The new Corsair Nightsabre Wireless RGB gaming mouse is a bit puzzling for me. Recently, I reviewed the Corsair Darkstar, and besides some RGB touches and a slightly different shape, the two mice are almost identical. Both boast Quickstrike buttons, a 26,000DPI optical sensor, sub-1ms Slipstream Wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, and weigh just under 100g. The catch is, they both cost the same at $249.00, making the decision tougher.
The Nightsabre has fewer buttons – 11 compared to the Darkstar’s 15, making it less suitable for MOBA/MMO gaming. However, it compensates with more RGB zones, making it more visually striking than the Darkstar. While I prefer the Nightsabre over the Darkstar after using it for a couple of weeks, choosing between the two isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
Corsair Nightsabre Wireless RGB Review
Starting with the appearance of the Nightsabre, the new mouse has a more symmetrical shape than the right-hand-leaning Darkstar. Though technically suitable for left-handers, all side buttons are on the left side, making it less practical. Like the Darkstar, the Nightsabre features strongly textured sides for better grip. The top shell is a smooth matte black plastic, and the mouse suits a claw grip but depends on your hand size.
The front of the Nightsabre has a sharper wedge shape, providing a more aggressive look. The curve of the thumb well and pinky rest makes holding the Nightsabre comfortable but not as cozy as something like the ROG Harpe Ace and Razer Viper. The weight at 96g, especially for someone coming from the 54g Harpe Ace, makes it feel heavy.
While the Nightsabre isn’t as easy to flick around for quick shots and aiming, it’s still very good for FPS games. The generous and large PTFE feet on the bottom allow the Nightsabre to glide effortlessly despite its weight.
The thumb buttons are more manageable this time, with just two large buttons instead of the awkward design on the Darkstar. I’m still not a fan of the embedded buttons in the main left mouse button — they seem more suitable for productivity tasks than gaming functions. The scroll wheel has a great texture and features tilt-click. Behind it, you get two smaller buttons for changing DPI levels on the fly.
There are five distinct RGB zones around the mouse — two on the front edges, one on the bottom back, and two more on top of the mouse. These can all be configured in iCUE and combined with the carbon-fiber-looking racing strip where the scroll wheel lives, contributing to the Nightsabre’s overall slick and aggressive look.
Turning over the mouse reveals the power switch, the 26K DPI sensor, and a cubby hole to store the Slipstream wireless dongle. Having built-in storage for the dongles in these new wireless mice makes it easier to travel with them. While most users may not use 26,000DPI, the larger sensor allows for more accuracy and responsiveness, appreciated in games.
The dongle is USB 2.0 and above and is of the Type-A variety, but the mouse itself uses a Type-C port for wired connection and charging. The Slipstream wireless is reliable, with no issues in connection stability or latency. Likewise, the Bluetooth connection is solid and preferable for many gamers for the extra battery savings.
Not that battery life is an issue. The Nightsabre can easily surpass 60 hours over Slipstream with RGB lighting in full blast — more than enough for a week’s usage before needing a charge. However, turn the lighting off and use Bluetooth primarily, and you’ll get that 100 hours. A quick charge feature will give you 20 hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging, a nice addition.
Customization lives in the Corsair iCUE suite, where you can remap buttons, create macros and shortcuts, adjust the lighting, and calibrate the sensor for your mouse surface. Here’s where you can also change the mouse’s polling rate up to 2000 Hz. How much mileage you’ll get out of that depends on your skill level and the games you play, but I couldn’t tell the difference.
Verdict
The Corsair Nightsabre is a mixed bag of goodies. On one hand, it has some of the best tech Corsair offers, like Quickstrike switches, Slipstream wireless, and iCUE software tricks. However, it’s quite heavy, and some odd button placements don’t contribute positively to the gaming experience. Objectively, it’s a good mouse that gets the job done with little fuss. Subjectively, there are better feeling mice out there that also come cheaper than the Nightsabre. It’s not one of Corsair’s best ever, but it’s good enough. Plus, you can’t deny how cool Corsair’s mouse naming game is.
Corsair Australia kindly provided the Nightsabre to PowerUp! Gaming for the purpose of this review
