SteelSeries is a Danish company specializing in gaming peripherals and one of the most recognizable names in the world of esports and professional gaming. Their mice typically stand out for their great build quality, comfort, and solid performance. They're also highly customizable and have companion software for Windows and macOS. We've tested 24 SteelSeries mice, and below are our recommendations.
Updates
- 05/17/2022 SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless reviewed
- 05/13/2022 SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless reviewed
- 05/13/2022 SteelSeries Aerox 5 reviewed
- 11/24/2021 SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless (2022) reviewed
- 11/23/2021 SteelSeries Aerox 3 (2022) reviewed
Best SteelSeries Mice
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Best SteelSeries Mouse
WorkVideo Games (FPS)Video Games (MMO)Raw PerformanceThe best SteelSeries gaming mouse we've tested is the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless. It's a versatile mouse capable of handling various game genres. It has excellent sensor performance, very good click latency, and plenty of customizable inputs, including five buttons on the left side. Unlike most models designed to handle multiple genres, this model focuses on lightweight construction, with weight-saving diamond-shaped cutouts on the palm rest and click buttons.
This lightweight design makes this mouse very easy to move quickly and accurately, which is especially helpful if you play fast-paced or competitive games where every millisecond counts. However, if you're sensitive to slightly irregular textures on your hand, you may prefer a more traditional option with a solid plastic shell, like our best budget pick, the SteelSeries Prime. There's also a wired version of the Aerox 5 that's less expensive and has better click latency, making it a standout choice if you'd prefer trading a wireless connection for a small performance boost.
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Best Upper Mid-Range SteelSeries Mouse
WorkVideo Games (FPS)Video Games (MMO)Raw PerformanceFor an option that's typically less expensive, we recommend the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless. The price of this mouse goes up and down quite a bit, and it's sometimes more expensive than our top pick, the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless. That said, it's worth waiting for a sale and at its best value when it falls to around $100 USD. This mouse is designed for playing games with plenty of controls, like MMOs or MOBAs. It has a 12-button side panel that you can load up with all your custom binds and macros using the SteelSeries GG software. Like other high-end SteelSeries options, it has excellent sensor performance and very good click latency, making it more than suitable for the titles it's designed for.
Unlike virtually all other MMO-focused mice, this mouse is surprisingly lightweight, about 20 or 30 g lighter than some of its closest competitors. It can make a big difference when playing fast-paced games or group content that requires split-second timing. The diamond-shaped cutouts in the palm rest and click buttons play a large part in making this mouse lightweight. Some gamers won't appreciate how it looks or how this texture feels compared to a more traditional solid plastic outer shell, but if you've been dreaming about a lighter wireless MMO mouse, this is the mouse for you.
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Best Mid-Range SteelSeries Mouse
Office/MultimediaVideo Games (FPS)Video Games (MMO)TravelTypeStandardAmbidextrousShape OnlyDefault Weight68.1 gConnectivity WirelessThe best SteelSeries mouse we've tested as a mid-range option is the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless (2022). This lightweight FPS-focused model with full RGB lighting is an updated version of the popular SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless. This new model maintains the classic symmetrical shape and is also very lightweight, weighing only slightly heavier than its wired version and around the same weight as many of the best mid-range lightweight options currently available.
In terms of performance, this model has good click latency and a sensor with excellent motion latency and accuracy. This updated model also feels sturdier than the original version and features higher-quality mouse feet that glide more smoothly on mousepads and desks.
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Best Budget SteelSeries Mouse
Office/MultimediaVideo Games (FPS)Video Games (MMO)Ultra-Light GamingTravelIf you're on a budget, we recommend you check out the SteelSeries Prime. It's a straightforward, wired model with a right-handed shape and two side buttons. It's based on one of the most popular mouse shapes of all time. This shape is best suited for larger-sized hands, but there's also a mini version for smaller hands plus a wireless version, though both are more expensive. Looking under the hood, this mouse performs similarly to other options on this list. However, it's more suited for casual gaming as it doesn't quite deliver the performance recommended for competitive FPS titles.
This mouse has a solid plastic shell, which makes it feel extremely sturdy, so it's a great choice if you're on the fence about the more open honeycomb designs of some of SteelSeries' more premium options. Despite its solid shell, this mouse weighs virtually the same as the much higher-priced SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless, partly because it's a wired version that doesn't have an internal battery. Altogether, this is a balanced model with a time-tested shape. It's an affordable option that may work well if you prefer a sturdy, solid mouse body and aren't interested in peak performance or wireless connectivity.
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Best Cheap SteelSeries Mouse
Office/MultimediaVideo Games (FPS)Video Games (MMO)TravelTypeStandardAmbidextrousShape OnlyDefault Weight78.8 gConnectivity WiredFor a cheaper model, we recommend the SteelSeries Rival 3. It's one of SteelSeries' older wired models but has the same symmetrical shape as the significantly more expensive SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless (2022). While it's heavier, it also has a smooth plastic shell without any cutouts, making it extremely sturdy. Unfortunately, its cable is fairly stiff and not very lightweight, although it does feel high quality.
