Dareu A950 Pro 4k review: Small brand, big features
DexertoThe Dareu A950 4k mouse isn’t the most well-known gaming mouse available on the market, but is it worth picking up?
When it comes to gaming mice, there are quite a few high-quality options available for just about every style of gamer. However, many tend to gravitate to products from well-known manufacturers like Razer, HyperX, and Logitech.
What about the smaller brand names? I was curious about one myself, so Mech Keys sent over the Dareu A950 Pro 4k mouse for me to put through the test. Dareu is quite popular across China, but those in the US and other countries may not be familiar with the brand.
After using it alongside some of the best mice to release in 2023, I can safely say that it may be worth checking out.
Key Specs
- Weight: 54g
- Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB
- Buttons: 7
- Sensor: PixArt PAW3395 Optical
- Maximum DPI: 26000 dpi
- Polling rate: 4,000 Hz
- Battery life: 25 days on 1k Hz polling, 6 days on 4k Hz, 37 days on Bluetooth
- Features: Oracle Bone Script across scroll wheel, magnesium build, included grips, Kailh GM8.0 Black Mamba Switch
- Price: $189.99
Design
The Dareu A950 Pro 4k Magnesium gaming mouse sports one of the most unique designs that I’ve ever seen in a gaming mouse.
DexertoWith a design similar to Razer’s $300 Viper Mini Signature, the Dareu A950 has almost two dozen holes cut out of its magnesium alloy body in a design that no other company has executed.
Dareu’s button placement isn’t anything out of the ordinary, with two side buttons, a scroll wheel, and of course the main left and right buttons. They placed Oracle Bone Script across said scroll wheel, which makes it stand out from the rest just as much as the rest of the mouse.
Flip over the Dareu A950 Pro and you’ll find two more buttons beside the sensor. One for the switch between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless and the other to adjust DPI on the fly.
It’s made from magnesium alloy, and it’s a very solid mouse despite its 54g weight and a plethora of holes on its back. There’s zero flex on any side of the Dareu A950 Pro 4k and it’s a joy to use.
Features
The Dareu A950 Pro 4k mouse has its biggest feature right in the name — a 4,000 Hz polling rate. It provides better response time in the most crucial moments of popular esports titles but at the loss of battery life. Luckily, you can operate the mouse just fine at 1,000 Hz.
Other than that, the mouse doesn’t have any other notable features outside of support for 2.4Ghz wireless and Bluetooth. However, Dareu does include a few nice extra items in the box that are quite appreciated.
DexertoInstead of the stock five-piece PTFE stakes, the company includes a three-piece option in the box that features a bigger top and bottom option for better glide across your mousepad.
They also include a set of grips in the box that you can apply as well. The grips feel pretty good, but I’m not a fan of the hypebeast-esque design with random symbols and words spread across them.
The software isn’t ideal
Being a company from China that doesn’t exactly have a major share of the market in the US, you’re left with a haphazardly translated piece of software that sometimes makes it a bit hard to figure out what exactly is going on at times.
The software itself is fairly easy to figure out as long as you’re relatively knowledgeable with mouse settings. But really, you can operate just fine without the software. That is, assuming you don’t need to set up a ton of macros.
You’ll be able to install and adjust it between 4k and 1k Hz polling rate with ease, though, so that’s a plus.
It’s not the worst software I’ve used overall, but it would be nice to see Dareu provide a more polished interface and translation for English users.
Gaming Performance
Being a lightweight esports-focused mouse, I made sure to test it out through the most popular fps titles like Overwatch 2, Counter-Strike 2, and Warzone.
The Dareu A950 Pro 4k performed great throughout each game, with my lack of skills being the only reason my gameplay was held back. It glides well, and the switches used on the two main buttons feel phenomenal in game.
Battery optimization is great
Dareu says that the A950 Pro 4k will last up to 25 days on regular wireless and I can say that their testing is pretty accurate. In the month and a half that I’ve had the mouse, I’ve only had to charge it once. You’ll have to plug it in way more often if you run at 4k Hz all the time. Bluetooth lasts the longest, however, with 35 days battery according to the company.
Should you buy it?
The Dareu A950 Pro 4k is the perfect example of why you don’t have to always buy a familiar brand name mouse to get something super high quality.
It is on the pricey side at around $190, but with everything it comes with alongside the quality it offers, I don’t hate how much they’re charging. Compared to other esports mice like the Glorious Model D 2 Pro or Pwnage Stormbreaker, I’d choose the Dareu every day of the week.
Verdict: 5/5
Other than the mediocre software experience, Dareu knocked it out of the park with the A950 Pro 4k gaming mouse. It’s feature-packed, lightweight, and super responsive. It’s absolutely worth checking out.
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