Hands-on review: Corsair M65 RGB Ultra and Sabre RGB Pro gaming mouse
Corsair is no stranger to PC gaming. Its components have been kitting out gaming PCs for decades. With the Sabre RGB Pro and M65 RGB Ultra mouse, Corsair would like to give gamers that extra edge.
Corsair's M65 RGB Ultra is a wired gaming mouse offering extra buttons, on the fly DPI tuning, optional weights and gesture control. The Sabre RGB Pro is a wireless gaming mouse that can connect to the PC via USB (for charging or wire use), Bluetooth or an included ultra-fast Slipstream wireless dongle.
The first thing I noticed about the Sabre RGB Pro wireless mouse was just how light it was. This is a mouse designed with first-person shooters and MOBAs in mind. For a gaming mouse, it looks quite unassuming as well. Its ergonomic shape fits nicely in the hand, with the buttons in easy reach.
Whilst the mouse is Bluetooth compatible, it also comes with a wireless dongle that utilises a highspeed technology Corsair refer to as Slipstream Wireless. This technology is purported to be 2x as fast as Bluetooth. I'll be honest and say that I couldn't tell the difference, although using the dongle is a lot less messing about than using Bluetooth. Underneath the mouse is a slider that can be used to switch between each connection method. You can also plug in the USB cable and use it wired or whilst charging.
The main mouse buttons are designed to be ultra-sensitive. Corsair says that the buttons have zero gap for fast and responsive clicks. In reality, yes, this means that you really don't have to push them down by much to activate the switches. This does mean you get a faster firing response. The buttons also feel really positive, so that you know that you've pressed them.
The scroller has a positive turn, and the back/forward buttons on the side do the job. There's also a couple of buttons on the top to cycle through the sensitivity with is up to 26,000 DPI.
Despite the Sabre RGB's light weight, it seems to be made from fairly rugged plastic with a matt finish that makes it easy to grip. I'm not saying that the device would survive a long drop onto concrete, but it bounces nicely from the desktop to a carpeted floor.
Using the Corsair iCUE software, the RGB lighting and button configurations can be adjusted. If you have other Corsair products, the lighting schemes can be synchronised. Unfortunately, my H110i AiO cooler is not supported, which is a shame. Some 3rd-party RGB equipment is also supported by the iCue software.
The M65 RGB Ultra gaming mouse is a much beefier device. This is a wired mouse with what must be the most flexible USB cable I've ever seen. The cloth sheaved cable is soft and malleable so that you don't actually feel it tugging at all. Sounds ridiculous, but you know that bit of resistance that you get from the stiff cable of a wired mouse? Well, you don't get it with the M65.
Like the Sabre, the M65 is a fairly lightweight mouse, but it comes with optional weights that can be screwed into three positions at the bottom of the mouse as desired. These can be configured at 1.6g or 4.5g. I found the combination of the three weights just right to give me enough fraction across my mouse mat but still retaining smooth movement.
The top of the mouse has a standard two-button plus scroll wheel/button layout with DPI up and down buttons. On the left side are the forward/back buttons plus an extra sniper/options button. Using the iCue software, I configured this extra button to take screenshots, something that's usually a bit of a nightmare to do in the heat of a game that you are reviewing.
The mouse has five DPI settings using the DPI up and down buttons, from 400 DPI to 3000 DPI. The light between the buttons changes for each setting. On-the-fly increment of 50 DPI can be set using combinations for the DPI and back/forward buttons. Using the Corsair iCUE software, the DPI can be further adjusted in 1 DPI steps, which seems a bit over-the-top.
A cool feature of the M65 that I was a bit wary of at first is the gesture functionality. You can set the mouse to open applications or perform keystrokes by tilting the mouse left, right, up or down, or even by combining the two. I can't really see this being too useful in a fast-paced game, but it certainly has other uses. I set it up for a forward tilt to open Photoshop and a back tilt to open Word. And it's a game-changer. Especially as I've just updated to Windows 11 and all my icons a jumbled up at the moment. After a bit of use, setting up four gestures elevated the mouse to not only a great gaming device but also a pretty useful productivity tool.
As with the Sabre, the M65's build quality is superb. The underside of the mouse, which looks to form the main chassis of the device, is made from aluminium. The side grips are rubberised. The M65 feels comfortable in the hand. The splayed left side allows you to rest your thumb on it rather than have your digit rubbing your mouse mat. The M65 is now my mouse or choice!
Again, the Corsair iCUE software allows users to set the RGB lighting and button configuration. It was here that I set up the gestures and sniper button. The easy-to-use software can customise the look and functionality of the mouse.
Both the Corsair M65 RGB Ultra FPS Sabre RGB Pro wireless gaming mice are great devices. The lightweight Sabre is a mouse with a more traditional form-factor, but with the option of wireless connection via Bluetooth or Slipstream dongle. The M65 has a more industrial look with extra versatility for gamers that don't mind a wired connection. Both performed very well in COD, Far Cry 6 and Back 4 Blood, and both would make a worthy addition to any gaming set-up.
