SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Cheap and cheerful

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

SteelSeries is well known for making powerful gaming peripherals, and the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is one of them. Succeeding the five-year-old Rival 3, the second-gen model improves on its predecessor by introducing better PTFE skates, extra software features and improved battery life.
The Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is great for casual gaming, thanks to 1,000Hz polling and 18,000 DPI. These specs won't impress pros, but they should satisfy the majority of players. The mouse is extremely comfortable for long periods of time, too — as long as you're right-handed.
Is this the best gaming mouse for you? Read my full SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 review to find out.
Specs
SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2
Price
$59 / £54
Max DPI
18,000
Polling rate
1,000Hz
Buttons
Six
Size
4.74 x 2.63 x 1.5 inches
Weight
3.73oz
Colors
Black, White, Aqua, Lavender
Body material
Plastic
Design
Right-handed symmetrical
Operating system
macOS, Windows
Connectivity
2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth
Battery
1x or 2x AAA
Battery life (rated)
200 hours (2.4GHz); 450 hours (Bluetooth)
Lighting
None
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a comfortable mouse that's great for casual gaming, and its user-friendly companion software makes customization easy.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 sports a lovely, minimalist design. While not much has changed in terms of its design philosophy since the first-gen model, the mouse now comes in four colorways: Black, White, Aqua and Lavender. I tested the Lavender model, which looks really pretty.
You can tell the mouse is sturdy, too, thanks to the high-quality plastic used in its construction. Its underside features three PTFE skates, which reduce friction and enable the mouse to glide effortlessly across various surfaces, such as wood, plastic and glass.
Measuring 4.74 x 2.63 x 1.5 inches, it's well suited for those with medium or large hands. The mouse weighs 3.73oz with two batteries inserted, which may not be light enough for most gamers. Good news is that the mouse can run on one battery, bringing its weight down to 3.35oz. I personally don't mind the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 being slightly heavy, but if that's a concern, I'd recommend the Redragon M916 ($44) which weighs 1.7oz.
Regardless, I found the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 very comfortable, having used it for a four-hour gaming stint and eight-hour work day. Its matte finish makes it feel premium and look more expensive than it actually is, and it feels soft under my hand. Both palm and claw grips work well with it, and its left- and right-click buttons are wide enough for your fingers to splay.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a great mouse for casual gaming. The mouse utilizes the same TrueMove Air sensor found in its predecessor to deliver a maximum DPI of 18,000 and a 1,000Hz polling rate — hence why I said it's good for casual gaming, as these should suffice the majority of players. The 1,000Hz polling rate performs well in most titles, as I didn't experience any input lag or missed inputs in my testing.
I'm not a competitive gamer by any means, so a maximum DPI of 18,000 works well for me and contributes well enough to responsive and fast gameplay. I also appreciate being able to swap between different DPIs via the dedicated button located behind the scroll wheel. The RGB indicator under the scroll wheel lights up when you press the DPI button, providing a visual aid that lets you know what level of DPI you've selected.
Even some pricier mice, like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 ($159), don't feature an onboard DPI selector, so the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 wins some brownie points here.
The DPI levels are also fully customizable via the mouse's companion software (more on that soon). In close-quarters combat in Hitman and Lies of P, I selected a high DPI of 10,000 so I could quickly turn around or change camera angles when surrounded by enemies. I could then accurately gauge their positions and see if an enemy was coming charging towards me. My knife in Hitman and saber in Lies of P made quick work of the hordes of enemies, too, giving me an edge.
I then opted for a lower DPI, around 400 to 500, when facing off sluggish, large bosses in Lies of P, as they took up most of my laptop's screen. This also proved handy in Hitman and Counter-Strike 2 when I was very far away from enemies and wanted to use my sniper rifle to execute stealthy headshots. Having a low DPI let me fine-tune my movements and aim extremely precisely.
In Hitman, when my assassination target was surrounded by bodyguards or other NPCs, I didn't have to bother taking them down as I could pinpoint where I wanted my gun's bullet to make contact.
For a gaming mouse that costs less than $60, the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 boasts fantastic battery life. Not having any flashy RGB lighting contributes to this, of course. Two non-rechargeable batteries are included in the mouse's box, and like I mentioned up top, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 can run on either one or two batteries. SteelSeries doesn't specify how long the mouse can run on a single battery, but two batteries should yield 200 hours of juice over 2.4GHz or 400 hours over Bluetooth.
I'm usually not a fan of disposable batteries as they're harder to recycle effectively, so it's good to know that you can use rechargeable ones with the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 if environmental impact is a concern.
To customize the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2, you'll need to download SteelSeries GG on your Windows 11 machine or SteelSeries GG Engine on your macOS laptop. I tested both apps, and both feature clean user interfaces and are straightforward to use. You can use either app to customize the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2's keybindings, adjust its DPI levels and record macros.
There are a few extra goodies here, too. You can toggle High-Efficiency Mode, which is a super-low power setting, or Bluetooth Smoothing, which essentially reduces jitters over slower connections. There's also a Wireless Stability Enhancement toggle, in case you're using the mouse around several other wireless devices.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a great mouse for casual gaming, and it's got the price to match. The Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 retails for $59 / £54 at Amazon, making it one of the cheapest gaming mice on the market. It's priced similarly to the Keychron M7 ($49) and the Redragon M916 ($44), and is a fantastic option if you want a mouse that fits into your existing SteelSeries ecosystem.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a superb mouse, but it isn't meant for competitive players, its side buttons are very thin and there's no left-handed version.
As I mentioned up top, the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a great mouse for casual gaming, and I've loved using it. However, it isn't meant for competitive players or esports pros. That's because of its maximum DPI and polling rate, both of which fall short when it comes to providing a competitive edge.
Pro gamers will want both of these key features to be higher, as the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2's DPI is limited to just 18,000 and its polling rate clocks in at just 1,000Hz. Now, these numbers aren't bad at all for casual players, but pros may like 4,000Hz or even 8,000Hz polling to ensure missed inputs are non-existent. It's worth saving up and investing in a mouse like the NZXT Lift Elite Wireless ($79) or the Fnatic x Lamzu Maya 8K ($119) instead.
One of my gripes with the NZXT Lift Elite Wireless was its pair of wide side buttons that were also quite sensitive, so I kept misclicking them. Well, the SteelSeries Rivel 3 Wireless Gen 2 has the opposite problem. Its side buttons are too thin, and my thumb didn't fall naturally on them.
This proved frustrating while working and in games. I couldn't time throwing grenades in Counter-Strike 2 well and missed a few opportunities to take down groups of enemies.
If I had a nickel for every time I tested a mouse that didn't have a left-handed version… well, I'd have a lot of nickels. The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2, much like its rivals, is made for right-handed folks, thanks to the placement of its side buttons.
Unfortunately, there aren't many ergonomic alternatives available for lefties. I'd recommend grabbing an ambidextrous mouse instead, like the Roccat Kova Aimo ($50), the Corsair M55 RGB Pro ($40) or the BenQ Zowie FK1 ($69).
If you want a wireless mouse for casual gaming and don't want to spend a whole lot of money on it, then the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 could be for you. Retailing for just under $60 / £55, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2's 18,000 DPI and 1,000Hz polling perform well in most casual gaming titles. The mouse is extremely comfortable, too, and its long battery life is the cherry on top.
Like I've said throughout the review, its specs won't impress competitive players who might want 8,000Hz polling and 32,000 DPI. Also, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2's side buttons are a little too thin for my liking, and there's no left-handed version.
As long as you don't mind these shortcomings, you'll be happy with SteelSeries' latest offering. The Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is a cheap and cheerful mouse for most people.