I can confidently say that finding a genuinely bad gaming mouse from any major brand in 2023 is a rarity. Both wired and wireless options offer excellent performance and reliability, making them a safe bet regardless of the games you play. However, with the market already saturated with top-notch products, manufacturers seem to be resorting to an overflow of extra features to stand out, some of which feel like gimmicks. Corsair’s latest offering, the Darkstar Wireless RGB mouse, follows this trend.
Retailing at $249.00, the Corsair Darkstar ticks all the boxes you’d expect from a premium gaming mouse. It boasts 15 programmable buttons, a 26K DPI sensor, sub-1ms Slipstream Wireless with Bluetooth capabilities, and an impressive 80 hours of battery life. While these specs are decent, they don’t quite deliver a mind-blowing experience. The real selling points that differentiate the Darkstar are the unique 6-button cluster around the thumb grip, tilt controls, and, of course, the flashy 7-zone RGB lighting.
Corsair Darkstar Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse Review
In terms of design, the Corsair Darkstar takes a more restrained approach, eschewing extravagant flared archwells or lightweight exoskeletons. Instead, it offers a comfortable right-handed grip with textured sides for better handling. The mouse features two large PTFE skates underneath, along with the optical sensor, power switch, and a convenient cubby hole for the Slipstream wireless USB dongle. At the front, you’ll find a USB Type-C port for charging and wired use, with a 1.8m braided cable provided in the box.
The unique assortment of buttons is where the Darkstar stands out, featuring a total of 15 buttons spread across various locations. While some users may find the placement of the top and forward two thumb buttons useful, others may struggle with the back two and the ones embedded in the left click, finding them frustrating to use comfortably. Corsair markets this mouse more towards MMO, MOBA, and RTS gaming, but even in those scenarios, some users may find the button arrangement challenging to manage during intense gameplay.
The buttons, however, find better utility in slower-paced games like RTS or as productivity functions. Using the iCUE software, you can assign various functions to these buttons, making them versatile for different use cases. The Darkstar also boasts tilt controls, which allow you to execute commands by slightly lifting and tilting the mouse left, right, forwards, or backwards. While this feature works, it may require calibration for optimal performance.
Another highlight of the Darkstar’s design is the seven-zone RGB strip running across the middle of the mouse. Though it may not match the vibrancy of the RGB found in some competitors like the Roccat Kone Air, it still adds a cool touch, especially when paired with Corsair keyboards.All your settings can be stored onto the mouse for up to 5 different profiles. You can change them on the fly and the Darkstar has LED indicators to let you know which profile you’re on.
In terms of performance, connectivity, and battery life, the Corsair Darkstar impresses with its Slipstream 2.4Ghz Wireless technology, promising sub-1ms latency similar to wired connections. The wireless functionality is delivered through a tiny USB 2.0 dongle, conveniently stored beneath the mouse. Additionally, the Darkstar supports Bluetooth connections, allowing you to use it with secondary devices while keeping the Slipstream dongle dedicated to your gaming PC.
Battery life on the Darkstar is decent, with 65 hours on Slipstream Wireless and 80 hours on Bluetooth. While these numbers may not match some competitors like the 800 hour Roccat Kone Air, they still provide ample usage time. The absence of quick charging may not be an issue for most, as the mouse can be used wired. Furthermore, the USB Type-C charging port ensures easy access to charging regardless of your location.
Inside the Corsair Darkstar, you’ll find a 26000 DPI Marksman optical sensor with an IPS Tracking speed of 650. The mouse is very smooth and responsive, making target tracking quick and effortless, supported by the 2000 Hz polling rate, twice as fast as most gaming mice. The main left and right buttons utilize Corsair’s Quickstrike optical switches, which provide a nice, crisp feel without being overly noisy.
Verdict
Summing it up, the Corsair Darkstar excels in both gaming and productivity tasks due to its plethora of features and customisable buttons. However, the unique button placements may not be suitable for quick and efficient access during intense gaming sessions, so users may need to adapt their usage or ignore some buttons altogether.
While the Darkstars performance is commendable, the $250 price tag might be a deterrent for many potential customers. Competitors like the Razer Basilisk V3 and the Roccat Kone XP Air offer wireless charging and additional features at competitive price points. If Corsair focused on less buttons with a “shift” style feature like its competitors and lowered the price by $100, the Darkstar could have wider appeal.
It remains a good gaming mouse, but there are other alternatives available that offer similar performance at a more affordable cost.
Corsair Australia kindly provided the Corsair Darkstar to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
