Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE Review

Corsair’s newest wireless mouse has it all. From a superb sensor to insanely precise tracking, the Dark Core RGB Pro SE is an excellent gaming mouse for the money. Industry-standard Omron switches ensure it’s super-responsive and reliable too. The Dark Core RGB Pro SE also comes with some brilliant software, making this mouse the complete package.

Numerous gadgets have been going “pro” recently, but it’s questionable whether most deserve the moniker. The Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE is an exception, with this wireless gaming mouse boasting high-end features that will please even professional gamers. 

At £99.99, it includes some standout features such as an 18,000 DPI sensor, 50-hour battery life and Qi charging capabilities – which means it stands up well against HP OMEN’s Photon and Roccat’s Kain 200 AIMO.

Design

Design-wise, it’s fair to say that the Dark Core RGB Pro SE isn’t your typical gaming mouse. There’s been a move away from the typical hard plastics offered by other manufacturers.

Instead, Corsair has adopted a mixture of hard plastics and a fantastic-feeling textured rubber. This certainly gives the Dark Core RGB Pro SE the edge over competitors when it comes to comfort.

It’s a sturdy unit, yet feels rather lightweight; the Dark Core RGB Pro SE doesn’t come with any additional weights. This might be a problem for some, as well as the fact it isn’t ambidextrous.

Despite this, Corsair does provide a choice of two side pods for the right-hand side, offering one that’s flat and another that gives the Dark Core RGB Pro SE its brilliantly contoured shape. In addition, underneath the removable side pod is a compartment in which to store the mouse’s USB dongle.

The Dark Core RGB Pro SE offers eight programmable buttons, with well-thought-out placement. With this being a right-handed mouse, the buttons to change DPI level are within easy reach, being placed adjacent to the left mouse button, as well as also featuring two side-mounted buttons like any other normal mouse.

Performance

Testing the Dark Core RGB Pro SE, I was interested to see if Corsair’s choice of the 18,000 DPI PixArt PAW3392 sensor paid off against rival models.

The PixArt PAW3392 sensor worked a charm in fast-paced combat, making the Dark Core RGB Pro SE a go-to mouse for FPS gaming. For a wireless mouse, it’s insanely responsive. Corsair’s sub-1ms Slipstream wireless connection makes for latency-free wireless gaming.

In high-intensity battles, it’s certainly fair to say that the Dark Core RGB Pro SE worked fantastically as I jumped around corners to kill enemies or fired from a distance with a sniper rifle. This mouse can do it all. Moreover, with 50-hour battery life, it offers plenty of playtime.

The Dark Core RGB Pro SE also offers dual wireless connectivity, either through Bluetooth or the aforementioned Slipstream-enabled USB dongle that comes in the box. This means that Corsair’s newest wireless mouse can be used with multiple devices; in testing, I found that switching between two devices was both practical and simple.

A third connectivity option includes a wired USB-C connection, allowing for a performance without compromise as well as letting you continue play when it needs recharging.

There’s also the option of Qi wireless charging on this SE model, and with Corsair’s offering – such as its MM1000 mouse pad at a reasonable £40 or so – the Dark Core RGB Pro SE stands up brilliantly against rivals.

Software and lighting

Software and lighting are where the Dark Core RGB Pro SE excels. Right out of the box, the Dark Core RGB Pro SE’s lighting is crisp and sharp, certainly giving Razer’s Chroma lighting a run for the money. Corsair’s iCue software isn’t as exhaustive as the likes of Razer’s Synapse, for instance, but it’s still a great piece of software nonetheless.

With Corsair’s iCue software, there are practically infinite levels of customisation. As far as button mapping goes, menus are intuitive and selecting a preset is easy. In addition, the lighting options offered make the Dark Core RGB Pro SE look like a Pink Floyd concert, especially when iCue is allowed to take full advantage of the Dark Core RGB Pro SE’s nine dynamic lighting zones.

There’s even an option to calibrate the Dark Core RGB Pro SE for any given surface, providing extra levels of precision that only add to its value.

Should you buy it?

This is a really easy sell. Corsair’s newest wireless mouse really does have it all. From an excellent sensor to insanely precise tracking, the Dark Core RGB Pro SE is an excellent mouse for the money. With industry-standard Omron switches, you’re getting a device that’s super-responsive and reliable too. The Dark Core RGB Pro SE also comes with some brilliant software, making this mouse the complete package.

It wins against its nearest rival, HP Omen’s Photon, in terms of sensitivity, offering a top-end DPI of 18,000 as opposed to the HP’s 16,000. And while the Photon also comes with Qi wireless charging, Corsair’s newest entry beats its rival in terms of offering more affordable mouse pads while its overall price undercuts HP’s effort by a decent margin.

In terms of software, it’s up there with Razer’s Synapse 3, offering an accessible and intuitive experience. Sure, it might fall down on lighting zones compared to the likes of Razer’s Basilisk Ultimate, but for a mouse that’s half the price of Razer’s flagship, it’s undoubtedly a valiant effort from Corsair.

The Dark Core RGB Pro SE is let-down by its exclusivity for right-handers and the lack of additional weights. However, this mouse certainly doesn’t disappoint overall This is one of our top-recommended wireless gaming mice yet.