Corsair's latest gaming mouse puts a virtual Stream Deck in your hands, but its main controls won't stick the landing for everyone

The Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless doesn't want to be the fastest on the battlefield or the most nimble in the hand. In a market dominated by rodents trying to convince you you'll climb leaderboards faster with their premium tech, that's a breath of fresh air.

In an almost nostalgic return to the thumb-rest design, the brand's latest pointer pairs a large palm-focused form factor with its own virtual Stream Deck button to form a home for the more casual player still looking for quality under the fingertips.

Its $129.99 / £119.99 price point might be a sticking point, though. We're only $30 off the price of some of the most expensive gaming mice on the market here, and yet the Nightsword V2 has a few missteps to answer for.

Sometimes awkward button positioning, an underwhelming scroll wheel, and hollow-feeling main clicks are making that upper mid-range price feel a little squeaky in today's market. Still, Corsair's secret weapon isn't FPS mastery, it's the ability to draw on Elgato's wealth of Stream Deck macros and plugins for more unique functionality than you'll find in many of the best gaming mouse models.

Speedsters can click away now, you're much better off with a Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro or one of Logitech's ambidextrous pill Superlight models. Anyone looking for a comfortable palm grip with a wealth of additional controls, read on.

Design

It's been a good few years since we had our hands on the Corsair Nightsword RGB, and the rodent's predecessor seems to have grown up during that time.

The shape itself has been smoothed out, with a less aggressive middle hump and a longer taper towards the rear. It's a form factor that begs for a palm grip - despite naturally favoring a claw hold, I found myself instead opting for a more relaxed position on this wide, fairly flat base. It's the extension of that tail that really stands out the most, though. While the previous generation (like most gaming mice I've had my hands on over the years) features a drop-off as it nears the base of the palm, the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless extends its plastic - sitting almost flush with the desk or mouse pad underneath.

That nestles neatly into the bottom of the hand, making for excellent comfort in a palm grip but less control for claw users. Without that wiggle room to the rear, I was unable to finely tune my aim as I often rely on smaller tweaks in direction via my thumb and pinky.

Gone too is the textured surface running along the main body of the mouse, though a similar design still sits along the thumb rest. In its place, a soft matte finish keeps palm temperatures cooler under pressure though I've already noticed this material picking up a decent amount of shine. It clings to oil like a government and isn't particularly forgiving about fingerprints either.

Still, the actual construction is fairly solid - as you'd expect from a $100+ gaming mouse. There's a little creaking when pushing the sides of the device together but the top and bottom panels hold out well with no flex. You won't hear any internal rattles here either.

The whole thing weighs 89g. If you're coming to the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless from a more FPS-oriented background that might sound like a rough deal. While mouse brands have been tunnelling to the bottom of the weight goldmine for a few years now, larger devices focusing more on comfort and a wide range of controls have been less focused on this aspect.

That means 89g is actually pretty light in the grand scheme of this market. The newly released Razer Basilisk V4 Pro targets a similar design with a 100g form factor and the Logitech G502 X Plus comes in at 106g. Corsair has, however, removed the adjustable weights that came with its predecessor.

Underneath all that you've got a set of standard PTFE skates. These are certainly serviceable, but they're not the smoothest on the market. They drag compared to the PTFE feet of the Razer Basilisk V4 Pro I've been testing alongside, with greater resistance behind every pan and zip.

Features

The main draw stealing the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless's headlines is that dedicated virtual Stream Deck button. You'll need to download Elgato's Stream Deck software to get it all configured (and straight out the box it'll be pushing you towards the website every time you accidentally nudge the clicker), but once there it opens the Nightsword up to a massive amount of customization.

That's going to appeal to streamers mostly, with a huge supply of tools to take advantage of while live. However, anyone doubling up their setup between work and play will still find a roster of productivity uses for this floating Stream Deck. Corsair's ownership of Elgato means this one's a Nightword V2 Wireless exclusive.

