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After the review of the original Pulsefire Haste back in 2021 we were very pleased with the build quality and its simplistic feature set, and we’re back with a review of its follow-up, the Pulsefire Haste 2.
With the original mouse, one of its strongest features was that it was a lightweight mouse with not a lot of extras. It wasn’t trying to be a jack of all trades. It was simply focused on doing a couple of things really well. For the most part, that was giving the user a gaming mouse that can easily be dragged across the mat at higher speeds because it wasn’t a weighty piece of plastic.
The Pulsefire Haste 2 takes what made the original such a good option and improves upon it. So much so that I feel comfortable saying this is the best FPS mouse out there. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, it’s well-built, and you get all you need if all you want is to play games and dominate. Now I’m not saying this is going to make you a better gamer. I am however saying that this is the right tool for the job, and that job is gaming.
The Pulsefire Haste 2 gets a makeover for the better
The design of the original mouse from 2021 is just fine. But I’ve never personally been crazy about the open slotted pattern. It just feels like a dust magnet and I want less things to clean not more. That being said, I was excited to see that HyperX was changing that about the Pulsefire Haste 2.
It’s a no frills design that isn’t trying to rope you in with flashy looks. And that sleeper style is precisely the kind of change I was hoping for. Just a great gaming mouse that doesn’t need to look over the top.
And the best part is the Pulsefire Haste 2 still looks good. The design is simple, sure. But it’s also elegant. And surprisingly more comfortable to use than the original Pulsefire. I will admit, it’s tough for me to move to any new mouse that isn’t in the Razer Naga line. I’ve just been using a Naga as my main gaming mouse for so long that almost everything else feels a little foreign. I play a lot of MMOs, so it’s always been the right fit. Despite there being lots of other good gaming mice out there. But the Pulsefire Haste 2 has been really comfortable and easy to get used to for FPS titles.
Delivering long-lasting comfort that didn’t dwindle away even after gripping it for hours. And with just six buttons, there’s not a lot for you to worry about stretching your fingers to press.
It’s a mouse you can use to play games all day and not get tired of it. Now it should be said that I don’t have exceptionally large hands. They’re not tiny, but they’re not massive either. If you have big hands, this might not work as well for you, and you may want to go for something with a wider profile. Unless you’re comfortable with holding a mouse using claw grip in which case it should be fine.
The specs
The most important spec is undeniably the weight. At just 53g, the Pulsefire Haste 2 hones in on moving as fast as possible across the mat. Quick flicks feel effortless when you have a mouse that doesn’t feel like you’re dragging a rock from side to side. It also helps that the mouse comes with skates on the bottom that are incredibly low friction. And should you need them, there’s replacement PTFE feet in the box along with some grip tape for extra grippyness. I didn’t use the grip tape but it’s there if you like it on your mice.
Though it’s just as important to have a mouse mat that doesn’t increase friction. Aside from the weight, the mouse features a cable that’s 5.9 feet long which is more than enough for most setups. It’s also made of a paracord material that is supposed to cut down on potential cable snags and so far it feels like it lives up to that claim.
What about the buttons?
Of course, the mouse is really only as good as the buttons on it that you’ll need to use for all your gaming needs, and those are only as good as the switches underneath. HyperX rates these at 100 million clicks. While I don’t think I’ll ever reach that limit, they do feel durable and they have a nice satisfying tactile feedback.
Additionally, the mouse has a maximum dpi of 26,000 paired with an 8,000Hz polling rate. So it’s wired (get it? ha.) for super fast inputs which might just be that clutch moment for you in a game. It’s definitely something that’s tailored to more competitive gamers and professional esports players. But it’s nice to know it’s there if you ever decide you want to try and compete at a higher level with some practice.
No onboard profile storage is a shame
It’s not the end of the world, but it would be nice to see the capability to store personal profiles for games on the mouse. That way if you ever take it with you somewhere and you don’t have your rig with you, you’ve still got the capability to play with your preferred settings without having to reconfigure stuff on a new rig.
I do get it though. HyperX may have not included this because doing so might have required components that would add to the weight. And if HyperX was going for a lighter weight here, then adding features that add to it just seems counterproductive.
