Corsair DARKSTAR WIRELESS: What Real Users Actually Think

I was always a Razer mouse user. This is my first wireless mouse. And god, this mouse for the price is horrendous. Issues: charging every day, $170 and no charging dock, sometimes start the computer and need to do the pair process again, and the annoying 5.9.89 firmware version keeps appearing to update even after more than 50 times saying it was successfully updated.

The battery life is definitely dog shit... I get maybe 3 days if I'm lucky even on the current 1000hz polling rate that they locked this to after the last iCUE update. Kind of shady how they also removed every mention of '2000 hz' polling from the product page and silently just locked the mouse to 1K polling.

I got mine replaced because the mouse started scrolling down sometimes when I scrolled up and reverse.

The battery life on this mouse is awful. I can barely get two days out of it. Started using one of the new Razer Basilisks and get like 5 days on a single charge easily.

Corsair's 2K polling rate ad was problematic. Slipstream mice have continued to advertise a 2K polling rate but 2K isn't actually 2K. Something that was wrong has apparently been quietly fixed through a software update.

They have lots of problems but it comes down to luck of the draw. Some units work fine, some units have one or several quality control issues.

Same with 'dark core rgb pro' — now limited to 1000hz. They are changing product pages rapidly. On the legal side, EU/NL consumer protection laws around misleading advertising and unfair commercial practices are clearly relevant here. Article 6:194 of the Dutch Civil Code prohibits misleading advertising.

I have a Darkstar as well, and while I can't disagree with any of your points, I do think it takes a little while to 'bed in'. Overall I actually really like the mouse. It's most definitely an MMO mouse — all the macro buttons are amazing and the more ergo shape is perfect for a palm grip.

I bought the Darkstar almost 2 months ago and the mousewheel has started doing just what you're talking about. I scroll down and suddenly it stops for a few scrolls or scrolls in the opposite direction. I had the Nightsword before the Darkstar and it too had issues with the mouse wheel. I had hopes that this $160 mouse would have a high quality mouse wheel that would last for years but I guess not.

Thanks for this post, just saved me buying anything Corsair. I've had issues with their shoddy quality in the past.

I've had my Darkstar for about a year. The scroll wheel issue actually happens to a lot of hand-held electronics over time — grease, oil, and build-up from our fingers blocks sensors from working correctly. Spray BW-100 into the scroll wheel for a minute while turning the wheel. Fixed mine completely.

I just got a Darkstar and immediately the scroll wheel just doesn't work. It will kind of scroll down and up but it isn't usable. I'm so upset, day 1 and it's not working.

I have the same scroll problem, very disappointed. It was the most expensive mouse I've ever bought. My first and last product from Corsair. The Logitech MX Master never had a problem even after falling down many times and it still works well.

I RMA'd my mouse and the new Darkstar happily continued having scroll wheel issues pretty much immediately. Literally every Corsair product has this issue. It's so hard to find a mouse that has all the buttons I want in all the right places — if it wasn't for the faulty scrolling it'd be a near perfect mouse.

It does have its issues but I like it. The reviews probably didn't like the feel because they are more used to the grid-style button format and not an asymmetric layout. Don't put any weight on the tilt feature — that is super gimmicky and doesn't seem to work in game. On balance I would personally take the risk. It's a very rare button layout.

I have the same scroll wheel issue right now with my Darkstar Wireless RGB MMO gaming mouse.

I kind of solved the squeaky LMB issue. I took some Keychron KLube 205 stabilizer lube and spread it on the bit of plastic holding up the fin from the housing. I did my application with a toothpick — if you can get a syringe with a long needle it would be more precise.

I was thinking about it to replace my Naga X for WoW. I am just afraid of the build quality — it looks like it can easily break. I will probably keep an eye out for any deals for it in future. Would love to move from Razer Naga entirely because every single model starts having issues after a year.

All you had to do was make the Scimitar wireless... why would I want an MMO mouse with less buttons.

I've been using it for about 3 years and it's been mostly ok. iCue isn't great but hasn't been terrible either... I would say it's mid. The main problem I've had is about once or twice a month it doesn't wake up from sleep and I need to flick on/off switch. The power consumption has actually improved.

