Customer Ratings & Reviews

Should have gotten another one because it doesn’t always work

PROS: - RGB! - Light-weight - SteelSeries Engine allows serious customization - Excellent low friction pads - Comfortable to use (even for hours) - 6 customizable buttons CONS: - Non-braided cable LOVES to bunch up - The RGB hasn't made me a better gamer (yet) :( -- Set Up -- The Rival 3 works right away when connecting it to your PC, but I would HIGHLY recommend going to SteelSeries' website to download their "SteelSeries Engine" software. This will allow you to customize just about everything about the Rival 3 (from cursor speed to RGB effects). The Rival 3 has on-board memory, so you can make any customization you want to your mouse and it will be saved when you plug it into a different PC. -- Features -- The RGB lighting is probably one of my favorite aspects of the Rival 3, as silly as that may sound. I just love how it matches my mechanical keyboard now! On a more serious note, the Rival 3 is fantastic for FPS games. It's very light-weight and has excellent optical tracking, plus the low-friction pads make the Rival 3 glide like no other gaming mouse I've used before. Using the SteelSeries Engine software, you can map features/macros to the six buttons on the Rival. Out of the box, the two side buttons are defaulted to forward/backward for browser/window navigation (which I absolutely love). -- Bottom Line -- This is an outstanding gaming mouse, but it's not perfect. I really wish the cable was braided, since it loves to bunch up (no tangles yet, but I'm sure it's inevitable). If you play more MMOs than FPS games, the Rival 3 might not be the mouse to get. Since I primarily play non-MMO games, I love this mouse. It looks great and I'm quite happy with the performance. If you're in the market for a new gaming mouse, I'd highly recommend checking this out.

This is a very good gaming RGB mouse. It is very responsive and has a nice feel from the texture and buttons. The only thing is I felt it was a little small for it to feel exactly natural. If you really like this brand then this would be a great beginner gaming mouse. I did think it could have had a braided cord but otherwise it was really nice. I think the RGB is actually one of the best implementations I have seen. The colors and software are both great. I would recommend this mouse for gamers especially whom like this brand.

Great for the price, I've been using it and I prefer it over my previous logitech G502 mouse because its lighter. My one complaint is that the cord is not braided but honestly it doesn't matter. The rgb is also a little brighter than my old mouse so that's also a plus.

SteelSeries has a lot of great gaming periphrials. I own a couple of keyboards and I have a gaming laptop that sports a Steel Series keyboard as well. So, I've been interested in trying one of their mice. At a penny less than $30 the price on these makes it a great value optical gaming mouse. It's got ergonomic styling so my hand doesn't cramp up during extended playing time. The 6 buttons allow flexibility in programing to suit your playstyle needs using the SteelSeries Engine software. The default settings are prefect for my use. You have the typical left and right buttons and a scroll wheel (which also doubles as a center button). The button to control CPI (aka DPI ) is top center just behind the scroll wheel making for on the fly sensativity adjustments extremely easy. Which leaves two buttons on the left side to program as you wish. The mouse has onboard memory so it will keep up to 5 different setting if you switch between Windows laptop to Windows desktop to XBox or Mac. If you are into LEDs then the SteelSeries Engine also provides control over the LEDs on the mouse. If you tandem with a SteelSeries keyboard with LEDs the software will control both. A few things to be aware of... - this is a right handed mouse due to side buttons only on the left side - it is a USB mouse with 6' of cord - it's lightweight so if you like a heavier mouse or one with adjustable weights you might want to look at other options. I only have one operation issue. I have my mouse connected to a USB hub and on occasion when I boot up the mouse isn't recognized so I have to unplug and replug in the hub to get the mouse to connect. I had to connect directly to my PC to avoid this problem. For the money its hard to beat.

