When most PC gaming enthusiasts see the HyperX name they associate it with some pretty kickass memory sticks and probably SSDs too. Not many people say “Oh, their peripherals are amazing” - and that’s okay. HyperX doesn’t offer the wide variety of peripherals that say, Corsair, does. But I’ll be surprised if the new HyperX Pulsefire Surge gaming mouse doesn’t make waves in the RGB peripheral community: it has great build quality, gorgeous RGB and a surprisingly robust software in its corner.
Specifications
- MSRP: $69.99
- Ergonomics: Symmetrical
- Sensor: Pixart PMW3389
- Resolution: Up to 16,000 DPI
- Speed: 450ips
- Acceleration: 50G
- Buttons: 6
- Button Switches: Omron (50 million clicks)
- Light Effects: Per-LED RGB lighting and 4 brightness levels
- On-Board Memory: 3 profiles
- Connection Type: USB 2.0
- Polling rate: 1000Hz
- Weight: 100g (w/o cable), 130g (w/ cable)
- Cable: 1.8m Braided
- Dimensions: L120.24mm x H40.70mm x W62.86mm
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Design
When I first took the Pulsefire Surge out of the box I’ll admit I didn’t have high hopes. It looks like a standard, generic symmetrical mouse and felt like one in my hands as well. I don’t want you to think that’s an inherently bad thing - there’s a reason mouse design has remained largely unchanged for years and that’s because it works. I found myself trying to figure out what about this mouse was going to draw buyers in. Well, it became perfectly clear the moment I plugged it in.
By default, when you plug the Pulsefire Surge in it will display on its 360-degree ring the rainbow spectrum wave that has become synonymous with RGB lighting - and I’m glad it does. It really shows off, for me, the big selling point of the mouse: it has the downright best-looking lighting I have ever seen on a peripheral. I’m serious - I don’t think I’ve ever used a mouse with lighting this freaking good.
Outside of the lighting you can tell that the build quality is above average. The mouse feels solid in your hands, slides easily across multiple surfaces, it feels good in your hands (thanks to a lack of button mania we see with some manufacturers) and the Omron switches actuate just right - not too loose and not too stiff. If I have one beef with the mouse it’s the lighter than average weight. With more and more mice offering adjustable weights these days it feels a little cheap that we don’t get that option with the Pulsefire Surge.
I mentioned buttons (or lack of) and I want to emphasize that I think it’s a good thing. HyperX markets the mouse for FPS gamers who don’t traditionally need a 16-button mouse (and honestly who really does), and the six provided buttons feel like the perfect amount. You have your standard right, left and scroll-wheel click and the ‘forward and back’ side buttons, leaving the only real “extra” button the DPI switching button which cycles you through adjustable, color coated DPI settings.
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Gaming
Okay, so the mouse looks great - so what? Well I’m happy to report that in addition to being easy on the eyes the Pulsefire Surge is one of the better mice I’ve used for gaming. My daily driver is a Steel Series Rival 600 (a dual sensor mouse) and switching to the Pulsefire didn’t feel like the harsh transition I thought it would. The Omron switches feel amazing, as they should, and even the side switches feel just right when it comes to actuation. I often find most manufactures skimp in this area and you end up with stiff and squishy clicks everywhere but right and left clicks and I’m glad to report that isn’t the case from HyperX.
The Pixart 3389 sensor performed beautifully when I put it through its paces. I’m probably one of the few people that changes DPI on the fly in Fortnite when changing between sniper rifles and shotguns and the mouse kept up admirably. I was able to tune the DPI exactly to my liking and given that you can go up to a max of 16,000 counts per inch there should be a setting for everyone.
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Software
The final area I wanted to touch on was the software. I’ve used the software for a few different mouse manufacturers and one thing I’ve discovered is that RGB is usually an afterthought. The main purpose of the software is to set up macros, adjust DPI settings and set up profiles. HyperX’s software is called NGenuity and is designed to be used with both the HyperX Pulsefire Surge and the HyperX Alloy Elite RGB Keyboard. I don’t own the keyboard so my perspective on the software is solely from the perspective of a mouse user, and that being said, I left very impressed. The macro functions work exactly how you would expect them to, allowing you to rebind buttons to keyboard functions, media functions, DPI changes, etc. The same goes for the ‘Performance’ section that was all about setting up your DPI profiles. The RGB bar flashes the color you associate with a certain DPI before switching back to your main RGB profile which I find incredibly helpful for keeping track of where your mouse is set.
To me the real star of the NGenuity software is the RGB. I usually don’t expect any in-depth level of customization with any software outside of Corsair and, to an extent, Razer. Well to them I say move over, a new player has entered the game. I found myself very impressed with the different ways I can customize the RGB on the mouse and my favorite was probably the spectrum trigger (which you can see in included GIF). The sheer number of zones you can customize is nearly unheard of for a mouse and I just can’t say enough about how long you can spend getting it to look EXACTLY how you want. A big shout out to HyperX for stepping up to the software plate with their NGenuity program.
Final Thoughts
The HyperX Pulsefire Surge is an outstanding mid-range mouse for RGB enthusiasts and FPS gamers. Outside of the lack of customizable weights it hits every checkbox you could ask for at a price that doesn’t break the bank. It may not have 20 buttons or an over-the top alien aesthetic but the HyperX Pulsefire Surge more than makes up for it with a quality build, simple design and the best damn RGB lighting I’ve ever seen.
Pros
- Beautiful RGB
- Excellent Software
- Traditional Design
Cons
- A little too light
- No adjustable weights
The product discussed in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.
