With minimalist, hyper-light esports mice crowding the market, it's getting harder to make a case for a quote-basic-unquote gaming mouse. SteelSeries, in the middle of a budget-product push, has a new bottom-line mouse, the $29.99 Rival 3. It's a really well-made piece of kit, especially considering its low price, but in a jam-packed field, a lack of differentiating features can keep you from pushing to the front. The Rival 3 is worth a look, but that's about as strong a recommendation as I can make, seeing as how there are many, many mice in this zone that nail the fundamentals. Moves True, But Maybe Not for You The Rival 3 is the quintessential entry-level gaming mouse, a smallish six-button right-hander with a matte-black plastic shell. The buttons are standard fare: You get two click panels, a scroll wheel, and a DPI preset control button on top, plus the usual forward and back buttons on the thumb side. At 1.3 by 4.6 by 2.6 inches, it's a little small for something that seem...

SteelSeries' back-to-basics gaming mouse, the $29.99 Rival 3, is a solid but not irresistible contender.

Low price and light weight; TrueMove Core optical sensor; Three-part RGB rim

Shape isn't comfortable for users who palm-grip

Over the past few years, one might have come to the conclusion that SteelSeries had started falling behind. While other companies continued to innovate with lightweight designs, button switch and wireless technology, or improved feet and cables, SteelSeries' line-up seemed somewhat stale by...

Very good sensor performance; High button quality; Good scroll wheel; Good choice of components; Nicely gliding feet; Grippy coating; Full software customizability; Basic RGB lighting

Significant motion delay; Massive CPI deviation; Sleep mode does not work properly; Occasional polling outliers

The Rival 3 Wireless’ great battery life and upgraded sensor breathe new life into SteelSeries’ budget mouse design.

Incredible battery life; Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless; Very affordable for a wireless mouse; Works while using one or two AAA batteries

Shape is still slightly uncomfortable when using palm grip; Weighs more than the wired version; “High-Efficiency” power-saving mode drops polling rate

Well there we have it! So this mouse is only going to cost you 50 bucks. This is also one of the lightest wireless gaming mouse available on the market. And with all that you get the TrueMove Air sensor with a DPI up to 18,000.

Price; Weight; Battery Options; Bluetooth or 2.4Ghz connections; Simple RGB Effects; Great Sensor; Great Feel in the Palm

With the Rival 3 Wireless, SteelSeries is pairing wire-free low-latency transmission technology with low power consumption, so we could get up to 400 hours of operation via two AAA batteries.

The SteelSeries Rival 3 punches above its affordable price tag proving just how far cheap gaming mice have come in recent years.

Affordable; Great build quality; Fantastic RGB lighting

High lift off distance; Poor side buttons

The Steelseries Rival 3 is a great value gaming mouse for those who want to dip their feet into the world of PC gaming or just want a great RGB mouse on the cheap. Don’t let the price tag put you off buying this.

SteelSeries has built a new budget-friendly sensor for the Rival 3, and packed the peripheral with a feature set normally reserved for higher-end devices. The result is an impressive device and comes with a handful of minor flaws.

Great price/feature ratio; Awesome lighting options; Satisfyingly hefty click

Lift-off can result in cursor jiggle; A bit small; Not ambidextrous despite symmetrical design

Priced at only $29.99, the SteelSeries Rival 3 makes smart trade-offs to deliver a lot for a small price.

Ultimately, the Rival 3 feels a lot more right than wrong. The device handles quite well, feels comfortable to hold and operate for long periods of time, has a neat lightshow going on, and is easy to customize in the SteelSeries Engine 3.

Good feel for both palm and claw grip; Highly programmable performance; Vibrant RBG features and effects; Super-low price for what it offers

Only one CPI settings cycle button; RGB is either bright or off; no inbetween; USB cord feels cheap