At first we would like to thank CORSAIR for offering us their NIGHTSWORD RGB Gaming Mouse for testing and reviewing.

 

About Corsair:

"Founded in 1994, Corsair has grown from pioneering the high-performance DRAM market to one of the world’s leading providers of enthusiast-grade PC components and peripherals. Our groundbreaking technology and innovation can be found in our high-performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, PC cases, PC and CPU cooling solutions, and solid-state storage devices. Under the Corsair Gaming brand, launched in 2014, we provide gaming keyboards, mice, headsets and mouse mats to eSports professionals and anybody who is passionate about competitive PC gaming.

 

Corsair hardware is regularly featured in showcase “dream systems,” and we have earned the adulation and respect of the press, professional gamers and overclockers, high-end system integrators, and PC enthusiasts worldwide by delivering leading-edge technology backed by renowned service and support.

 

Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships, and our products are available through leading distributors and retailers in over sixty countries worldwide."

Product Features:

 

Precise Weight Calibration

 

Two sets of weights and six mounting locations offer 120 different weight and balance configurations.

 

Smart Tunable Weight System

 

CORSAIR-exclusive software automatically detects the mouse’s center of gravity in real time, allowing you to adjust the weight between 119g and 141g and fine-tune balance to perfectly fit your grip.

 

PRO COMFORT

Built with a contoured shape that naturally fits your hand, with high-performance rubber grips inspired by pro sports equipment.

 

POWERFUL PRECISION

Hit all your skill shots and stay zeroed-in on your targets. Total sensitivity customization and ultra-accurate tracking are at your disposal with a custom Pixart PMW3391 optical sensor which adjusts in 1 DPI resolution steps.

 

ULTRA-DURABLE OMRON SWITCHES

Rated for more then 50 million clicks.

 

ONBOARD PROFILE STORAGE

Take your settings to any PC with hardware macro playback and lighting control.

 

TEN FULLY PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS

Customize your gaming with the in-game advantage of powerful macros and key remaps.

 

SURFACE CALIBRATING TUNING UTILITY

Automatically tailors responsiveness and precision based on your individual playing surface.

 

DYNAMIC, FOUR-ZONE RGB BACKLIGHTING

Choose from dozens of presets and effects with near-limitless customization.

 

INTELLIGENT CONTROL.UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES.

Vivid dynamic RGB lighting control, sophisticated macro programming and full-system lighting synchronization with compatible CORSAIR peripherals, coolers, fans and more.

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

 

CORSAIR have been on a roll lately, at least regarding new mouse launches; their latest creation is the NIGHTSWORD RGB model, featuring the high-end custom Pixart PMW3391 sensor, tunable weight system, OMRON switches and more!

 

The product is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure (for a mouse), and also the usual CORSAIR box art/design:

 

 

 

 

On one of the box sides, we will get to see a side photo of the mouse in operation:

 

 

 

The bottom box area does show the inside contents, but also the product internal code name, along with its serial number:

 

 

 

The NIGHTSWORD RGB is further protected inside the box with a cardboard/plastic layer and we will receive some documentation as well:

 

 

 

Speaking of the documents, we will get a Quick Start Guide, a WEEE leaflet but also a Warranty Guide:

 

 

 

 

NIGHTSWORD RGB is also shipped with a small plastic container, that contains the weights:

 

 

 

Right after we have seen the announcement of the new CORSAIR mouse, we thought about the DARK CORE RGB SE model, which we are still using till this day. The upgraded chassis still retains the great comfortable shape with three types of surfaces: textured plastic, shiny plastic and areas coated with rubber:

 

 

 

The NIGHTSWORD RGB is suitable for people with larger hands, its dimensions being 129.0(L) x 86.0(W) x 43.8(H) mm:

 

 

 

Near the rubberized mouse wheel, we’ve got two programmable buttons available:

 

 

 

The back curved area of the chassis includes the RGB logo and a closer look does also reveal an interesting pattern in the rubber layer:

 

 

 

