HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless review: Stunning budget-friendly performance

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 has finally been released, bringing a plethora of updates to the company’s most popular gaming mouse.

HyperX has gained mass popularity with PC gamers thanks to the original Pulsefire Haste gaming mouse offering a quality experience for a very budget-friendly price, sometimes coming in at around $20 on sale.

Announced back at CES 2023, the second iteration of the Pulsefire Haste’s wireless model comes with an improved sensor, new in-house developed switches, an 8000hz polling rate while wired, and a Bluetooth 5.0 connection mode on the wireless Haste.

But, is this mouse worthy of being in the ring with the likes of Razer’s incredible Deathadder V3 Pro and Cooler Master’s excellent MM712?

Key Specs

• Weight: 60g
• Connectivity: USB-C, 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.0
• Buttons: 6, HyperX Switches
• Sensor: HyperX 26k Sensor
• Maximum DPI: 26,000
• Polling rate: 1000hz
• Battery life: 100 Hours
• Features: Virgin-grade PTFE skates, grip tape, HyperX NGenuity support
• Price: $89.99

Design

When lightweight mice were first becoming popular, almost every manufacturer opted to shave weight on their mice by adding a “honeycomb” pattern of holes across the body.

HyperX is the latest company to switch away from that design with the Pulsefire Haste 2, opting for a solid body design for their latest mouse.

The shape is the same as the first-generation Haste, with the only noticeable change outside of the new solid body design being the HyperX logo placed front and center. Rounding out its branding, the Haste 2 has maintained the smaller text logo on the left side of the mouse.

We normally enjoy products with less branding, but after a few days of using the Pulsefire Haste 2, we started to appreciate the bigger logo being front and center.

The front of the mouse is fitted with a USB-C port for charging and wired connectivity, and the bottom offers a place to put the 2.4ghz wireless dongle for easy storage as well as the switch between off, 2.4ghz wireless, and Bluetooth.

When comparing the Haste 2 Wireless to its older sibling, we did find that the new mouse has a slightly louder, more defined scroll wheel. Luckily, though, it’s not too obnoxious and makes for a better experience.

Performance

We’re always a little bit hesitant when a major company switches to in-house parts like HyperX did with the Pulsefire Haste 2’s sensor and button switches, but we definitely weren’t let down by the mouse’s gaming performance.

In Battlefield 2042, we had no issues making quick flicks across the screen and had nothing but good experiences when we had to slow down and dial in our sniper rifle for those long-distance headshots.

The Pulsefire Haste 2 maintains the same shape as its predecessor, which is super comfortable to hold for long periods of time for both productivity and gaming. We switch between palm and fingertip grips and have no issues with comfort on both.

We also spent a fair amount of time testing the wireless Pulsefire Haste 2 on its newly added Bluetooth mode and found it to be a suitable way of connecting the mouse outside of gaming. When gaming, though, it does have a bit of latency which is typical, since Bluetooth polling is not suitable for games.

Battery life

The battery on the Pulsefire Haste 2 is nothing short of phenomenal, with our tests coming relatively close to HyperX’s advertised 100 hours of battery life.

It’s slightly better when connecting the mouse to Bluetooth, gaining about 10 hours of battery life — perfect for those using the mouse more for productivity and travel.

Software

When it comes to the software side of the mouse, you’ll find much of the same if you’re coming from the first-gen Pulsefire Haste or any of HyperX’s other mice.

In the three-menu section of the software, you’ll find options to adjust RGB color, remap the right-click and side buttons, and DPI settings to customize your mouse to fit your needs.

The NGenuity software does a fantastic job of letting you know when to charge your mouse, offering a low-battery warning notification that can be set to go off anywhere between zero and 25 percent.

We have recently had a bit of an issue with the software not recognizing connected peripherals at times, but it’s been so infrequent that we haven’t had any issues with getting battery life notifications or changing settings on the Pulsefire Haste 2.

Should you buy it?

If you’re in the market for a high-quality gaming and productivity mouse that doesn’t break the bank, absolutely consider the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2.

Its upgraded sensor, new in-house switches, solid body design, and Bluetooth offer plenty of advantages over the original Pulsefire Haste, and the $89.99 price tag for the wireless version is definitely something to appreciate in a world where you could easily spend double that figure on a gaming mouse.

The verdict – 5/5

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 delivers everything we wanted from its predecessor, all while sticking to a very reasonable price point.

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