SteelSeries has long since established itself as a leading brand in the premium gaming peripherals market, and they were some of the first gaming mice I ever reviewed over a decade ago when I was starting out here at eTeknix! Their latest releases look set to continue that trend of high-end and competitive peripherals, and today, I have the new SteelSeries Rival Pro & Sensei Pro to take a look at, although they’re remarkably similar gaming mice on the surface, but come with different ergonomics, so for the focus of this review, I’ll be picking the Rival Pro as my focus.
The SteelSeries Rival Pro Ergonomic Gaming Mouse is designed specifically for gamers and esports professionals who require flawless reliability and speed from a wireless device. By abandoning the congested 2.4 GHz wireless frequency in favour of a new standard, this mouse promises to deliver an exceptionally fast and consistent connection thanks to its Ultra Wideband support.
Design and Performance
The SteelSeries Rival Pro introduces several unique selling points that separate it from traditional wireless mice, most notably its Ultra-Wideband wireless technology. Operating on a much wider spectrum, this connection method bypasses standard network traffic to ensure a highly reliable and lag-free experience. Alongside this, the mouse features the Infinite Power System, which utilises hot-swappable dual batteries, which I actually have in my SteelSeries Artis gaming headset, so it’s cool to see this technology come down to gaming mice. You never have to plug in the device to charge, you simply swap the depleted battery for a fresh one in the charging dock, so there’s always a fresh battery ready to go. Furthermore, the Advanced Aim Tools found within the SteelSeries GG Software Suite provide deep customisation options, including rotation control and a sensitivity converter to perfect your aim.
Features
- Ultra-Wideband wireless technology to eliminate connection interference and reduce latency.
- Infinite Power System with dual hot-swappable batteries for continuous gameplay.
- True 8K polling rate for incredibly fast and consistent responsiveness.
- Advanced Aim Tools and Software Tuning via the SteelSeries GG Software Suite.
- Ergonomic right-handed shape co-developed with professional gamers.
- Available in both standard and mini sizes, with black and white colourways.
Under the hood, the Rival Pro is equipped with cutting-edge hardware to match its ambitious wireless capabilities. The only downside of this, is that the extremely high specifications are going to be reflected in the retail price, this is a very extreme piece of hardware as far as gaming mice go. It utilises the new TrueMove 42K optical sensor, which maintains a flawless 8000 Hz polling rate, the sensor is capable of 20K frame captures per second, alongside 800 IPS and 70G of acceleration to track even the most aggressive action flawlessly. The primary buttons are fitted with their flagship Optical Switches rated for 100 million clicks, offering a blisteringly fast 0.35 milliseconds of click latency. Despite packing in this advanced technology, the standard model maintains an ultra-lightweight build of just 53 grams, which means its going to be ultra-light in your hand!
Specifications
- Sensor: TrueMove 42K optical sensor.
- Polling Rate: True 8000 Hz.
- Wireless Technology: Ultra-Wideband operating on the 6.4 GHz to 9.056 GHz spectrum.
- Tracking Speed: 800 IPS.
- Acceleration: 70G.
- Switches: Optical Switches with a 100 million click lifespan and 0.35 milliseconds latency.
- Weight: 53 grams for the standard model, and 49 grams for the mini model.
- Battery Life: Up to 32 hours at 8000 Hz or 120 hours at 1000 Hz across two batteries.
