Gaming Mice Review: Corsair Nightsword RGB & Corsair M55 RGB Pro

Those still searching for their perfect gaming mouse should take a look at Corsair today. The company is continuing its rapid pace of product launches with yet another new pair of gaming mice: the M55 RGB Pro, a lower-cost ambidextrous mouse, and the Nightsword RGB, a higher-end mouse targeted at FPS and MOBA gamers.

Corsair loaned us both mice in advance of today’s launch. Here are our initial impressions of the latest products in Corsair’s growing gaming mouse lineup.

Corsair Nightsword RGB Specs and Features

The Corsair Nightsword RGB is a brand new high performance model targeting FPS and MOBA gamers. Borrowing design elements from the Glaive Pro, Dark Core, and M65, it features a raised top for a comfortable palm grip, ten programmable buttons, four RGB lighting zones, and a tunable weight system.

As a wired mouse, the Nightsword has Corsair’s standard 1.8-meter (6-foot) braided USB cable with a USB 2.0 Type-A connector, and it features the high-end Pixart PMW3391 optical sensor, which has a resolution range of 100 to 18,000 DPI in single DPI increments.

The mouse alone weighs in at 119 grams, but it includes six additional weights — three at 2.8 grams and three at 4.5 grams — that can bring the total maximum weight to 141 grams. The tunable weight system is located on the bottom of the mouse beneath a pop-off cover. The six weight slots are arranged hexagonally which, when combined with the two different weight sizes, presents a total of 120 possible weight configurations.

The mouse can automatically sense which size weights are inserted in each individual slot, and it presents this information to you in Corsair’s iCue software. Based on this information, the software can calculate and display the Nightsword’s center of mass for those who really want to fine tune their experience. If the mouse’s automatic weight sensors aren’t functioning properly, you can also manually enter the weight for each slot to calculate that center of mass data.

Like most high-end gaming mice, the Nightsword RGB supports on-board hardware profiles. This feature allows the user to configure DPI, lighting, and button customizations on a PC running iCue, save that profile to the mouse, and then have access to those specific configuration settings when using the mouse on another computer, even in the absence of iCue. These profiles can be swapped on the fly by using the two buttons below the scroll wheel.

As for RGB, there are four zones that can be independently configured via iCue: the scroll wheel area, the front, the rear, and the Corsair logo. Three RGB lights next to the front and back buttons on the left side of the mouse serve as the “multi-purpose” indicator, using various colors and light positions to indicate which DPI stage or profile is currently enabled.

RGB colors, patterns, and synchronization are all very easy to control via iCue. If you’ve ever used the software for another Corsair product, you’ll have no trouble setting up custom RGB lighting on the Nightsword.

Corsair Nightsword RGB Design & Usage

The Corsair Nightsword RGB is a comfortable mouse. The top has a nice raised arch that rests comfortably in the palm, the buttons all feel like they're in the correct place, and the mouse's five PTFE glide pads offer smooth motion on a variety of surfaces including, in our case, soft and hard mouse pads, a wood tabletop, and a composite surface desk.

The rear of the mouse where the majority of your palm sits and the thumb rest area are covered in a nice textured, almost rubber-like plastic while the primary right- and left-click buttons are made from a smooth matte plastic. The side buttons and areas around the RGB, however, are a glossy black plastic that will easily smudge and scratch. Even in the short week or so that we tested the Nightsword, our review sample became noticeably scratched in these areas.

Like all Corsair mice, you can use the Nightsword RGB out of the box with any computer. But installing iCue gives you access to the full range of customization options. There are three DPI stages that can be set between 100 and 18,000, as well as the useful Sniper button for quick temporary switching to a lower DPI for increased precision.

Other iCue features include assigning fully customizable macros or functions to individual mouse buttons, surface calibration, lighting synchronization, and customizable polling rates (1000Hz/1ms, 500Hz/2ms, 250Hz/4ms, or 125Hz/8ms).

Overall, the Corsair Nightsword RGB is a comfortable, well designed, and versatile mouse. It may not be quite as comfortable as Corsair's Ironclaw, and we could do without the glossy plastic accents, but the Nightsword's tunable weights, high performance sensor, and excellent button placement are all good enough to overcome those minor issues. The one big factor working against the Nightsword, however, is price. At a list price of $79.99, it's a bit high for a wired gaming mouse. That price puts the Nightsword up against some of the highest-end wired options from competitors like SteelSeries, Logitech, and Razer. If street prices push the Nightsword down into the $50-$60 range, however, it's an easy buy.

Corsair M55 RGB Pro Specs and Features

The Corsair M55 RGB Pro is an ambidextrous gaming mouse with a completely symmetrical design. It’s much smaller and lighter (86 grams) than the Nightsword, and as a lower-cost option it features just 8 programmable buttons (although you’ll likely only use 6), a PAW3327 sensor good for 200 to 12,400 DPI in 100 DPI increments, and 2-zone RGB lighting. It has the same fixed 1.8-meter (6-foot) braided USB cable and it only supports one on-board profile.

Corsair M55 RGB Pro Design and Usage

The big feature for the M55 RGB Pro is its ambidextrous design. The mouse has standard right and left primary buttons, a scroll wheel, a single top button configured by default as the DPI stage selector, and then two pairs of identical “forward” and “back” buttons on the right and left sides.

When configured for right-handed operation, the two buttons on the left side are enabled while the two on the right side are disabled. Switching to left-handed operation reverses that. You can change between right and left hand modes by either using a software switch in the iCue settings, or by pressing and holding the active forward and back buttons for five seconds. The RGB light below the scroll wheel will blink red 3 times to indicate a successful switch. To clarify the process, if the mouse is in right hand mode and you want to switch to left, you’d press and hold the forward and back buttons on the left side of the mouse, and vice versa for switching from left to right hand mode. This makes it very easy for those in a shared environment.

Other than the ambidextrous design, the M55 RGB Pro is a very standard mouse. It’s not as comfortable as the Nightsword or many other more contoured gaming mice, and its lack of buttons will limit its appeal for gamers with more demanding needs, but at the $39.99 price point its not a bad choice for those who need the ambidextrous option or for those who prefer smaller and lighter gaming mice.

Conclusion

The Corsair Nightsword RGB is an excellent choice for those looking for a higher-end wired gaming mouse, with a comfortable design and lots of options for customization. The MSRP does seem a bit high, but on the merits of the design and features alone, it earns our Gold Award.

The Corsair M55 RGB Pro is a nice option to have for those who need an ambidextrous gaming mouse, but its symmetrical design by nature makes it less comfortable than more contoured designs, and its lack of buttons limits its appeal for more demanding gamers.

Both the Corsair Nightsword RGB and Corsair M55 RGB Pro are available starting today from Corsair’s website and its retail partners. They each include a two-year limited warranty.