Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Wireless Review: Competitive Mouse
Corsair Saber RGB Pro Wireless Review: Competitive Mouse, Competitive Price
RRP $ 110.00
"The Corsair Saber RGB Pro Wireless offers all the functions of the best wireless eSport mice, only for less money."
advantages
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2,000 Hz polling rate
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Flexible iCue software
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Comfortable design with palm grip
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Only 79 grams
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Two wireless modes
disadvantage
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Limited extra buttons
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One RGB zone only
In the world of esports mice, it's usually hard to get excited about another barebone mouse – especially if it's an update to an existing model. This is the Corsair Saber RGB Pro Wireless. It's almost identical to the $ 60 Saber RGB Pro, just no cables and at almost twice the price.
Even so, it's cheaper than the competition and comes with specs to look forward to.
You can buy a great wireless gaming mouse like the Logitech G305 for less than half the price, yes. But with an updated sensor, two wireless modes, and software that goes beyond RGB lighting, the Corsair Saber RGB Pro Wireless is a great gaming mouse that beats the competition.
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The Saber Pro Wireless is part of Corsair's Champion Series, a line of products designed in collaboration with eSports athletes for optimal performance. In terms of dimensions, it is identical to the available Saber Pro, only with the wire cut off. However, the wireless model is only a hair heavier – 79 grams versus 74 grams.
It's not ambidextrous like the Logitech G Pro, which is the direct competitor of the Saber Pro Wireless. Instead, the top shell is offset to the left for a right-handed design and protrudes about 10mm further out at the front. A high center gives you a lot of support in relation to the palm grip. The claw grip works too, although I prefer something smaller like the Razer Viper Ultimate because I don't have the biggest hands.
The Saber Pro Wireless doesn't need looks given its price.
Because of its looks, the Saber Pro Wireless is not going to win any awards. It's a black mouse with an RGB Corsair logo on the back (which you can customize via iCue). It's even less noticeable than the wired Saber Pro. The wireless model lacks lighting around the scroll wheel and does not display the DPI scale on the side of the mouse.
Still, given its price, the Saber Pro Wireless doesn't need any looks. It's $ 20 cheaper than the Logitech Pro and $ 50 cheaper than the Razer Viper Ultimate. There are cheaper wireless mice like the Steelseries Rival 3, but nothing with specs that rival the Saber Pro Wireless.
Sensor and buttons
The Saber Pro Wireless features Corsair's Marksman 26K DPI sensor, which you can adjust in iCue in 1 DPI increments. According to Corsair, the mouse has a tracking resolution of 650 IPS and you can set a query rate of up to 2,000 Hz. This rate corresponds to a response time of 0.5 ms in wired mode, and Corsair claims "wireless transmission under 1 ms" with its slipstream technology.
Compared to the wired Saber Pro, the polling rate appears to be a downgrade. The wired model supports a polling rate of up to 8000 Hz. However, each step above 1000 Hz divides a millisecond. So the higher you go, the less return you will get. And 2,000 Hz is fast enough, so this spec is less of a downgrade than it might seem.
No one should reasonably be using a 26K DPI mouse, but the Saber Pro Wireless allows you to. Wireless gaming mice like the Razer Orochi V2 score with 18K DPI. For higher demands, you'll need to turn to Logitech's flagship options with its 25K Hero sensor like the Logitech Pro X Superlight.
I used the Saber Pro Wireless as my only mouse for about a week – and I still use it. As someone who spends at least a couple of hours every night in Destiny 2, the Saber Pro Wireless could keep up. I switched to my Razer Viper Ultimate and an older Corsair M65 with no noticeable difference out of shape.
Corsair says the Saber Pro Wireless has seven programmable buttons, even though I only counted six (and six only show up in iCue). In addition to left, right and middle mouse clicks, you have a DPI setting button in the middle and thumb buttons for forward and backward on the left. You can reassign any of the buttons in iCue, as well as assign macros or functions to them.
No one should reasonably be using a 26K DPI mouse, but the Saber Pro Wireless allows you to.
The left and right click buttons use Omron switches that are rated for 50 million clicks. They're also Corsair's Quickstrike buttons, which means there is no gap between the switch and the button. Honestly, I can't tell any difference from other high-end gaming mice, so this seems to be mostly marketing fluff. Omron switches, however, are nice to have and to be expected for a mouse of this class.
