A new year means a new slew of gaming mice and other assorted hardware vying for your collective attention. As expected, Corsair is right in the mix with the Corsair Harpoon RGB wireless gaming mouse.
Upon initial inspection, the Harpoon is nothing special, but with everything it delivers for $50, it might be one of the best budget gaming mice on the market today.
First thing’s first, though: the Harpoon is incredibly adaptable. We’re sort of past the argument on the superiority of wired mice over wireless ones when it comes to competitive gaming, but let’s not pretend that old habits don’t die hard. While the Harpoon offers smooth, lag-free movement when in wireless mode, the ability to go wired is a nice plus.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Harpoon isn’t much to look at. There’s a flat black, minimalist design at work with only the barest bit of flash (the RGB logo on the heel of the mouse).
The feel of the design, however, speaks for itself. While it isn’t shaped specifically to cater to any particular style of game, there’s a universal feel that is comforting. The rubber grips and textured mouse wheel feel terrific, and the buttons are responsive and solid.
The thumb buttons feel responsive as well, and also do a terrific job of being placed at just the right angle to avoid hitting them unnecessarily. The same could be said for the top middle button, which honestly feels the most solid of them all. It’s got a nice, hearty clunk feel to it, which I personally enjoy using for heavier weapons or ultimates.
The Corsair Harpoon Wireless is damn lightweight, coming in at just 99 grams, which makes it a good deal lighter than most gaming mice I run into. This isn’t only good for the notion of strain and the often unconscious difference that a gaming mouse can make in movement, but it also helps when it comes to daily wear and tear: the Harpoon Wireless is small, unassuming, and lacks a lot of the extra plastic accouterments that can bang into speakers, keyboards, and any other assorted crap that those of us with smaller desks keep handy.
At up to 60 hours, the battery life on this guy is more than a little impressive. My instinct, like many of you, is to wonder why I’d need a mouse for 60 straight hours. But then flashbacks of power outages, terrible hotels, and late electricity bills comes floating back to me in a huge wave, and I remember that age-old adage: “you never know.”
Pros:
- Wireless at an amazing price
- Practical design with great button placement
- Comfortable construction and rubberized plastic
- The ability to go wireless or wired on a whim
Cons:
- Spartan design might put off flashier gamers
- Not a lot of extras
Overall, this is a terrific mouse for general gaming. If you’re looking for something with a ton of extras and showy lights, you’re not going to find what you’re looking for in this one. But if you want a versatile, sharp gaming mouse that works for a variety of games for less than $100, this is a great place to start in 2019.
