CORSAIR KATAR PRO Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

A Low-Cost Wireless Entry To Corsair’s Mouse Family

With the KATAR PRO Corsair is keeping things simple. It’s a compact, symmetric wireless mouse that runs on a single AA battery, connects via Corsair’s Slipstream Wireless with an included dongle (or bluetooth, if you prefer), and costs $39.99.

The KATAR PRO is designed for either a “claw” or “fingertip” style grip (the latter of which is my preferred style), and it weighs in at 96g. And, yes, as this is a Corsair product there is iCUE integration and RGB – though optional, and only 1 zone.

Features from Corsair:

• Game in the Fast Lane: Play with hyper-fast, sub-1ms SLIPSTREAM CORSAIR WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY, or connect to a wide range of devices with low-latency Bluetooth
• Light and Agile: Weighing just 96g, the KATAR PRO WIRELESS is great for hours of fast-paced FPS or MOBA gameplay
• Play for Days: Powered by just a single AA battery with up to 135 hours of battery life.
• Compact Symmetric Shape: Great for claw and fingertip grip styles
• 10,000 DPI Optical Sensor: A PMW3325 sensor from PixArt offers the precision and high-accuracy tracking you need for victory
• Six Fully Programmable Buttons: Create an in-game advantage with button remaps and custom macros
• Simple Setup: Just connect the wireless adapter to a USB port and switch the mouse on to start playing right away
• Powerful CORSAIR iCUE Software: Enables custom macro programming, button remaps, mouse sensitivity adjustment, surface calibration, and more
• Switch DPI on-the-fly: Switch between three preset DPI settings without having to interrupt your game
• Onboard Profile Storage: Save your favorite DPI and lighting settings to take on the go and use with any PC or laptop

Design and Usage Impressions

The KATAR PRO Wireless is a compact mouse, marketed as a claw/fingertip mouse for FPS or MOBA gameplay. It offers a symmetrical design, though not ambidextrous once the side buttons are factored in.

The KATAR PRO Wireless measures 4.56 inches (115.8 mm) long, 2.53 inches (64.2 mm) wide, and 1.49 inches (37.8 mm) high, and weighs 96 grams.

After installing the included AA battery, connecting the included dongle to an available USB Type A port, and switching it to wireless mode (the other switch positions are Bluetooth, and off) the KATAR PRO is ready to use. For further customization Corsair’s iCUE software will be required.

The single RGB zone is an indicator of the currently-selected setting for mouse sensitivity. Colors can be customized, of course. Clicking on the button below the mouse roller cycles through four options, which are programmed to 400, 800, 1500, and 3000 DPI by default.

As to my own usage impressions, I use a fingertip grip for the most part, and a mouse like this fits my style well. Not an ultra-lightweight mouse, the mouse is still quite easy to move around with a fingertip grip at 96 grams, though movement of the KATAR PRO will be much smoother with a quality mouse surface (naturally).

The mouse buttons are satisfyingly clicky, the wheel has a grippy feel and a pleasantly segmented roll, and overall I have zero complaints about my usage experience.

Final Thoughts

While at first glance a $39.99 wireless mouse that runs off a AA battery might not seem very special, Corsair is offering a surprisingly compelling gaming option here for fans of smaller mice. It isn’t in the same league as the somewhat larger DARK CORE RGB PRO we reviewed back in April, but that mouse costs twice as much ($79.99).

If you are in the market for a smaller wireless mouse that is equally suited to both gaming and productivity, the KATAR PRO is a solid entry into Corsair’s lineup. It offers the company’s proprietary “hyper-fast 1ms” Slipstream Wireless Technology, can also be connected via low-latency Bluetooth, and has an adjustable optical sensor with a 10,000 DPI native resolution.

It’s a no frills alternative to Corsair’s HARPOON RGB mouse, which had been the previous low-cost Slipstream Wireless option at $59.99. At just $39.99 the KATAR PRO Wireless is a good value, and if it fits your style I find it very easy to recommend.