The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a great wired gaming mouse. It feels very comfortable to hold, and any hand size can easily reach all the buttons using a claw grip. The mouse is very lightweight, and its software is fully compatible with both Windows and macOS. Unfortunately, the side buttons start flush with the body of the mouse, which makes them slightly difficult to press unless your thumb rests in just the right spot.
Our Verdict
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a decent mouse for office or multimedia use. While its straight design may not be as comfortable for extended periods as a slanted more ergonomic mouse, it's comfortable enough to reach all the buttons. It's recommended for a claw grip, and it'll be well-suited for any hand size with this grip type. Unfortunately, there's no horizontal wheel or L/R tilt buttons on the mouse wheel, which may be a deal-breaker if you have to scroll horizontally through long documents like spreadsheets.
- Excellent sensor performance with low CPI variation.
- Comfortable for all hand sizes with claw grip.
- Side buttons can be a bit difficult to press.
- Low profile scroll wheel may not be for everyone.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a great mouse for FPS games. The mouse is quite lightweight, and all of its buttons can be programmed, including the L/R clicks and up/down scrolls. The sensor performance is excellent, and it has very good click latency. Unfortunately, the side buttons can be a bit difficult to press, and the fairly recessed mouse wheel may not be for everyone. While small hands may have a tough time with fingertip grip, the shape is well-suited for a claw grip for all hand sizes.
- Excellent sensor performance with low CPI variation.
- Comfortable for all hand sizes with claw grip.
- Side buttons can be a bit difficult to press.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a very good MMO mouse. While it doesn't have nearly as many programmable buttons as dedicated MMO mice, all of its buttons can be reprogrammed, which is good. It's quite comfortable for long periods, and while small hands may have a tough time with fingertip grip, all hand sizes will have no problems using a claw grip.
- Excellent sensor performance with low CPI variation.
- Comfortable for all hand sizes with claw grip.
- Side buttons can be a bit difficult to press.
Like most wired gaming mice, the SteelSeries Rival 3 is disappointing for travel. The mouse itself is fairly large and its wire may be cumbersome in tight spaces like on a plane or train.
- Comfortable for all hand sizes with claw grip.
- Side buttons can be a bit difficult to press.
- Low profile scroll wheel may not be for everyone.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 08, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3. This update adds a new Sensor Latency test and makes minor changes to several of our existing tests, resulting in test result changes in several sections. For more information, you can check out our full changelog here.
- Updated Aug 15, 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 Jun 22, 2022: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.1, which revamped our click latency test methodology. We've updated the text to reflect our new results in various sections, including the Click Latency test box, Usages, Introduction, and other locations where we discuss click latency.
- Updated May 30, 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.
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Popular Mouse Comparisons
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a great wired gaming mouse available at a low price point. While it doesn't have as high of a max CPI as some more expensive gaming mice, it's still higher than most gamers require. It's great for all hand sizes when used with a claw grip.
See our recommendations for the best gaming mouse, the best wired gaming mouse, and the best mouse.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is overall a better gaming mouse than the Razer DeathAdder Essential. The SteelSeries has a sturdier-feeling build, a lighter weight, smoother-gliding mouse feet, and onboard memory. It also has lower latency, a wider CPI range, and a more consistent sensor. Comparatively, you can set a HyperShift button on the Razer, giving you a second layer of controls for as long as you hold it. Also, the Razer's larger size and shape make it more suitable for larger hands using a palm grip.
The Razer Viper Mini is a better wired gaming mouse than the SteelSeries Rival 3. The Razer is lighter, feels better built, is more comfortable, has a better cable, and has lower click latency. On the other hand, the SteelSeries' software is compatible with both Windows and macOS, and the mouse is better suited for claw grip for people with any hand size.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is much better than the Corsair HARPOON RGB. Both mice have a similar shape and are recommended for the same hand sizes and grip types, but the SteelSeries is an ambidextrous mouse. It also has a much more consistent sensor, and it has more programmable inputs. On the other hand, the Corsair has textured grips on the sides.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 Gen 2 is a newer version of the SteelSeries Rival 3, and both share the same symmetrical shape. The Rival 3 Gen 2 offers slightly better raw performance, a much lighter and more flexible paracord-like cable, and upgraded feet that glide more smoothly on mousepads.
