A good gaming mouse can be the difference between life and death in a high-stakes online game, and gaming periphery makers SteelSeries make it a point of pride that their gear gives gamers the extra edge when they need it.
As a result, the newly announced Sensei 310 and Rival 310 mice both house brand new sensor technology.
SteelSeries TrueMove 3 is said to provide a true 1-to-1 sensor, while boasting some genuinely exciting stats. TrueMove3 is a 12,000 CPI, 350 IPS optical sensor made in conjunction with PixArt, meaning users get lightening quick reaction time and negligible latency on screen.
All very impressive, but do the two new triggers hold up to their joint price point of £59.99/€69.99?
The Sensei and Rival are very similar mice, with a few key differences. For starters, the Sensei is designed for use by both left and right handed gamers. The symmetrical design takes some getting used to after using a right-handed mouse for years, but I soon found it to be quite comfortable and ergonomic.
All 8 buttons are completely reprogrammable so you can really customise your settings and while the pure-silicon grips are comfortable, they’re not so groundbreaking as to really write home about. The Sensei 310 feels notably very light in your hand, and it really depends on your preference as to whether you’ll reap the benefits from this.
If you can get away with a right-handed mouse, then the Rival 310 is immediately more comfortable than its ambidextrous counterpart. Though if you’re looking for more features for your buck, it only comes with 6 programmable buttons, as opposed to 8. Personally I don’t really need 8, but it’s really down to your personal gaming habits that will decide if they’re necessary.
Again, the Rival 310 is noticeably lighter than my usual Rival 700, and takes some getting used to when used for day-to-day tasks. But when you take it into the gaming arena, it makes much more sense, especially if you’re looking for precision aiming in competitive shooters.
As with all their peripheries, both mice are compatible with SteelSeries Engine Apps like PrismSync and GameSense meaning you can program your preferred settings and have them easily accessible on any PC. You can also keep your preferred RGB lighting to really get into the zone.
In reality, both the Sensei and Rival are very good gaming mice, especially at their relatively low price point (as far as gaming mice go) and 50-million click lifelong durability promise. There’s not much to pick between the two when it comes to performance, but for comfort and ease of use, the Rival 310 just pips it for me.
If you’re looking to upgrade to a better quality of mouse and want to bypass the entry level products, then both of these make an excellent choice for new and seasoned gamers like, and it’s really down to personal preference as to which you’ll lean towards.
Once again though, SteelSeries have proven why they’re one of the biggest gaming periphery providers on the market, and look set to continue on that path with more great products added to their line-up.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.