A gaming mouse is an important tool, and it’s also perhaps one of the most personal ones. The shape of a mouse is a huge factor in how easy it is to use, and the many buttons and their placement can impact how well a mouse works in different types of games. The Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE is a rather specific sort of mouse, intentionally designed for MMORPGs and MOBAs, whose deep well of spells and abilities calls for a ton of easily accessible buttons. This newer model follows up several generations of Scimitar mice, changing little but bringing some technological advancements. It’s a somewhat pricey mouse and isn’t the best fit for all genres, but if you’re trying to step up your game in specific games (or even everyday productivity), it has plenty to offer.
Corsair Scimitar Elite SE – Design and Features
We’ve seen this before, almost exactly – the Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE is just about a clone of the Scimitar Elite Wireless that ranks as our favorite gaming mouse for MMOs and MOBAs. Aside from some recoloring and a new 33K DPI sensor, almost nothing has changed.
What you’ll get is a decently ergonomic mouse with good finger perches and grip on the right side and a grid of 12 buttons on the left side in the style of a number pad. This gives you access to a ton of control with just your thumb, and it makes finger placement all the more crucial. To that end, the mouse’s number pad sits on a rail, letting you slide it to your preferred position and then lock it in place with a little bolt on the bottom of the mouse (all of which is the same as its predecessor).
Along with the side buttons, you still get your typical mouse controls on top, including a DPI switch. These are quality buttons, too, with snappy switches for the primary mouse buttons and a gently notched scroll wheel with a grippy rubber finish. The side buttons are a bit mushier when pressed hard, but have a clear, pronounced actuation.
There’s some RGB lighting with each number on the side buttons and Corsair’s logo on the palm both illuminated. Above the DPI switch, there’s also colored light but this only briefly shines as an indicator of which DPI level has been selected.
Underneath, the mouse rides on four small PTFE feet. There, you’ll also find a profile switch, helping avoid accidental presses along with a toggle to turn the mouse off, set it to Bluetooth mode (which comes with a 500-hour battery life) or set it to 2.4GHz wireless mode (which has a 150-hour battery life). The primary wireless connection is handled by a small USB-A dongle that can slip into a little compartment on the bottom of the mouse for safe keeping when not in use.
The Corsair Scimitar Elite SE is a mouse designed for a very specific task, and it performs wonderfully.With such long battery life, you won’t have to charge it often, but there’s a USB-C port at the front of the mouse for when you do. The port is slightly recessed, so you might not be able to plug in with USB-C cables that have chunky ends, but most USB-C cables should fit, and Corsair supplies a nice, lightweight one.
Corsair Scimitar Elite SE – Software
As with any of the company’s products, the Scimitar Elite Wireless SE uses Corsair’s iCue software for customization. This provides control over lighting effects, key assignments, DPI, and sensor calibration – the lighting is customizable in two zones with the logo and the full number pad on the side representing each zone.
The side buttons, right click, middle click, and DPI toggle buttons can all be reassigned to various functions. You also have the option to assign keyboard shortcuts, keystrokes, open apps, control media, create macros, and plenty more. The mouse will let you set five different DPI stages ranging from 100 DPI all the way up to 33,000 DPI in one-DPI increments. It also supports a sniper mode with its own assigned DPI value. In addition to the settings created in IQ, the software will let you save certain profiles directly onto the mouse's internal memory. This does have some minor limitations, such as fewer light effects and shorter macro strings, but it is otherwise quite comprehensive. And you can save up to five different profiles on the device.
Corsair's software doesn't necessarily present everything in a clear fashion, however, as some settings are haphazardly placed in the UI. For instance, the DPI settings are in one area, but the liftoff distance and polling rate information has to be found in another section, even though all of them relate to performance. The lighting effects and lighting brightness are also in two separate areas, and not every setting gets an actual description in the software. “Motion sense power saving” sounds like a good thing, but the software doesn't explain it at all (it disables lighting while the mouse is in motion, since you can't see much when your hand is covering the lights).
Corsair Scimitar Elite SE – Gaming and Performance
You won’t find the Corsair Scimitar Elite SE lacking in performance – the sensor is indeed precise and tracks extremely well, holding up with the demands of twitchy and accurate aim from my experience playing Delta Force and Insurgency: Sandstorm.
The number pad on the left side of the mouse has a little curve to it, which helps me maintain my grip on the mouse even while lifting it up to swipe. The grips on the right side of the mouse help as well, but the thumb buttons are a bit too easy to press in cases like that, which can lead to errant inputs if you’re not careful. Because of this, the mouse really isn’t ideal for other fast-paced genres like first-person shooters; this is definitely better suited to the MMO and MOBA games that it’s made for.
As nice as it is to have 12 different assignable buttons all within reach of your thumb, I struggle to feel out individual buttons quickly and can’t readily tell whether I’ve centered my thumb on the “5” or “8” button even though they’re textured differently. I think one could reasonably expect to get familiar with distinguishing the positions of six or maybe nine of the buttons even, but sliding around on all twelve is a steeper learning curve. To Corsair’s credit, making the number pad unit itself adjustable ensures you can find a position that’s ideal for your grip and eventually build up the muscle memory to leverage all the buttons. Corsair also made a clear effort to help you feel your way around them with its texturing. But as it stands, my thumb just isn’t sensitive enough – maybe yours will be.
Need to upgrade your keyboard?
Check out our roundup of the best gaming keyboards!
I do question whether cramming all 12 buttons into one spot is the best move. Opting for nine thumb buttons may have made just as much sense if Corsair incorporated something like side-ways scrollwheel clicks or some extra index finger buttons like those on the Logitech G502 X Lightspeed. These are also two features Razer’s cheaper Naga V2 HyperSpeed did in addition to a 12-button number pad.
The DPI switch at the center of the mouse is janky. When I click near its front edge, it has a tendency to get slightly stuck against its housing, making it hard to press. In one way, that can actually be a plus. It makes it something you need to use with intention, so accidentally switching DPI in the heat of battle should be easy to avoid. On the other hand, sticky keys are unreliable, and if you need to frequently use this button, it won’t have your back.
The battery lives up to Corsair’s claims. Even with lighting active, the mouse just runs on and on. I’ve used the mouse extensively for work and play, and maybe charged it twice. If you can remember to just plug it in at the end of every week, you’ll likely never wind up with a dead mouse. And unlike some wireless devices, the Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE works almost as soon as it’s turned on, not requiring time to slowly establish a connection.
Connexion