It’s also worth considering that this doesn’t impact me particularly heavily. I normally game on PC from my own desktop and if I do play away from home, I have a laptop for that. On rare occasions though, neither of those are an option and I have to use someone’s spare rig. And this is where the onboard storage for profiles would be useful. And I imagine there are many more people who play games that are in this exact situation much more often than myself.
So it’s just something to think about if you play games on rigs that aren’t your own a lot. I wouldn’t say it’s a deal breaker. At least not for me. But it might be for you. And if that’s the case there are plenty of options for a gaming mouse. But if this matters very little to you, then don’t let the lack of onboard profile storage deter you from the Pulsefire Haste 2. Because it’s excellent for FPS games.
Wired vs wireless
HyperX sent us the wired version in White which is probably the best possible option for anyone looking at a gaming mouse that’s ultra lightweight. The wireless mice are great for having less clutter. But they do weigh more and that could be bad for your performance.
I’m not saying it will be, but it can be. Personally, I prefer a wireless gaming mouse. I like the cleaner look of my PC setup and I don’t play at a high enough level often enough to care about shaving off the extra weight.
But I do see the appeal here and I did notice that in my time using the Pulsefire Haste 2 wired model, I was able to flick the mouse around faster and more effortlessly. That being said, HyperX does offer a wireless model of this mouse. I think which one you go with depends on what you’re really after. Do you want something that’s cable free and offers less clutter? Well you can have that at the expense of the weight.
But if you don’t mind another cable sitting around, the wired model is the better option. And I think this is likely to be the case for most people that want a mouse specifically for more competitive play. There’s also the fact that you don’t have to worry about as much latency. Because the mouse is plugged directly into your PC.
The Ngenuity software is easy to use
Part of this comes down to the basic setup. The software, like the mouse itself, isn’t packed with unnecessary stuff. When you plug the mouse in and load up the software, you have a segment for your connected products to the left. Once you click on the mouse, you’ve got three different sections you can adjust.
The lights, the buttons, and the sensor. Let’s start with the lights. This mouse has one single RGB center. The scroll wheel. With that being the case, there’s not a whole lot to change here. There’s the color, opacity, and speed. There is also an effect option with just a few choices, including cycle, breathing, and static. However, you can expand on those lighting effects with the Lightsync menu. This option in the software has effects like confetti, sun, and twilight. Worth noting though is that these aren’t specific to the mouse and should be applicable to other HyperX devices with RGB.
Buttons and sensors
Outside of lighting, the software lets you remap the buttons if you don’t like what the default settings are. I didn’t find the need to change any of this but reassigning the keys with the software looks simple enough. Lastly you can adjust the dpi of the sensor. There are two ways to do this. You can either type in the number you want or use a slider bar and drag it to the desired value. Both are easy to use. There’s also four different levels you can set. Which makes it easy to swap between them at a moment’s notice. You can do this using the dedicated button that sits behind the scroll wheel.
And you can even add a specified color to each dpi level so you know which one you’re on if you happen to accidentally swap it. All-in-all the software is perfectly fine. User-friendly, simple, and straight to the point. So no complaints here. Plus, Ngenuity isn’t constantly bugging you with new updates. A big plus in my book.
Should you buy the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 wired?
There’s a lot of reasons to get this mouse and some reasons not to. But before we get into all of that let’s recap. HyperX already made a great quality mouse with the original Pulsefire Haste. It wasn’t perfect but it was an excellent option for anyone wanting a gaming mouse that was easy to move around and provided fast flicks thanks to the weight.
HyperX improved on all the best features with its successor. From weight, to cable, to design and comfort. And it managed to do so while keeping the price reasonably low. While it’s unlikely to be my personal go-to for day-to-day gaming, simply because of the types of games I play, it’s an easy recommendation to anyone who primarily plays first-person or third-person shooters.
If you need more buttons, this isn’t the mouse for you. But luckily most shooters don’t have that many different abilities or actions you need to worry about. Making the Pulsefire Haste 2 more than viable. Is it the only option for a competitive gaming mouse? No. But I believe it’s the best option. You can pick up your own for $59.99 at Best Buy and other retailers.
Buy the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 wired if:
- You want a lightweight gaming mouse
- You need something that works with fast, high-level play
- A lot of features aren’t important
- You want something well-made and inexpensive
Don’t buy the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 wired if:
- You want a more full-featured mouse
- Wireless connectivity is important
- You want onboard profile storage