Steelseries Rival 5 mouse test: an alternative to the Logitech G502?

With its slightly matt surface, the Rival 5 gives a real impression of quality that corresponds to its predecessors. However, it doesn’t offer No specific grip for the thumb or for the fourth and fifth fingerswhich are found in contact with the carpet fairly regularly, increasing inertia and friction. A bit like the G502. In short phases, however, nothing prevents you from lifting the fingers on either side of the mouse, but the position remains difficult to hold over the distance.

On the sliding side, however, everything is fine, despite the space between the Teflon pads on the front and back of the field mice. The mouse neither grips on a rigid mat nor on a thick surface and is on average in terms of friction. It’s still a good step below what the G Pro X Superlight or Roccats Burst Pro, two thicker and stiffer Teflon mice, offer.. Finally, note that the USB cable is shaped at the height of the mouse and that the two meter long cables are particularly light and well protected by a flexible braid. What to avoid embarrassment in the game.

Finally, a little word about the Rival 5 sensor, a homemade TrueMove Air, but which was developed with the essential PixArt: with an accuracy of 18,000 DPI. It’s not the most impressive value we’ve seen lately (the G502 Hero hits up to 25,000 DPI), however This is more than enough to play any game in any condition. In particular, the sensor and its management proved to be error-free and without the slightest jolt during the hours of testing the mouse. And that even with extreme values.

Special ergonomics

The presence of the 5 thumb buttons is likely to confuse most players a little. In addition to the two classic thumb buttons, which are positioned higher than usual to let the finger rest in a niche, there is a gray button to the front, reminiscent of the “sniper” buttons, and a switch. Just switch up / down over the first two. We have no complaints about the quality of these shooters, who are quick and responsive, but we are less convinced of their position.

It is already difficult to distinguish the two classic buttons from the rest of the case as their relief is very limited and their position forces the player to press up to activate them without touching the up / down switch. The latter suffers less from this proximity due to its greater thickness, but the positioning of the thumb on its edge unbalances the grip of the mouse. Finally, the last button differs from the other 3 by its light gray color, but also by its very front position. To activate it, you’ll have to change the thumb position quite radically, as opposed to that used for the previous buttons. It will therefore be necessary, on the one hand, to learn to move from one position to another without looking at the mouse, and, on the other hand, to accept this short transition time between two positions.

The other controls are more traditional and don’t come with bad surprises. The wheel is slightly toothed, cannot be detached and has a rubber surface that offers good grip regardless of the approach angle. The click is rather quiet, easily accessible and yet offers a sufficiently high trigger point to avoid unwanted actions. The main clicks are dry, quickly recurring, and require a relatively well-balanced pressure across the entire surface.

Classic and comprehensive software support

The Steelseries Engine 3 remains a very good support tool for the Rival 5, with the ability to adjust a number of parameters without getting into the complexity. Profiles can be saved locally or in the cloud if you agree to register with Steelseries. They include DPI values ​​(up to 6), acceleration and deceleration settings, angle hook level, and communication rate. In addition to these parameters, there is the complete assignment of the mouse and the management of the lighting.

There are many options for mapping, with access to keyboard keys, operating system functions, application launches, and the essential macros. All of this is easy to set up and easy to fix. One small detail is still missing: the requirement for a precise DPI level. In fact, without this option, it is impossible to use the gray thumb button as a sniper button in a profile. Admit it’s a nerd.

The lighting is also very complete, with the management of 10 zones all individually configurable, either in a fixed color or with a rainbow effect (with a choice of colors) or even with a breathing effect. It is even possible to turn off all lighting or by zone if you don’t want to take advantage of all those pretty colors.

We will simply regret that it is impossible to manage our profiles directly from the mouse, the latter only having the most recently used one in memory. If you switch platforms to play on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, or Series that don’t have an application, you need to be satisfied.

A good mouse with special ergonomics

Clearly, for the introductory price of $ 69.99 The Rival 5 plays in the same place as the Razer Basilisk v2 and the Logitech G502 Hero. The manufacturing quality is exemplary, the workmanship is successful, the lighting gives it an additional, rather noteworthy seal of approval and the elements between the sensor and switches offer a good level of service. As far as handling is concerned, we are more divided, as the mouse is very comfortable, but also very easy to use. The flaw lies in the unusual ergonomics of keys that were recorded in the same area or, on the contrary, particularly far apart. Our best advice for this rather subjective point: give it a try, pick it up and give your opinion on ergonomics. Because, by the way, we are very confident.

The opinion of oliveroidubocal

Write to iGamesNews

May 15, 2021 at 8:17 pm

16/.20th