SteelSeries recently teamed up with experienced mouse sensor developer PixArt to develop something new. In the world of gaming mice, touting DPI and CPI tracking up to and beyond 20,000, one wonders if it is even worth it if tracking at such ridiculous rates leads to sporadic or delayed results, at even the lowest of settings. SteelSeries and Pixart combined to create their answer to this in the form of the TrueMove3 optical mouse sensor. The TrueMove3 was engineered to provide “true 1-to-1” tracking where the distance a mouse travels on a surface is matched by the distance traveled on screen.
The TrueMove3 is a 12,000 CPI, 350 IPS optical sensor designed to avoid latency, jitter or the need of interpolation. The 1 to 1 tracking accuracy is mentioned to be in affect between 100 and 3500 CPI (counts per inch). Most importantly here, the TrueMove3 sensor is now available in two of SteelSeries’ latest gaming mice, the Sensei 310 and the Rival 310. The Rival 310 is a right-handed mouse while the Sensei 310 is of an ambidextrous make.
We got our hands on both the SteelSeries Rival 310 and the Sensei 310 ourselves and took them through their paces. If you would rather read about the ambidextrous Sensei 310, then you can go straight to that review by clicking here.
Otherwise, continue down as we dive deeper into the SteelSeries Rival 310 with the new TrueMove3 sensor, going for $59.99…
Rival 310 Build and Comfort
Of the two new SteelSeries mice housing the TrueMove3 sensor, the Rival 310 sticks to the script of previous SteelSeries Rival mice with its right-handed form factor. You get a total of six buttons: left click, right click, mouse wheel, CPI toggle button, and two thumb buttons. The left and right clicks use a split-trigger design and Omron mechanical switches rated for a 50-million click lifespan. The Rival 310 uses a fingerprint resistant matte-top finish for its body and houses silicone grips on the sides. For that extra bit of style, the mouse also has two independent LED lighting zones, one for the mouse wheel and the other for the SteelSeries logo where the palm rests.
The SteelSeries Rival 310 is a very comfortable right-handed gaming mouse that is a joy to handle. It is exceptionally light yet rigid and sturdy in its make. For the side grips, SteelSeries made sure to use materials that fight wear and tear, especially after the sweatiest of gamers managed completely wear down the grips of their previous mice models. The thick silicone grips on the Rival 310 not only give you an considerable grip, but also give you that extra sense of confidence that they will last for the long haul.
All of the buttons were easily accessible when utilizing both palm and claw grips. I was particularly impressed with how easy it was reach for the thumb buttons, Mouse 4 and Mouse 5. They stick out quite nicely, allowing me to use Mouse 4 comfortably for melee actions in first and third person shooters. The mouse wheel had a nice feel and resistance to it as well, making scrolling both pleasurable and accurate. Last but not least, the mouse was simply enjoyable to look at with its bright and customizable LED lighting.
As far as appearances and right-handed ergonomics go, the SteelSeries Rival 310 is a homerun.
Continue onto Features, Performance, and Final Thoughts…