SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 - Heavy-Handed Utility
SteelSeries’ latest mid-range wireless mouse offering, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2, is upon us, and this time it comes in a variety of fun colours – which obviously made me keen to jump in and check it out. After spending a few weeks using it for both work and gaming goodness, I’m ready to recommend it under most circumstances – though some weird design choices get in the way of it being an easy yes.
For the most part, the design of the Rival 3 is similar to the previous generation. Gently rounded at the back and narrow at the front, it’s designed to be used in either a claw or fingertip grip. I tend towards a fingertip grip, with occasional dalliances with a palm grip throughout the day, and I found it very comfortable for all-day work use. It’s a simple design, with only the the dedicated DPI button and two side-buttons, all of which are programmable, and it’s without the blaring RGB lightshow of many of its counterparts (beyond notification lights) – which, while disappointing to me personally (a lightshow lover), keeps the mouse looking slick and understated. This latest range does come in an aqua and lavender for those seeking that pop of colour, and I was a big fan of the lavender model I tested – so I can forgive SteelSeries for keeping it otherwise lowkey.
The mouse can be connected either via Bluetooth, or using a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, both of which allow for easy connection and fast response times. Connection via the dongle allows for faster response times, and it was noticeably smooth – though I can’t say it was necessarily smoother than connection via Bluetooth. I was primarily using the dongle connection until circumstance (accidentally leaving the dongle in the office) dictated that I needed to switch to Bluetooth, and all it took was a flick of the switch on the bottom of the mouse and it quickly paired to my laptop, and off I went. It feels very ‘plug and play’, but… without the plug.
Which does bring me to my biggest grip with this mouse. It’s wireless, and portable, and convenient in every way except for its weight. The chassis itself is light, but the mouse requires the use of AAA-batteries to run instead of the now relatively-standard USB connection and internal battery. While the battery life is excellent, and after all day use for about three weeks (primarily on the more responsive 2.4 GHz connection, which doesn’t prolong battery life like the Bluetooth option) I still have about 65% remaining, it feels strange to be relying on purchasing batteries again.
And these batteries do make it heavy. While the weight might not bother you if you aren’t using the mouse for particularly high-action gaming, the second you need to move it around a lot, it becomes something of a beast. There’s an option to remove one of the two batteries and instead operate it on just one (for a reduced battery life, of course) but the placement of the batteries then just makes this weighting awkward, and removes some of the precision you’d be looking for in a high-performance gaming mouse.
But that said – for the most part, I didn’t notice these problems. I’ll notice them when it’s time to replace the batteries, and that will be a pain. But if you’re just looking for a mouse for all-day use, along with more casual gaming, then the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a really solid (and good-looking) option. It’s easy to connect, easy to customise using the SteelSeries software, and feels comfortable to hold – at least for smaller hands, which feels like a rarer win in the world of mice than perhaps it should.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 mouse retails for approx $100AUD, and can be purchased from the SteelSeries website or major retailers.
Specifications
Sensor
Sensor TrueMove Air Optical Sensor (18K DPI)
Sensor Type Optical
Design
Core Construction ABS Plastic
Shape Symmetrical, Right-handed
Grip Style Claw or Fingertip
Number of Buttons 6
Weight 106 g (2 x AAA), 95 g (1 x AAA), 83.5g (no batteries)
Length 120.61 mm/ 4.74 in
Width 67.05 mm/ 2.639 in
Height 38 mm/ 1.5 in
Connection 2.4GHz / Bluetooth
Battery Life Up to 175 hours 2.4GHz, up to 450 hours Bluetooth
Compatibility
OS Windows, Mac, Xbox, and Linux. USB port required.
Software SteelSeries GG, Windows 8.1 or newer, MacOS 10.13 or newer
Player 2 was provided with a review unit for the purposes of this article.
