For gamers, a good mouse is more than just an accessory: it’s a tool. Your mouse is your gun, your camera, the head of your avatar. Paired with a keyboard, it’s your interface to the world. Today, we’re looking at the Pulsefire FPS Pro from HyperX. It’s the middle-child between the standard Pulsefire FPS and the Pulsefire Surge but does it do enough to stand out? Join us as we find out.
Specifications
- MSRP: $59.99
- Form Factor: Ergonomic
- Lighting: Single Zone RGB
- Buttons: 6
- Switch: Omron (20M)
- Sensor Type: Optical - Pixart 3389
- Max Resolution: 16000 DPI
- Max Speed: 450 IPS
- Max Acceleration: 50G
- Polling Rate: 1000 Hz (1 ms)
- Cable Type: Braided
- Software Enabled: Yes (NGenuity)
- Weight (without cable): 95g
- Product Dimensions (WxLxH): 71 x 128 x 42mm
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Meet the Pulsefire FPS Pro. It’s the latest in the the Pulsefire line, coming in between the standard entry-level Pulsefire FPS and RGB-ringed Pulsefire Surge. When it comes to features, it’s well-equipped for the cost, but what stands out most is the design.
The FPS Pro is a larger mouse, clearly suited for palm-grip style gamers. It’s all-around larger than many of the FPS-targeted mice we’ve reviewed, particularly in the contours supporting the center of your hand. It’s also very lightweight, however, coming in at 95g sans cable. While not the trimmest mouse we’ve seen, the low gram-count makes fingertip grip possible without sacrificing dexterity in your movements.
The Pulsefire FPS doesn’t skimp on the internals, either. Under the hood, it packs a PixArt 3389 optical sensor. It’s smooth and precise, as well it should be for a mouse targeting FPS gamers. In these games, fast and accurate aiming is the difference between the top and bottom of the lobby boards. I’ve used it in multiple genres and found it to work extremely well - reliable and on-point, across the board, but the most telling feature was when I went back to the pack-in mouse connected to my PC at work. Even for basic tasks like email, it felt horribly laggy. Once you go high-end with a mouse, it’s hard to go back.
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The Pulsefire FPS Pro offers sensitivity customization up to 16000 DPI and speeds up to 450 IPS. The sweet spot for me personally is about 2600 DPS but your mileage may vary. The high ceilings on mice today are probably so much marketing; does anybody really need 16000 DPI? Probably not, unless you’re gaming on multiple IMAX screens, but it’s a boxed that’s checked against the competition none the less. In our testing, however, we didn’t find any jitter surrounding the most-popular 3200 DPI setting and substatially higher, making it a reliable fit for the vast majority of gamers playing today.
The underside features two large teflon glide feet. I used the mouse on both soft and hard surfaces and the glide was perfect. Especially on my MM500 Polaris hard-surface mouse pad, little bits of dirt have caused some of my mice to grind until I flip it over and give it a good cleaning (which is done regularly; this is just accumulated dust from the air). I didn’t experience this even once with the FPS Pro, which I believe is related to the use of two larger feet instead of 4+ smaller ones.
In the hand, the mouse feels very good. The buttons are each powered by genuine Omron switches rated for 20M presses each. Omron is my favorite type of mouse switch and the HyperX Pulsefire FPS Pro is no exception. There’s a satisfying depth and tactile feedback to each click that feels nice to use. The front of each button is also contoured to keep your fingers centered and give you that perfect click experience every time.
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In games, the mouse works very well. I’m a nervous clicker, so when things get intense in competitive matches, I often find myself squeezing the mouse and hitting buttons by mistake. The sides of the FPS Pro are finished in a textured rubber which keeps my grip in place, holding my fingers to the side instead of rolling on either of the side buttons.
For shooters, the titular audience this mouse is intended for, the six-total buttons - including left/right click and the DPI switch in that count - are perfectly fine. For other genres, it does feel a bit light. I’ve grown used to having extra thumb buttons for binding skills, so you might find yourself coming up short if you’re the same. On the other hand, I would often hit those buttons by mistake which doesn’t happen here, so it’s a tradeoff.
While you can use the mouse completely software free, you’ll want to take the time to pick up HyperX’s NGenuity software. Here, you can customize the RGB lighting with static colors, breathes, and color shifts and save up to five preset DPI levels, each with their own color “flash” for a quick visual indicator. I was pleasantly surprised to see that you can also record and assign macros on the FPS Pro. Given the “back to basics” design of the rest of the mouse, this was a neat addition that definitely adds some extra value to the package.
Final Thoughts
For $59.99, what you’re getting is, essentially, the Pulsefire FPS with customizable RGB backlighting and a much better sensor. For only $10 more, that’s a strong upgrade for a minimal boost in cost. The Pulsefire FPS Pro feels great in the hand, offers vibrant and customizable backlighting, and features PixArt 3389 optical tracking that’s perfect for the most demanding of eSports or relaxed of RPGs. Despite the name, the FPS Pro is a great fit for any genre and is well worth your consideration.
Pros
- Comfortable, ergonomic design
- Omron switches offer satisfying click
- Lightweight at 95g, smooth glide
- High quality PixArt 3389 sensor with 5 onboard DPI profiles
- Affordably priced at $59.99
Cons
- Not the lightest FPS mouse
- Simple design may offer too few buttons for genres other than FPS
The product discussed in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.
