SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Snappy clicks and steady grip

In the era of lightweight and high DPI gaming mice, SteelSeries has decided to upgrade its relatively heavy Rival 3 series with the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2, which is also relatively heavy. This extra weight comes from the AAA batteries that eliminate the need to recharge often but make the mouse not ideal for esports or competitive FPS gaming. That being said, casual and even hardcore gamers will appreciate the comfortable grip, accurate performance, and wireless connectivity of the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2.

There were no issues with the 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth connection, but the toggle can be a bit jumpy when switching between the two. The left and right clicks have a nice, soft sound, and the additional thumb buttons are easy to reach. Personalization through the SteelSeries GG software is convenient since everything is well laid out and there are descriptions for the various settings, along with a live preview of the changes made.

At $60, it is a relatively budget-friendly gaming mouse with solid performance and essentially never-ending battery life, if you have AAA batteries (rechargeable or otherwise) on hand.

SteelSeries has priced the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 at $60 and there are four color options to choose from: Black, White, Lavender, and Aqua. At the time of writing, the White, Aqua, and Lavender colors are available for purchase with a $5 discount on Amazon and Best Buy. There is also a wired version that is lightweight, has RGB lighting, and even lower click latency, priced at $35.

The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 gaming mouse brings some basic upgrades over the last generation Rival 3 Wireless, with a slightly tweaked shape and improved click latency.

Not much has changed between the original Rival 3 Wireless and the Gen 2 model. The new model has almost exactly the same dimensions, but the bulging rear transitions more gradually compared to the original Rival 3 Wireless. It has a mostly symmetrical design with two extra buttons on the left side, catering to gamers with claw or fingertip grip styles. The DPI button is conveniently located at the top, behind the soft yet granular scroll wheel. There is some lighting within the scroll wheel, but it doesn't seem to be customizable.   

The top shell slides out revealing the battery compartment and the slot for the 2.4 GHz dongle. It can be powered by a single or two AAA batteries, more on that later. On the bottom is the toggle for 2.4 GHz mode, Bluetooth, or power off. The mouse slides with minimal friction thanks to the 100% PTFE feet.

The SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 feels solid and there are no creaking sounds when applying pressure. The company states the left and right mechanical switches are rated for 60 million clicks, the same durability as the predecessor, which is also what the similarly priced Razer DeathAdder V2 X HyperSpeed (buy on Amazon) and Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed (buy on Amazon) offer.

The symmetrical design may not be for everyone, especially those who are used to ergonomic gaming mice, but we found it to be comfortable after getting used to the weight. It is long enough to support palm grips as well for those with small to medium-sized hands and the two side buttons are conveniently positioned. Overall, no complaints about the build quality and comfort of the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2.

SteelSeries claims a 1.9ms click latency and true 1-to-1 tracking enabled by their TrueMove Air Optical Sensor (18K DPI) which has been developed in partnership with PixArt. With up to 18,000 DPI, 400 IPS, and 40g max acceleration, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 delivers consistent and accurate performance, even though it doesn’t conform to the 8K polling industry trend. It has a 1,000 Hz polling rate that is more than enough for most gamers, except for competitive players who focus on games that support that high 8K polling rate. And, the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is not targeted towards competitive gamers, which is why the company did not focus on shedding as much weight as possible with this mouse.

Coming from lightweight mice like the NZXT Lift Elite (57 grams) and the Turtle Beach Burst II Air (48 grams), it did take some getting used to as the minimum weight for the Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 is 95 grams. As mentioned earlier, the mouse can be powered by a single or two AAA batteries and the 95 grams weight is with a single cell. Of course, that affects battery life as well, but it’s a compromise gamers have to make with this mouse.

Speaking of battery life, with the single AAA battery inserted on June 2 showing 90%, a combination of 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth usage dropped the battery to 61% after a week of moderate use. The usage involved playing PUBG, Delta Force, and Deathloop, as well as using it for work on Mac via Bluetooth. The Rival 3 Wireless Gen 2 may fall short of the 200 hour and 450-hour battery life claim (on 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth respectively), but it’s still plenty of juice for frequent long gaming sessions.