Stelesseries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless Review

I really wanted to love Steelseries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless and I do it in some respects. It is very versatile, solid and reminded me of very real benefits of removable batteries in games for gaming. It is also quite well priced. For this reason, I think it is ideal for some selected operate cases.

However, I cannot recommend it for operate as a main mouse, and not when there are cheaper similar options, such as Lightch G305 Lightpeed or better options for a little more cash, such as Air Turtle Beach II, and even The Logitech G Pro X Superlight.

But let’s start with good. SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless shares many advantages of the original rival 3 and the main charm – from its striking “Aqua” and lavender colors “instead of ordinary black or white – that it has double wireless connectivity and removable batteries. This makes it an extremely versatile mouse, which is a great lift of all transactions.

It has several other updates compared to the first edition – battery life, PTFE feet and click delay – but the main thing is that it now supports batteries.

Over the past few years I have been a huge defender of wireless mice, but I always went for a baked type. Now, after some time of the 3rd generation 2 rival, I must say that I see an appeal. This is not only because you get a fantastic battery life from removable batteries (up to 200 hours at 1000 Hz poll with 2x AAA batteries, here), but also because you never have to connect mice again if they are also possible to charge.

The main benefit from the removable, recharging battery in gaming devices is that we discovered with the Arctis Nova Pro headphone set: It allows you to maintain one set of charging battery during the operate of the other, and then replace them when the battery is low. This means that you can basically have an infinite battery life, never necessary to connect mice. Of course, you will have to connect batteries and charge somewhere, but it’s more convenient.

This type of configuration is possible thanks to the wireless SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2, but only if you sort your own batteries and charging station. The mouse itself is equipped only with two one -time AAA batteries. Which, of course, means that if you want one of the main benefits of this mouse, you need to spend a little more.

In practice, I found a battery life that suits what is reported on the specification sheet. I used only one battery at once to maintain the weight of mouse slightly lighter at 95 g, and I discovered that it survived just over a week of everyday operate for work and games. Then I just jumped out and turned the novel AAA battery.

The main downside of this configuration is a weight of 95 g. Arranged against current competition, such as the mentioned Turtle Beach Burst II Air or Razer Deathadder V3 Hyperpeed, is simply too massive. It is clear that this is equal to the course of removable battery mice – just ask the speed of airy G305 – but this is a disadvantage, unless you are one of the few that you prefer heavier rodents.

It’s not just the weight; It’s a distribution. Because the batteries are more in the back of the mouse, there is a specific resistance at the back. I consider it very noticeable and although I have read it in the last few weeks of operate, I still notice it.

The mind is not an uncomfortable mouse. Not at all. The textured plastic surface seems very pretty under the fingertips and under my hybrid handle in a hybrid gripper. However, it is quite shallow, so do not expect a hand support peak for all hand grippers.

It is also solid, and it certainly seems worth the price of 60 USD MSRP on the quality of workmanship. That is, in all area except one, it is a scrolling wheel.

Unfortunately, near this mouse suffers (though not so bad) from what I clearly remember my first mouse Razer Deathadder, which suffers many, many years ago: it has a characteristic slurry that makes it feel a bit … disturbed at his cut -out. As if at any time she could fall into this zone “between the cut”. The description is complex, but it is enough to say that this is not the best scrolling wheel I used.

And I am glad that I did not start writing this review up to a few weeks with Mysia, because until now it was the only complaint about the mouse circle, but today it started sometimes squeaktoo. This does not happen all the time, but for my ears it is a particularly mesh sound and this is not a good sign that it started after only a few weeks of operate.

Another thing that pisses me off in Rival 3 Gen 2 Wireless is its lower switch, which allows you to switch between Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz and OFF. It is complex to switch between 2.4 and Bluetooth, and God will lend a hand you if you want to change it to the middle position. To get enough pressure on a hidden petite worm to move it, it is such a great pressure that it will cross the center.

It is a good job that the functionality of sleep works because of this, because otherwise the battery of this item would weaken much faster. This can be switched in the application settings and I really have no complaints about this front. You have a lot to do:

When it comes to games, I had no problems with my mind out of time, from time to time worry about its rear weighing. However, I am used to airy mice, such as Logitech G Pro X Superlight and not everyone can consider it a great offer.

However, if you have maximizing competitive performance, it will probably be better to look elsewhere. This mouse still uses the same TrueMove Air 18K sensor, which the original used, and at least 18,000 DPI and 400 IP should be for most people, often it is about what these low numbers say about the quality of the sensor in general than the actual numbers they achieve.

Picture 1 With 3

Tested on 1000 Hz and 800 dpi – the closer they are together, the more coherent mouse reports the movement. More differences or stray dots is a less right sensor.

Tested on 1000 Hz and 800 DPI – spikes represent an raise in speed, and more irregular spikes show crazy tracking.

Tested at 1000 Hz and 800 DPI – each dot represents an update that corresponds to the survey speed. Each 1 ms should mean one 1000 Hz mouse update.

In the case of SteelSeries, the 3rd Generation 2 rival has shown that the sensor is slightly below the average compared to some other market gaming mice. This shows primarily in the results of the consistency of the Mousetester sensor-there is a greater tracking deviation than what you may want from the sensor, say, high-level games in pro shooters.

I did not come up with any problems with clicking heads on counterattack 2 or tracking the enemy Farahs with a soldier’s rifle in Overwatch 2 (well, there are no more problems than usual), but better hands and eyes than mine than mine may notice the difference between this and the highest level sensor.

So, when all this was said and done, why should he choose a 3rd generation of wireless rival? Well, as I said at the beginning, I think this mouse is great as a nest of all transactions – maybe if you want to operate it not primarily for games, but also for work and travel.

His ability to run away from batteries, removable, makes him attractive on the front of the battery life, and its double modes 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth make him very versatile. In addition to the slight credibility of the actual switching of the switch, the swap between two connections is child’s play and allows me to go to operate with my game computer and my laptop immediately.

If all this is specifically your jam, have it. Just remember that you need to spend extra on batteries and charger if you want one of the main advantages of this mouse.

For me, the weight, a mediocre sensor and, most importantly, the squeaking and slightly mushy wheelbar about it means that it is not there, taking into account other great options on the market at a similar price. It is a pity, because it would be nice to continue charging, reusable fashionable battery, but the disadvantages are not worth it.