Introduction
Gaming mice, is it worth investing in? Why is an ‘Action’ mouse of 20 euros not enough to achieve the maximum result as a competitive gamer? Today there is a pretty saturated market with mice. Logitech, Roccat, Razer, and the like are among the top gaming mice. SteelSeries also belongs in this list, and they prove it again with the Rival 650 Wireless.
Specifications
As usual, let’s start with a movie, followed by the specifications.
Sensor System
SteelSeries TrueMove3+ Dual Sensor System
Primary Sensor
TrueMove 3 Optical Gaming Sensor
Secondary Sensor
Depth Sensing Linear Optical Detection
CPI
100–12000 in 100 CPI Increments
IPS
350+, on SteelSeries QcK surfaces
Acceleration
50G
Hardware Acceleration
None (Zero Hardware Acceleration)
Lift Off Distance
Customizable, 0.5–2 mm
Top Material
Black Soft Touch
Core Construction
Fiber-Reinforced Plastic
Shape
Ergonomic, Right-Handed
Grip Style
Universal
Number of Buttons
7
Switch Type
SteelSeries Switch, rated for 60 million clicks
Illumination
8 RGB Zones, Independently Controlled
Weight
121 g / 4.2 ounces without cable.
Customizable up to 153 g / 5.4 ounces
Length
131 mm / 5.2 inches
Width
62 mm (front), 62 mm (middle), 69 mm (back)
2.4 inches (front), 2.4 inches (middle), 2.7 inches (back)
Height
27 mm (front), 43 mm (back)
1.1 inches (front), 1.7 inches (back)
Cable Type
Detachable, Soft Rubber
Cable Length
2 m / 6.5 ft.
OS
Windows, Mac, and Linux. USB port required
Software
SteelSeries Engine 3.12.13, for Windows (7 or newer) and Mac OSX (10.8 or newer)
Unpacking
Through Steelseries I received several products to review.
– Steelseries Apex 7 – brown switches
– Steelseries Rival 650 Wireless – what this review is about.
– Steelseries Rival 710
It looks like a real kit, but it’s not all that bad. In this case, the mouse is very handy to customize. So, make it to your liking.
There are 8x 4g weights that can be put in the mouse.
“We don’t play games to escape reality. We play to rewrite it.
We’re the esports professionals and the pubstars.
The 1hp heroes and the bottom of the scoreboard zeros.
The streamers and the dreamers.
Whether you win, lose or ragequit – that’s all on you.
But remember that reality is not a limit.
GLHF” (Good Luck Have Fun)
SteelSeries delivers with the Rival 650 Wireless a manual, USB cable to micro-USB, wireless dongle, and a micro USB to USB-A dongle and 8x 4-gram weights.
The micro USB can be used to connect the mouse via the cable or to extend the dongle via the same cable. Still, it is a pity that Steelseries did not opt for a USB-C connection/cable.
The left side has 3 thumb buttons, all three of which can be adjusted or disabled via the software. The left (most distant) thumb button is off by default. Several options can be given to this via the SteelSeries Engine.
At the top center is the DPI button. Once pressed it switches to the second profile. In short, a maximum of 2 different DPI profiles can be set, for example, 2000 and 12000 DPI.
On both sides, up to 4x 4g weights can be placed in the mouse.
At the bottom is of course the connect button to connect the mouse to the USB dongle and the switch to turn the mouse on/off.
The mouse uses SteelSeries TrueMove3+ Dual Sensor System. And that is very accurate. For example, I tested my muscle memory in several games (hello nerd). And I noticed that it was very sharp and direct.
Since the mouse can also be used wirelessly (up to about 24 hours), it can therefore be used wirelessly and wired.
As I always find with SteelSeries, the mouse looks neat. Beautiful plastic materials and finish. The lighter parts (such as the logo) are discolored by the RGB lighting.
The right side is free of buttons.
Let’s turn on the mouse to check the RGB lighting. If the dongle cannot be found, the mouse will illuminate part of it, but not all of it. When the dongle is found – or when connected via USB – it will illuminate completely.
Software
The advantage of SteelSeries is that it uses unified software which in turn can control the different devices (of SteelSeries).
Should you fail to connect the equipment, there is always the FAQ! 🙂
The mouse can of course also be configured via the SteelSeries Engine software, so that it does exactly what the user wants. At the top right are the two options that can be fine-tuned between 100 and 12,000 in steps of 100.
The mouse can also be fine-tuned via acceleration and deceleration. This causes the mouse reaction to accelerate or decelerate at the first small movement.
The polling rate can also be adjusted. This ensures that either every 1 millisecond (1000Hz) or 8 milliseconds (125Hz) is checked whether the mouse has moved.
Of course, profiles can also be created and managed, ensuring that the ultimate preset is used for specific games.
Illumination smart mode can be used to extend the battery life. For example, the lighting is turned off when the mouse is in use.
