HyperX Pulsefire Dart Review

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HyperX Pulsefire Dart Review

For most PC gamers looking for a wireless mouse, the HyperX PulseFire Dart appears to be a solid, if unspectacular, bet. It doesn't have many programmable buttons, but the ones that it does have feel solid and are comfortable to click repeatedly. While neither the wireless technology nor the sensors are up to the best in the industry, they are still fast and accurate, and you'll be able to play your favorite games without a hitch. However, there are two standout features that make this product stand out: one is excellent, and the other, unfortunately, is terrible.

On the plus side, it can charge wirelessly with any Qi charger, which puts it in a select group of gaming mice. Unfortunately, the PC software's NGenuity (a hub that monitors and adjusts battery, lighting, and sensitivity options) is broken, so it rarely works and makes life with the mouse a pain. [Most wireless-charging capable mice use manufacturer-specific technology, such as Razer or Logitech, but thanks to Qi, the Dart can be charged with any Qi charger in the house, including third-party mouse pads. The $100/£110 price tag is a lot cheaper than wireless charging mice, especially when you factor in the additional cost of purchasing a manufacturer-specific charger.

Qi is more affordable than proprietary technologies, but unlike Razer's and Logitech's wireless charging, which powers the mouse while it is in use, the mouse must be left in a specific location (on a Qi pad) to charge. However, I would argue that the flexibility and cost savings of Qi are worth it. I used HyperX's proprietary Qi Chargeplay charging base and never once failed to recognize the mouse.

Although more affordable than Razer and Logitech's wireless charging mice, at US prices the Dart is slightly more expensive than Corsair's Dark Core RGB SE with Qi charging and similar specs: $100, but £110 in the UK, equivalent to over $140 to pay, making it far less attractive.

Dart's sensor is standard in this price range, tracking at up to 16,000 DPI and 450 IPS. In fact, it tracked consistently, accurately, and without delay no matter what shooter I threw at it. I never encountered any stuttering or unusual movement during gaming. While the 1ms response time of the wireless technology is quite slow compared to other mice (Razer's latest wireless mouse boasts an industry-leading 0.2ms), I never noticed any lag during play.

The construction is also sturdy. The left and right buttons are sturdy and, unlike some Razer mice I have tested recently, show no signs of swinging left or right. The mouse buttons on both sides are a bit stiff, but better than feeling soft. The cushioned pads on both sides of the mouse were comfortable and grippy, and the pad on the bottom of the mouse glided smoothly over the mouse pad with no signs of wear.

It is chunkier than most mice and the palm area is thicker than I am used to. The arch of the mouse was higher than any device I tried and seemed too large for my hands, which was a bit disconcerting at first. However, I quickly got used to it, and although it is not my favorite design, it was comfortable for long periods of play.

HyperX claims that the Pulsefire Dart can last 50 hours on a single charge, but since their NGenuity software is still in beta and has glitches, I could not confirm that claim. The battery level indicator in the software jumps around wildly. Overnight out of the box, it dropped from a full charge to 20 percent. Then, without recharging, it went to 50 percent; after 15 minutes of recharging, it again displayed 100 percent, telling me that I had less than 15 percent left in the day. This went on for a week, displaying one seemingly random number after another.

On the rare occasion that it worked, it told me that Dart's battery drain was about 2 percent per hour. However, without a reliable way to know how much battery life is left, even a long battery life is meaningless.

That was not the only time NGenuity failed me. It hung and crashed regularly. Switching between wired and wireless connections caused the Dart to appear as two separate devices. The mouse comes standard with three DPI settings, which can be toggled with a dedicated button. However, each time the program was closed, these custom options were forgotten and had to be set again the next time.

NGenuity offers a variety of RGB lighting options, including the ability to change the colors of the scroll wheel and HyperX logo individually. This worked well, but otherwise it is simply not up to scratch, and it waters down an otherwise solid wireless mouse. The silver lining is that it is still in beta, and no doubt HyperX will patch it up at some point.

The Dart is fast, feels sturdy in the hand, and offers something few other mice do: Qi charging. But you should wait for HyperX's software to be ready before you consider buying one.

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