SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 Review

Design

• Sturdy plastic frame
• Heavier feel in hand
• Lovely mechanical mouse buttons

The overall look and feel of this Gen 2 variant of the Rival 3 hasn’t changed all that much from its predecessor, which is both a blessing and a curse. 

On one hand, it retains the same chunky feel in hand, making it comfortable with subtle contours and a textured plastic finish that also gives an air of durability that can be hard to come by at this price.

Conversely, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 feels hefty in hand with a 106g mass, thanks to the addition of two AAA batteries inside that add over 20g to the overall weight. An ultralight mouse designed for pros this is not, but more casual folks shouldn’t have an issue here.

Button placement is sensible, with two main buttons and a scroll wheel on the top. Below the scroll wheel is a thinner button for changing DPI. The left side is home to equally thin navigation buttons that can be a little finicky to press.

The main mouse buttons feature some mechanical switches underneath, giving them a robust and tactile feel. In addition, the rear panel of the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is removable, and is where you add both the AAA batteries for powering the mouse, and store the USB-A receiver.

The underside features large PTFE glide pads, which make the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 able to perform large sweeping movements with ease. The only button on the underside is the on/off switch, which also allows you to choose between Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless modes. There isn’t a USB port for charging, as this mouse simply runs off one or two AAA batteries.

Performance

• Responsive in games with 18,000 DPI sensor
• Convenient wireless connectivity
• Much improved battery life

The Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 features the same TrueMove sensor as its predecessor, with 18,000 DPIs worth of sensitivity that makes it suitable for fast-paced movements when you need to whip around quickly to face enemies in Counter-Strike 2, or similarly intensive titles.

With a heavier weight, I found the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 to feel less nimble than similarly powerful choices, such as the Lemokey G1, although it was still fast and responsive when it needed to be. Having a dedicated DPI switch on the top of the mouse is a small but important addition for more precise aiming in FPS titles, or when you don’t need the cursor to be as skittish.

There is a 1000Hz polling rate over the bundled 2.4GHz receiver, which is standard fare and perfectly fine for casual play. With that said, options such as the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed and Lemokey G1 can go as high as 4000Hz and 8000Hz, respectively, for even more potent responsiveness. That is only really for pro-grade players, though, so it isn’t too much of a sore miss here.

SteelSeries says that it has lowered the click latency even more with this new model for enhanced responsiveness, and I definitely didn’t have any complaints with how it felt in-hand. The main mechanical mouse buttons were nice and responsive, and I didn’t experience any noticeable delays.

Dual wireless connectivity is handy, with both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz supported. Both are virtually plug-and-play, and I had no issues either pairing the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 over Bluetooth with my MacBook Pro for productivity tasks, or using the 2.4GHz receiver with my main Windows gaming PC.

The battery life of the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is immensely improved over its predecessor. Thanks to the bundled AAA batteries, SteelSeries says you’ll get up to 200 hours over 2.4GHz, and up to 400 hours over Bluetooth, which means you won’t have to worry about changing the battery for a few months at a time. Of course, you can also use rechargeable cells with this mouse if you don’t want to keep throwing old AAAs out.

Software and Lighting

• Convenient software control with GG
• No RGB lighting to speak of

The Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 delivers on one side of the software and lighting section, working with SteelSeries GG on both Windows and macOS. The software allows you to remap the mouse’s buttons, as well as record macros and adjust its DPI in five levels.

It’s easy to use and has some handy extras, including a high-efficiency mode for saving power, as well as a Bluetooth smoothing feature that reduces any jittering over slower connections. My only complaint with GG is that the UI feels a little antiquated against more modern, lightweight solutions.

As much as the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 has some usable software, there isn’t any RGB lighting to speak of. If you wanted flashy lighting, you’re better off looking elsewhere.

Should you buy it?