Mine kept disconnecting and reconnecting, super annoying. Also that 6th button is kinda difficult to press.

Fantastic mouse, the motion gesture features are brilliant and I used them a lot more than I thought. Downside is you have to deal with iCue which is a pain at times.

I've had 3 of them. They're discontinued and Corsair flat out lied and then tried covering up the polling rate (1000hz), it was sold with 2000 but was, in fact, overclocked. So that's all been removed and its simply 1000hz now. The issues I had were the scroll wheel always failed.

They need to create an updated version fixing its problems. Almost everyone complains consistently about the scroll wheel issues. And this is the first mouse I've had where the casing on the mouse has bubbled and peeled off. I had two Scimitars before this and never had an issue. Its been 8 months and the finish has peeled off.

I have a Razer Basilisk V3 X, Razer Naga V2 Pro, Logitech G502 Lightspeed, Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite, Asus ROG Chakram X, and this Darkstar mouse is my number one no-brainer favorite. The button placement and the gesture features are just that good.

It's been fine. The battery life isn't great, but I just charge it at night when I'm done. The biggest issue with the mouse by far is iCue. It sucks, and I won't buy anymore Corsair products because of it. Sucks though cause the hardware is great.

I have it and it is a good mouse. My only issue so far is a squeaky left main button, not every time but it's there. I also find the side buttons to be a bit hard and confusing to use while gaming — it's not easy to feel what button you are pressing.

I wish I saw this thread before I bought one on sale. The mouse itself feels amazing and I love all the buttons but I play a lot of FPS games and the micro-disconnect issue is killing me in everything I play. The stutters are so random too. I know I can make it wired but I bought the wireless version for a reason.

Mine stopped charging after one month and 6 months later — of average use — the paint has come off.

I bought the Darkstar mainly for all the buttons. The mouse is really good imo, though I am having the exact issues with the mouse stopping tracking for a second and the squeaky click. It's good for what I'm using it for — professional R6 gameplay — all the buttons are doing great.

Disconnecting and lagging is typically caused by interference from other devices. I solved it by plugging the mouse's USB dongle to a USB extension cord so it is close to the mouse. But I agree it is a mouse problem — its radio is simply not sensitive enough.

I've had mine for quite a while. It's hard to find mice with enough buttons for me. I just wish the Darkstar had a dock to charge it.

Been using it for almost 1.5 years, no problems whatsoever. Works perfectly and as expected when I decided to buy it. Definitely would buy again.

People usually only take the time to write about stuff they're pissed off about. It's rare for people to hop on here to only say good things. I have Corsair keyboards, mice, headsets, mousemats, fans, lights, etc. and everything works great. The only issues I've had were my fault for not learning how stuff works before jumping in.

On my 3rd. First the kid broke, 2nd scroll wheel stopped functioning correctly, but replaced under warranty. Great mouse though, it replaced the scimitar. Comfortable, good button placement.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but Corsair fakes the 2000Hz on their range of mice. Instead of running at 2000Hz, they send 2 data points at 1000Hz intervals and therefore fake the readings. Each time they release a mouse I check if they've fixed it. Pretty ludicrous that they continue to sell mice with this false advertising.

Apart from the confusing polling rate, it's a decent mouse. I would've liked a layout of side buttons more similar to my G604, and I do miss the unlockable scroll wheel, but having it work over USB wired, wireless, and Bluetooth makes it a good mouse I can use to switch between my PC, laptop, and Steam Deck.

I have one, but haven't used it a ton. It seemed decent, but heavy, in my limited usage. It felt better in terms of quality than other Corsair mice I have. Very comfortable too.

I returned this mouse 1 year ago because of the button actuation problem when setting the mouse down on a surface.

I'm not buying any Corsair mice anymore. Both my Dark Core RGB Pro SE and my Sabre RGB Pro Wireless have a broken mousewheel — it often doesn't respond or scrolls in the wrong direction.

My Darkstar started scrolling in the wrong direction. I opened it up to clean it but it made no difference.