TechRadar Verdict
Looking elegant yet gamer-cool, this new wireless mouse from Corsair isn’t just another contender in the competition to create a lightweight mouse. An ambidextrous design and a native polling rate of 2,000Hz set it apart from rivals, even if it isn’t the lightest, and it’s more affordable, too. It isn't without its faults, though, with feet that won't suit all surfaces.
Pros
- +
Lightweight and ambidextrous
- +
Left and right buttons feel fantastic
- +
Great performance and battery life
- +
More affordable than the competition
Cons
- -
PTFE feet are best on a mouse pad
- -
Scroll wheel and side buttons offer a bit more resistance
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Corsair Katar Elite Wireless: One-minute review
The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless is more than just another entry in the lightweight gaming mouse competition. It sets itself apart from rival units by being a more inclusive unit, its ambidextrous design suiting both righties and lefties – which appears crucial when you consider the number of feather-light options on the market.
But does it do enough to compel gamers to choose it over the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro and the SteelSeries Aerox 3, for example? Especially when those two wireless gaming mice are lighter and deliver great gaming performance?
Ultimately, which you choose might just boil down to personal preference. The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless is slightly smaller, which makes it ideal for small hands, but not necessarily the most supportive. It also has a faster polling rate of 2,000Hz, although this isn't something that will matter much to most gamers.
Corsair Katar Elite Wireless: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? $79 (£79, about AU$120)
- Where is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, the UK and Australia
Interface: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C
Ergonomics: Ambidextrous
Buttons: Six
DPI: 26,000
Switches: Omron optical
Weight: 2.43oz (69g)
However, the Corsair Katar Elite Wireless also has the advantage of being cheaper over its rivals. Although not in the budget range, it's still more affordable than other wireless mice released around the same time, costing $79 (£79, about AU$120).
This makes it $20/£20 more affordable than the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless, which comes with only 18,000 DPI and a 1,000Hz polling rate, and half the price of the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, with only a 90-hour battery life and a 1,000Hz polling rate – unless you have Razer’s HyperPolling wireless dongle.
The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless is certainly a great option for gamers who want to save some money but not to the detriment of performance. Sure, there are inexpensive options available, but the less you spend, the more likely you are to end up with a mouse of inferior quality.
- Value: 4.5 / 5
Corsair Katar Elite Wireless: Design
- Smaller, ambidextrous body
- Shape is better for gamers with a claw grip
- All buttons remappable
The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless might not be the lightest “lightweight” mouse on the market, but it's still extremely low-weight at 69g. It's also a bit more compact than rival mice from Razer and SteelSeries, sporting a tapered design around the palm rest area and textured sides for a better grip; it's ideal for claw-grip gamers.
If you have a palm grip or a combination of both types, you might miss that palm support just below your pinkie finger. Nevertheless, there remains sufficient support around its middle, upon which you can rest your palm. The Katar Elite Wireless's ambidextrous ergonomics make it far more inclusive, although as a result it sacrifices that perfect fit-in-your-hand comfort somewhat.
We appreciate the highly accessible DPI button – there are six buttons in all, all fully programmable – that sits just under the scroll wheel, since you can quickly press it on the fly. We also welcome the positioning of the two side buttons, as your thumb doesn't need to try too hard to reach them.
The sides of the Corsair Katar Elite Wireless may be textured, but the rest of the unit has a soft-to-touch matte finish. Although we like how it looks, the finish also makes the outer shell more prone to fingerprints. If you're someone who has oily hands, then expect the mouse to look a little grubby after a session.
The Katar Elite comes with minimal RGB lighting. Nevertheless, those who aren't lighting-obsessed should be more than happy with the lit-up Corsair logo and the small DPI / power-on light indicator. In addition, you can customize lighting as well as sync it with other iCue devices via the Corsair iCue software. This is the same software you can use to assign macros to or remap the buttons.
- Design: 4 / 5
Corsair Katar Elite Wireless: Performance
- Sensor is fast and on point
- Scroll wheel and side buttons have a bit more resistance
- PTFE feet aren’t suitable on all surfaces
Not that it matters a lot to most non-professional gamers, but the Corsair Katar Elite Wireless offers some impressive specs. The 26,000 DPI optical sensor combined with its 2,000Hz HyperPolling and 50g acceleration means that it will be an extremely fast and responsive gaming mouse that can handle rapid movements without breaking a sweat.
And, we’ve proven that it does so in practice. For gaming, whether we were moving quickly around to battle demons in Control, trying to score a goal in Rocket League, or using a sniper button (we remapped one of the side buttons) in other shooters, the Corsair Katar Elite had zero problems keeping up. Nor did we experienced any noticeable lags.
The left and right buttons are just as quick and responsive – not to mention, very satisfying to click, thanks to the Omron switches that Corsair has used. We only wish that the scroll wheel had a little less resistance when spinning. Not that we need a free spin feature, but it feels more difficult to spin than rival units because it has a bit more tension.
The super-accessible side buttons offer a bit more resistance than the left and right buttons. Although whether or not you like this will come down to personal preference; our intuition tells us that having a little less tension here would match better with their placement.
The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless has 100% PTFE feet (glide pads), which offer incredibly low-friction glide performance that only enhances this mouse’s speed. You’ll want to stick to using this with a mouse pad or mat, however. Those pads aren’t for all surfaces and sound a little grating on bare wooden desks.
Finally, there’s the battery life: the Katar Elite delivers a whopping 110 hours of playtime before you need to charge again. It falls short of the SteelSeries Aerox 3’s 200-hour rating, but is better than the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro at 90 hours. We haven’t needed to recharge this mouse once during our week of testing.
- Performance: 4 / 5
Should I buy the Corsair Katar Elite Wireless?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
Corsair Katar Elite Wireless: Report card
| Value | The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless is more affordable than the competition but with higher specs, making it a great value. | 4.5 / 5 |
| Design | It has an ambidextrous design that's great for claw-grip gamers. And, it's RGB lighting is subtle but effective. | 4 / 5 |
| Performance | It's fast. It's responsive. And, it can more than keep up. We only wish the feet were better. | 4 / 5 |
| Total | The Corsair Katar Elite Wireless is great, ambidextrous wireless gaming mouse. It's not perfect, but its flaws to not get in the way of its performance. | 4.2 / 5 |
- First reviewed October 2022
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