On the left side of the mouse, we can see the dedicated thumb rest, which also sports rubber coating; here we do also have three more programmable buttons, two of which being smaller and being pre-programmed with back/forward actions. The larger button in the front can be used for sniping actions while in games such as CS: GO:

 

 

 

Moving further to the front, we’ve got the three segment LED indicator for showing the current DPI step:

 

 

 

Two more programmable buttons are also available on the left of the “left click” button:

 

 

 

No more programmable buttons are placed on the right side of the mouse, but here we will be able to observe an additional rubber layer for extra grip:

 

 

 

LED-lighted segments can be observed all around the mouse chassis:

 

 

 

 

The bottom area of the mouse does show the PMW3391 optical sensor lens, but also five, quite large PTFE feet; the middle area is also the compartment for weight storage:

 

 

 

 

We are getting no less than three 2.8g weights and also three 4.5g ones; while the initial weight of the mouse is 119g, we can go up to about 140.9 grams:

 

 

 

 

 

The weights can be installed as needed and the software will detect the configuration right away:

 

 

 

For additional durability, the cable is fully braided:

 

 

 

In terms of the USB connector, NIGHTSWORD RGB follows the design lines of the last CORSAIR peripherals:

 

 

 

Right after plugging in the mouse to a spare USB port, we can enjoy the RGB goodness of the segments, all around it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right after connecting the mouse to a spare USB port, the updated iCUE unified utility detected it for customization purposes:

 

 

 

The configuration options are available on the left side of the interface, such as Actions, Lighting Effects, DPI, Performance, Surface Calibration or Weight Tuning:

 

 

iCUE has different mouse views available to choose from, for an easier understanding of the configurable buttons placement:

 

 

The Actions menu allows the user to set different functions to the programmable buttons:

 

Macro

Text

Media

Launch Application

Timer

 

Disable Button

Profile Switching

Remap A-Z Keys

Remap Num & Symbol Keys

Remap Function Keys

Remap Enhanced Keys

Remap Numeric Keypad

Remap Modifier and Lock Keys

Remap Language Keys

 

Remap Mouse Button

Remap Keystroke

 

The Lighting Effects menu is organized in a similar manner; we have lots of presets to choose from, for configuration purposes:

 

Rainbow

Color Pulse

Color Shift

Static Color

Solid

Gradient

Spiral Rainbow

 

Rainbow Wave

Color Wave

Visor

Rain

Type Lighting

Temperature

 

From the DPI menu, we can choose different values for the steps; the Sniper option is separate and we can also choose the DPI indicator color:

 

 

The Performance tab allows the user to enable Angle snapping, choose the Profile indicator color but also enable the “Enhance pointer precision” option and adjust the Pointer speed:

 

 

It is quite recommended to perform the Surface Calibration wizard for optimal tracking:

 

 

The weight values will be detected by the mouse right away and display the center of mass position:

 

 

The last configuration options can be found in the Settings area, where we can configure the Polling rate, the LED brightness, clear the onboard storage or update the mouse firmware:

 

The NIGHTSWORD RGB mouse is another nice addition to CORSAIR’s lineup and we consider it as an improvement of the already impressive DARK CORE RGB SE. The mouse features the latest PMW3391 optical sensor from Pixart, no less than eight programmable buttons, RGB lighting on four different areas, while the onboard memory can store up to three profiles. Another novelty element represents the smart tunable weight system that automatically detects the mouse’s center of gravity in real time; we can adjust the weight between 119g and 140.9g thanks to the included elements in order to better fit your gaming style.

 

As we have seen with the previous CORSAIR mice featuring the PMW3391 sensor, we have the ability to adjust the DPI values up to 18000 in 1 DPI resolution steps, while the report rate is configurable up to 1000Hz.

 

The NIGHTSWORD RGB mouse is available online for about 80 Euros.

 

Pros:

 

-large footprint, comfortable for palm grips and large hands

-powerful optical sensor

-great iCUE software for button remapping and RGB segment customization

-customizable weight system

 

Cons:

 

-does not have wireless capabilities as the DARK CORE RGB SE

CORSAIR NIGHTSWORD RGB Gaming Mouse is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to CORSAIR for making this review possible!