Test Results
The SteelSeries Rival 3 has a straight-forward looking ambidextrous design with two buttons on the left side. It has RGB lighting in a strip around the bottom of the mouse, as well as on the logo on the back. The entire mouse is black and has a low profile mouse wheel and buttons. If you don't like RGB lighting, check the BenQ Zowie S2.
Like most wired gaming mice, the SteelSeries Rival 3 isn't the most portable. Its fairly tall shape may be tough to slide into smaller laptop cases, and the cable may be cumbersome in tight places, like on a plane. However, this is fairly standard with gaming mice as it'll likely stay at home with your gaming setup.
The SteelSeries Rival 3's build quality is impressive for the price. The entire mouse is made out of good quality plastic and feels solid, with minimal rattle and no loose-feeling parts. The mouse wheel feels very stable, and the main L/R buttons only have a tiny amount of side-to-side travel.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is quite light, especially if you use a bungee to remove the weight of the cable. Unfortunately, there aren't any weight optimization options. If you prefer an even lighter mouse with honeycomb-patterned holes, check out the ROCCAT Burst Pro. If you like the Rival 3 shape but prefer a honeycomb-cutout mouse, check out the SteelSeries Aerox 3 (2022).
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is very comfortable to use. While it doesn't have a slanted, ergonomic shape like some other options, its symmetrical shape is well-suited for claw and fingertip grips. The mouse has a fairly low profile overall, but with a higher bumped back. If you prefer a mouse with textured grips on the side, then look into the Corsair HARPOON RGB. Or, if you're looking for a similar wired gaming mouse with a selection of modular pieces available to adjust the look and feel of your mouse, check out the Pwnage Ultra Custom Ergo. If you're looking for a mouse with a true ambidextrous design and a pair of buttons on both sides, check out the EVGA X12.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 isn't designed for palm grip, but people with small or medium-sized hands should still be able to use it with this grip. While it's too small for very large hands, people with large hands may be able to comfortably grip it, but likely will also find it too small. If you have large or very large hands, check out the SteelSeries Sensei Ten.
This mouse is recommended to use with claw grip. Any hand size should have no problems having a comfortable hold of the mouse and reaching all the buttons.
This mouse is good with fingertip grip, though people with smaller hands may have a hard time comfortably reaching the scroll wheel. For a gaming mouse with comparable performance that's suitable for all hand sizes using a fingertip grip, check out the Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 is a wired-only mouse. If you'd like a wireless option, check out the SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless or the SteelSeries Prime Wireless.
The cable on this mouse is the same as all other SteelSeries mice. It's a good quality rubber cable, but still maintains a few kinks from packaging.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 has two additional side buttons, giving it a total of eight programmable buttons, including the up/down scroll. The side buttons start flush with the body and raise slightly in the middle. This makes them a bit difficult to press unless your thumb rests on them just right, and even then, the buttons are quite stiff. If you want a SteelSeries mouse with more programmable buttons, check out the SteelSeries Rival 500.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 has very good click latency. There's some minor inconsistency. However, this slight variation doesn't cause any noticeable difference in-game, and the experience is responsive for gaming in any genre.
The SteelSeries Rival 3 has a fairly wide CPI range that can be adjusted in increments of 100. While the maximum CPI isn't as high as some other gaming options, it should be high enough for most gamers. You can choose between four polling rates: 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. If you want a similar mouse with a CPI that can be adjusted more precisely, check out the Corsair KATAR PRO XT. For a lower lift-off distance and wider CPI range, check out the HyperX Pulsefire Surge.
The mouse wheel is decent. It doesn't have L/T tilt buttons or any horizontal scroll. The scroll itself has very soft increments and is quiet. The wheel has a very low profile and doesn't stick up far above the buttons, which makes it a bit more difficult to scroll, but easier to press for the middle click.
SteelSeries Engine 3 is an exceptional piece of software when paired with this mouse. It can be installed on either Windows or macOS, and you can customize every aspect of the mouse. This mouse also features on-board memory so you can save your customization options to the mouse and maintain them when switching computers. Unfortunately, while all keybindings retain when switching computers, macros cannot be saved to the on-board memory (though single key bindings can). For a mouse that has an OLED screen on the underside that you can use to change sensor settings without using software, check out the SteelSeries Prime+.