Verdict
The Novablade Pro ticks each field for aggressive gamers whereas additionally satisfying informal gamers with the inclusion of two.4GHz performance throughout PC and PS5. If you’re sick of coping with trailing cables throughout your lounge flooring, it is a no-brainer possibility.
Pros
- Highly customizable to suit your preferences
- Virtually flawless 2.4GHz wi-fi assist
- Programmable actuation keys provides customization
Cons
- Lacks iCUE software program assist
- No guide/legend for exhibiting what further keys do
- Begging for an OLED display screen to assist modify settings
Corsair has stepped into the ring with its tackle the leverless controller pattern and landed some heavy blows to its competitors. Introducing the Novablade Pro, a brand new competitor sporting 2.4GHz wi-fi performance and Hall impact switches for report-breaking response occasions. Designed with esports opponents in thoughts, this leverless controller is natively appropriate with each PlayStation 5 and PC, making it properly-suited to taking part in on the highway and at house.
Corsair has taken facets from one of the best fight sticks and blended them with its experience within the gaming keyboard area to create an actual market disruptor. The Novablade Pro is undoubtedly essentially the most characteristic-packed possibility out there, and priced at £230 / $250, it is set to offer the competitors an actual run for its cash.
Specs
| Corsair Novablade Pro specs | |
| Compatibility | PS4, PS5, PC (Windows) |
| Power | 7500mAh rechargeable battery |
| Connection | USB-C, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz |
| Switches | Corsair MGX Hyperdrive magnetic keyswitches |
| Weight | 1,442g |
| Dimensions | 226mm x 46mm x 6.9mm (W x H x D) |
| Price | $250 / £230 |
Features
Building on the normal 12-button leverless controller format, Corsair has added three further programmable buttons, one above the motion keys and two positioned on either side of the Up key. Unlike the Victrix Pro KO’s further buttons, these can’t be eliminated and changed with spacers to fill the void. I by no means as soon as by chance pressed these buttons, however I may see this being some extent of competition for some gamers who aren’t thinking about utilizing them.
Located above the principle buttons are six operate buttons, L3 and R3, and the touchpad, whereas alongside the proper fringe of the controller are 5 G Keys that assist you to change the RGB lighting impact, brightness, SOCD settings, allow Rapid Trigger, and modify the actuation level of the buttons. Speaking of which, arguably the massive promoting level of the Novablade Pro is its Hall impact switches, a characteristic that Corsair claims will assist ship “quicker, cleaner inputs.”
One of the proposed benefits of Hall impact switches is the flexibility to decide on the right actuation level for every swap, starting from 0.1mm to 4.0mm. You can change the actuation level in 5 predefined steps, or you will get granular with 0.1mm increments utilizing the devoted operate key. Corsair would not promote the choice to switch the inventory switches with options, however they will, in reality, get replaced with third-celebration Hall impact switches. Corsair would not promote alternative MGX Hyperdrive switches, although, so that you’re by yourself in the event that they occur to interrupt.
You can pull off the Novablade Pro’s magnetic prime plate to disclose switches that change the platform compatibility in addition to the connection methodology. It additionally homes the wi-fi USB receiver, which can be utilized with PS5 and PC, for low-latency, wire-free periods. The Novablade Pro helps a 1,000Hz polling price when utilizing the two.4GHz wi-fi and wired connections, however not Bluetooth. The Novablade Pro additionally comes with a sturdy plastic cowl to guard the controller’s buttons everytime you’re touring.
The backside of the Novablade Pro is lined with a grippy rubber materials to cease the controller from slipping off your lap or desk throughout gaming periods. It additionally has a locking mechanism to make sure your USB cable would not fly out at a vital second, although I’ve come to dislike these as they do not play properly with totally different USB cables. The argument for them is in event settings the place you do not need somebody by chance stepping in your cable, however I do not assume I’ve ever seen that occur in actual life.
