SteelSeries Rival Pro review: wireless gaming mouse

Wireless gaming mouse that outperforms wired

The SteelSeries Rival Pro delivers better responsiveness than wired rivals while weighing just fifty three grams. It costs one hundred eighty dollars and has effectively infinite battery life.

Ultra lightweight design with traditional layout

At fifty three grams, the Rival Pro feels magical compared to heavier productivity mice. It has a four button layout with left and right clicks plus two programmable side keys.

Scroll wheel is adequate but not exceptional

The scroll wheel is smooth and clicky with a shallow actuation point good for shooters. It lacks free spin or infinite scrolling features found on competing mice.

Ultra wideband radio avoids wireless congestion

The Rival Pro uses ultra wideband connectivity via a wired base station instead of two point four gigahertz or five gigahertz bands. This sidesteps congestion from nearby devices like phones and tablets.

Forty two K sensor with eight K polling rate

The TrueMove forty two K Pro sensor is fast and accurate with adjustable DPI down to single digits. Eight K polling rate makes cursor tracking incredibly smooth.

Optical buttons deliver snappy performance

Left and right mouse buttons use optical sensors for snappy performance. The mouse lacks analog clicks or tunable actuation points found on some competitors.

Excellent for shooters, overkill for slower games

The Rival Pro is a dream for shooters like competitive gaming. Its lightness and ultra wideband connectivity mean no lag from mouse movements, though it is overkill for slower paced titles.

Interchangeable battery system solves power draw

The mouse comes with two disc shaped batteries. One stays in the mouse while the other charges in the base station. Swapping takes seconds by twisting and pulling.

Sixteen hours at full power, one hundred twenty at reduced rate

One battery lasts around sixteen hours at full eight K polling rate. Reducing polling to one thousand hertz gives up to one hundred twenty hours of runtime.

Infinite Power System keeps you gaming

SteelSeries calls the battery swap system the Infinite Power System because there is always a spare in the base station. The mouse will never be dead for more than a couple heartbeats.

“Infinite Power System”

No USB port limits emergency charging options

The Rival Pro has no USB port on the mouse itself, so there is no option to plug in a cable in emergencies. You must rely on the base station charging system.

Price is the biggest hurdle for shoppers

At one hundred eighty dollars, the Rival Pro is expensive. Unless you want custom actuation points from competitors like the Logitech Pro X three Superstrike, it has everything you need.