Now Mice Have 'Dual Sensors' Too: Pulsar Unveils 'P1 Supercaliber

Gaming gear brand Pulsar has unveiled its new gaming mouse, the 'P1 Supercaliber,' which uses dual sensors to create a virtual sensor at any position desired by the user. While existing gaming mice have traditionally competed on high DPI, polling rates, and lightweight builds, this product sets itself apart by tailoring the tracking reference point itself to the user.

Pulsar hosted the 'Pulsar Gaming Gear Media Day' on November 11, introducing the core technology and development background behind the P1 Supercaliber. The event featured Pulsar Product Manager Hyunjin Choi, alongside Professor Sunjun Kim of the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Professor Byungjoo Lee of Yonsei University, both of whom participated in the product's development and detailed the principles and research findings behind the dual-sensor technology.

PM Hyunjin Choi, who led the product presentation, first emphasized the critical role that sensor placement plays in a gaming mouse.

Gamers generally do not move a mouse in purely horizontal or vertical lines. Because mouse movement combines rotational mechanics pivoting around the elbow and wrist, moving the exact same mouse in the same way can produce different on-screen cursor trajectories depending on where the sensor is positioned.

Choi explained, "Our brain automatically calculates the sensor's position when moving a mouse," adding that any discrepancy between the user's expected sensor location and its actual location can impact aiming accuracy.

Research supporting this was also presented. Even when using an identically shaped mouse under the same conditions, tailoring the sensor placement to the individual resulted in an average pointing task performance improvement of about 4.1%, with maximum gains reaching approximately 9.6%.

Choi emphasized that this difference doesn't merely impact the outcome of a single match, but continuously affects performance throughout every instance of aiming and clicking on targets.

The technology developed to solve this issue is 'OmniFusion.' OmniFusion enables two sensors on the mouse to read movements simultaneously, creating a single virtual sensor position. Without physically altering the location of the sensors, combining data from both sensors achieves the effect of placing a sensor at any desired spot on the bottom of the mouse.

In conventional mice, the sensor position is fixed during manufacturing. While some products have allowed users to physically shift the sensor or switch between multiple sensors, the P1 Supercaliber stands out by allowing users to freely adjust the virtual sensor position via software.

However, requiring users to manually find their optimal spot among countless possibilities could introduce new friction. To address this, Pulsar co-developed an AI-driven auto-optimization system called 'IntentEngine.'

IntentEngine analyzes the user's mouse movements and pointing performance to recommend an ideal sensor position. Running the 'Find My Position' feature in the Pulsar Web Driver initiates a simple test where the user repeatedly clicks on targets displayed on screen.

Users can choose between Standard Mode, which searches for sensor positions within a standard range, and Extended Mode, which broadens the search area to accommodate unique grip styles or movement habits.

Through this, Pulsar aims to shift the paradigm: while users previously had to adapt to a mouse's characteristics, the mouse will now adapt to the user.

Professor Sunjun Kim of DGIST, who delivered the technical presentation, cited technological saturation in the gaming mouse market as the driving factor behind this approach.

Professor Kim stated, "For a while, the market has felt like 'more of the same' even when new mice are released," adding, "Sensor performance has already reached a level more than capable of tracking human movement."

He pointed out that raising DPI and polling rates no longer translates to noticeable performance improvements for all users.

According to his explanation, in experiments conducted by the research team, users found it difficult to meaningfully distinguish polling rate differences above 2,000Hz, and jumping from 1,000Hz to 8,000Hz yielded no significant difference in pointing performance. However, he noted that these findings were obtained under specific lab conditions and do not necessarily apply universally across all users and gaming setups.

Professor Kim analyzed that tech adjusting click sensitivity or actuation points has recently gained attention in the gaming mouse market precisely because differentiating products through sensor specs alone has become difficult.

However, the researchers believed that accurately moving the cursor to the target point is far more critical than simply shaving off click latencies. Hence, their research focused on optimizing sensor placement rather than raw sensor performance.

