Corsair Katar Elite Wireless mouse
Feature
Untethered and no-nonsense
Design
The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless mouse retains much the same look and feel of previous mice in the Katar range. It is a somewhat plain looking mouse, with a mostly symmetrical look, apart from the two thumb buttons on the left side.
Both sides of the mouse have a triangular patterned design. The patterned thumb area gives the mouse a tactile feel, which becomes reasonably important due to the lightweight nature of the mouse. At just 69 grams, it is one of the lightest mice I have used, making it great for portability. It is also on the smaller size when it comes to gaming mice. This will suit the smaller hands of younger gamers. Being so light, and the fact that it is wireless, means that you’ll be zooming the mouse all over the place, particularly if you have a multi-screen setup. Whilst the patterned design does make gripping the mouse easier, I find that the grip does attract dust.
The Katar Elite features six buttons – the standard left and right mouse buttons, a button on the scroll-wheel, one below the scroll-wheel that adjusts the DPI on the fly (by default) and the two thumb buttons on the left side. Each of these buttons can be fully customized using the iCue software. They are all well placed, although the front-most thumb button will may require an adjusted grip to reach for smaller hands.
The underside features two large plastic white feet. This further enhances the smooth movement that it already prevalent due to the lightness and untethered aspect of the mouse. Also on the bottom of the mouse is a small compartment which allows the USB dongle to be stored away when not in use, or when travelling. On the front there is a USB Type-C input used for charging the mouse, or indeed using it as a wired mouse if you so wish.
The last design feature is the Corsair logo on the palm section of the mouse. The logo can be configured to any colour across the RGB spectrum and can even have various colour effects. This is all configured within the iCue software.
Features and performance
The Katar Elite comes with three connectivity options. The USB dongle (with Corsair’s Slipstream wireless technology) works a charm. However, if you don’t have a spare USB slot available, the option to switch to a low-latency Bluetooth connection is advantageous and works almost as well.
And if the long-lasting battery should run down, the supplied detachable USB charging cable can convert the Katar Elite into a wired mouse whilst it recharges. This is a bonus, as it reduces the panic that sets in when you would normally be frantically searching around for some spare AAA batteries to get the mouse working again.
The Katar Elite has a maximum DPI of 26,000, which is probably overkill for most applications unless you have a multiple screen setup. However, the on-the-fly DPI switching allows gamers to quickly move between appropriate sensitivity depending on their requirement. The five on-the-fly settings can be easily configured within the Corsair iCue software, giving gamers the choice to find suitable ranges of their own. The mouse also features Quickstrike buttons with OMRON switches. The ultra-responsive switches are guaranteed for 60 million clicks. That is a lot of bullets fired in your favourite shooter, or commands ordered in your RTS of choice.
Of course, with wireless mice, there is always the chance that the battery (or batteries if is powered by AAAs) can run out when you’re right in the middle of an important game or activity. However, with around sixty hours of battery life when using the USB connection, or about 100 hours when using the Bluetooth option, there is little chance that the mouse will fail at an inopportune time. And indeed, the USB charging cable can be quickly plugged in to charge as you continue playing.
iCue software
As mentioned, much of what can be configured with the Katar Elite must be completed within the Corsair iCue software. Within the software, each button can be re-configured for pretty much any application or use. Whether you allocate the buttons to open a specific application, or to create a macro for use in-game, the options are endless.
And as previously mentioned, the RGB effects for the Corsair logo on the palm section of the mouse can be altered to suit any gamer. Whether you want the mouse to cycle through the rainbow of colours or to just remain static on your favourite colour to match the rest of your scheme, the RGB can be configured accordingly.
Verdict
The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless mouse is a no-nonsense mouse that just gets the job done. It doesn’t look overly fancy, but with the six buttons, it can be configured for almost any function. The on-the-fly DPI adjustment allows gamers to quickly change the DPI depending on their current need and the multiple connectivity options also give the Katar Elite added versatility. The mouse moves smoothly thanks to a combination of the smooth feet, the lightness, and the untethered nature. The Katar Elite has a great battery life too and can be quickly converted to a wired mouse whilst it charges increasing the flexibility.
Being that the Katar Elite is lightweight and untethered, it pairs well with a larger mouse pad such as the Corsair MM700 RGB Extended Mouse Pad, allowing plenty of smooth movement across the 930mm x 400mm surface.
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