SteelSeries Rival 310 Ergonomic Gaming Mouse Review

SteelSeries Rival 310 – How Does It Stack Up?

With excellent all-around build quality, great tracking performance thanks to the TrueMove 3 sensor and extremely comfortable ergonomics, the SteelSeries Rival 310 is one of the best gaming mice I’ve ever laid my right hand on. Changes from the Rival 300 such as the matte finish, silicone side grips and slightly reduced size give the Rival 310 a great all around feeling that doesn’t fatigue the hand, even after hours of use. The main buttons of the SteelSeries Rival 310 offer very consistent click registration with hardly any side-to-side play present and I was very impressed with how satisfying they were to click.

I can see some users complaining about the lack of a braided cable on the Rival 310, but I have never been a fan of braided cables on mice, since they tend to fray and cause more friction and drag. The cable on the Rival 310 was excellent in this regard, as it was very flexible and easy to position so that it caused close to no noticeable drag, even without a mouse bungee. The scroll wheel on the Rival 310 worked well during use, but it felt a bit weak and out of place on the otherwise high quality mouse. The plastic material on the Rival 310 could have had a softer feel and been a little more comfortable in the rear palm area, but overall, my complaints are minor and there aren’t any deal breakers when it comes to the Rival 310, unless you’re left handed or need more than six buttons. If SteelSeries could improve anything with the Rival 310, the tactile feedback and overall quality of the scroll wheel would be the first place to start.

SteelSeries going the extra route and working with Pixart to develop a custom SROM for the 3360 to create the TrueMove 3 optical sensor is a notable move. I do wonder if calling the sensor TrueMove 3 was a wise marketing decision versus just saying that the Rival 310 uses a custom Pixart 3360, since the 3360 is well-respected among PC enthusiasts and gamers, already? It can be tough to build up a new product, but we definitely understand SteelSeries’ reasoning behind the TrueMove 3 sensor and associated marketing. Is the TrueMove 3 the most accurate optical sensor for gaming mice since it has disabled jitter reduction up to 3500 CPI? Technically, yes. Will it matter to most gamers, especially those who game in the sub-2100 CPI range? Not at all. In subjective testing, the Pixart 3360 and SteelSeries TrueMove3 optical sensors perform exactly the same and that’s nothing for SteelSeries to be ashamed of. The TrueMove 3 is a solid iteration of the Pixart 3360, just don’t expect to notice any difference in tracking capability if you’re coming from a decent mouse that already has a modern Pixart sensor. Since I game between 700-1200 CPI, the benefits of TrueMove 3 over a regular Pixart 3360 are lost on me, but there may be users out there who game around 2500 CPI who will appreciate the removal of jitter reduction offered by the TrueMove 3.

If you don’t mind sacrificing a bit of weight and ergonomics, you may be able to find a mouse with more buttons and features than the Rival 310, such as Logitech’s G502 Proteus ($49.95 shipped), but the number of mice that actually, ahem, rival the SteelSeries Rival 310 are few and far between. For users who are left handed, or need a couple more buttons than what the Rival 310 offers, SteelSeries also offers the $59.99 Sensei 310, which features an ambidextrous shape and the SteelSeries TrueMove 3 sensor. My personal choice of mouse is going to remain the Logitech G903, because the ergonomics and wire-free performance are still tops, but the SteelSeries Rival 310 is an awesome mouse that I had no qualms using for extended periods of time. If the SteelSeries Rival 310 were available in a reliable wireless version, I’d highly consider using it as my daily driver.

If you have medium to large hands and are looking for a gaming mouse that will work well for everyday use, while really shining in FPS and other game styles that require fast, precise movement, the SteelSeries Rival 310 is an excellent choice. For $59.99 at Amazon, I’d say the Rival 310 is a solid purchase, but I have seen it occasionally available for $49.99, at which point it becomes an an even greater value. Look out for the SteelSeries Rival 310 and make sure it’s on your holiday wish list if you are looking for a new mouse. When it comes down to it, the SteelSeries Rival 310 is one of the best gaming mice on the market and I see it doing very well for SteelSeries’ sponsored e-sports teams this coming year.

Legit Bottom Line: With a comfortable, low-weight design that feels great even after hours of use, along with the insanely accurate TrueMove 3 optical sensor, the SteelSeries Rival 310 is one of the best FPS gaming mice on the market.