Review: HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro 4K

Most people shouldn’t spend more than $100 on a gaming mouse. It’s just not worth it. But you’re not most people, are you? I'm not sure what part of the name intrigued you, but the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro 4K Wireless is for gamers among us who strive to not only have some fun on the weekends but also to win matches. It's got “Pro” in the name after all.

HyperX’s latest gaming mouse is a nice option for highly competitive PC gamers, and at its $120 price it’s a great alternative to pricier esports mice from competitors like Logitech or Razer.

The Top Tier

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro fits into the high end of the gaming mouse category. It's a $30 upgrade over the standard HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 that arrived in 2024. Both are esports wireless gaming mice and are some of the lighter and more full-featured options on the market, with a super-responsive feel. You get a top-of-the-line sensor and upgraded switches on both.

The only visual change between this and the standard Pulsefire Haste 2 is the color. Unfortunately, I found the Slate Gray pretty dull, and it's the only option right now. I would have liked to see a white or black as a variant, at least to match what you can get with the cheaper model. If you didn’t know better, you might assume this mouse is more bare-bones than high-end. I prefer the look of both the Razer Viper V3 Pro and Logitech Pro X Superlight 2, its two main competitors. The Logitech mouse has a unique shape with more color options that make it stand out.

HyperX's mouse does have the slightest splash of RGB though, right on the scroll wheel, adding a touch of interest to what is otherwise a very standard-looking peripheral. Minimal lighting is not abnormal for these high-end esports mice, which tend to favor performance over bling.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 and Haste 2 Pro use the latest and greatest sensor, the same as all of their competitors, capable of up to 26,000 dots per inch. That means far greater sensitivity (or resolution) than the previous model. While that might be this mouse’s most important upgrade in this generation, the main difference between the Haste 2 and the Haste 2 Pro is the polling rate.

To match the higher dpi, this is the first HyperX mouse with a 4,000-hertz polling rate. This is how many times a mouse reports its position to a computer—the higher the number, the more responsive cursor movement. Most mice have a 1,000-Hz polling rate, but esports mice can go up to 8,000 Hz.

There’s been a lot of talk about whether such a spec is even useful. Plenty of tests show that the difference between 4,000 and 2,000 Hz is visually imperceptible, even on monitors with extremely high refresh rates. The jump from 1,000 Hz on the Haste 2 to the Haste 2 Pro's 4,000 Hz sounds like a big leap, but I promise only the most elite competitive gamers will notice the difference. That’s a problem when it’s the primary upgrade between the two.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

You shouldn’t worry that this is “only” 4,000 Hz and not 8,000 Hz like some competitors. And remember, you’ll need to use the higher dpi settings if you can even get something close to 4K polling, which impacts battery life and your PC’s CPU performance.

Don’t get me wrong—the mouse's performance is fantastic. It’s super-responsive in twitchy shooters and, paired with a fast monitor, it feels buttery smooth. It’s just about whether or not it’s worth paying the extra chunk of change over its cheaper sibling.

Light, Strong, and Smooth

None of this matters too much when the mouse feels this good. The shape hasn’t changed from the original HyperX Pulsefire Haste, featuring a fairly low-profile, right-handed symmetrical design designed to work for grips of all types. That’ll always depend on hand size, but for my larger-than-average hand using a claw grip, I found it quite comfortable. I prefer how the Logitech G Pro Superlight 2 feels overall, but hand size and grip style matter a lot here.

With its 61 grams, you can perform quick glides across the surface of a desktop. This is aided by the feet on the bottom, which are smooth for stock skates. Yes, its closest competitors are technically slightly lighter, with the Logitech Pro X Superlight 2 weighing 60 grams and the Razer Viper V3 Pro Wireless at 54 grams. There are also lesser-known options like the Lamzu Maya, which come in well under 50 grams. But when it comes down to it, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro is a lightweight mouse—and more importantly, a well-balanced one.

The build quality might be its biggest strength, though. It feels incredibly well put together, without a hint of weakness in the shell. Not a creak to be heard. The optical switches are expected at this price (as opposed to mechanical ones), but for the first time these are HyperX’s own implementation, and they feel and sound great. I was even impressed by the side buttons, which aren’t mushy and have the right amount of bounce-back when they bottom out. All of this goes a long way toward making this mouse feel worthy of its price.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

There’s a lot to like about the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro. Its two most important standout features are its excellent build quality and its affordable price compared to the competition. However, the non-Pro model has most of the features PC gamers will benefit from, including the same sensor, weight, switches, build quality, wireless connectivity (2.4 GHz USB-A dongle or Bluetooth), and shape. It's often around $70.

Razer has both the Viper V3 Pro and Viper V3 Hyperspeed, but there’s a larger gap between the two in price and features, including in key areas like weight, sensor, and switches. HyperX, on the other hand, feels like it may have jumped the gun with two models.

The good news is that we’ll likely see prices drop on the Pro as HyperX has done in the past, which is really when these mice become must-buys. For now, I’d say the standard Haste 2 is the better purchase of the two.