Corsair Ironclaw RGB Wireless

Device

Corsair’s Ironclaw RGB Wireless aims to make owning a wireless mouse a little easier than usual. For starters, while it requires its small USB dongle to connect to your PC using Corsair’s low-latency2.4GHz Slipstream wireless technology, the mouse also has its own built-in Bluetooth controller, allowing you to connect to a Bluetooth – enabled PC or laptop without the dongle. So, if you find you left the dongle at home, all is not lost. 

However, we’d like to see away of storing the dongle within the mouse–acommon feature found on many wireless mice, from 25$ generic models to Logitech’s new G502 Lightspeed The Ironclaw can also connect to your PC using a micro- USBcable, with a 1.8m braided cable in cluded. As long as you have a cable, you’ll be able to charge the mouse, and you can also use it as a third means to connect the mouse to your PC.

Corsair claimsyoucan get up to 24 hours battery life from the Ironclaw with RGB lighting switched off in Slipstream wireless mode,and 50 hours in Bluetooth mode. Those figures fall to 16 hours and 30 hours respectively if you enablethe lighting.

The mouse it self is fairly chunky, but it only weighs 133g, which is 11 glighter than the wired Logitech G402. Somehow, though, the Ironclaw RGB Wireless feels heftier, perhaps because the majority of its Teflon basesits at the rear, which can make side ways swiping motions feel alittle more hampered. It also feels extremely snug in your palm,with a high arching back. However, whileit’s comfortablein claw andfinger grips, in a palm grip,we found our thumb extended past the rubber thumb rest, which didn’t feel great.

The mouse has a size able count of ten programmable buttons, with the two next to the left main button being far easier to reachfor quick DPI adjustments than the ones behind the scroll wheel. However, while the two thumb buttons are easy to use, the button above them doesn’t feel natural at allthough – it would have been better if Corsair had just left it out of thedesign.

In terms of performance, the Ironclaw uses a custom Pixart PMW 3391 18,000 dpi optical sensor and Omron switches. The latter feel and sound a little hefty compared with those included on the Logitech G402, for example, but overall the mouse feels agile and responsive, and there was no hint of latency in wireless mode either.

Mean while, Corsair’s iCUE software allows you to customise the sensitivity in single-digitDPI steps. It also lets you create macros, tweak the lighting and calibrate the sensor to your mouse surface, with the ability to store profiles on the mouse itself.

Conclusion 

Having three ways to connect your mouse to your PC means the Ironclaw RGB Wireless is supremely flexible, and it can act as a nevery day portable mouse as well as a highly capable gaming mouse. It offers wireless support without noticeable latency and, for jus 80$ inc VAT, it’s reasonably priced givenits features too. However, it’snot comfortable for all types of grip, and some of the button placing issuspect – we advise palm gripusers to look elsewhere. 

Plus: Comfortable for claw and finger grips, Ten programmable buttons, Dongle-free Bluetooth and latency-free wireless.
Minus: Thumb rest isn’t long enough for palm grips, Feels chunkier than competition, Some buttons are tricky to access.

Specification

Sensor: 18,000dpi optical 
Connection: Wireless, Bluetooth, Wired USB Cable 1.8m, braided 
Materials: Plastic 
Backlighting: RGB 
Extras: RGB lighting, software, wireless dongle