CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS: Everything you need to know

The new CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS RGB Gaming Mouse is the perfect companion for MMO and MOBA games. It performs very well in other games, too. Today, we’re going to go over everything you need to know about the CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS gaming mouse, starting, naturally, with the specs.

• Wireless Connectivity: Hyper-fast, sub-1ms 2.4GHz SLIPSTREAM CORSAIR WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, Bluetooth® 4.2 + LE
• Sensor: CORSAIR MARKSMAN, 26000 DPI with 1 DPI resolution steps, 650 IPS tracking, up to 50G acceleration
• Programmable Buttons: 15
• Onboard Profiles: 5
• Backlight: 7-Zone RGB
• USB Report Rate: Up to 2,000Hz hyper-polling
• Battery Charging: Charges via USB to computer
• Battery Type: Built-in lithium-polymer, rechargeable
• Battery Life: 2.4GHz SLIPSTREAM: Up to 65hrs w/out backlighting, Bluetooth: Up to 80hrs w/out backlighting
• Color: Black
• Mouse Feet: 100% Virgin Grade PTFE
• Wired Connectivity: USB 2.0 Type-A (Type-C to Type A cable)
• Cable: 1.8 m / 6 ft.
• iCUE (Software): Supported
• Dimensions: 129.05(L) x 67.9(W) x 43.64(H) mm / 5.08(L) x 2.67(W) x 1.72(h) in
• Weight (w/o cable and accessories): 96g / 0.21 lbs.
• Warranty: Two years

The DARKSTAR WIRELESS is an entirely new design for us, so there’s a lot to go over. There’s the side scroll, the ergonomic shape, the unique side-button cluster, and loads more. If you're after a less-specialised, more general use MOBA type of mouse, the CORSAIR NIGHTSABRE might be for you.

We’ve decided to design the DARKSTAR WIRELESS with a comfortable and ergonomic shape. It’s right-handed and features a gentle slope down towards the right side. The specific shape and size guides your hand into the perfect palm grip, with your thumb resting in the grippy center of the 6-button cluster. This grippy texture extends the length of the opposite side too, so the DARKSTAR WIRELESS will stay in your hand, even during the most frantic of gameplay scenarios.

However, those who prefer a claw or fingertip grip are well-catered for here as well. The medium size and 96g/3.4 oz weight mean that it suits any grip type, while retaining easy access to all 11 programmable buttons.

Where most MMO mice feature a standard grid of side buttons, the CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS has been designed with a ring of buttons that surround a central pad for your thumb to rest on.

This configuration is ideal as it provides a point of grip on the side of the mouse, which is traditionally absent from other MMO gaming mice. Additionally, to make using them easier, there are notches between the buttons, so your thumb can feel where one ends and the next one starts.

Side Scroll is one of those features that you never knew you needed, then you try a mouse with it and it’s hard to go back. Given that the CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS is one of our most comprehensive gaming mice, it made sense to add it here too.

Side scroll allows you to scroll left to right, in addition to the usual up and down by tilting the scroll wheel to the side. If the page is wider than the window you’re viewing it in, you’re normally relegated to using the tiny navigation bar at the bottom of your screen. With side scroll, you simply tilt the wheel to the side and off you go. You can even adjust how fast it scrolls in Windows settings, just like a normal scroll. An underrated feature that people who use spreadsheets absolutely should have.

With the CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS being such a versatile gaming mouse, it makes sense to outfit it with Bluetooth 4.2. Bluetooth is useful these days as many laptops have few full-size USB ports available, if any at all.

Of course, for the performance-oriented gamers out there, we’ve included 2.4GHz SLIPSTREAM Wireless connectivity, too. SLIPSTREAM allows latencies as low as sub-1ms and an extended range of up to 33ft.

Additionally, for those who want a super streamlined setup, you can connect up to three peripherals to an existing dongle, so when you add the CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS to your desk, you’ll be keeping the back of the PC tidy and saving USB ports. There’s also a cavity in the bottom of the mouse so you can store the dongle when it’s not in use, which is handy for travel.

Time is of the essence when activating abilities, shooting, or casting. Even a small delay can mean the difference between a successful raid and a disappointing failure. CORSAIR QUICKSTRIKE buttons feature no gap between the mouse buttons and the switch underneath, so there’s no delay between finger movement and switch actuation. They’re spring-loaded, too, returning back to rest instantly.

The CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS doesn’t skimp on lighting, either. In addition to the iconic CORSAIR sails logo, RGB lighting can be found all over this mouse.

Just behind the left and right buttons there is a diffuse RGB strip hidden under transparent plastic. This produces lighting that gently fades from vivid to black, producing a touch of class. The sidescroll-equipped scroll wheel emanates a glow from underneath the textured grippy covering too, with two lights at the front that throw the RGB down onto the mousepad. All these lighting zones are individually addressable in the iCUE software.

If you want to get a leg up next time you play an MMO or MOBA, with an ergonomic, performance-focused gaming mouse, check out the CORSAIR DARKSTAR WIRELESS on our official retail site.