We sit down with the Corsair M65 PRO RGB Gaming Mouse, a mouthful I know, and put it to the test to see whether it lives up to what Corsair have called their best FPS gaming mouse in the range. The M65 features a 12,000 DPI optical sensor that provides pixel-precise tracking, or so they say, and advanced surface calibration support. This mouse has been built using high-quality materials including an aircraft-grade aluminium frame which is used to give the mouse excellent durability and an aesthetically pleasing finish. Users can use the advanced weight tuning system to set the center of gravity to match their playing style, and utilise iCUE for advanced button configuration, macro programming, and three-zone RGB backlighting customization.

What’s in the box section

Corsair’s M65 PRO FPS gaming mouse comes housed in a sleek looking black box with yellow outlining. The box is equipped with a sturdy front flap which lifts to display the mouse in its plastic casing followed by additional information regarding the M65’s 3 zone RGB system. Once opened you find a super protective shell which is refreshing when other products on the market have a much less resistant housing. Inside you will find the M65 along with its 1.8m braided fibre cable which is tucked away in a little bundle held secure with a Velcro strap. I was really surprised how efficient the cable was at staying kink free especially after being boxed for god knows how long. Finally, you will find your warranty information and the user manual which is quite basic but covers most of the areas that are labelled essential.

• Corsair M65 PRO FPS Gaming Mouse
• User Manual
• Warranty Card

Corsair M65 Pro

$42.98

Buy on Amazon

Mouse Design Section

Size & Weight

Firstly let’s get the elephant in the room out the way shall we, the M65 when fully equipped with all its customary weight zones is a whopping 135g. Now, this mouse is marketed and designed for FPS gaming in mind so I’m not sure what was going through the designer’s heads when they decided to create such a beast. As many of you will know for first-person shooter game’s a much lighter mouse is considered more desirable than one with say, 3 additional weights totalling 20 grams. In the heat of battle FPS gamer’s will be required to do quick 180 degree spins, flick shots and rapid spray corrections, so naturally, something lighter in the hand enables the user to do this more efficiently. However M65 creators have gone in the opposite direction with this one and have decided to pack it out with what they like to describe as their ‘Advanced weight tuning system which helps set the center of gravity to your play style.’ It all sounds very advanced but I struggle to find any true benefit to this feature and think it will probably deter a lot of consumers.

Now, you’d think a mouse with that kind of weight probably has a pretty hefty shell to go with it, but you would be quite wrong. The M65 has been designed for claw grip users primarily and it’s length comes in at just under 12cm’s long which we at Gaming Verdict consider being fairly small. For a palm grip user such as myself, I really struggled to try to achieve a comfortable grip and worst of all, the feeling of awkwardness only grew the longer I used it.

Shape & Texture

There are some positives though and we will get to those promptly, aesthetically the mouse actually looks very nice. The core is made primarily out of ‘Aircraft-grade Aluminium’ and certainly feels like it’s going to last the test of time. Sitting on top of the M65’s core is a single piece of high-quality plastic which is the makeup for both the primary mouse buttons and the remainder of the shell. It’s been designed with a smooth, rubberized plastic to give a softer feel, however, the material seems to be a magnet for picking up oil from extended usage which can be a pain to keep clean.  Following this comes the two side grips which unlike the smooth matte finish of the shell, have been designed with a rough finish to improve grip and reduce any perspiration slip. Overall I enjoy the look of this mouse but when put into a more practical setting find it to be quite awkward.

Buttons & Cable

The M65 comes equipped with eight ‘strategically placed’ buttons to help you gain an advantage over the competition. The two primary mouse buttons are accompanied by Omron switches and have a great tactile feel. Sounds mundane but you can’t beat a good click and Corsair have achieved this here. One of the big draws to this mouse is the Sniper clutch button which allows you to actively drop your DPI settings to the lowest available, massively important in games like Overwatch where you usually need a completely different sensitivity when sniping. However, if you don’t require a drop in DPI then the button becomes almost a nuisance. Its positioned directly where your thumb sits and is activated with little pressure meaning if you were planning on binding it to something else just make sure its something you want to press regularly. Pro tip – Voice activation button is ideal.