Additionally, it has a slightly higher minimum lift-off distance than other options on this list. It's only likely to be an issue if you're a low-sensitivity player, you have a smaller area for your mouse movements, or you're generally someone who frequently lifts and repositions their mouse during gameplay. Despite this minor issue, this mouse has excellent sensor performance and click latency, which rivals some of the higher-priced options on this list. This mouse is a viable wired option if you're looking for an inexpensive mouse that can hold its own in faster-paced, more competitive games that rely more heavily on peak performance.
Compared To Other Brands
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Great and consistent build quality.
The build quality of SteelSeries mice is typically great, even in the budget range. -
Comfortable to use.
SteelSeries mice are usually well-designed to provide a comfortable grip. -
Software offers good customizability.
The SteelSeries GG software has many customization options and is available on Windows and macOS.
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Underwhelming high-end performance.
While SteelSeries mice have excellent click latency and sensor performance overall, they don't offer the same high-end performance as certain flagship options from competitors like Razer, Logitech, or Corsair. -
Bloated software.
While SteelSeries' software has good customizability options, it also receives criticism from some gamers for requiring frequent updates and consuming unnecessary system resources. Additionally, you need to keep the software running in the background to use certain features and settings that you can't save to onboard memory. For example, you can't use custom RGB lighting settings without the software running.
SteelSeries vs Razer
Razer produces a wide range of gaming peripherals and has different lineups of mice for specific gaming genres. Razer enjoys a technological lead over SteelSeries and the wider gaming mouse industry, notably due to their development of the newest generation of sensors, lightweight construction techniques, polling rates higher than 1000Hz, and optical switches. Similarly, SteelSeries has recently experimented with hybrid optical-magnetic switches and focused on more lightweight designs. Still, they've remained largely dependent on honeycomb construction techniques compared to the solid body designs used by Razer. You can see our recommendations for the best Razer mice.
SteelSeries vs Logitech
Logitech is the world's largest manufacturer of computer mice, and while they primarily make mice for productivity and everyday use, they have a very strong gaming division. Technologically speaking, Logitech is responsible for some of the most cutting-edge sensor and wireless connectivity technology. While SteelSeries previously dominated within the competitive sphere, Logitech has recently established a firm foothold in this space, and their flagship lightweight model, the G PRO X SUPERLIGHT, is currently one of the most popular and widely used mice in the competitive esports landscape. You can see our recommendations for the best Logitech mice.
SteelSeries vs Corsair
Corsair got its start producing hardware components, including memory and coolers. They've since expanded into producing a wide array of gaming peripherals. Today, they have a full lineup of mice for various gaming genres. Corsair's mice typically match SteelSeries options in terms of build quality, and they were among the early companies to experiment with polling rates higher than 1000Hz. However, they haven't been as quick to adapt to industry trends toward more lightweight models, and their gaming mice aren't typically found at a highly competitive level. You can see our recommendations for the best Corsair mice.
SteelSeries produces gaming mice for casual and competitive gamers alike. They're typically very well-built and comfortable to use. They also have some of the best software support and platform compatibility, allowing you to access all customization options no matter which operating system you use.
Lineup
Aerox: The Aerox lineup includes a range of symmetrical wired and wireless models designed for different kinds of gaming, including models for FPS, MMO/MOBA, and more versatile multi-genre models. The standout feature shared by all mice in this lineup is their lightweight construction with diamond-patterned cutouts on the palm rest and click buttons.
Prime: Mice in the Prime lineup have a solid plastic shell and a comfortable right-handed shape. The standard Prime and Prime+ models are best for medium- or larger-sized hands, but there's also a mini version available, and both models have wired and wireless versions. Altogether, these are fairly conventional gaming mice, but they use a hybrid optical-magnetic switch, which offers the improved reliability and performance of a high-end optical switch but a crisper and more satisfying click similar to traditional mechanical switches.
Rival: As one of SteelSeries' older models, the mice in this lineup have solid plastic shells and symmetrical shapes with a wide rear end. Various wired and wireless configurations are available for FPS and multi-genre gaming.
Sensei: The Sensei series of mice have a straightforward ambidextrous shape that is among the oldest and most widely regarded shapes in the SteelSeries catalog. The Sensei Ten is a modernized update of the original Sensei series of mice, which were at the height of their popularity during the early days of esports gaming.
Recent Updates
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May 23, 2024: We've verified our picks for availability and accuracy and made no changes. We've also made some minor text changes for readability.
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Jan 24, 2024: We've reviewed this article and ensured that all our picks are currently available and remain the best options for their respective categories.
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Sep 27, 2023: We've audited this article and added a small note about current pricing trends for the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless, but we haven't changed our current lineup of recommendations.
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May 31, 2023: We've reviewed this article and made some small changes to the text to improve readability. We've confirmed all our picks are available and in stock, but we haven't made any changes to our recommendations as all products remain the best picks for their categories.
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Feb 03, 2023: We've gone through this article and refreshed some of our text but haven't made any changes to our recommendations. We've also added two new sections, which include information about SteelSeries' current lineup of mice and how SteelSeries mice compare to those from other manufacturers.
Conclusion
SteelSeries mice generally have great build quality and exceptional performance, with models available at various price points. They haven't yet branched out into mice specifically designed for work and productivity tasks, but they have a wide range of options, so you can likely find the best SteelSeries gaming mouse for your needs.