Most gaming mice look bulky and brutal, but not everyone likes this. I’ve been playing computer games for many years, but every time I’ve encountered the same problems when choosing a mouse: advanced devices with good functionality and flexible settings are often too large and heavy for me, and small “girl” mice are not suitable for full-fledged gaming. I immediately paid attention to the SteelSeries Rival, because, unlike its counterparts, this manipulator turned out to be convenient and light. I want to tell you more about my acquaintance with him.

Appearance
I already mentioned that the SteelSeries Rival does not look like a typical gaming mouse with angular shapes and a massive body. The manipulator looks quite simple and neat: at first glance you can’t tell that this is a gaming mouse and not an office mouse.

As far as I know, most SteelSeries brand models have a symmetrical shape, suitable for both right-handers and left-handers. For some reason, Rival was not included in their number – its body is curved to the left, accordingly, it can only be used with the right hand. I won’t say that the mouse is small – it won’t be suitable for girls with very small hands. But at the same time, the device is quite light, you can operate it without the slightest effort, and it fits perfectly in your hand.

The manipulator has a specific coating, similar to rubberized plastic – I think it’s called soft touch. When in contact with it, the palm does not sweat, even if you have to play for several hours in a row.

There are rubberized corrugated inserts on the https://caddebetcasino.co.uk/games/ sides to prevent slipping. It is both convenient and very pleasant to the touch (it produces a massage effect).

The body of the mouse is decorated with the manufacturer’s logo, and on the “butt” it has a rubber plate with the name of the model. As far as I know, the user can print a sign with his name on a 3D printer and insert it there (the pleasure is clearly not for domestic gamers – a 3D printer is still an expensive toy).

There is also backlighting here, although it is one-color and not too bright: in this case, the logo and scroll wheel are highlighted in orange.
Buttons
The manipulator has six buttons: right, left, scroll wheel, key for switching sensor resolution and two programmable side buttons (by default, they are assigned to the “Forward” and “Back” actions in the browser). Contrary to tradition, Omron switches are not used here – the manufacturer used its own developments, which also withstand up to 30 ml. clicks.

The buttons are pressed confidently and respond instantly, and the mouse cannot be called loud at all. I think it’s quite possible to play at night, even if someone is sleeping in the same room with the gamer at that time.

Sensor
The SteelSeries Rival manipulator uses an optical sensor with a resolution of 6500 dpi. As already mentioned, you can switch between two CPI values ​​using a special button, which in turn are determined in the SteelSeries Engine program (more on that later). It is not clear why the developers did not provide any indicator of the current resolution – for example, use the backlight for these purposes.

The mouse sensor allows for high movement speed, but the mouse remains smooth. The device works great both on the table surface and on rugs with different types of coating (I tried fabric and plastic).

Settings
The mouse comes with proprietary SteelSeries Engine software, with which you can customize the operation of the mouse, change the meaning of the buttons, create and assign macros to the keys, and save game profiles.

For a passionate gamer, this program will be simply irreplaceable. In SteelSeries Engine, you can adjust both the intensity of the backlight and its color with varying degrees of saturation, sensitivity, and corner smoothing.

Impressions
In general, I am completely satisfied with the mouse: it is assembled conscientiously, it has a pleasant-to-touch coating, ergonomics, and the optimal size and weight for me. I like that there is nothing superfluous here (for example, a million buttons or a fancy backlight that shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, pulsates and blinks regardless of my desire), but all the important points are thought out to the smallest detail. The cursor moves smoothly at any resolution, the buttons work clearly and confidently, the scroll wheel is free of “dead zones”. It is not at all difficult to understand the software interface, and even an untrained person will not have difficulty mastering writing macros. However, there are some drawbacks: I don’t really like the location of the side keys – it’s convenient to reach only one of the buttons with my thumb, and I don’t want to press the other one again. Also alarming is the lack of spare legs in the kit. Otherwise, I have no complaints about SteelSeries Rival.

Conclusions
This mouse is 100% worth the money and will surely appeal to people like me who like lightweight, ergonomic mouses with a traditional design, in which there is nothing superfluous.