As for the buttons, they’re RGB backlit, although bizarrely, you’ll be able to’t manually assign the colours, which can also be the case for the sunshine strip surrounding the machine. These RGB buttons additionally serve a function apart from being aesthetically pleasing to some folks; they’re used to find out the settings for the controller. For instance, the sunshine strip adjustments measurement to point out the actuation level of your buttons, and the buttons will repeatedly flash earlier than triggering a selected motion.
Design
Most firms take the same strategy to the design of leverless controllers as they do for keyboards, which is to say all of them look largely the identical. That stated, even with out the model title printed on the machine, that is unmistakably a Corsair product, sporting a minimalist design with a plain black aesthetic, and it makes use of Corsair’s present signature tripoint sample on the trackpad. Corsair gives a template for printing customized paintings for the highest plate, however be warned that you’ll have to take care of the nightmare that’s making use of vinyl prints.
The minimalist look attracts consideration away from the Novablade Pro’s characteristic set as a result of you’ll be able to’t see at a look what it may well do. Though there are eight G Keys in whole, the 5 on the facet have particular actions, and so they can’t be reassigned. After two months of use, I nonetheless could not inform you what every of the facet G Keys does with out referring to the guide. Crucially, as a result of Corsair hasn’t made this controller appropriate with its iCUE software program, or any software program, for that matter, you’ll be able to’t shortly verify these by way of your PC.
Corsair may, although, have included a key underneath the highest panel to elucidate what the whole lot does; that means, they may preserve the Novablade Pro’s smooth look whereas offering further info as to what the controller can do. As talked about earlier, the buttons and light-weight strip will react whenever you’re adjusting settings, however that does not imply something to you until you have got the guide open.
The magnetic prime plate that hides away the connection settings is a good suggestion, although I’ve discovered it troublesome to carry out simply utilizing my quick fingernails. The hole is simply too small to suit a finger beneath, forcing you to make use of one thing thinner to take away the plate. Understandably, there is not plenty of area to work with, so there’s not rather a lot Corsair may’ve finished right here, however it’s nonetheless barely irritating.
To keep away from any unintentional button presses, I might’ve preferred to see the G Keys hidden underneath the plate, as they’re largely a set-and-overlook characteristic. It would not matter whether or not you modify the lighting impact or brightness whereas taking part in, however you’ll really feel a distinction whenever you mistakenly press the SOCD, Rapid Trigger, or Actuation Cycle G Keys.
The wi-fi performance contributes to the Novablade Pro’s weight; coming in at 1.4kg, it is significantly heavier than its rivals. It’s simply gentle sufficient that I haven’t got any points carrying it in my backpack, however it’s on the higher finish of what I might contemplate acceptable. As for the dimensions, even with the plastic cowl on to guard the buttons, it may well comfortably slot in any laptop computer pocket.
Performance
You will not ever catch gamers at a event utilizing their controllers wirelessly, because of considerations relating to potential interference, which may end up in dropped inputs. So, regardless of the Novablade Pro performing exceptionally properly in 2.4GHz mode – I discovered it virtually indistinguishable from wired play in my testing of the machine – there’s one thing virtually reprehensible in regards to the concept of doing so in a aggressive setting. At house, nevertheless, that is by far essentially the most handy solution to play combating video games from the consolation of a settee.
I discovered myself considerably conflicted in regards to the buttons on the Novablade Pro as a result of they’re so totally different in comparison with the whole lot else I’ve used. Whereas most fight stick buttons are usually flat with little or no journey distance, Corsair has determined to go in the other way, choosing comparatively tall, domed buttons.
The journey distance feels twice as lengthy in comparison with conventional buttons, however the customizable actuation factors imply you do not have to backside them out to set off an enter. I discovered the default setting of 1mm to be the right actuation level, however I nonetheless would’ve most popular if the full journey distance had been lowered by half.
The Rapid Trigger characteristic that permits you to reset a key with out having to attend for the button to totally pop again up is useful, significantly when the buttons have such an extended journey time. That stated, it is a answer to an issue that solely impacts these particular buttons, as standard fight stick buttons have a tendency to not have lengthy journey occasions anyway. Additionally, whereas these buttons really feel satisfying to press, they’re a few of the loudest I’ve ever used, which might be a priority for some folks.
