SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 Gaming Mouse Review - Quality on a Budget

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

PC gaming is not exactly an affordable off-the-shelf hobby; premium components and hardware will always be more highly sought-after than they are obtainable. The good news is that there are entry-level or budget-friendly choices that offer excellent value, quality, and performance. And when it comes to peripherals like a gaming keyboard or mouse, there are options like the new SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 Gaming Mouse that won't cause too much damage to your digital wallet. Available in a wide range of colors, including the Lavender model we were sent for review, it's definitely worth checking out.

With its impressive low-latency wireless performance and a powerful 18K optical sensor, everything comes together in a robust build that feels significantly more premium than the $59.99 price point would suggest. However, there is one aspect of the design, its portability, that makes it stand out and feel somewhat old-school. Like its predecessor, the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is powered by two AAA batteries, allowing you to enjoy up to 175 hours of battery life with low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity or a whopping 450 hours when in Bluetooth mode.

The downside of going the pop-them-in battery route (other than ensuring you've got batteries when it's time to replace them) is that it increases the overall weight of a mouse. On the plus side, even though the Rival 3 weighs in at just over 105 grams with two batteries, it can be run on a single battery, reducing the weight to around 95 grams. This isn't exactly lightweight for a modern wireless gaming mouse, but it's sufficient to alleviate the weight issue for gaming purposes.

Specifications & Close Up

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Kosta's Test System Specifications

Design, Sensor, & Software

Design

One of the first things you'll notice about the new SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 Gaming Mouse is that it's wireless-only. There's no USB port or wired option; the mouse offers either low-latency wireless connectivity over 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth. This isn't a deal breaker, but it does mean that when you run out of battery life, you've no other option but to replace the batteries. Outside of this, the symmetrical shape and size will be both familiar and comfortable, supporting multiple grip styles, even if the height is a little low for palm grips. Although a bit heavier than most symmetrical wireless six-button options, the ample PTFE feet on the underside ensure a smooth glide and precise movement.

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With two side buttons, a dedicated DPI switch, and a scroll wheel, the layout here is pretty standard; however, the thin and somewhat pointy side buttons do take some getting used to. The batteries are installed on the top side of the mouse, with the central panel sliding off to reveal the battery slots, as well as a compartment to house the wireless 2.4 GHz dongle for storage or when the mouse is in Bluetooth mode.

Both the left and right click main buttons feel great, matching the premium feel of the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 's matte finish. Rated at 60 million clicks, the mechanical switches are crisp and responsive. The scroll wheel is also fantastic for a budget gaming mouse, and is the only part that includes lighting, which is mainly used as a DPI setting indicator. Even though there aren't any RGB lighting zones, we appreciate the addition of the subtle SteelSeries logo and translucent underside, which makes color variants like the Lavender model reviewed here look sleek and stylish.

Sensor

The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is powered by the company's TrueMove Air 18K Sensor, developed in collaboration with PixArt, which features no artificial acceleration for precise one-to-one tracking. As per the name, the sensitivity is rated at up to 18,000 DPI, or 18K, with 400 IPS tracking. It's not the most cutting-edge sensor on the market; in fact, its technology is a little older than we would have expected, which means that features like adjustable lift-off distance and tracking on a wide range of surfaces, such as glass, are absent.

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There are plenty of options out there with more powerful sensors than what you'd find in the Rival 3, but the specs, performance, and standard 1,000 Hz polling rate of the TrueMove Air 18K Sensor deliver. SteelSeries describes its wireless technology for the Rival 3 as 'gaming-grade,' which is one of the primary reasons it excels as a dual-wireless mouse that supports both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth. In pure low-latency mode, the latency is lower than that of products that cost significantly more than the Rival 3, making it ideal for fast-paced games where precise and sudden movements are integral to the action.

Software

As expected, you can customize and remap all six buttons on the Rival 3, as well as tweak the various DPI settings with SteelSeries' GG app and Engine software. All customization options are available on a single screen, which is convenient, with the UI and flow being fairly intuitive if you're familiar with various mouse technologies. One of the more interesting features of the Rival 3's DPI or sensitivity adjustment is that you can have independent X and Y axis sensitivities, which is something we tested out, and it's as strange as you'd expect. One feature we love is the ability to adjust the number of DPI steps, as I always find the default five to be too many for day-to-day productivity and gaming.

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The TrueMove Air 18K Sensor in the Rival 3 offers accurate one-to-one tracking. However, you can still enable and customize the mouse acceleration and deceleration in SteelSeries Engine to suit your preferences. There are also options to boost the wireless signal, enable a more battery-friendly Efficiency Mode, set the sleep timer, and adjust the angle snapping.

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Remapping buttons and recording Macros in SteelSeries Engine is simple and powerful. Select the button you want to configure, and then choose from various categories that cover keyboard, mouse, operating system, apps, media controls, and other functions. However, all changes here are limited to the 2.4 GHz wireless mode for the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2, with Bluetooth Mode reverting everything to their default settings, alongside lowering the polling rate to 125 Hz. There is a smoothing option for Bluetooth Mode, which enhances overall performance at the expense of battery life.

Gaming Performance and Productivity

Gaming Performance

When it comes to competitive gaming, the heaviness of the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 means that it's not the ideal wireless gaming mouse if you're going to be spending most of your time playing games like Counter-Strike 2, Call of Duty, and other competitive shooters. Using just a single battery, the overall weight drops below 100 grams, but as we're in the era of shedding weight to deliver the ultimate ultralight symmetrical gaming mouse, the Rival 3's weight is a little out of step.

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With that out of the way, if you're not all that serious about your competitive shooter performance, then the Rival 3 is more than capable of being your daily PC gaming driver. For this review, I played a bunch of Diablo 4, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and even some classic Age of Mythology, and it didn't skip a beat. The responsive clicks and movement feel natural, and as with any mouse that is heavier than what you used prior, the weightiness isn't a problem. Again, as long as you're not looking for something that'll be purely used to play competitive shooters at a pro-like level, the Rival 3 is a winner.

Productivity

With the ability to connect to devices via low-latency wireless or Bluetooth, the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a compact performer that pairs well with a notebook. The soft scroll wheel is great for browsing and scrolling through documents, while the crisp clicks feel precisely the same on day seven as they do on day one. If anything, the thin and pointy side buttons can be a nuisance if you're used to flatter buttons and use them regularly. It's a strange design choice, but even though they're thin, the placement still allows them to be easily reached with your thumb.

Final Thoughts

The new SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 Gaming Mouse is here, and the physical AAA battery-powered approach does make it feel like a wireless mouse from a different era. However, in a way, it's refreshing, as with one or two batteries, you can get hundreds of hours of use without worrying about charging or replacing them. The only downside is physics. Batteries add weight to the Rival 3, which is not ideal for serious competitive gamers seeking an affordable wireless gaming mouse, as most other options focus on delivering an ultralight mouse that feels like an extension of your hand.

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Ultimately, the build quality, switches, sensor, and smooth and responsive performance make the SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 an affordable winner. And if you're one of the countless gamers out there who isn't all about competitive shooters, or doesn't take them too seriously, then you're looking at a fantastic band-for-your-buck performance. With dual low-latency wireless and Bluetooth modes, it's a versatile option that works just as well on the go as it does on a desk. A few shortcomings aside, the new SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is something to consider, as long as you don't mind sharing some of your TV remote's spare batteries with your gaming mouse.