TL;DR: In my opinion, the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless is the best all-around wireless mouse under $50 thanks to its 400-hour battery life, customizable weight, support for Mac and Windows, easy setup, and outstanding build quality.
This is my first SteelSeries mouse review on the channel, and based on the performance of the Rival 3 Wireless, it probably won’t be my last. The Rival 3 Wireless is a medium right-handed ergonomic mouse that measures 120.6mm. x 67mm. x 37.9mm. The mouse weighs in at a mediocre 106 grams with both included AAA batteries, and 96 grams with one battery. However, the two batteries allow the mouse to achieve a staggering 400 hours of battery life when connected via Bluetooth and while using the high-efficiency mode, which turns off the RGB and lowers the polling rate. I would not recommend using Bluetooth or the high-efficiency mode for gaming, so the 400-hour claim only stands in a technical sense. Because the mouse works with any AAA batteries, the stock batteries can be swapped with lithium ion batteries to reduce the weight of the mouse. Popping open the battery compartment is quick and easy. It’s completely toolless and the compartment opens up right on top of the mouse. You can even store the 2.4GHz dongle inside.
The packaging is vibrant and presentable. It’s quite simple, which I like. The cardboard inside carries the batteries on one side, with the setup guide on top. Popping open the cardboard enclosure reveals the mouse in an individually-wrapped plastic bag along with instructions to open the battery compartment, which houses the dongle. Of course, the mouse does not come with a cable, as it cannot be charged. The batteries must be swapped out once they run out of charge.
The Rival 3 Wireless has all the necessary features while still being a no-frills budget gaming mouse. It has scroll wheel RGB that can be customized in the SteelSeries Engine software. The RGB turns off while the mouse is moving to save battery life. The RGB supposedly blinks in certain colors and patterns for different types of notifications, but I haven’t tried this and I see it as more of a gimmick, especially for PC users. The bottom of the mouse has a switch that can be set to Bluetooth or 2.4GHz, with the latter being the preferred option for gaming. The mouse can also be turned off when not in use, although it goes to sleep by itself after five minutes if you leave it on. The SteelSeries TrueMove Air sensor – which is also found on the $140 Aerox 5 Wireless – competes with the best of the best from PixArt, Razer, and Logitech. No issues there. Meanwhile, the Quantum 2.0 Wireless technology – the equivalent of Logitech’s Lightspeed – feels just as responsive in 2.4GHz mode as using a wired mouse. The exact mouse switches are not listed on the SteelSeries website, which is a little concerning, although they are reportedly rated for 60 million clicks – 50 million more than the similar Logitech G305 Lightspeed (more on that later). This 60-million click lifespan is the same as the HyperX Pulsefire Haste, which uses TTC Golden Micro switches. The mouse features a standard 1,000Hz polling rate and the DPI can be set as high as 18000. By default, the DPI button under the scroll wheel adjusts the DPI between 400, 800 (which is what I use), 1200, 1600, and 2000. The mouse has six buttons: right and left click, the scroll wheel, the DPI button, and the two side buttons. SteelSeries officially recommends a claw or fingertip grip for this mouse, but my preferred palm grip works fine for me. I will say that this is nowhere near the most comfortable mouse shape I’ve tried. Specifically, I’m not a huge fan of the wide back of the mouse. However, the mouse fits my hand size very well, and for just $50, I knew not everything would be perfect.
The Rival 3 Wireless is generally sold for $50, although you can buy it from Amazon right now for just $40. I got mine brand new on eBay from a reputable seller for just $25. Not a bad deal if you ask me.
The buttons are very crisp and tactile, and I love how they feel. The scroll wheel steps are very defined and tactile, and I think SteelSeries did an amazing job with the build quality of this mouse. There are no side grips, although this doesn’t affect the experience of using the mouse for gaming. The plastic material used is not perfectly smooth, although it feels much nicer than the garbage material used for the original Corsair Harpoon RGB. The material somehow removes most fingerprints from the mouse, which is a very cool feature especially if your hands sweat while gaming – I know mine do. The stock mouse skates are really nothing special – more controlled than speedy – but at least they are smooth out of the box. The skates are slightly smoother than my Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro, although the two mice have similar glide because the Razer mouse is lighter. SteelSeries sells replacement mouse feet and replacement dongles on their website, which is good for the longevity of the mouse. The only good aftermarket skates I can find for the Rival 3 lineup are the Corepad Skatez, which provide a smoother glide. I would recommend checking these out. I’ve never used them, but Boardzy recommends them. Alternatively, you could get a faster mousepad such as the glass Skypad, although this option costs more than simply buying the Corepad Skatez.
The main competitor to the Rival 3 Wireless, as noted by Hardware Canucks, is the Logitech G305 Lightspeed. While I’ve never used the G305, I’ve used its sister product, the G203 Lightsync, which features the same exact shape. I prefer the egg shape of the G305, but the Rival 3 is better suited to my medium-to-large hand size (the G305 is small in comparison). The G305 comes in at 99 grams with batteries, slightly lighter than the Rival 3 Wireless. The G305 boasts 250 hours of battery life with its single AA battery in 2.4GHz mode, but it completely lacks Bluetooth connectivity. The G305 has the same six-button layout as the Rival 3, but it comes with more color options – the Rival 3 Wireless is only in black. The G305 has the same dongle storage compartment for easy travel. Both the Rival 3 Wireless and G305 have onboard memory – up to five profiles on the Rival 3 and just one profile on the G305.
It’s also worth mentioning the Corsair Katar Pro Wireless. At $40, the Katar is quite possibly the cheapest MSRP mainstream wireless gaming mouse. The 96-gram mouse contains one AA battery, similarly to the G305. It measures at 115.8mm. x 64.2mm. x 37.8mm., making it roughly equivalent in size to the G305. It features the same six-button layout as both of its competitors, and its symmetrical shape with side buttons only on the left matches the G305. The Rival 3 is notable in comparison due to its ergonomic shape. The mouse only tops up at 135 hours of battery life, and it lacks Bluetooth connectivity unlike the Rival 3. The Katar features a lower maximum DPI (10000) and a slightly worse sensor (Pixart PMW3325) than the Rival 3. In comparison, the G305 has a maximum DPI of 12000 and it uses the Logitech Hero sensor. I’ve never used any variant of the Katar for an extended period of time, but I’ve held it at Best Buy and I’m not a huge fan of the shape that feels even smaller than the G305.
The SteelSeries Engine software is often lauded as the only mainstream gaming peripheral software that doesn’t suck. So let’s dive right in. It’s really important that SteelSeries Engine supports both Mac and Windows, since many wireless mice don’t support fast 2.4GHz wireless on Mac. When you install SteelSeries Engine, you’re really installing the SteelSeries GG Client, which contains the Engine software that allows you to customize your mouse or keyboard. The Engine software for mice is very simple – just one page. But that one page allows you to change the DPI stages corresponding to the DPI button, adjust the sleep timer for optimal battery performance, record macros, change the polling rate, and customize the scroll wheel RGB. The software is very simple compared to something like Razer Synapse, but it has all the essentials. Everything is very intuitive, although the button customization interface looks a bit dated and could use a refresh. Overall, the software is not overly feature-rich, but it’s very accessible for the average user.
For my heavy use with my MacBook Pro, the Rival 3 Wireless has stolen my heart. For such a cheap price, there truly are no compromises for gaming or productivity. Everything is high quality and the software is intuitive for basic functionality. If the shape was adjusted, the skates were improved, and the weight was lighter, this would be the perfect gaming mouse for me.
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