SteelSeries Rival Optical Mouse Review
83While personal player skill is the most dominating factor in how well they will perform in-game, but the 2nd player in this is definitely the mouse used (for PC players of course). When it comes to picking the right mouse, there are hundreds and hundreds of options available to you. Recently, I had the chance to use the SteelSeries Rival Optical Mouse and was very impressed with it.
Simplicity & Feeling
I'm a simple person when it comes to what I'm looking for in a gaming mouse. Back in 2010, I finally made the jump from the typical Microsoft mouse to a gaming mouse with a quality sensor, great feeling mouse buttons, and I really wanted a couple mouse buttons where the thumb was located (primarily for push to talk programs like TeamSpeak and Ventrillo). I also wanted one with a fairly small form factor. I decided to go with the Razer DeathAdder and I loved the mouse.
After having used the SteelSeries Rival for a while, I really wish that I had gone with it those few years ago. The Rival has that simplicity that I wanted from the DeathAdder and does it just a slight bit better. The shapes are very similar but the Rival has just a little less of an arch to it which goes a long way for feeling good in my hands. One feature that I do love about the Rival is the rubber pads on the left and right sides of the mouse. For the pad on the left side, it is just under the two thumb buttons and makes the over feeling of the mouse great. It never feels like it is slipping out of my hand.
Sensor
Equipped with the Avago ADNS 3310 optical sensor, the Rival is capable of some fast and accurate use. The 3310 provides zero hardware mouse acceleration, which equates to a 1:1 tracking and a consistent performance. The sensor allows the user to have a CPI (Counts Per Inch) of anywhere between 50CPI and 6,500CPI (which basically means any amount you would ever need in a legitimate range). What does all this mean? The sensor is of great quality and all the movements you make with the mouse will respond accurately on screen.
Buttons
A mouse might feel great, be the best size and shape, and even have the greatest sensor in the world, but it's also got to have some great mouse buttons. Here's a rundown on all the buttons available on the Rival mouse; left click button, right click button, two thumb buttons, mouse wheel scroll up, mouse scroll wheel down, clicking the scroll wheel, and finally the CPI button (which is located just behind the scroll wheel).
The switches underneath the left and right clicks are very solid. The feeling they give make it very clear when you have fully clicked. If you are not using a headset, the audio they provide when clicked is also very appeasing to hear. The mouse wheel has the perfect amount of resistance. Each time you scroll the wheel, it will be deliberate and not accidental, but it will not be a struggle to do so. As for the CPI button, hitting it will switch the CPI between the two presets that you have set in the utility software for the Rival.
Software & Customization
Once you get your Rival mouse plugged into your PC's USB port, you can head on over to the SteelSeries website and download the utility software for the mouse, SteelSeries Engine 3. This software will allow you to change a multitude of settings for the mouse such as adjusting the CPI, programming the buttons, adjusting the polling rate, angle snapping, acceleration/deceleration, the color of the LED within the mouse, and other features to your heart's content. The Rival also has a very cool feature allowing you to change the nameplate on the rear of the device. The mouse comes with two rubber nameplates, the one in the mouse by default saying Rival and another one that says SteelSeries. If you have access to a 3D printer, then you can create your own custom nameplate and replace the default one.
Closing Thoughts
As I said in the beginning of this review, the SteelSeries Rival has seriously impressed me. I've been using the Razer DeathAdder for the last four years and it holds a special place in my heart, but the Rival has already become my new mouse of choice for gaming on my PC. The size and shape, the weight, the CPI button, the rubber sidings, the switches under the left and right clicks, and everything else about this mouse is just great. SteelSeries has become a very interesting company in my mind and I very much look forward to trying out other products from them. At $59.99 on their website, the Rival is a great choice for any PC gamer looking for a simple mouse with some thumb buttons and a great feeling in your hand.
Intro song is "Battlefield (Main Theme Cover)" By: TheInstrumentalCore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLq_kQGog8
Edited using Adobe Premier Pro CC
Warframe gameplay captured using ShadowPlay
Thanks to Digital Extremes for making such a great game.