The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is an excellent wired ultra-light gaming mouse. It has a lightweight honeycomb body that's nearly identical to the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless, with the same ambidextrous shape that's best suited for a claw or fingertip grip. The PTFE feet are excellent and provide a smooth glide, but the cable is a bit stiff, albeit replaceable. It has a standard button layout with two thumb buttons on the left side, and they're all programmable through software, where you can also adjust performance settings and customize the three RGB lighting zones. It uses a different sensor than its wireless sibling as it has a narrower CPI range and a higher lift-off distance. Also, even though it has onboard memory, it doesn't let you save macros. This mouse has been replaced by the SteelSeries Aerox 3 (2022).
Our Verdict
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is okay for office use. It has good build quality and is reasonably comfortable to use for long periods. It has a great number of programmable inputs and is fully compatible with both Windows and macOS. Unfortunately, it's a wired-only mouse, and the scroll wheel lacks infinite scrolling as well as L/R tilt inputs.
- Very lightweight.
- Programmable buttons.
- Reasonably comfortable to use for extended periods.
- No wireless connectivity.
- No infinite scrolling or L/R tilt inputs.
- No multi-device pairing.
- Body flexes and creaks when applying pressure.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is great for FPS games. It's lightweight, and it has an ambidextrous shape that's reasonably comfortable to use. The build quality is good overall, but the body flexes when squeezed, and the cable is on the stiff side. It has low click latency and a high polling rate, and it performs consistently at the correct sensitivity setting. The lift-off distance is high, which might be an issue if you reposition the mouse a lot.
- Very lightweight.
- Very smooth glide.
- Reasonably comfortable to use for extended periods.
- Low click latency.
- Body flexes and creaks when applying pressure.
- High lift-off distance.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wired is good for MMO games. It's well-built overall and fairly comfortable to use for extended periods. It has low click latency and a high polling rate; however, its lift-off distance is a bit high, which can cause unintended cursor movements to be registered when repositioning. There's a decent number of buttons, but it might not be enough for some MMO players.
- Very lightweight.
- Reasonably comfortable to use for extended periods.
- Low click latency.
- Might not have enough buttons for some MMO players.
- Body flexes and creaks when applying pressure.
- High lift-off distance.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is excellent for ultra-light gaming. It's lightweight, and its PTFE feet provide a very smooth glide. It has a high polling rate and low click latency to deliver a responsive gaming experience, but it has a high lift-off distance that might be an issue for those who reposition a lot. The cable is a bit stiff; however, it's detachable, so you can swap it out for another one that you like. While the build quality is good overall, there's still some flexing and creaking when squeezing the mouse.
- Very lightweight.
- Very smooth glide.
- Reasonably comfortable to use for extended periods.
- Low click latency.
- Body flexes and creaks when applying pressure.
- High lift-off distance.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is inadequate for portable use. It's wired-only, and it might not fit in some laptop cases. The build quality is good, but the body flexes and creaks when squeezed. It has onboard memory so that you can access your custom profiles on a computer that doesn't have the Engine 3 software installed; however, it doesn't allow you to save macros.
- Very lightweight.
- Reasonably comfortable to use for extended periods.
- No wireless connectivity.
- Might not fit in some laptop cases.
- Body flexes and creaks when applying pressure.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is the wired version of the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless; however, the wired version uses a different sensor that doesn't perform as well. There are no other variants, and it only comes in black. You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wired is an excellent mouse for ultra-light gaming. However, its lack of wireless connectivity makes it less ideal for office and portable use than its wireless sibling, the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless. Also, it uses a different sensor that has a narrower CPI range and a higher lift-off distance. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming mouse, the best wired mouse, and the best FPS mouse.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 and the GLORIOUS Model O are very similar wired mice. They both have a lightweight, ambidextrous design with a right-handed button layout. The GLORIOUS has a better build quality, higher quality cable and feet, and its sensor has a wider sensitivity range and a lower lift-off distance. However, the SteelSeries is lighter, and it has more programmable inputs and software support for macOS. The GLORIOUS' slightly longer body makes it more suitable for large hands using a palm grip, but it also makes it less ideal for small hands using a claw or fingertip grip.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 and the Razer DeathAdder V2 are very different mice. While they're both designed for right-handed use, the Razer's ergonomic shape is more comfortable than the SteelSeries' ambidextrous design. The SteelSeries is lighter due to its honeycomb body but doesn't feel as well-built as the Razer. The Razer has more buttons, as well as higher quality cable and feet. It also has a wider CPI range, a lower lift-off distance, and it lets you adjust the sensitivity in smaller increments. On the other hand, the SteelSeries has software support for macOS, while the Razer doesn't.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 and the SteelSeries Aerox 5 are similar lightweight gaming mice that have identical click latency, but they're intended for different gaming genres. The Aerox 5 is a multi-genre mouse that feels better built, and its feet and cable are of higher quality. Also, it has a better sensor with a much lower lift-off distance, and it has more side buttons. On the other hand, the Aerox 3 is a lightweight, symmetrical mouse designed specifically for FPS games. Also, it's better suited for smaller hands.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 and the Logitech G502 HERO are very different. The SteelSeries is better suited for ultra-light gaming and is significantly lighter due to its honeycomb body. The Logitech is better suited for MMOs because it has many more buttons. The Logitech has a right-handed ergonomic design that's more comfortable than the SteelSeries's ambidextrous shape. It has a wider CPI range, a lower lift-off distance, and lets you adjust the sensitivity in smaller increments. The Logitech has better build quality overall, but the SteelSeries has higher quality feet.
Test Results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
