For most gamers, slow is bad. Whether it be lag, poorly functioning peripherals, or a GPU that just can’t keep up. In the online gaming world, speed is king. No one knows this better than HyperX. That’s why, when HyperX sent us their new Pulsefire Haste gaming mouse, we were excited to see its approach to the lightweight category. But how does the Haste stack up to our tests and to its competitors?

In this article, we’ll answer all of those questions, and we’ll let you know if you should buy the HyperX Pulsefire Haste.

Meet the Pulsefire Haste

The Pulsefire Haste is the newest competitive ultra-lightweight mouse from HyperX. It's aimed at PC gamers who are looking for extreme responsiveness and pinpoint control all while minimizing weight. With HyperX’s Pulsefire Haste coming in at only 59g, some have called this the best $50 ultra-light gaming mouse available.

For Apex aficionados and Warzone warriors, the Haste offers a significant weight reduction over traditional gaming mice. Coming in at around 30g less than regular weight offerings like the Razer Death Adder V2 and the Logitech G203 Lightsync, the Haste is designed to help you snap onto your targets, and down your opponents faster than ever before.

What’s in the Box?

• HyperX Pulsefire Haste gaming mouse
• Grip tape
• Extra PTFE skates
• Quick-Start guide
• Warranty card

On the Surface

The exterior packaging of the Pulsfire Haste touts the mouse as “ultra-lightweight,” and HyperX isn’t messing around. We unboxed the unit, took the Haste out of its blister pack, and immediately stuck it on our scale. We found that this little beast comes in at a featherweight 59.2g.

It seems that Hyperx really tried to shave as much bulk as it could off of this unit. While adding the included grip tape to the mouse fosters a hair more weight, what you lose on the scale you’ll gain back with extra grip.

The Haste's grip tape is also very comfortable to use. It has a rubberized texture and a “sticky-but-not-in-a-bad-way” feel. We’re confident that this grip tape is sufficient for all but the sweatiest of hands.

The mouse is a bit larger than we expected. In our testing, the Haste seems mostly designed for tip grip or claw players. Sorry palm grip users, you’ll want to skip this bad boy. For us, the Haste’s hump made using a palm grip uncomfortable even for medium hands.

On the shell of the Haste is a series of honeycombed cut-outs that anyone familiar with the Glorious Model O and the Cooler Master MM710 will recognize. This pattern decreases the weight of the mouse, while also allowing for a slightly more secure grip on the unit's surface. It feels rigid. If there was any flex or give to the mouse, we didn't notice.

The Pulsefire Haste rides on a set of skates that have been preinstalled from the factory. These skates are rounded and boast “virgin-grade” PTFE. They're white in color and smooth to the touch.

"Virgin-grade" simply means that these skates are not made out of any recycled materials. Whether this nomenclature is merely marketing or not, we found the skates allowed the mouse to glide across our oversized mouse pad with minimal drag.

This means that both large and small movements should have no trouble being detected. HyperX has also included an extra set of skates just in case you manage to wear out the original set.

One of the best and worst features of the Haste is the Hyperflex paracord-wrapped USB cable. It’s USB-A to USB-C and about six feet in length (1.8 meters). This length provides plenty of room for gamers who prefer to use the full width of their desk or mouse pad. The cable is also extremely flexible.

Unfortunately, the paracord material tends to catch on things—in our case a small piece of velcro cable wrapping. Removing the Velcro caused the cable to snag, which we admit was a user error, but it is still something worth mentioning.

By no means is this a dealbreaker. The flexibility of the cable is awesome, just be careful if your desk has sharp corners or a rough surface.

Buttons, Sensor, Scroll Wheel

Inside the body of the Haste, you’ll find a set of TTC Golden micro dustproof switches that are rated for up to 60 million clicks. Many gamers will appreciate HyperX’s decision to upgrade these switches to TTC’s instead of using spongy Omrons.

In addition to the performance of these switches, they also sound great. Pressing the buttons on the Haste results in a sharply satisfying click. You can hear the way each button sounds in the clip below.

There is a bit of pre-travel in both of the main buttons which may work better for more heavy-handed players. Unfortunately, if you’ve got hummingbird fingers, then you’ll need to press a little harder to avoid misclicks. Other reviewers have mentioned post-travel, but any that might have popped up on our unit was unnoticeable.

On the left side of the Haste are two programmable buttons for extra functionality. These buttons also have a nice solid feel and are located in a spot where they must be pressed deliberately. This positioning helps avoid accidental activation in the heat of battle.

The scroll wheel is the only portion of the mouse that is RGB, and colors can be customized via the proprietary HyperX NGenuity software. The wheel has a nice tactile surface, consistent click, and just enough detent for pleasurable scrolling.

At the heart of the Haste is the Pixart 3335 sensor which boasts an impressive 400 IPS tracking speed, and offers up to 16000 dots per inch (DPI). This DPI is adjustable via the NGenuity software.

