The Pulsar X3 is a lightweight wireless gaming mouse. It has a right-handed "ergo" shape with a fairly aggressively curved left side and supportive rear hump, making it well-suited for a palm or claw grip for medium or large-sized hands. This model uses Kailh optical switches and a Pulsar-branded XS-1 sensor, which is based on the PixArt PAW3950.
This mouse is available in different sizes and in right- or left-handed shapes. We bought a right-handed medium (Size 2) model. For more details, see the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Pulsar X3 is decent for work use despite not being designed specifically for it. It has a supportive right-handed shape that comfortably accommodates medium or large hand sizes. It also has excellent build quality, and you can easily remap buttons using the companion software. Unfortunately, it doesn't have Bluetooth support for multi-device pairing. Additionally, it lacks helpful productivity features like free-scrolling and L/R scroll tilt inputs.
Excellent build quality.
Supportive shape for palm or claw grip.
Scroll wheel lacks L/R tilt inputs and free-scrolling.
No Bluetooth connectivity or multi-device pairing.
The Pulsar X3 is a remarkably good FPS gaming mouse. It's extremely lightweight and well built and has a smooth chalky coating that helps ensure a solid grip. Its right-handed 'ergo' shape is a good fit for medium or large hands using a palm or claw grip. Performance-wise, it boasts outstanding click latency and excellent sensor latency, delivering a highly responsive experience in-game.
Excellent raw performance.
Extremely lightweight.
Excellent build quality.
Supportive shape for palm or claw grip.
The Pulsar X3 is good for MMO gaming, although it doesn't have as many additional buttons as a dedicated MMO mouse. That said, you can still easily reprogram its buttons using the companion software. It also has excellent build quality and raw performance and a right-handed shape that's supportive and comfortable even for long gaming sessions.
Excellent raw performance.
Excellent build quality.
Supportive shape for palm or claw grip.
Fewer side buttons than dedicated MMO mice.
The Pulsar X3 has excellent raw performance and consistently delivers a highly responsive-feeling gaming experience. It has both remarkable click latency and excellent overall sensor performance using the maximum default polling rate of 1000Hz.
Outstanding click latency.
Excellent overall sensor performance.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 19, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.5.1. This update removes less relevant or redundant elements, including several videos. We've also adjusted our Sensor Latency testing, resulting in minor score changes. See our full 1.5.1 changelog for details.
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Updated May 23, 2025:
We've corrected an error where we incorrectly marked this mouse as not left-handed friendly in the shape test, when there's actually a left-handed version available.
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Updated Mar 27, 2025:
We've added measurements with Pulsar's 8K dongle (sold separately), which were initially omitted while we investigated unusual results. That investigation is now complete—we've identified that the anomalies were caused by differing byte positions in the report packet data when using the 8K dongle. We're confident in our finalized results, which we've added to the Click Latency and Sensor Latency sections.
- Updated Feb 27, 2025: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Pulsar X3 is available in a Black or White colorway. We tested a White unit (Medium/Size 2). See a photo of our unit's label.
As part of Pulsar's wider X3 series, there are also mini and left-handed variants available.
| Name | Size | Handedness |
|---|---|---|
| Pulsar X3 | Medium (Size 2) | Right |
| Pulsar X3 Mini | Small (Size 1) | Right |
| Pulsar X3 LHD | Medium (Size 2) | Left |
| Pulsar X3 LHD Mini | Small (Size 1) | Left |
Apart from their shapes and handedness, there are no advertised internal differences. We expect all models in the table to deliver the same performance as the model we tested.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The Pulsar X3 is a lightweight wireless gaming mouse with a right-handed "ergo" shape. Pulsar indicates on their product page that the shape is based on the Pulsar Xlite V3 family of mice, but the hump is broader and more supportive, making it better-suited for claw or palm grip or more hybrid grips in between, while the Xlite V3 is best suited for a palm grip, exclusively. However, many in the community have also pointed out that the shape is virtually identical to the Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED with HERO Sensor, although the side buttons on the X3 are slightly higher.
The X3 uses an updated Pulsar-branded sensor based on PixArt's PAW3950, which offers marginal benefits, such as the ability to track on transparent glass surfaces and slightly better stability at higher polling rates. Altogether, this mouse is a great lightweight option if you prefer more versatile "ergo" shapes. Price to performance-wise it also compares favourably to more expensive flagship models from bigger brands. It performs roughly as well as the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, though it doesn't match the same raw performance as the Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2 DEX.
For more recommendations, see our picks for the best gaming mouse, the best wireless gaming mouse, and the best lightweight mouse.
These two mice offer very similar performance. The Pulsar X3 has a right-handed ergonomic shape suited for claw or palm grips. It features a newer sensor that provides minor benefits, like tracking on transparent glass and slightly better stability at higher polling rates. It also uses optical switches, which are generally more durable than the mechanical switches on the Pulsar X2. In comparison, the X2 has a symmetrical shape that's versatile but best suited for claw or fingertip grips.
The Pulsar X3 and Pulsar Xlite V3 offer similar raw gaming performance. The X3 has a newer sensor model, but this only provides minor benefits, like tracking on transparent glass and slightly better stability at higher polling rates. The main difference is shape: The X3's shape is based on the Xlite V3 but is more versatile for claw or palm grips with a broader hump towards the rear. In contrast, the Xlite V3 is optimized for palm grip, with a more pronounced downward slope at the rear. Note: Both have small and medium variants, but only the Xlite V3 offers a large version, making it better suited for extra-large hands.
The Pulsar X3 and Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED with HERO Sensor are wireless gaming mice with nearly identical shapes, but the X3 is significantly lighter and offers better raw performance. It also features higher-quality feet and uses optical switches that aren't prone to developing double-clicking issues over time.
The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro and the Pulsar X3 are lightweight gaming mice with right-handed "ergo" shapes and very similar raw gaming performance. The Pulsar has a slightly lower hump that widens more towards the rear, offering palm support, making it suitable for either a palm or claw grip. On the other hand, the DeathAdder's rear isn't as wide and tapers more, making it better suited for a pure palm grip. The Pulsar is also a bit lighter, but it has an open baseplate design that it's potentially more prone to collecting dust and debris.
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