HyperX has expanded their growing offering of gaming mice with the Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless. The name may be a mouthful, but the mouse itself goes for the understated, as indicated in its ‘Core’ moniker, which smacks of the lightweight Xbox Game Pass subscription of the same name. Nevertheless, the Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless offers something that previous Pulsefire mice hasn’t yet: all the performance of a low-key but reliable gaming mouse, with a sizeable reduction to the Pulsefire price tag.
The Pulsefire Haste 2 Core has the same ultra-lightweight design as the rest of the Pulsefire catalogue, with a rigid plastic shell. The matte finish offers some grip, but it’s noticeably less secure in the hand when in palm grip. Claw and fingertip grip both feel fantastic, though, and the Pulsefire glides beautifully across almost any surface thanks to the five low-friction skates on the underside and an extremely low operating weight of 61 grams. The minimal but functional design philosophy extends to the buttons: aside from the usual suspects, there are two thumb-side buttons and a DPI button beneath the mouse wheel for switching between fully customisable profiles. It’s a breath of fresh air for purists who aren’t fussed about having top shelf specs or garish designs, but who still want a gaming mouse for casual to competitive play. At almost half the price of the standard Pulsefire Haste 2, the Core aims to strip back some of the meatier specs without compromising on performance. The battery life is pretty much on par, offering an impressive 100 hours when using the 2.4GHz dongle and twice as long when opting for the only slightly inferior bluetooth connection.
As Cubed3 pointed out in a review of the Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini, this dual connectivity is growing in prevalence to offer the user more control. It’s a welcome (albeit surface-level) means of affording more user control, and both options are very well implemented here a simple switch on the underside of the mouse is all it takes to swap between the 2.4GHz connection and bluetooth. This is all powered by a single AAA battery housed beneath the palm behind a sturdy magnetic faceplate. Sacrifices are made elsewhere, though; the Haste 2 Core’s maximum tracking speed clocks in at 12,000 DPI nothing to sniff at, but a darn sight lower than the standard Haste 2’s 26,000 DPI. This reviewer was unable to compare the two models side-by-side, but it’s likely that the Core version may feel marginally more floaty with an operating weight of 61 grams, while the standard Haste 2 weighs in at 70 grams. Granted, that’s a fairly marginal disparity, and hardly one to worry over given that both models are incredibly lightweight anyway. All in all, the Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless offers a versatile, high-functioning experience for players who want a simple, no-nonsense gaming mouse for 49.99/$49.99. It’s not flashy, but it certainly gets the job done without complaints, making it a strong budget option that serves as a blueprint for how to do low-priced gaming mice right.