I found the two side buttons to be rather well positioned, as a massive CSGO fan I’m forever binding commands to mice and feel the placement Corsair have given these are excellent. Of course, you can also use the scroll wheel for both scrolling and a bindable control which again worked great. There was no skimping on the build when it came to the Corsair M65 and the scroll wheel is no different. It’s comprised of a rubberized exterior which is encasing a solid metallic core which helps aid in effortless control and precision. There have been reports of the scroll wheel wearing out pretty quickly but we have yet to experience this. The Omron switches boast a 20 million click life span, which in today’s market is considered below average, however, Omron is still widely considered by many as the best switches around currently.

 It doesn’t stop at quality switches either, the 1.8m Braided fibre cable looks and feels like it’s built to last a lifetime. It feels much more resistant to kinking and abrasion than the likes of Razers range but with this, Corsair has had to sacrifice weight again. To defeat any further problems I would highly recommend a mouse bungee which aids hugely in the eradication of drag points.

Mouse Performance & Sensor Section

Performance

While the old M65 used a laser sensor for tracking, the revised version has equipped itself with a much more responsive optical sensor, highly regarded as the go-to sensor when picking out a quality gaming mouse. Even though this model is designed to fit the claw grip, I found the M65 relatively comfortable in day to day scenarios. The large PTFE mouse pads slide very well across my Asus Rog Sheath, however, I did experience some catching on the edges of the mat which occurred on the aluminium frame.

The sniper button is relatively controversial and I found it next to useless, but well positioned if you are one of the few that do find it beneficial. I much prefer the design of the Razer Basilisk Sniper button which gives you the choice of using it or not. Further to this, when we put the M65 to the test in numerous gaming scenario’s it was neither the best or the worst thing we had ever tested. One noticeable issue I encountered whilst gaming was the LOD which was fairly sensitive and definitely noticeable in games. I use a fairly low sensitivity so lots of swiping occurs, this being said I lost count of how many times the crosshair placement was being effected when lifting up the mouse to swipe and as you all probably know muscle memory after years of gaming is very difficult to re-calibrate.

I ended up spending the majority of my time playing CSGO with this mouse in both public and competitive settings and just found the overall size of the mouse to be too small. In extended gaming session’s the lower half of my palm always felt like it was slipping away from the main shell, it didn’t sit on top nicely as it does with other mice such as the Zowie FK1+ and the Mamba Elite. I did however fully enjoy the newly designed ergonomics of the side grips which are finished with a rough coat to aid in extra grip, which I absolutely needed. After much experimentation with the weight tuning system I concluded that they were fairly useless, I understand the idea but when put into a practical situation they made no difference as ultimately you want to decrease your weight to optimize FPS gaming.

Connectivity, Lighting, and Software

Connectivity is achieved via the M65’s 1.8m braided fibre cable which is of course equipped with a USB connection, once connected your computer you will be prompted to download and install ICUE, Corsairs interactive and user-friendly software where everything from saving profiles to light customization can be decided. With its 3 lighting zones Corsair boast an almost infinite number of different potential outcomes for the M65 lighting display and I have to say under dimmed light the mouse looks extremely well. One minor thing I feel is worth noting is the DPI light, which CAN NOT be synced to match the lighting profile you decide to go for.

A neat feature of the ICUE software is the Surface Calibration Tuning Utility which they feel ‘Automatically optimizes the sensor’s precision and responsiveness for any playing surface to ensure excellent tracking’. In reality, this feels a little gimmicky. When have you ever bought a mouse and thought, god I’d love to calibrate this to my current mat, it just isn’t practical? This being said the Software is widely regarded as the best Peripheral software on the market at the moment and I’m struggling to disagree.

Read our full ICUE guide here.

Our Verdict

Once again we come to our final thoughts in regards to whether or not we feel this mouse has lived up to the Gaming Verdict’s Tests. Improved Aluminium shell designed for longevity and durability, surface calibration to help optimize precision on any surface and eight tactile gaming buttons inclusive of a sniper clutch button all provide the foundation for a great mouse. However, unforgivable features such as the overall weight and ergonomic design specifically targeting Claw-grip users make it extremely difficult to say that it’s a great gaming mouse for competitive FPS. Ultimately if you are looking to spend between £30-£50, enjoy the Corsair brand and enjoy playing FPS then we would recommend the Corsair Glaive as a solid contender. However on the flip side if you are a serious, competitive gamer wanting to find the edge over your competition then I would recommend checking out the likes of the Deathadder Elite or the Logitech G Pro which for me are stand out mice at affordable prices.

Corsair M65 Pro

$42.98

Buy on Amazon