This is not a "value mouse". This is an excellent gaming mouse at a great price. Comparing this to much more expensive options it is on par with and even outperforms many of it's competitors. If you are looking for a great looking, medium size mouse that is light weight, has quiet clicks that are NOT mushy and has a great preforming optical sensor that doesn't spin out or lose track during fast swipes (tilt slam test) then look not further. This will get the job done at half the price of others. The shape is very similar to the original Steelseries Sensei, so it will be great for a large variety of gamers. It has a low height and the clicks are light and easy to jitter click making it good for games like league of legends, dota, path of exile, or diablo, especially if you play at a higher sensitivity with your wrist stationary on your desk or toward the edge of the table; however, the overall length allows for a good grip toward the middle/front area of the mouse with the butt of the mouse pressed against the palm to get a solid grip for flick shots in shooters like csgo, call of duty, ect. It is very easy to control spray with rifles as well. Overall this thing a very solid choice for any gamer that wants a top preforming mouse at a great price. I picked this thing up as an impulse buy on my lunch break just to try it out and maybe give it to a friend or something, but man I am really impressed here. I have a lot and i mean A LOT of gaming mice and there are only a few at the $30 range that don't make major sacrifices somewhere that jeopardize actual gaming performance. This and the G203 are the clear winners at this price bracket, but I would give the edge to the this because it has a superior shape in my opinion. The G203 is great but the tapered shape makes it feel smaller than it appears and I notice a lot of people that use them either constantly adjusting their grip or they end up resting their thumb above the side buttons on the top of the shell. Personally the G203 causes me to adjust my grip a lot and eventually gives me hand cramps, but this mouse is a perfect all rounder. I imagine the vast majority of people regardless of hand size can find a comfortable grip on this mouse. One minor thing that I did notice, like the sensei and rival 100/110, the sensor is slightly toward the back, basicly in line with the rear side button. It did not cause any issues for me at all in game, as long as you have a good grip for shooters, the sensor will stay in place regardless of the physical location on the mouse so it will not affect your aim. Not a knock at all, it's just something that I've seen other people mention over the years about sensor placement, and I wanted to address. Your thumb, pinky and ring finger, create a triangle when you grip a mouse if you flip it over and look from the bottom, and as long as those point of contact do not change, the sensor placement does not affect accuracy. That person just missed their shot and they are overthinking and blaming anything they can. The EC1 and EC2 from zowie are very highly regarded and also have sensors that are placed toward the back in relation to their side buttons and you don't hear anyone complaining about them. It's the player not the mouse. This thing is great! If you are considering picking one of these up, or you want something new as a replacement, go for it. It really is a great choice. I am a long time competitive gamer and I really like buying gaming mice, it's the one thing that actually affects how you aim and play. It's sort of a problem/addiction of mine, but I hope I am able to give a decent information/opinions to someone out there. Here is a list of other mice that I have (just so you know what I'm comparing this one to) Zowie - EC1-A, EC2-A, EC1-B, EC2-B, FK1, FK1+, ZA11, ZA12 Logitech - G102, G203, G305, G403, G403 (hero) G502, G600, G703, G900 Razer - Abyssus, Deathadder chroma and elite, Mamba elite, Basilisk, Lancehead, 2012 Naga, Naga Trinity HyperX - Pulsefire Surge, Pulsefire Core Steelseries - MLG edition Sensei, Sensei 310, Original Rival, Rival 100, Rival 110, Rival 300, Rival 310, Rival 600, Rival 710 Fnatic - Clutch 2, Flick 2 Roccat - Kone Pure, Kone EMP Dream Machines - DM1 FPS, DM1 Pro, DM1 Pro S, DM1 Comfy S Glorious master gaming race - Model O Endgame gear - XM1 I'm sure that I am forgetting some but oh well.. I guess they don't really matter if they didn't leave a lasting impression. :)

This is a great entry level gaming mouse for the new PC gamer. It has flashy RGB that comes with the more expensive products and side mouse buttons for those extra key bindings. The CPI button is great for customizing sensitivity to the perfect comfort level. It’s also lightweight without feeling too fragile.

Let’s be honest, there is not a lot to get excited about a new computer mouse. There are no new innovations, in fact many manufactures try to innovate just for the sake of claiming something new. That invariably ends up making a mouse with too many buttons with an ungainly design. It is what I hate many of today’s gaming mice – over complicated shiny pieces of fake gold to catch the eye of fanboys. So along comes the SteelSeries Rival 3. Small, uncomplicated, not feature rich – just the way I like it. Do you really need a moue with 20 buttons? Nope – this one gets by just fine with only 6. It I light weight but has a durable feel except the cord have been braided or a better material.) I’m not going to go in to into the CPI range, sensor type blah blah. Because none of that matters. When compared to competitors and some of the models in the Steel Line, it appears the SteelSeries Rival 3 is on the lower spectrum of quality, features or performance. That is just not the case. The Rival 3 feels responsive, thanks to its high polling rate, and I didn’t notice lag or judder in any of the games I played with the mouse. Although very lightweight, it does feel very solid as do the buttons. In conclusion, SteelSeries didn’t reinvent the gaming mouse with the Rival 3. It is type of gaming mouse I prefer – simple and streamline but gets the job done. They did not try to reinvent the wheel, they simply took the basic fit and functions that should be in a good gaming and put it in an inexpensive package. If I were Steel, I would think of making a glass or all metal version and drooping the LED. Regardless, I love the mouse and would recommend for anyone spending less than $50.

