I’ve been playing with the Corsair Harpoon RGB gaming mouse for a few days now. And I’ve got to say — I like it quite a lot.
It’s not the most complex gaming mouse in the world, and that’s a good thing. It offers enough customization to give you the controls you need without making you feel like you’re programming a rocket for NASA.
Anyways — let’s get into the review.
Unboxing the Corsair Harpoon
Unlike when I reviewed the G.Skill Ripjaws MX780, this unboxing was a bit simpler. The box was smaller for one thing, which was a good sign (to me.)
As I pulled out the casing, I was surprised how few things were in there. There was simply the mouse itself and some quick start/warranty guides for troubleshooting. That’s it.
I loved this. I didn’t want to be dealing with little bits and pieces that my dog or toddler would eat. I didn’t want to screw around in an instruction manual the size of my accounting textbook just to start using the mouse.
So — we’re off to a good start.
Functionality
This mouse comes with six buttons:
- Left click
- Right click
- Middle click
- DPI switch
- Forward
- Backward
Again, that’s enough to give me some options, but not overwhelming.
The DPI switch may be the coolest button on here, depending on what games you play. It allows you to quickly adjust the mouse sensitivity without having to log out of the game, load up software, etc.
One great example of where this would be useful is in first person shooters (FPS.) When you’re sniping, you’ll probably want a different DPI setting than when you run-and-gun. This button will let you quickly switch back and forth as you run around the map.
Corsair Harpoon Mouse Software
The customization software for this mouse can be found at Corsair’s support site. It’s the first download option, even though (at the time I’m writing this) the Harpoon isn’t listed.
The software breaks everything down into just 4 options — actions, lighting, DPI, and performance. Let’s take a look at how each of those areas functioned and what options they offered.
Actions
If you want to reprogram the mouse, there’s a number of things you can do. The software allows you to change the settings so the mouse buttons can do multiple things like:
- Initiate macros
- Enter preloaded text
- Re-map keys
- Timers (that play a sound, have a light flash, etc. after the timer runs out
- Control media (Play, Stop, etc.)
Pretty cool. I think most gamers can appreciate at least one of these — especially preloading the text “WHAT THE *@&! ARE YOU DOING, NOOB?!” if you play multiplayer games like League of Legends or Battlefield 1.
There’s also a more advanced feature, which Corsair calls the Double Macro. The idea is just what it sounds like — one click of a button initiates two macros at the same time.
I’ll be honest…I don’t use macros very much. They just aren’t necessary for the types of games I tend to play. But if you are a Macro Monster, I’m sure you’ll love the Double Macro feature.
Lighting
I can’t have a mouse with a red light like most gaming mice come preloaded with. I went to Georgia Tech, so anything with Red and Black (UGA’s colors) are a no-go for me.
Luckily, changing the lighting scheme on the Harpoon mouse was pretty easy. The software is very easy to understand and only took me a minute or two of clicking around to figure out. It gives you five basic options:
- Rainbow
- Color shift
- Color pulse
- Static color
- Lighting link
So you know, that’s good.
The downside? The only light on the mouse is right where your hand is sitting. So you won’t even see the light when you’re playing! I suppose you will when you take your hand off the mouse to write a taunting message to the enemy, though.
Where the light really may come in handy is if you’ll be switching back and forth between DPI settings. You can reprogram the light to show as a different color for each setting. So just by looking at the light showing on the Corsair logo, you’ll know which DPI setting you have on.
DPI
This is where you actually do what I just talked about. You can have up to 6 DPI settings, and assign a different color to each. It comes with all 6 settings already loaded, including a 250 DPI setting for sniping.
Boom!
…get it?
Performance
This is an extremely simple menu, this just gives you two options — enhance pointer precision and adjust pointer speed. And if you haven’t figured it out already, simple is good for me.
Final Note
The Harpoon mouse comes loaded with an on-board memory. So after you program it, the settings will stay on there until you change it again in the software — even if the mouse is plugged in somewhere else.
That means you can even take it someplace else and use it on a different computer, and the settings will still be the same. Pretty cool if you have two gaming PCs, like a desktop and a laptop.
Corsair Harpoon RGB Mouse Cable
I won’t lie — I prefer wireless mice. My desk is always a mess, so having one more cord hanging around doesn’t help anything.
But considering the higher response rate necessary to be a competitive gamer, I understand why Corsair has the 6 foot cable instead of a wireless option. This mouse has a response rate of 1ms/1000Hz. In other words, it talks to the computer 1,000 times a second!
No more blaming your horrible Overwatch score on your mouse…
Comfort
Unfortunately I have somewhat large hands. This makes holding everything from my Dual Shock 4 to most gaming mice less comfortable than I’d prefer. This mouse isn’t bad, though — especially since I use a mousepad with a gel pad for my wrist to sit on while I play.
The grips on the side are nice and comfortable. The Forward and Backward buttons are in a perfect place for my thumb, making all 6 buttons easily accessible. There are little rubber pads on the bottom of the mouse to help it slide very easily, which is always nice.
The top part is made out of a plastic that isn’t quite smooth. I think that’s a good thing though, because it helps you keep a better grip on the mouse as you slide it around in anger after watching your teammate feed the enemy in League of Legends.
Verdict
This is a nice mouse — especially for a $30 price tag.
The six, fully-customizable buttons should be enough to satisfy most gamers. The only ones I can think of that may want more are hardcore MMORPG players. Having multiple lighting schemes is nice too, although you won’t see the lighting as soon as you put your hand on the mouse.
I like that you can program different light colors for your DPI settings. Certain games like Call of Duty or Battlefield will probably require switching back and forth more than others, but it never hurts to play around with it in your favorite non-FPS game, either.
The software is fantastic. Some software I’ve used for gaming hardware in the past was pretty complicated. Corsair’s is much cleaner and simpler to use. It still took me a few minutes to figure out all of the lighting functions, but it was easier than I expected.
My biggest complaint is the size. After more than an hour of gaming with it, my hand needs a break.
If you’re in the market for a low-cost gaming mouse, I recommend the Corsair Harpoon RGB mouse. It offers functionality and simplicity without breaking the bank. Though it’s not yet available for purchase, you’ll be able to pick up the mouse on Amazon soon.
Note: Corsair provided the writer with a review unit for this article.
