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The switch is located on the top of the mouse in front of the mouse wheel. The zones are customizable with SteelSeries Engine software, but like most gaming peripheral software, it’s not always easy to program.Īs for a review of the mouse’s extra buttons, the SteelSeries Rival 3 doesn’t have anything beyond a one-button DPI switch. The mouse is preloaded with several factory patterns including the default rainbow fade. Color options are diverse with RGB and hexcode inputs. The lighting itself is great with consistent brightness across all zones. The Rival 3 is the cheapest mainstream gaming mouse with underglow, so RGB enthusiasts should take note. Instead, the edge of the base has lighting wrapped around the front three-fourths of it. The Rival 3 box takes pride in pointing out its three RGB zones, but the mouse wheel does not light up. $25 is a very low asking price for a gaming mouse, and with the unique RGB and good sensor, it makes you wonder if the deal’s too good to be true.
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The mouse boasts a good sensor with the standard polling rate for considerably less money than most mice with similar features. The Rival 3’s low price comes with standard featuresĪt $24.99, the Rival 3 is squarely aimed at gamers looking for an upgrade on a budget. The mouse weighs 77 grams without the cable and only comes in black. The sensor polls inputs at 1,000 hertz, which is normal for the price range. SteelSeries’ proprietary optical sensor includes “tilt tracking technology” meant to stabilize the cursor’s positions during mouse lifts. The Steelseries Rival 3 has an 8,500 CPI TrueMove Core sensor. The Rival 3 stacks up well against the similarly-priced Razer Basilisk v2 and the Logitech G203. It’s not fair to judge it against flagship ultralights, but it’s not alone in its price range.
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With only a $30 price tag, it’s clear that the SteelSeries Rival 3 isn’t designed for professional esports players like Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. The SteelSeries Rival 3 is great for newer PC gamers The Rival 3’s shortcomings are its lesser material quality and a general lack of extra features, but it’s still a great choice for gamers with plenty of ambition but not wanting to spend a lot of cash. The sensor is great and the RGB is a considerable step above more competitors. The SteelSeries Rival 3 has most of the core features expected of a quality gaming mouse despite its very low price tag. If you’re looking for a quick review of the SteelSeries Rival 3 wired gaming mouse:
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