Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Wireless Champion Series gaming mouse review: Less RGB, more freedom

Corsair has added another mouse to its line-up of Champion Series products: the Sabre RGB Pro Wireless. After we tested out the excellent wired Sabre RGB Pro, we're pleased to see a wireless version of this mouse. 

Naturally, being that it's wireless, this addition to the Sabre Pro line-up is a tad heavier than its wired brother. It also doesn't have the insane 8,000Hz polling rate, so might not be as appealing to those looking for an Nvidia Reflex latency analyser compatible mouse. But if you still want a great wireless mouse that's feature-rich, comfortable and agile, then this might be it. 

• Best gaming mice: The best wired, wireless and RGB gaming mice to buy today

Comfortable ergonomics

• 2.4GHz Slipstream wireless, Bluetooth 4.2 + LE and USB-C connection
• 90 hours battery over Bluetooth, 60 hours over Slipstream wireless
• Lightweight 79g frame
• 100% PTFE feet

The first thing that strikes about the Corsair Sabre RGB Pro wireless is its comfortable shape and size. This mouse was designed and tested in collaboration with top eSports players to result in a mouse that ticked all the right boxes in terms of shape, performance and comfort and it shows. If you have larger hands or simply appreciate a mouse that pushes up nicely into your palm and just fits comfortably then you'll enjoy the wireless Sabre. 

At 79g it's not the lightest mouse we've tried. The SteelSeries Prime is 10g lighter for example, as is the wireless Aerox 3. But weight isn't everything and there's plenty more to like about the intelligent ergonomic design of the Sabre Pro wireless. We thoroughly enjoy the large side buttons, for example, which are easy to access and equally easy to press. They're also nicely differentiated with a small gap so you know which one you're pressing without looking. 

On top, the Sabre RGB Pro wireless has a DPI button, but that's nicely recessed so you don't accidentally swap DPI levels when you don't mean to. That button also has an indicator to give you a colour-coded visual cue so you know what DPI level you're on which is nifty. 

Another small highlight we thoroughly enjoy is the overall finish. It doesn't have any textured side-grips or rubberised zones, but what it does have is an ever-so-slightly rough matte finish. This is especially noticeable on the left and right buttons and gives you a pleasant grip that doesn't slip. 

Naturally, there's a lot to be said for wireless freedom too but more on that in a bit. 

Pro-level specs in a wireless mouse

• Corsair Marksman sensor, 26,000 max DPI (in 5 stages, plus sniper mode)
• Quick strike, zero-gap buttons with Omron switches 
• 1,000/2,000Hz polling rate
• 650 IPS, 50G acceleration

As you might expect from a mouse that's labelled "pro" and part of a "Champion Series", the Sabre RGB Pro Wireless offers some decent specs - including a nifty 650 IPS (inches per second) and 50G acceleration - so move the mouse fast and it'll correspond on screen - and a frankly insane 26,000 max DPI - meaning it's super sensitive.

When plugged in with the braided USB-C-to-USB-A cable you can change settings in the iCue software that include switching to 2,000Hz polling rate (the number of times per second the mouse 'talks' to your PC) for a faster response and also create and save up to five profiles to the onboard memory.  

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Corsair Sabre RGB Pro wireless software

Where the Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Wireless shines through is in the hardware under the hood. This mouse packs Corsair's Marksman optical sensor that was crafted in conjunction with PixArt to ensure a high level of accuracy.

It also has so-called Quickstrike buttons which are pre-tensioned and designed with zero-gap between the button and the Omron switch that sits underneath. This results in a crisp and responsive button click and almost instant actuation - important for a great gaming session. We also found this mouse to have one of the most satisfying click responses we've felt. 

Wireless vs wired

There's obviously a lot to be said for wireless freedom, especially if you have a low-latency connection. This mouse has that with a sub-1ms connection using Corsair's Slipstream wireless dongle. Yes, you have the choice of Bluetooth connectivity too, but if you're gaming then it's the 2.4Ghz connection that will give you the best results.  

The underside of the mouse has a button to switch between the different modes, as well as a little housing to store the tiny dongle when it's not in use. So no need to fret about losing it. 

Plugging in the USB cable does more than simply charge the mouse though. When wired you can choose the higher 2,000Hz polling rate and tweak settings to store in the mouse's onboard memory. Corsair claims that this mouse can manage 60 hours of battery life in wireless mode - assuming you have the RGB lighting turned off. Which certainly isn't a number to be sniffed at. We're happy to report that we barely had to plug it in for a charge during our gaming sessions either. 

Talking of RGB, the Sabre Pro Wireless is marketed as having two RGB lighting zones. Those areas turn out to be just the Corsair logo and the teeny weeny DPI indicator. So you're not really getting much glow out of this mouse. There were more lighting zones on the wired Sabre Pro, so the wireless version isn't quite as snazzy, but we assume this is done on purpose to maximise battery life and minimise weight. 

Software tweaks

As with other Corsair products, the Sabre RGB Pro Wireless is customisable in Corsair iCue. This includes everything from lighting effects to key assignments and everything in between. 

There are six programmable buttons on this mouse (the seventh button is underneath and only controls profile switching). Those buttons can be tweaked to action all sorts of things from different button clicks to macros, keystrokes, media controls and more. You can even add actions for Voice Mod if that's your sort of thing. So you can click a button and change your voice to entertain your audience. 

There are also settings for DPI levels where you can choose five different levels to switch between - and a sniper mode too, which lets you choose a specific button to press-and-hold to drop into a temporary ultra-low DPI for accurate aiming. 

iCue also lets you calibrate the mouse to any surface with a few spirals of your mouse so you can be sure it's behaving as it should on your mousepad or desk pad. All these settings can of course be tweaked, then added to a specific profile which you can then switch between on the fly using the button on the underside. 

Source : https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/reviews/158480-corsair-sabre-rgb-pro-wireless-review-champion-series-gaming-mouse