Page 3 - Subjective Performance Tests
This is where the fun begins. After installing Corsair iCUE, I adjusted the Katar PRO XT to my personal settings. This included modifying the sensitivity and calibrating the mouse for my current mousepad. Afterward, the tracking performance test began. This was done by using it for my typical applications. This included simple web browsing, gaming, and Microsoft Office. Some graphics testing was also done in Adobe Photoshop. As the Corsair Katar PRO XT is designed for both first-person shooter (FPS) and multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBA), I used games such as Valorant and League of Legends to test this mouse. Please note these are subjective tests, but we will attempt to make them as objective as possible with our cross-reference testing methods.
As previously mentioned, when it comes to mouse grips, I personally prefer to use a palm grip, but I can also adjust to claw grip if needed. I found that the Corsair Katar Pro XT is a mouse more suitable for claw or finger grip styles due to the shape and size of the mouse. The claw grip style specifically works very nicely with the small size of the mouse and the crisp clicks of the Omron switches only further compliments this grip style. While the mouse fits decently into the palm of my hand, it started to get uncomfortable after a longer period due to the small size of the shell. Therefore, I would say palm grip users may want to opt for a larger mouse. At 73g, the light weight of the Corsair Katar PRO XT is advantageous for first-person shooter games requiring swift actions for aiming and shooting. When it comes to sensitivity, I prefer it in the 3000 to 4000 DPI range, even when gaming, including FPS games. The 100 DPI to 18,000 DPI range of the Corsair Katar PRO XT will have users enjoying the flexibility of sensitivity options. The fact that the Corsair Katar PRO XT has a maximum sensitivity of 18,000 DPI using the performance PMW3391 sensor for about the same price point as the Corsair Gaming Harpoon RGB is impressive, even if very few users would choose to go up to a sensitivity that high.
The Corsair Katar PRO XT is advertised as a gaming mouse, so I ran my tests on FPS and MOBA games. When playing Valorant, I was impressed with how responsive the Corsair Katar PRO XT was. I like to hotkey common commands such as reloading and melee to available buttons on my gaming mice. While reloading and switching to melee, I found that every button was quite responsive. The Corsair Katar PRO XT gave quick response rates when in combat, further complemented by the crisp clicks of the buttons. When playing League of Legends, the tracking movement was very standard, although the light weight of the mouse made large movements easier when compared to heavier gaming mice. I found this to be especially true with League of Legends, where I was constantly swinging the mouse around to move my champion to different areas of the map.
While the Corsair Katar PRO XT is best utilized for games, I found that it continued to give good performance when using it for more work-related applications. When using Microsoft Office to write university reports and track project progress, this mouse continued to deliver on its tracking performance, especially when going between multiple cells and sheets on Microsoft Excel. When doing my regular browsing between different websites, the side switches gave a very nice response, with going back and forth between pages being almost seamless. A big part of this is thanks to the PixArt PMW3391 sensor. With a maximum tracking speed of 400 IPS, this sensor gives pinpoint accurate responses with incredible control speed.
I found that the Corsair Katar Pro XT to be very responsive and precise with the switch clicks and polling rate of 1000 Hz. This is a polling rate that you will find in most mice today, which I think is very good for a budget mouse. The response time was very consistent with no input lag when testing from 100 DPI to 18,000 DPI. The fact that there was no observable jittering at 18,000 DPI makes it even more impressive, even though I feel very few people would use a sensitivity that high. From testing using my mouse pad, wooden desk, and kitchen tablecloth, I found there were no issues with tracking.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