Also, whereas Hall impact switches are undeniably sooner in comparison with mechanical ones, particularly when set to 0.1mm actuation distance (which Corsair would not advocate because of their excessive sensitivity), they are not a sport-changer that may all of a sudden make you play higher. Opting for such a excessive sensitivity can result in extra errors, and the very last thing you need is to need to blame your controller since you by chance skimmed over a button and it ruined your spherical. It’s merely a really totally different use case from how Rapid Trigger has reworked keyboard inputs for some video games.
This leverless controller has so many customizable settings that you would be able to modify on the fly, from SOCD choices, creating macros (PC solely), and altering particular person profiles, that it finally ends up being each a blessing and a curse. I all the time admire having the selection to tweak granular settings to my precise desire. However, the Novablade Pro actually may’ve benefitted from a tiny OLED display screen, just like Haute42’s premium choices.
Without a display screen to see what you are adjusting, it is potential to tweak an necessary setting and never understand what you’ve got finished. I as soon as managed to vary my actuation level by chance throughout a session, utterly throwing me off my sport. Since then, I’ve saved the controller in Game Mode to disable the G Keys and maintain the settings as standardized as potential. Likewise, the Novablade Pro may gain advantage from software program like Victrix Control Hub or Razer Synapse to offer you an outline of all of your changes. Integration with Corsair’s personal iCUE software program looks like a wierd omission from a tool that may’ve significantly benefited from it.
Battery life
Corsair claims the battery within the Novablade Pro ought to final 40 hours when utilizing 2.4GHz wi-fi, and with the brightness set to 100%, and that you would be able to rise up to 200 hours when you flip off the RGB lighting totally. After two weeks of wi-fi-solely periods, I can verify the battery lasted round 40 hours with the sunshine present operating at full blast.
You can verify how a lot battery is remaining utilizing the Function key, displaying the share vary by setting the sunshine strip to a selected coloration. It’s value noting that you should use the Novablade Pro wirelessly whereas charging it with a cable, so in case your console’s USB port is simply too far-off, you’ll be able to all the time depend on a battery financial institution as an alternative.
Price
The Corsair Novablade Pro worth is $249.99 / £229.99, making it the most cost effective possibility of the premium leverless controllers. You can count on to pay over $200 for any PS5 leverless controller, and that is still the case with Corsair’s providing. We’ve seen the Novablade Pro lowered to as little as $199.99 / £159.99 already, although, making it top-of-the-line offers available on the market when you’re searching for a event-prepared machine with wi-fi performance throughout PC and PS5.
Alternatives
Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick
The Victrix Pro KO is a good possibility when you’re hyper-centered on event-stage play, due to its constructed-in button replacements that assist you to change a problematic button inside minutes, utilizing the instruments contained in the fight stick. The Pro KO helps totally different mechanical switches if you wish to modify the texture of the buttons, and it could even be a more sensible choice when you favor the format of the Pro KO’s further buttons.
Razer Kitsune
The Razer Kitsune is essentially the most no-frills possibility of the bunch, that includes the whole lot you want for top-stage play and never a lot else. Like the Novablade Pro, the Kitsune would not formally assist having sizzling-swappable switches, however they are often changed when you ever expertise any points. It’s additionally the lightest possibility, weighing in at simply 800 g, lower than half the load of the Novablade Pro. The buttons are additionally significantly quieter than each the Pro KO and the Novablade Pro, making it extra appropriate for late periods when dwelling with roommates.
Verdict
Corsair has lined each base with the Novablade Pro, matching the excessive requirements set by Razer and Victrix, and in some facets, going even additional than the competitors with its chopping-edge Hall impact switches and faultless wi-fi performance. The stage of customization on provide with the Novablade Pro is critically spectacular, although it is up for debate simply how vital a few of the superb-tuning actually is. The Novablade Pro may significantly profit from an app to confirm precisely the way it’s been arrange, however even with out that, it is nonetheless a superb alternative for anybody seeking to decide up a premium leverless controller.
