Verdict
Packing loads of shortcut buttons, a beneficiant CPI vary and nifty RGB lighting, there’s little you may need from a gaming mouse that you just gained’t discover within the SteelSeries Rival 5. It’s not drastically low-cost, nevertheless it’s under no circumstances dear both. An amazing value-for-money mouse.
Professionals
- Lighter than air
- Truthful worth
- Trendy RGB lighting
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Engaging worthYou get quite a bit for £59.99/$59.99 -
Light-weightThe Rival 5 weighs a good 85g -
Shortcut buttonsOn the facet are 5 buttons for sooner clicking
Introduction
The SteelSeries Rival 5 packs plenty of options for a mouse at its worth level. With 5 facet buttons, an enormous CPI vary, and beneficiant RGB settings, you gained’t be left wanting right here – except, in fact, you need wi-fi connectivity. The Rival 5 is wired solely.
For some, it’ll be a slam dunk. Many, although, are most likely higher off going even cheaper. If you happen to’re simply after a dependable mouse match for gaming and aren’t involved about lighting or customising inputs for probably the most environment friendly techniques, take into account one thing easier just like the Asus TUF M4 Air or Roccat Kain 200 AIMO.
However for those who do need to benefit from every little thing the SteelSeries Rival 5 affords, you’ll be more than happy.
Design
- Wired USB enter
- Comfy generic form
- 5 shortcut facet buttons
The SteelSeries Rival 5 gained’t win any awards for design originality. A wired gaming mouse that connects over USB-A, it seems to be about as bog-standard as you will get: a matte-black plastic physique, two strips of RGB lights and the SteelSeries emblem, and a gradual arch that ought to really feel comfy in any hand.
On prime is a agency, rubber scroll wheel and a CPI button. On the left-hand facet, in the meantime, are 5 shortcut buttons. They’re laid out identical to these on the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wi-fi, with a ahead and again button setting under a vertical toggle. Additional up is a protracted silver button. It rests simply on the tip of your thumb however, not like the Aeroex 5, I discovered it to be inside simple attain – although these with smaller fingers may wrestle to hit it.
The button format is as wise as it’s useful. With the again and ahead buttons positioned above your thumb, there’s little danger of by accident tapping them (an irritatingly widespread side-effect of some mice I’ve tried). The protruding vertical toggle and the silver button even have well-balanced actuation, which means you gained’t be by accident summoning spells or performing talents mid-game on the unintentional press of button.
On the underside, two curved guides assist the Rival 5 slide easily, and I didn’t discover any friction when utilizing it. Finally, this can be a intelligent if conservatively designed mouse. There’s nothing overly flashy right here, however there doesn’t have to be. The whole lot is laid out nicely and regardless of the light-weight gimmick, it holds collectively properly.
Efficiency
- 100-18,000 CPI vary
- Solely weighs 85g
- Nice for all genres of gaming
The 5 facet buttons will turn out to be useful for any style of sport the place fast-paced clicking is vital. MMO and MOBA gamers will discover it saves them from reaching throughout the keyboard, shopping for them a number of valuable seconds, and even RTS followers will discover a bonus by assigning them to their most-used instructions.
However that is actually an FPS mouse. At 85g, it’s designed with flickshots and headshots in thoughts, letting you whizz the controller about at pace to chop down on response instances.
The Rival 5’s extremely excessive CPI vary additionally helps that form of fast-paced wrist snapping. By default, the CPI button might be pressed to cycle by 5 settings. They will all be set between 100 and 18,000 CPI within the SteelSeries GG app. It’s a beneficiant vary, however except you’ve gotten a 4K monitor, the highest half of it is going to be all however unusable.
That’s not an issue in itself, although. Consider the Rival 5 because the type of gaming mouse you possibly can hold along with your rig for years to return, even after you’ve upgraded your tower and different peripherals.
You’re additionally in a position to disable any CPI settings you don’t use. It’s a minor characteristic, however helpful when you recognize for sure you need to flick between a few speeds rapidly mid-fight slightly than cycle between the whole thing. Taking part in a number of multiplayer shooters, I discovered I solely actually used two or three settings, and disabled the remainder.
Software program and lighting
- Impressively customizable lighting
- Intuitive software program
The SteelSeries Rival 5 outdoes itself on RGB lighting, particularly contemplating its worth. You’re in a position to set customized mild modes for the mouse wheel, SteelSeries emblem and two lighting strips individually, Plus, every strip is damaged down into 4 separate zones, making for a complete of 10 LED areas to mild up as you want.
With regular block color results and shifting patterns to mess around with, there’s plenty of zany, fairly in addition to downright ugly prospects at your disposal. Plus, you’ve at all times acquired the choice to disable the lights completely for those who desire.
Doing so is made good and simple with the GG app. It’s laid out intuitively, performs quick, and has a dwell preview mode that allows you to see precisely what modifications you’re making to the mouse as you make them.
That it comes bundled with different, auxiliary options, like capturing gameplay clips or coming into SteelSeries giveaways, is considerably unneeded, however they’re simply circumvented and forgotten about.
Newest offers
Must you purchase it?
You need a gaming mouse that’s nice worth for cash: The SteelSeries Rival 5 boasts plenty of options at an inexpensive worth.
You need a wi-fi mouse: The one main factor you gained’t get right here is wi-fi connectivity, so that you’ll be restricted to a cable.
Last Ideas
The SteelSeries Rival 5 reveals you don’t need to splash out to get a extremely useful, very flashy and comfy gaming mouse. At £59.99/$59.99, it’s definitely not the most affordable choice round, nevertheless it surpasses lots of its most lauded rivals at this worth level.
Although consider carefully for those who’re really going to make use of all its options. The 5 facet buttons are good to have for anybody who likes utilizing plenty of shortcuts of their video games, and the mouse’s light-weight design makes it good for aggressive twitch shooters. If you happen to’re not more likely to benefit from these options, or aren’t taken by RGB glare, take into account the Asus TUF M4 Air or Roccat Kain 200 AIMO as an alternative.
Alternatively, try our Greatest Gaming Mouse and Greatest Wi-fi Mouse roundups for extra choices.
How we take a look at
We use each mouse we take a look at for at the very least every week. Throughout that point, we’ll test it for ease of use and put it by its paces by enjoying quite a lot of totally different genres, together with FPS, technique and MOBAs.
We additionally test every mouse’s software program to see how simple it’s to customize and arrange.
Used as a primary mouse for over every week
Examined efficiency on quite a lot of video games
FAQs
In a phrase, sure. It’s light-weight, whereas the facet buttons and customized CPI settings are all good for aggressive and informal gaming.
The Rival 5’s polling fee might be adjusted as much as a most of 1,000Hz
