HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wired Gaming Mouse Review: No Fuss Solution

One of the most established names in the PC gaming space is out with a brand-new peripheral for hardcore gamers. The HP-owned HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 mouse is an exemplary yet straightforward device offered in wired and wireless versions, an important choice all gamers must make.

Available in just two colorways at launch, black and white, this palm-style mouse has a lot going for it, thanks to its lightweight design and powerful insides. And even more impressive: it comes at a terrific price and could quickly become one of the best gaming mice on the market. In this review, you’ll learn more about the wired version we received from HyperX. However, both mouse versions are the same except for how they receive power.

Note: Our sister site, Review Geek, reviewed the wireless version of the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2. Give their review a read if you’re interested in a gaming mouse that isn’t tethered to a computer.

Comfortable, Familiar Design

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 mouse isn’t going to win any design awards, but its uncomplicated look mainly works nonetheless. Measuring 1.5 x 2.6 x 4.6in and attached to a high-quality 5.9-foot braided HyperFlex 2 cable, the mouse weighs just 61 grams. Like many of the best gaming mice today, the Pulsefire Haste 2 features six buttons. These include primary and secondary click buttons, two side buttons on the left side, and a rubbery scroll wheel that also clicks. A middle click on the top serves as a fast DPI switcher. This is a right-handed mouse.

Review Geek rightly notes that the newest Pulsefire Haste simple design is a positive development “because the trypophobia-inducing honeycomb pattern of the (original) Pulsefire Haste was not appealing.”

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 mouse has been designed to provide tactile, audible feedback with a lifespan of up to 100 million clicks. In addition, the built-in HyperX 26K sensor also offers a resolution of up to 26,000 with DPI presets of 400, 800, 1600, and 3200, with a tracking speed of up to 650 IPS. These are impressive numbers, especially when you factor in its 8,000 Hz polling rate. PTFE skates are attached, providing a very low coefficient of friction. Inside the box are four pieces of grip tape and additional PTFE skates.

As a reminder, DPI (dots-per-inch) measures mouse sensitivity, while polling rate shows how often it reports its position to a computer. In this case, it can report up to 8,000 times each second.

Easily Customizable

But there’s more. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 mouse is highly customizable—thanks to its fully functional NGENUITY software utility for Windows. It allows you to adjust the four DPI presents or create one of your own. The tool also allows tweaking the mouse’s polling rate and RGB effects for a more personalized experience.

Unfortunately, like the mouse’s overall design, the RGB lighting is muted at best. All it does is shine light near the scroll wheel; it might be best to turn it off. Interestingly, the RGB effect changes slightly whenever you switch DPI settings.

You can also use the NGENUITY to create different profiles, but keep in mind the mouse can only hold one profile at a time since there’s no onboard storage. Using other profiles requires exporting them to a USB drive, then installing them on your gaming machines.

Do You Need to Upgrade?

The first HyperX Puslefire Haste launched in 2020, and if you have one, you probably want to know whether an upgrade is worth the price of admission. Given the relatively low price point of the newer model and its many hardware- and software-related updates, upgrading is probably the way to go.

While the earlier mouse is still an impressive beast and, at least for now, is the only Pulsefire Haste that moves beyond ho-hum black and white colorways, the differences are significant. The older version, for example, includes a Pixart PAW3335 sensor and TTC Golden Micro Dustproof Switch. This compares to the new version’s much better HyperX 26K Sensor and HyperX Switch. The changes mean improved speed (450 to 650 IPS) and better left/right button durability.

Should You Buy the HyperX Haste 2 Wired Gaming Mouse?

The wired HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 retails for $59.99, while the wireless version is $89.99. These are good prices and are slightly below what other gaming mice cost. In time, look for sales and discounts from retailers and HyperX alike.

Overall, I was impressed with this mouse. It performed very well during games and graphical design tasks. I was especially thrilled with its sensitivity and incredible polling rate.

Hopefully, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 will eventually be available in more than two color choices. Though black and white are fine, they don’t stand out—which is undoubtedly HyperX’s point—and are somewhat ho-hum at best. And the RGB lighting is pitiful too.

Despite these design complaints, this is a terrific mouse and should provide you with years of enjoyment across different devices. It is highly recommended for anyone looking for a reliable gaming mouse for much less than many others on the market.