HyperX Pulsefire Dart (2019) review: Classic HyperX

Should I buy the HyperX Pulsefire Dart?

Chances are, you’re probably used to paying more than a hundred dollars for a good wireless gaming mouse. With the Pulsefire Dart, HyperX are betting they can beat that. 

Under the hood, the Pulsefire Dart rocks the same Pixart 3389 sensor found in the other Pulsefire mice alongside an Omron switch hardware. It supports native DPI settings of up to 16000 but, out of the box, you’ve also got three presets to choose from. There’s also six programmable buttons, LED and RGB lighting (via HyperX's NGenuity software) plus fifty hours of battery life per charge. 

The Pulsefire Dart’s trademark feature - support for Qi wireless charging - is let down by the absence of a charger in the box. However, despite that, the top-notch design and long battery life leave it looking sharp at the sub-hundred-dollar price-point. 

Price when reviewed

In Australia, you can score the HyperX Pulsefire Dart for approximately US$99.

You can buy the HyperX PulseFire Dart on Amazon here.

Credit: HyperX

HyperX Pulsefire Dart full review

HyperX have been slowly expanding outwards from their mechanical keyboard roots into the wider gaming peripheral space for some time now and while the new HyperX Pulsefire Dart isn’t their first gaming mouse, it is their first wireless one. 

Of course, the PulseFire Dart isn't just Hyper’s first cord-free gaming mouse. It’s also their first mouse that wireless charges via the same Qi charging tech found in modern flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 + (review here). 

Though technically distinct, it wouldn't be too far off to characterise it as a counterpart to fare like Logitech's PowerPlay kit and Razer's HyperFlux Mamba. The implementation and execution of the tech involved is slightly different but the Dart still feels alike in class, form and function. 

Under the hood, the Pulsefire Dart rocks the same Pixart 3389 sensor found in the other Pulsefire mice alongside an Omron switch hardware. It supports native DPI settings of up to 16000 but, out of the box, you’ve also got three preset DPI settings to choose from: 800, 1600 and 3200. 

There’s also six programmable buttons, LED and RGB lighting (via HyperX's NGenuity software) plus fifty hours of battery life per charge or ninety if you turn the lights off. That's more than stuff like Logitech's G703 but less than Razer's recently-revealed Basilisk x Hyperspeed. For more on HyperXs RGB lighting ecosystem, check out our guide here. 

Credit: HyperX

To feel and to hold, the HyperX Pulsefire comes across as a highly competent. It’s incredibly comfortable and consistently responsive. It feels like someone sat down and really thought through the details of making this mouse feel ergonomic in the most classical sense. 

The shape of the mouse itself arched into the grooves of my palm in a way that left me with no complaints. The padded sides of the Dart are also a treat. They have a stress-ball squishiness to them that sets the Dart apart from the rubberized grips on earlier Pulsefire mice and stuff like the iconic Razer DeathAdder. The mouse also charges via USB Type-C, which is a surprisingly modern touch. 

Credit: HyperX

To my delight, I found that these smart looks translated into a more-or-less solid gaming experience. The buttons on the Dart have a snappy and satisfying kick to them and the scroll wheel feels like it’s been wound with just the right amount of tension. Each component of the Pulsefire Dart looks, feels and behaves in the way you’d want a good gaming mouse to look, feel and behave. 

Unfortunately, the wireless charging part of the experience is the one area where the package kinda stumbles. The Pulsefire Dart comes bundled with a wireless extender but not any sort of Qi-charger, which means that out of the box you’re going to just be charging it as you would a normal mouse - which leaves the feature feeling like a bit of a waste. And if you factor in the cost of a separate wireless charger, then you're not really saving all that much money relative to the other options.

The Bottom Line

In spite of a messy and disappointing execution around the Dart’s ability to charge wirelessly, the latest addition to HyperX’s gaming mouse roster comes together in a way that transcends the sum of its parts. The ergonomics here are pinpoint and the price is a natural lubricant when compared to the other options. 

In short: the Pulsefire Dart is classic HyperX. 

Chances are, you’re probably used to paying more than a hundred dollars for a good wireless gaming mouse. The Pulsefire Dart makes the case for paying less than that for a great one. 

Credit: HyperX