Corsair Sabre V2 Pro Wireless CF review

Last year, I checked out the regular, non-carbon fibre version of the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro and loved it. At just 36 g and with a pretty sturdy, solid body, it brought a true leap forward for ultralight mouse design. And the best part? It's priced cheaper than most other premium ultralight competition at $100.

Then Corsair decided to release heavier carbon fibre and magnesium versions. The latter is $50 extra at $150, and the CF version I have here is $100 extra at an eye-watering $200. That makes this the most expensive mouse I've ever laid my hands on.

So, surely Corsair must have packed in something revolutionary here to justify this price tag, right? After all, the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, with its bleeding-edge haptic-inductive clicks, costs $20 less than this.

Nope, sadly not. Apart from a bit of extra battery life, the justification here is the carbon fibre shell. According to Corsair, "this wonder material boasts an amazing power to weight ratio, giving your mouse great strength without tipping the scales." Except it clearly does tip the scales, because this mouse is 19 g heavier than the non-CF version, and I don't think all of that comes down to the battery.

I see Corsair's argument, of course—it's just not $200 worth of argument. The carbon fibre shell does feel very comfy and more sturdy than any other mouse I've held, resisting all my strenuous stress-test squeezes with ease. And it is impressive that this rigidity is achieved while keeping things to a low 55 g weight, which is basically the same weight as our fave mouse and one that we think is plenty light, the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro.

That's just not worth $200, though, unless you like to pitch your mouse against the wall, full-force, in fits of peak gamer rage. If you don't partake in such things, then I can't see why a standard, sturdy, non-carbon fibre mouse wouldn't do the trick while saving you lots of money.

If sturdiness is absolutely key for you, though, and you want a comfy and performant mouse alongside it, then the Sabre V2 Pro CF might make sense. It comes with a carry case, too, just in case you want to double down on keeping those internals protected.

The sensor performance in particular is something I want to emphasise, because you're getting the same sensor and wireless dongle as with the standard Sabre V2 Pro. Which is a good thing—nay, a great thing. The Sabre V2 Pro is the best mouse I've tested in terms of straight-up sensor performance over wireless, bar none, and that's the case here, too.

With most other mice, sensor testing shows some slight but measurable inconsistencies when connected wirelessly, even if these aren't actually perceptible in practice. Not so with the Sabre V2 Pro: somehow that wireless connection is just way more locked in than others. The CF version is no different.

Tested at 1,000 Hz — The closer the dots are together, the more consistent a mouse is reporting movement. More variation or stray dots makes for a less accurate sensor.(Image credit: Future)

Tested at 1,000 Hz — Each dot represents an update, which corresponds to the polling rate. Every 1 ms should mark a single update on a 1,000 Hz mouse.(Image credit: Future)

Tested at 1,000 Hz — The spikes represent an increase in velocity, with more erratic spikes showing tracking going haywire.(Image credit: Future)

I suppose you're also getting a more versatile mouse than the non-CF version, too, thanks to the 120-hour battery life and Bluetooth connectivity. But you're still getting the same mechanical switches, which is a strange choice given optical switches are more durable because they shouldn't be able to suffer from double-click issues and so on. Given that durability seems to be the name of the game here, optical would have made more sense.

I'd also have liked better skates for $200. The Sabre V2 Pro CF comes with the same black UPE feet as the non-CF version, which aren't awful, but they're not exactly the fastest of the bunch. They feel especially slow if you're coming from fast white PTFE skates. Though I suppose UPE is more durable, so maybe Corsair's sticking with that theme here, too.

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

On the app front, you're getting some pretty snappy and easy-to-use web software, which is great because it means you don't have to keep anything running in the background. The UI is fine, but nothing to write home about, and you don't get the kind of extensive options that you do in some other mouse software, such as sensor rotation.

Unfortunately, as of the time of writing, you can't adjust any of the mouse's settings in local iCue software, so you're restricted purely to the web-based version, which could be an issue if you lose internet access.

Plus—and I know this is very subjective—I don't think carbon fibre texture looks great. It actually looks pretty goofy, to my eyes, and I'd much rather a plain white, plain black, or black-and-white. But perhaps that's just me.

Ultimately, though, all of this is by-the-by because I doubt anyone other than the peculiarly durability-obsessed—hey, no judgment here—will find a mouse worth $200 here. If it was the same $100 price tag as the original Sabre V2 Pro, I could make an argument for it, but not for literally twice the price. Carbon fibre isn't that cool.

For my money, I'd be opting for another ambidextrous-shaped mouse instead, such as a Superlight 2, or heck, a Superstrike. And if the ambi design isn't a necessity either, then the world is your oyster, a cheaper oyster at that.