The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is a mid-range, lightweight gaming mouse designed for use across multiple game genres. It's the wired version of the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless, and the two mice have exactly the same shape and perform very similarly. Like other mice in the Aerox lineup, the Aerox 5 has diamond-shaped cutouts in its outer shell and along the L/R click buttons to reduce the overall weight.
Our Verdict
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is a decent mouse for office use. It feels well-built, and its right-handed shape feels comfortable to use. It has a cluster of buttons on the left side, all of which you can reprogram to perform productivity commands using the companion software. Unfortunately, there are no wireless connection options. Also, the scroll wheel doesn't have any L/R tilt controls, and it doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
- Feels very well-built.
- All buttons are programmable using the companion software.
- No wireless connectivity options.
- Scroll wheel lacks L/R tilts and free scrolling.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is a great mouse for FPS gaming. It feels well-built, and its right-handed shape is comfortable to use with a palm or claw grip type for most hand sizes. It's very lightweight, and its high-quality feet glide smoothly on mousepads and desks. Performance-wise, you can set the CPI in steps of 100 within a broad range, and the click latency is great. Unfortunately, its cable isn't as high-quality as the cables found on other gaming mice in this price range, and it tends to retain kinks from the packaging. Also, the CPI settings can't be adjusted as precisely as other gaming mice.
- Feels very well-built.
- Great click latency.
- Very lightweight.
- All buttons are programmable using the companion software.
- No wireless connectivity options.
- Cable isn't as flexible as other comparable mice.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is a very good MMO mouse. Although it doesn't have as many side buttons as some MMO mice, all of its buttons can be reprogrammed using the companion software. It feels well-built and comfortable in hand, and it glides very smoothly on mousepads and desks thanks to its high-quality feet. Performance-wise, it has a broad CPI range, within which you can set your CPI in steps of 100, and its click latency is great though it isn't as low as some other gaming options. Unfortunately, its braided cable isn't as flexible as other options, and it retains kinks from the packaging.
- Feels very well-built.
- Great click latency.
- All buttons are programmable using the companion software.
- No wireless connectivity options.
- Cable isn't as flexible as other comparable mice.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is an excellent ultra-light gaming mouse. At 70g, it's not the most lightweight option available, but it still feels light and comfortable in hand. Overall, it feels well-built, and its click latency is great. While the high quality feet glide smoothly on mousepads and desks, the braided cable retains kinks from the packaging, which can cause additional drag.
- Feels very well-built.
- Great click latency.
- Very lightweight.
- All buttons are programmable using the companion software.
- No wireless connectivity options.
- Cable isn't as flexible as other comparable mice.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is a poor mouse to travel with. It's a bit too bulky to fit in most laptop bags. Plus, since it lacks wireless connectivity options, you'll have to carry it around with its cable, which is cumbersome. On the bright side, it's fully compatible with both Windows and macOS.
- Feels very well-built.
- No wireless connectivity options.
- Too bulky to fit into most laptop bags.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 09, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update simplifies our Weight test and expands on our CPI test from Test Bench 1.1, resulting in changes to test results in both sections. For more details, you can see our complete changelog here.
- Updated Nov 17, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update revamps our Click Latency test and results in changes to test results. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated May 13, 2022: Review published.
- Updated May 06, 2022: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 comes in a choice of white or black colorways. We bought and tested the black version, and you can see the label of our unit here. There's also a wireless version of this mouse, the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless, which we purchased and tested separately.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 is a wired, lightweight gaming mouse designed for versatility across genres. Its design is similar to popular multi-genre mice, like the Logitech G502 HERO. However, it's lighter than these popular models, making it a good choice for gamers looking for a lightweight option to use with a variety of games. That said, its click latency isn't as low as some dedicated FPS options, so you may opt for a different mouse if tend to play competitive or fast-paced games.
If you're interested in looking at other options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming mice, the best wired mice, and the lightest mice.
The SteelSeries Rival 5 and the SteelSeries Aerox 5 are very similar, wired, gaming mice, but the Aerox 5 performs slightly better. The outer shell of the Aerox 5 has diamond-shaped cutouts to reduce the weight, and its latency is better. Also, it has higher quality feet. On the other hand, the Rival 5 feels better built, and its cable is better quality and more flexible.
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 Razer Basilisk V3 and the SteelSeries Aerox 5 are wired, multi-genre gaming mice, but the Razer performs better overall. The Razer feels more comfortable thanks to its thumb rest, and it's better suited for more hand sizes and grip types. Also, its latency is significantly better and its scroll wheel has L/R tilt inputs and a free-scrolling mode. On the other hand, the SteelSeries is significantly lighter, and its companion software works with macOS.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless is the wireless version of the SteelSeries Aerox 5. They're the exact same shape and perform very similarly, but they have minor differences in weight and weight distribution as the wireless version has an internal, rechargeable battery.
Test Results
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 has a gamer aesthetic with a matte black plastic body. The top and bottom shell have diamond-shaped cutouts to reduce the overall weight. It has three RGB zones in total: one inside the mouse, and two in a strip along the bottom at the back of the mouse. The DPI button and side buttons are glossy black plastic, except for the one furthest forward, which is silver. Overall, it looks similar to the other mice in the SteelSeries Aerox lineup, and it's visually identical to the wireless version.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 feels well-built. The body feels solid in hand and doesn't flex under pressure. There's also no rattling or loose parts. However, there's slight creaking when applying pressure to the body, but it's not noticeable during use. Also, it has an IP54 rating, so it's moderately protected from dust and spills.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 has a comfortable right-handed slant with a slightly humped back. It's a comfortable shape for claw and palm grips, but it's on the bigger side, so small hands will have difficulty reaching the silver side button, which is placed far forward.
If you have small hands, the silver side button is too far forward to reach comfortably with a palm grip. You may also experience this issue if you have smaller medium-sized hands.
If you have small or medium hands, the silver side button is too far forward to reach comfortably with a claw grip.
If you have small or medium hands, the silver side button is too far forward to reach comfortably with a fingertip grip.
Although this mouse is wired-only, it comes with a detachable USB-A to USB-C cable, so you can easily replace it if it gets damaged or lost.
This mouse comes with a mesh cable that's similar to a braided cable. It's decently flexible, but it does retain kinks from the packaging.
This mouse has superb feet that glide very smoothly on mousepads and desks.
You can reprogram all the buttons to act as media controls, keyboard buttons, or macros. The top side button moves up and down, giving you an additional input. The left- and right-click buttons use Golden Micro switches, which are rated for 80 million clicks. Unlike some gaming mice from Razer and Logitech, this mouse doesn't have a "shift" feature, so you can't program an additional layer of controls.
This mouse has great click latency, so it's responsive enough for all gaming genres. However, it's not as low as some dedicated FPS options, so if you're a competitive gamer and want lower latency, you should look at other options, such as the GLORIOUS Model I.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 uses its proprietary TrueMove Air sensor, which is based on the PixArt PAW 3335. Polling rate options are 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. You can set up to five CPI settings per user profile and cycle between them using the dedicated CPI button behind the scroll wheel. The RGB lighting will also change to show what CPI setting you're using.
The scroll wheel is made of grippy rubber. It feels smooth and quiet to operate, and the steps feel well-defined.
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 uses SteelSeries GG for customization. This software has a modern and clean-looking interface that's very easy and precise to use. However, though the mouse has onboard memory, you aren't able to save macros and custom lighting effects to it, so you'll need to be on a system running the software to access these features.
