SteelSeries has expanded its infinite battery life feature to its professional mouse range, introducing the Rival Pro and Sensei Pro with a host of premium features that earned a perfect 5/5 review score.
Both mice pack a surprisingly light chassis with cutting-edge technology, including Ultra-Wideband Wireless, 8K polling, 42K DPI, 800 IPS speed, 70G acceleration, and the "infinite" battery system previously seen in the company's gaming headset range.
Design and Features
The Rival Pro and Sensei Pro are nearly identical, differing only in design: the Rival Pro has an ergonomic, right-handed shape, while the Sensei Pro is symmetrical. Both share the same features and technology.
The "infinite battery" system uses two batteries, each lasting around 16 hours at 8K polling and 60 hours at 1K polling. One battery sits in the mouse while the other charges in the included base station, so users never have to worry about running out of power.
Ultra-Wideband Wireless (UWB) technology uses the 6GHz+ spectrum for connectivity instead of the more common 2.4GHz, which SteelSeries says makes it essentially immune to interference and delivers consistent 8K wireless performance. The sensor can be overclocked to 9K, and the TrueMove 42K Pro sensor supports 42K DPI with one-to-one resolution at 20,000 FPS, 800 IPS speed, and 70G acceleration.
Both mice weigh 53g, with the untested mini version at 49g. That's eight grams lighter than the Logitech SuperStrike X2 Pro and six grams lighter than the X3 Pro, though not as light as the Razer Viper V4 Pro (49g). Available in white and black, the reviewer used the black model with SteelSeries orange accents on the scroll wheel.
Performance
After testing both models for several weeks, the reviewer settled on the ergonomic Rival Pro as a daily driver, finding it extremely comfortable for both work and gaming. Both mice delivered superb performance across several FPS titles, with reactive and responsive inputs and consistent results.
The UWB performance stood out, with SteelSeries showing direct cursor input traces to demonstrate consistency under interference. The reviewer noted they hadn't personally felt interference with previous mice but acknowledged their skill level might not be high enough to notice.
The battery swap mechanism, requiring a twist-and-pop action, works well, and power returns instantly after swapping. The optical switches are rated for 100 million clicks, though SteelSeries provided little additional information about them. The scroll wheel is decent but not the best, and there's no USB-C input for wired use, which the reviewer noted is unnecessary given the infinite battery.
Value for Money and Final Thoughts
Both mice are priced at £169.99 / $179.99 for standard sizes, matching the Logitech SuperStrike V2 Pro and Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro ($169), slightly cheaper than the SuperStrike V3 Pro ($199), but pricier than the Razer Viper V4 Pro ($159).
The reviewer concluded that whether choosing the Rival Pro or Sensei Pro, buyers get a cutting-edge, high-performance gaming mouse that impresses in daily use and excels in gaming. Despite not being the cheapest option, the bold and innovative features justify the price, leading to the final score of 5/5.