For the gamer/user who likes to use macros, a macro recording can also be made. You can also fine-tune how a button should respond, once, x number of times, etc.
By default, the 3rd thumb button (most distant) is disabled (Button 6 – Deactivated).
Different bindings can be set via the menu (for both this button and the others).
The possible options (per button are).
– Keyboard buttons
– Macros
– Media Buttons (such as mute etc.)
– Mouse Buttons (disagree with the DPI button in the middle? Make it a thumb button!).
– Deactivate
– Launch Application
– Launch Configuration (switching between other profiles)
– Launch Engine Apps
– OS Shortcuts
– Record Macro
Because the Rival 650 also has RGB options, there is an option to adjust the ‘zones’ under the illumination tab.
These can display one color or multiple colors. In addition, there is also a Colorshift option so that it continuously emits a rainbow of colors, multicolor breath, or reactive key or if you do not want RGB at all, it can also be turned off!
If you prefer your own chosen colors, of course, you can do that too!
Of course, color can also be attached to a separate preset via the config menu.
Various applications can be started via the engine apps that ensure that, for example, all SteelSeries products move in the same way in terms of color, or respond to music. There is also a preset for Discord, ImageSync (which can load a GIF that is visible on a SteelSeries keyboard), and CS Go (and a few others).
The applications that need to use a certain preset can be managed via the library. This can be if there is a library for using the game Overwatch, then when starting the game, for example, a certain preset is kept, so that the mouse buttons react separately again.
Via the settings button on the top right, the settings can still be adjusted, such as language and whether software updates have to be downloaded themselves, etc.
Also, the option to manage the account (top right) is not missing. If there is no account in the software yet, you must first login/create an account.
Gaming
What struck me while gaming is that the surface doesn’t matter much with this little mouse. Whether it’s on a gigantic mouse pad, or a desk/table, the mouse is still just as accurate in my opinion. And that’s nice too – especially for someone who plays at a desk, where my older Roccat or Razer sometimes struggled to read which direction I was going with my hand. Since the last year, I have started playing more with the Rival 600, which in my view is also very accurate and above all durable. Still, I’ve come to appreciate the Rival 650 Wireless immensely. I now also use this mouse during work – because it is also nice to have freedom of movement – and while gaming! After all, I never expected to play wireless gaming, and yet it has come true. And without any problems either!
What is also very nice is the DPI switch, which ensures that you can quickly switch between the two profiles, for example; 800 and 1600 DPI – up to 12000!!
The buttons are quite direct, by this I mean that with a small press an action is already performed. In short, it is not necessary to stand on the left mouse button to fire a weapon in PUBG, a light click is more than enough. This in turn allows for quick reactions in games, making the competitive gamer still react just slightly faster than another player.
Also handy to mention, the mouse can be operated with a palm/claw grip, because the buttons can also be pressed at the top – whereas many mice can only be pressed at the end.
Conclusion
In conclusion, about the mouse, I can be quite short, I think it’s a great mouse, and that’s not because I want to praise SteelSeries, but because over my life I’ve used quite a few mice – through gaming, etc. -. Just like the Rival 600, the Rival 650 feels very comfortable in my hand and is very light. The fact that the mouse is wireless and has the ability to adjust the weight to your liking makes it a great mouse in my opinion.
The software has a lot to offer and is therefore a nice extra. There are nice additions such as being able to synchronize the RGB lighting and completely customize how the buttons react in Windows or via “presets” in-game.
That the mouse is wireless (and also very accurate and fast) is quite special. I didn’t expect to be gaming wirelessly – because you think you’re going to suffer from lag/latency etc.
In this case, I didn’t notice it. Although the mouse is wireless, I would have liked it if it had a USB-C connection. Micro-USB feels pretty outdated these days.
The battery also lasts quite a bit in my opinion. As such, I can work quite a few days without having to connect the Rival 650 with a cable.
In my ‘old’ competitive career I would have loved to use this mouse (100% sure I bought it). In combination with such a mouse pad, such as the SteelSeries QcK Prism Cloth – or any QcK mouse pad, it makes a perfect duo. The mouse rolls over the mouse pad and does not linger and feels very accurate. Ultimately it comes down to your skills. In short, if you miss, in this case, it is not because of the mouse ;).
The nice thing about the SteelSeries Rival 650 Wireless is also the 3rd thumb button and DPI switch. With the DPI switch, you can quickly switch between the desired DPI settings. There is plenty to do with the 3rd thumb button. For example, it can be used to execute macros (can be set via the SteelSeries Engine), or to perform other actions.
The Rival 600 is for sale for just under €70. At €109, the Rival 650 Wireless is not a cheap option. I’d rather go for the Rival 600 if you’re going to play wired anyway. If you want to be able to switch between wired and wireless, then this is an ideal option.
The Steelseries Rival 650 gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. It’s a nice mouse, but not a very cheap option.
