Hands-on review: Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE gaming mouse
Corsair's Scimitar Elite Wireless SE is a gaming mouse with a difference. Its many buttons will not only do you proud when playing MMOs but can also function as a virtual Stream Deck.
In the box is a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, an Allen key, and the mouse, which houses the wireless Slipstream dongle, safely tucked away in a covered caddy. I like this. It means that if you use the mouse on the go, you can pack the dongle away without the risk of losing it.
As with all Corsair's high-end gaming mice, it feels snug, your hand able to naturally rest over it. The mouse also has a bit of weight, giving it a measured amount of resistance when pushed across your mat, for precise control.
The two top buttons and the scroll wheel/button are complemented by 12 buttons on the left side. There's also a button for adjusting the poll rate, making the mouse super-sensitive.
Corsair boasts 150 hours of battery life during normal use with the slipstream dongle and RGB on. There's no need to stop playing when the mouse eventually needs a charge. A USB Type-C socket is located at the front for the charging cable, allowing you to continue playing while in wired mode when topping up the battery, which should only take 90 minutes.
The Corsair logo under your palm and the 12-button keypad provide a subtle bit of customisable RGB lighting. The lighting can be customised and synced with your other compatible hardware via the free Corsair iCUE software.
Whilst the mouse will work fine straight out of the box, it's the iCUE software that allows you to get the most out of the device. This software is available for free from the Corsair website. It's a hub for all your Corsair and compatible third-party accessories. Here you can update firmware, sync RGB lighting, and customise Corsair products.
Both the Scimitar Elite mouse and the Slipstream dongle required firmware updates as soon as I started the iCUE software. The process is completely automated and painless, keeping your devices up-to-date and working at their best.
The 12 buttons are, by default, set up as shortcuts to the numbers on the buttons. In the iCue software, you can customise them to whatever shortcuts you like. The shortcuts can be set locally or hardcoded into the mouse if you want to use the same shortcuts on another system. You can also adjust the mouse's DPI range settings (up to 33K DPI) for the button on the top of the mouse.
The position of the 12-button pad can be adjusted to suit your hand. There's an included Allen key for adjusting the pad's position.
The large number of buttons can be useful in MMO games like The Elder Scrolls Online, giving easy access to special attacks and buffs. They can also come in handy as shortcuts to launch your favourite applications.
A very cool use for the Scimitar Elite's 12 buttons is a virtual Stream Deck. The Elgato Stream Deck (which is owned by Corsair) is a button pad with tiny LED screens that streamers use to trigger actions, overlays and video scenes whilst streaming. It can also be used to launch applications and in-game shortcuts.
To use the 12 mouse buttons as a Stream Deck, all you need to do is download the Stream Deck software (no actual Stream Deck is required) and set up your buttons. A desktop virtual Stream Deck display indicates which button does what in the same way as an actual Stream Deck's button display. Various plug-ins for the likes of OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop, and a host of other applications allow direct integration with the Stream Deck software, and you can even create your own custom macros.
The buttons on the left side are, however, both a blessing and a curse. Outside of their use in games, I found them very useful for launching software or triggering shortcuts in applications like Photoshop. But it means that you can't grip the mouse very hard on that left side, else you trigger any of the programmed shortcuts. I didn't realise how much I pick the mouse up to move it back into position. This is a minor gripe, and one that I overcame as I got used to the mouse.
The Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE is a very good mouse. It's well built and feels solid in your hand. If you've a use for the twelve buttons, it'll do you proud. The Stream Deck functionality is an added bonus that comes in very useful outside of playing games. This is another high-quality, high-precision gaming mouse from Corsair.
