Looking for the right gaming mouse can make your head spin. On some level, they’re all good, and it really comes down to personal taste, honing in on those exclusive features and improvements that cater to your gaming preferences. In many ways, the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro Ultralight Wireless gaming mouse was that for me. Upon reviewing it this time last year, it’s been on my desk ever since. I appreciate its sleek, minimal design, but more than anything, I love the lightweight feel.
In many ways, the Corsair Sabre V3 Pro Ultralight Wireless Ergo gaming mouse is actually a huge improvement over its predecessor, in every other way except for looks. Its higher DPI settings make it a better option for gaming, its optical switches feel more responsive, and the battery life has been vastly improved. If you’re already using the V2 Pro and love it for what it is, this might be worth considering as an upgrade.
Keep in mind, however, that we are reviewing the Ergo variant of the Sabre V3. There will be a standard, symmetrical Sabre V3 available at launch, alongside this Ergo option.
Design
Available in Black or White, the Corsair Sabre V3 Pro Ultralight Wireless Ergo gets its name from the ergonomic and asymmetrical right-handed design, which simply feels great to use. If you own or have seen the Sabre V2 Pro, however, I don’t blame you for struggling to figure out which is which. But after getting your hands on it, the differences of the Ergo version become a little more obvious, and they then become unmistakably identifiable. Just to be clear, the Sabre V3 Ergo is the mouse at the front of this image below.
The mouse itself still includes your standard left and right buttons, in addition to your secondary buttons, which sit just above the thumb. Underneath, you’ll still find the same power switch, which is admittedly a little bigger this time and easier to use, along with the same USB-C charging port around the front.
But it’s the subtlety in the design differences that make this a clear winner over last year’s model. I never disliked the Sabre V2, but after feeling the slightly higher back and indented thumb area, the Sabre V3 is certainly more comfortable to hold. Having them side-by-side is obviously a great help, but now I realise I don’t really want to go back.
Keep in mind, there is also a more standardised, symmetrical version of Sabre V3, although we cannot comment on how that version feels. I would imagine it’s a much more streamlined feel, similar to the standard Sabre V2 Pro.
In the box, you’ll also find the 8KHz USB wireless receiver, a USB-C to USB-A cable, along with grip tape and mouse skates to help customise and improve the experience to your liking. I must admit though, the skates again don’t feel that great.
Overall, it’s still a very sleek, low and minimal mouse that rarely seeks attention, or screams out at you as the loudest peripheral in the room. I had come to appreciate the Sabre V2 for its looks, and admire this iteration all the same.
Performance
You’ll simply find most of the Sabre V3 Ergo’s improvements on the spec sheet, or under the hood, as it were. While I had applauded the V2 Pro for its insanely lightweight 36g, it’s interesting to see that the Ergo now clocks in at 40g. That’s obviously still as light as they come for gaming mice, but it’s nice to see this compromise of sorts hasn’t really gone to waste.
The DPI has also been improved from 33,000 (which was already crazy) to a whopping 42,000, which, thanks to the new Marksman X Sensor, delivers 99.7% Resolution Accuracy, 800 IPS Speed and 70G Acceleration. I couldn’t fault the Sabre V2 for performing the way it did last year, and as I write this review, I can’t fault the V3 Pro Ergo now.
The Sabre V3 Ergo simply feels that much more responsive in its delivery, and while it might feel like overkill for most users, it works wonders not only for gamers but for those potentially doing photo or video editing, who need to constantly whip the mouse around the screen.
The 8KHz polling rate, across both wired and wireless connections, is also a bonus. I understand most of the weight is in that wireless receiver, which obviously sits outside of the mouse and needs to be plugged in, but it really is worth having that extra bit of hardware for an experience like this.
The new optical switches also provide that extra bit of responsiveness, as there’s essentially no recorded or preassigned travel distance. They also have a slightly lower tone to them, and I’m all for it. If that wasn’t enough, the V3 Pro Ergo has now extended its battery life to a staggering 140 hours. I’ve only been using this for the better part of a week, so I haven’t had to recharge it just yet, but the 120-hour battery life of the Sabre V2 Pro was hardly an issue.
Finally, I also wanted to touch on the new PureVector feature Corsair has implemented with the Sabre V3 range, in collaboration with Aimlabs. This essentially tracks and records exactly how you aim and move the mouse in certain games, building a profile of sorts that can help with both responsiveness and sensitivity, particularly in first-person shooters or twitch-based games. Admittedly, it is hard to see exactly how this either improves or hampers your skills, but given the higher DPI ceiling of the Sabre V3, it could come in handy.
Software
The biggest addition to this year’s software is the addition of the aforementioned PureVector software, but aside from that, it all feels par for the course. The Corsair Web Hub app returns, and you’re once again able to access it drectly online. You can add a desktop shortcut for convenience, but that will just take you back to that same web page.
Here, you’ll be able to customise bindings and assign commands, adjust DPI settings, and even assign macro commands to a single button press. It’s all incredibly intuitive and easy to customise, but I would be lying if it was that interesting to use. I’m sure competitive gamers will find this essential down the track, but it’s sort of just there, at the end of the day.
Verdict & Value
If you’ve been using the Sabre V2 Pro as an everyday mouse, don’t let the visual similarities fool you.
The Corsair Sabre V3 Pro Ultralight Wireless Ergo is an upgrade in almost every single way, and it ticks plenty of boxes for a wide variety of users.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Lightweight and satisfying to use; Optical switches are more responsive; Better battery life; Ergonomic design feels that much more comfortable
Lowlights: Skates feel a little too grippy at times
Manufacturer: Corsair
Price: USD$179.99
Available: Now via the official Corsair website
Review based on unit provided by Corsair.