Like many gaming mice, you can assign different DPI stages to the programmable button behind the scroll wheel. This means if you want to switch DPI on the fly, all you have to do is set up the button in the NGenuity software and click.

The Haste also offers a polling rate of up to 1000MHz.

Overall Construction and Build Quality

At first, the honeycomb design and the low weight might seem like they would influence the construction of the mouse, but we found the Pulsefire Haste surprisingly sturdy. There are no rattles or noises from inside when you give the Haste a hearty shake.

Despite the low weight of this mouse, the build quality is great. There are no rough edges or hot spots to speak of, and it feels great in the hand. Even after extended gaming sessions ended, we found ourselves making excuses to pick it back up.

Overall, the Haste feels like a premium product. This is phenomenal considering its $50 price tag. While $50 may, at first, seem pricey for something as ubiquitous as a mouse, once you get it in your hands you'll understand the enormous value that the Haste offers.

Related: The Best Mouse Pads For Gamers 

Fun and Games

Besides PC gaming, the Haste also gives PS4 and Xbox One players an alternative to clunky controllers. Pairing this mouse with a mechanical keyboard gives you a significant advantage over console gamers who would prefer to thumb-wrestle.

In the name of science, we attached this lovely little rodent to both the PS4 directly, via a Cronus Zen, and took it into a private Modern Warfare lobby. In both instances, the mouse performed exceptionally.

Though we would never condone say, jumping into a game of Warzone and immediately getting a handful of Superstore kills while cackling like a bloodthirsty maniac, the option to do so with the Haste exists.

What’s Not to Love?

There is a lot to like about the Pulsefire Haste, but there is one area in which we weren’t impressed: the NGenuity software. Firstly, this software is only available in beta on the Microsoft Store. Anyone with any experience using Microsoft's store knows how unruly using it can be.

Secondly, the NGenuity software doesn’t offer much in the way of effect customization. There are only three primary effects to choose from: breathing, solid, and cycle. Each of these offers different behavior for the RGB scroll wheel.

While there is still an ability to change color options on the Haste, doing so doesn’t feel intuitive. We understand the Ngenuity software is still in beta, but it still feels like it was thrown together in a rush.

This lack of features doesn’t seem to be a huge problem, and will probably be corrected in future updates. For us though, if the main way to control a peripheral is through a GUI interface, then that interface shouldn't feel this clunky.

Another thing that we should point out is that this mouse is designed specifically for PC, PS4, and Xbox One gamers. For macOS users, this gaming mouse will not work. The Ngenuity software isn't available on any mac platform at this time. This means that if you're one of those rare macOS gamers, you'll have to skip this offering.

Additionally, some users are complaining of a DPI shift of about 50. This isn’t something we experienced with our demo unit, however it is something that should be mentioned.

Lastly, and this is true of all honeycombed gaming mice, if you’re planning to snack while gaming, there is a strong possibility to introduce crumbs into the inside of this mouse. Even with the grip tape installed, the honeycomb holes of the mouse are large enough to collect schmutz from any grubby fingers.

If you’ve owned a lightweight mouse like this before, then you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.

Related: What is Mouse DPI? 

Can You Repair/Upgrade the HyperX Pulsefire Haste?

No. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste is not designed to be disassembled. However, there are some components that are user-serviceable. This service is limited to the replacement of skates and the installation of grip tape.

Unfortunately, if the Haste breaks, you’ll have to buy a new one. However, HyperX has included a 2-year warranty against any manufacturer defects for unexpected quality control issues.

Should You Buy the HyperX Pulsefire Haste?

If you're looking for a lightweight gaming mouse, then yes. Yes, you should.

Gamers looking for extreme DPI capability in a featherweight package will benefit from grabbing the Pulsefire Haste. Lovers of RGB gear to go with colorful battle stations will also enjoy the customizability of the Haste.

Additionally, players who want to squeeze the absolute maximum amount of performance out of a gaming session will love adding the Haste's high DPI to their arsenal. Lastly, those gamers who value quickly snapping onto targets in FPS titles, couldn’t do much better than the Haste for the cost.

On the other hand, if you play with a palm grip, (no pun) then you’re not going to like the HyperX Haste. If you’re using your mouse lefty—which honestly scares us a little bit—then you’ll be at a disadvantage with the Haste due to its left-side button arrangement.

Lastly, if you’re RGB’d out, and the idea of a neon glow on your desk makes you want to scream, then we’d recommend trying something besides the Haste.

Haste Isn't a Waste

Even if the HyperX NGenuity software isn’t perfect, the Pulsefire Haste as a whole is pretty close to perfect. It ticks all of the boxes for a well-designed, lightweight gaming mouse, and for the $50 price tag, we think it’s an absolute steal. The lengthy cable is great, the Pixart 3335 is snappy and responsive, and the build quality of the Haste puts it right in the sweet spot of value.

If you’re on the fence, stop waiting, and go pick up this gaming mouse. You’ll be glad you did.