The hardware is solid and does everything we need, but at almost £70 we would expect a good software suite too. Corsair has been working on its Utility Engine for some time, and it is one of the more powerful suites available. CUE can be used with all recent Corsair peripherals, and you can even demo products on there before purchasing.
Click to enlarge
You choose each bit of hardware by clicking it at the top of the screen. The Glaive can have multiple profiles, and it also has onboard memory to save settings. Each button on the mouse can be reprogrammed, and when you program the buttons you can select from a wide range of functions such as running a macro, launching a program, or setting a timer.
Click to enlarge
Recording a macro is easy, and you can choose to edit the macro after you have created it to remove or add delays. If you are looking to change your LED settings, you can choose from a range of dynamic modes or simply set them to a single colour.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
If you do choose to use a dynamic mode, you can set the speed to change independently too. As with all recent Corsair products, you can set the Glaive RGB to work with Lighting Link. This basically just makes all of your Corsair peripherals work together to create some pretty effects. One good thing about the CUE software is that you can create your own effects and share them with the Corsair community. You can also download profiles others have created and enjoy some rather interesting lighting.
Click to enlarge
You can set up to five saved DPI settings to scroll through using the DPI button, and there is also a sixth setting which can be saved as a sniper button. You need to program the sniper button using the actions tab. You can also change settings such as angle snapping and LOD.
Click to enlarge
As with a few other brands, Corsair has allowed you to calibrate the sensor depending on which gaming surface you are using. Personally, I have never found calibrating a sensor to make any difference, but maybe it is because of the surfaces that I have used them on. The final screen shown allows you to change polling rate, LED brightness, and also clear the storage on the mouse.
Conclusion
I have to admit, I really do like this mouse. I won't be using it as my daily driver, but it will be one that I can see myself using on one of my other computers. Comfort is always hard to comment on, as it is very much a matter of personal opinion. Corsair has increased its chances of getting it right though, and having three separate thumb grips enables Corsair to hit a larger audience and fit a higher number of hands. The three grips are very different in feel and size, so there should be one that you can use.
The sensor is very good; it never skipped a beat whilst we used it, and it was able to track on all the surfaces that we tried it with. There was never any stuttering or other strange performance issues. The CUE software is powerful and can be used with multiple products. I have personally spent a lot of time using CUE, and although it can be tricky to get the hang of when you are creating multiple profiles for multiple peripherals, overall it is a very positive experience. Corsair has made a complete software suite which can cater to those who want to go crazy with settings but also to those who just want the basics.
The RGB LEDs are something that we don't really need, but it's basically a law for them to feature on high-end peripherals now. Except for the blue DPI indicator; we are not sure why this didn't get included as RGB, but if this is the biggest negative we can find with this mouse, then Corsair has done well.
The MSRP for this mouse is around £70. This is expensive, but we feel that if you can afford it, you'll be glad you spent the money. As we always try to emphasise, though, make sure you try out the mouse before you buy it.
Is there a place for this mouse in the Corsair lineup? Yes. Although it is somewhat a mix-up between the M65, Scimitar, and Sabre in terms of the different shapes it can achieve, the only one it could potentially replace is the Sabre. Each of the others has other functions that differentiate them. The Glaive isn't anything that we haven't seen before, but it is an excellent representation of a gaming mouse. If you are in the market for a new mouse and have deep pockets, be sure to check it out.
Want to comment? Please log in.