Indeed, a study conducted by the researchers in 2020 showed higher overall pointing performance when placing the sensor in the center compared to placing it at the extreme front or back of the mouse. In that experiment, a performance variance of approximately 23% was observed between the highest and lowest performing sensor positions across the tested range.

A subsequent analysis focusing on sensor location ranges commonly found in commercially available mice revealed an average individual performance variance of about 7.3% between their best and worst locations. Comparing a center-placed sensor to a location tailored to each user demonstrated an average performance improvement potential of roughly 4.1%.

Professor Kim explained, "This means that even with the exact same mouse shape, where you place the sensor can directly affect the pointing performance a user can achieve."

Next, Professor Byungjoo Lee of Yonsei University introduced IntentEngine as the implementation that turns these research findings into a practical commercial technology.

Professor Lee explained that IntentEngine utilizes a 'Human-in-the-Loop' optimization approach. Rather than having the AI dictate settings unilaterally, it repeatedly proposes new sensor locations to the user and learns from actual test feedback.

However, Professor Lee emphasized that the results provided by IntentEngine should not be viewed as an absolute, definitive solution. "A person's physical condition changes daily, and how they grip the mouse varies slightly over time," he explained. "IntentEngine isn't designed to unconditionally pinpoint a single optimal coordinate, but rather to recommend regions with a high probability of suitability, reducing the initial trial-and-error process."

In addition to sensor placement adjustment, the P1 Supercaliber features two extra technologies that leverage its dual sensors. The first is 'Kinetic LOD.' LOD (Lift-Off Distance) refers to the height at which the mouse sensor stops tracking movement when lifted off the surface.

While standard mice stop tracking only when their single sensor rises beyond a set height, the P1 Supercaliber can be configured to stop movement immediately upon detecting either sensor lifting off the surface. This allows for more precise handling of repositioning movements when lifting the mouse during FPS gaming.

Conversely, it also offers Stable Mode, which maintains tracking as long as at least one sensor continues to detect the surface. This enhances tracking stability on surfaces with grooves or under conditions where one sensor struggles to read movement properly, by relying on data from the second sensor.

The second feature is 'Active Jitter Reduction.' This technology synthesizes movement signals from both sensors to reduce micro-stutters and noise. Professor Kim explained that this feature reduces jitter even when MotionSync is disabled, with the reduction effect being most pronounced when the virtual sensor is positioned closer to the midpoint between the two physical sensors.

During the Q&A session following the presentation, questions focused on battery consumption and product durability stemming from the dual-sensor architecture. According to the research team, the P1 Supercaliber is equipped with a 300mAh battery, with current prototype testing yielding approximately 80 to 100 hours of battery life at a 1,000Hz polling rate and about 15 to 16 hours at 8,000Hz.

Professor Kim acknowledged that battery life is somewhat shorter compared to recent low-power gaming mice, but noted that further optimizations are possible as the product is currently in pre-mass-production stages.

He also clarified that even though two sensors operate simultaneously, the data transmitted to the PC matches the format of traditional single-sensor mice, requiring no higher PC specifications.

In terms of durability, optical switches were implemented on the main buttons and an optical encoder structure on the scroll wheel to minimize potential failures caused by mechanical contacts. However, mechanical switches are still used for the side buttons, which remains an area for future improvement.

Regarding dual-sensor stability, he noted that the reliability of modern sensors has improved significantly over the past, and proprietary firmware is being developed in-house to combine signals from both sensors.

Plans to diversify product shapes were also mentioned. Following its "Shape is King" philosophy, Pulsar intends to roll out dual-sensor technology across other mouse shapes in the future.

Two models were unveiled: the standard 'Pulsar P1 Supercaliber' for general consumers and the 'Pulsar P1 eS' tailored for esports environments. The P1 eS will feature an additional dial-equipped dongle suited for tournament play and is scheduled for production in South Korea.

Pulsar plans to launch both products between December 2026 and January 2027. MSRP will be disclosed at a later date.

Originally written in Korean, this article was translated with AI assistance and edited by a native English-speaking editor. Every translation is reviewed by our editorial team before publication. [Read Original]

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Kyuman "Frann" Kim

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