I'm picky about what kind of mouse I use, no, I mean seriously picky. I hold my mouse with a claw grip (google it sometime if you want to laugh at me) and that means that most mice are just too bulky, too heavy or too awkwardly shaped for me to use comfortably for any amount of time. I thought this mouse would fall into that category at first glance, but after using it for a few days I can say that it's actually decently comfortable for a claw grip gamer like myself. Overall the mouse is very light weight, which some people don't enjoy because it makes a mouse feel "cheap", but when maneuvering the mouse in fast paced games weight can become an issue in developing fatigue. The mouse itself is a nice shape for a right handed user, left handed users should steer away from it as there are 2 side button that would most definitely get in the way. Once you download the Steelseries Engine software you'll be asked to upgrade the firmware of your mouse. Go ahead and do that and then mess with your CPI/DPI settings until you find one that's comfortable. I like mine set at about 2500cpi. Oh, this guy has RGB lighting too! The lighting has 3 zones that you can customize and the end result is some really beautiful under glow lighting. The only nitpick I can think of is that the mouse cord is not braided, which I've become used to in most modern mice these days. Pros: Mouse is comfortable to hold, even for claw grippers Mouse is light weight Steelseries Engine software installs and works well Lighting is beautiful, but subtle Cons: No braided cable Mouse feels a little lightweight/cheap

This mouse works like a charm. No problems right out of the box and the program to run all the extra features downloaded quickly and installed without any problems. So far the macros I've put in work like the should. I also like that the mouse is not too bulky. Some mice that are gaming mice get large and unwieldy. My only complaint is that the program for the custom light patterns you can set up isn't very intuitive. While I got something I like, its got some quirkiness about the patterns and the colors both aren't very distinct and don't match the colors on in the program very well so it takes a bit of experimentation to get the design you want. That being said, my daughter had a lot of fun playing with it and trying to make cool patterns.

If I had to choose 1 word to describe this product, it's balance. This is an overwhelmingly good mouse for the price that you pay. Even if it costed slightly more it would still be a good mouse. You plug it in and it works nicely. You can adjust the settings like with any other mouse, but I do like the weight of it. It's not weighted like a more expensive mouse but it's still more than sufficient. The design and coloring is also very nice. The wire itself is not braided like higher costing mice but it's not really an issue. I've played Overwatch and some Steam games with it just to try it out and it's been pretty flawless in my opinion.

Works really well for gaming and office use would recommend.

Excellent mouse with fun RBG options. The mouse is comfortable and smooth. I bought this specifically for FPS gaming and my KDR couldn't be happier. I was using the wireless Logitech G602 for a while and I enjoy the simplicity of this mouse much more. Steel Series Engine allows for a plethora of customization options and setting profiles. Hard to find a better mouse at this price point.

It's a good mouse. It's comfortable and feels nice in my hand. Side/extra buttons are small and out of the way so no worry of mis-clicking them. RGB lights are nice. Default CPI was too low though, thought there may have been something wrong with my mousepad at first, but after increasing the CPI to the next preset above, movement was perfectly fine.

Got this with the matching keyboard - they pair nicely together. Very happy!

The best thing about this mouse are the colors! I've used many different optical gaming mouses. This one works flawlessly and it's affordable. I was pleasantly surprised to also see the longer USB cable. That was a nice touch. From gaming to my workflow, this mouse is a winner!

Great mouse, very bright RGB, easily customizable to your PC needs.

If you don’t mind using a wired mouse, you can’t go wrong with the SteelSeries Rival 3, especially given its price. It does everything you would want a gaming mouse to do: smooth, lag-free operation with the TrueMove Core optical gaming sensor, crisp mechanical switches (up to 60 million clicks!), and programmable buttons while also offering impressive lighting capabilities and even on-board memory! I am still having a hard time believing this mouse isn’t selling for a much higher price. Even if you aren’t a gamer and just want a solid mouse that can handle whatever you plan on using it for, you can’t go wrong with the SteelSeries Rival 3 and I highly recommend it!

It’s a great mouse, specifically used for gaming and fun

Good budget mouse for gaming! Would recommend to those who are looking for something cheap!!