Elsewhere, you've got eleven buttons to play with in total. The two main clackers use speedier optical tech rather than the omron mechanical snappers of yore, while the scroll wheel offers not just standard click function but also side-to-side tilt buttons as well. The left side of the Nightsword is home to the aforementioned Stream Deck button, as well as two regular side clackers, with two additional inputs running alongside the left main click.

You'll be running either Web Hub or iCue to customize these inputs, though I'd recommend sticking to the browser-based software. I've said it before and I'll say it again, iCue is my least favorite customization tool. A program that hides its download button behind a subscription is pretty heavily signaling what its user experience is going to be like. That said, you will still need to keep the Stream Deck app on your PC to get the full wash of Elgato features.

With both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth you're covered for versatile wireless connections here, with an 8,000Hz polling rate to boot. This isn't a must-have feature - especially not for the playstyle this gaming mouse is designed for. Considering the size and shape of the mouse it's been placed in it's likely an unnecessary cost factored into the final price.

Performance

Ultimately, the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless provides a zippy, responsive experience with enough tracking speed to keep up with faster movements and the comfort to withstand longer sessions. I'm just disappointed that it falls at a few more sensory hurdles.

The main clicks feel smooth and actuate precisely, but have a hollow affect that makes them feel a little looser than tighter switches you'll find elsewhere. Their quiet sound profile is going to come in handy if you're doubling up for productivity in an office setting, but there isn't the snap you'd expect from a $100+ device here.

Similarly, the scroll wheel feels a little... limp, for lack of a better word. Softer notches make individual movements feel less precise than alternative models. While those steps are still firmly felt in use (swapping between weapons in Doom: The Dark Ages remains smooth and accurate), they don't feel as solidly reliable as the tactile clacks of the Razer Basilisk line. They don't let me down too often, but I still can't fully trust them.

Thankfully, side buttons are perfectly tightened with just the right amount of tension for each press. While the position of the Stream Deck button can get in the way of some faster forward motion, causing unwanted inputs, I came to appreciate the slightly cramped cluster of left controls. Positioning my thumb right in the center meant I could still maintain full control of the main body and sensor, but also roll my finger across all three inputs for a much faster interaction. While other rodents often require me to physically pick up and move my thumb to hit these side clackers, this is a particularly frictionless design.

It also packs a pretty sturdy battery life, beating others in its price class with up to 170 hours of juice on a 2.4GHz connection. Granted, that's with RGB switched off and the polling rate set to 1,000Hz - but those are easily achievable sacrifices. In testing, I never once had to plug this bad boy in - and I've been using it non-stop for work and play over two weeks.

Should you buy the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless?

The Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless isn't the most expensive mouse on the market, but it's far from the cheapest. Softer main clicks, a slightly wimpy scroller, and grittier skates are all drawbacks I wouldn't expect to see at this price point. If you're not fussed about that Stream Deck functionality, I'd recommend waiting for something like the Razer BlackShark V4 Pro to go on sale, or holding out for a discount on the older Logitech G502 X Plus or Razer Basilisk V3 Pro.

Anyone looking for a speedster controlled with a fingertip grip will be looking at more compact, lighter models anyway.

It's that Stream Deck functionality that's going to save the day for the Nightsword V2 Wireless in some use-cases, though. If you're a productivity wizard or a macro-heavy player / streamer, the additional customization options here are worth serious consideration. Whether or not Corsair's latest rodent is right for you depends on how often, and how deeply, you'll be making use of that specific ecosystem. If a lot, it's a no-brainer. If you're on the fence, there are better value options out there.

How I tested the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless

I used the Corsair Nightsword V2 Wireless as my daily driver for both work and evening gaming for a period of two weeks, with an additional week spent testing alongside the Razer Basilisk V4 Pro. The rodent was put through its paces in Doom: The Dark Ages as well as a few mouse and keyboard runs of Control: Resonant and plenty of Planet Coaster 2 action. I also performed more stringent tests in CS2 alongside Razer's iteration. For more information on how we test gaming mice, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

We're also rounding up the best wireless gaming mouse models and the best gaming keyboards for more options.