Connectivity and battery life
According to Corsair's pricing, wireless is worth about $ 50 more on the Saber Pro Wireless. And it is. The slipstream wireless tech held up perfectly in a nervous shooter like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, as well as a slower action game like Resident Evil Village. When switching between wired and wireless, I could never tell the difference.
Slipstream isn't all you have access to, however. The Saber Pro Wireless also works with Bluetooth 4.2, and you can switch between the two with a toggle on the mouse button. As someone who likes to use PC peripherals on my Nvidia Shield, the Saber Pro is a perfect match for the Bluetooth-enabled Logitech G915 TKL keyboard.
Corsair says the Saber Pro can last up to 90 hours on one charge, which is a lot longer than it sounds like. I immediately started using the Saber Pro without charging it. Even then, the mouse lasted a full week before it needed to be charged, and it warned me via a little red LED on top before it ran out.
The battery life is 90 hours in Bluetooth mode without lighting. If you want to use slipstream, that drops to 60 hours. Even so, I never had battery life issues even when using Slipstream with the lights on. By default, the mouse goes to sleep after 15 minutes, so you can save some juice while you're away.
Once the battery is empty, you can connect the included USB-C cable for charging while you continue to use the mouse. I've got used to this on my Razer Viper Ultimate, so I'm glad Corsair added a wired mode as well. The charging port is sunk slightly to handle the bulk of the cable, although I would have liked Corsair to have moved it a little further back. The included cable protrudes about half an inch in wired mode.
software
Bundled software is usually an afterthought, but iCue, on the other hand, is a reason to get the Saber Pro Wireless. Corsair has kept adding to this software and is now better than ever. Lighting is the least interesting part of the software, at least for the Saber Pro Wireless.
As mentioned earlier, you can rebind any of the six buttons. In addition to keystrokes, mouse functions and special language keys, you can also use macros. I used the built-in macro recorder to create a 591 step macro and it worked. The recorder even records delays so that you can execute complex input strings at the push of a button.
There are a variety of options in iCue. Switching between languages on the keyboard, starting apps with one key and programming complex macros are all possible – and they are also easy to set up in iCue.
You can divide the DPI in iCue into five profiles that are saved on the mouse. Once you've set these, you can use the mouse on all computers without iCue installed. Along with the DPI settings, you can organize lighting and button mappings into three built-in profiles that travel with the mouse.
There is also a lot going on in the settings. You can turn off DPI adjustment, which is useful for avoiding gaming mishaps, and you can adjust the time after the mouse falls asleep. As is typical for iCue, you can also calibrate the sensor to your surface and pair the mouse again if it gets disconnected. Out of the box, the mouse worked for me straight away, even without iCue installed.
Corsair has gone deep instead of far with iCue. Logitech's G-Hub is useful, if not nearly as deep as iCue, and Razer has several apps that focus on overall PC performance, not customizing peripherals. Simply put, iCue is packed with functionality for peripheral devices while maintaining accessibility.
Our opinion
The Corsair Saber RGB Pro Wireless is not for everyone. You can save a lot of money on mice like the Rival 3 that have lower specs but still hold up for the average gamer.
However, if you are a serious esports gamer, you will love the Corsair Saber RGB Pro Wireless. With an insanely high DPI sensor, long battery life, and a price that beats other top peripheral brands, it's a simple mouse for competitive gamers.
Are there alternatives?
Yes sir. The Razer Viper Ultimate and Logitech Pro are both excellent ambidextrous mice, but they're a bit more expensive.
The Steelseries Rival 3 is a much cheaper alternative, although it doesn't have such a nice sensor.
How long it will take?
The Omron switches on the Corsair Saber Pro Wireless are rated for 50 million clicks. If you clicked 10,000 a day – which is unlikely – it would last just under 14 years. Realistically, you can use Saber Pro Wireless for over 15 years.
Should you buy it?
Yes, if you're looking for a high quality wireless mouse that covers the basics. However, it depends on the type of games you are playing. Something like the Razer Naga is better suited for MMOs with its extra buttons, while the Corsair M65 has a blunt design that is easier to use in shooters.
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