. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste is a great value as it scored nearly at the top of a very competitive class and yet it is among the least expensive models on the market. However, this model does not have many of the features (such as storage for multiple button profiles) enjoyed by the more expensive models in the class. If you desire a more heavily equipped device, the price of this model will not provide you with a reasonable value. That caveat aside, we think that this mouse is one sweet deal.

Conclusion

All told, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is lean, mean, and ready to swing. The lightweight, and thus the speed it allows, comes at the cost of some features like more lights, adjustability in the scroll wheel, and onboard memory. Yet, for the right gamer, this will be a great tool for fast-action playing. If you rarely game or value wireless freedom, you should read our best wireless mice review.