SteelSeries Rival 500 mouse review - myersteaks1995

What's every last this under my thumb? That's the first thought I had when exploitation the SteelSeries Contende 500 mouse (available for $80 connected Amazon), and most likely the first cerebration anyone would have with this gimmick—there's a lot to take in. But is a unique and intuitive layout under the thumb enough to wee improving for the Rival 500's shortcomings? Beaver State is it just one standout feature that'll hopefully carry forward into other, better mice in the future?

Let's accept a look.

Design: Glimpse the later

Okay, so the leaf region. I've ne'er been a vast fan of so-called "telephone" layouts on MOBA/MMO mice—the Razer Naga, the Roccat Nyth, etc. Maybe I just Don't have the pollex dexterity, but I've always found them a little strained and fumbly even up after months of use with various models. It's just too jammed, too many buttons to pilot in the warmth of battle.

But the Touch 500? I'd take this setup connected whatsoever sneak away. Instead of plopping 12 small buttons underneath your flick, the Challenger 500 surrounds it with a annulus of 5 buttons, plus a sixth underneath the knuckle.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

It's the well-nig self-generated apparatus I've ever in use. The two at the bottom protrude corresponding a thumb rest—and indeed behind personify locked into locate if that's what you'd prefer—merely paddle down under a bit of pressure. The three preceding are your average elongated thumb buttons, only there are three instead of the standard two, and twisting your leaf upwardl is enough to trigger any of them.

And then there's the sixth button, nestled low-level your knuckle. It's unstylish of the way, so you bottom however grip the Rival 500 without dread of misfires, but accessed easy enough aside rocking your quarter round back.

It's brilliant. Easily the Rival 500's strongest feature, and I hope to see this kinda setup make its way into non-MMO mice in the future. That's high praise coming from me, as I've womb-to-tomb pilloried mice with tons of buttons. When it's this easy to habituate though, why non opt for another quintet buttons?

The Rival 500 doesn't stop there either. In addition to the usual left- and right-clink and mouse wheel, the Rival 500 likewise includes a button behind the wheel, plus two buttons to the left of the left-click and another along the far right of the mouse. Oh, and the sneak wheel rocks to and fro. This thing is packed with buttons.

The downsides

The thumb region is the high point though. The duplicate buttons side by side to left- and right-chatter are extra-remains, I assume to prevent inadvertent activation. I'd say they'atomic number 75 too intoxicated though. It's overly effortful to hit any of the three in the heat of struggle. On that point's a stiff "pop" whenever they'Ra ironed also, and while information technology's a nice bit of tactile feedback it's also annoyingly loud.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

And thither's a real "quantity over quality" problem with the Rival 500. No single release feels that great to closet, with even the usually sacrosanct left and word-perfect buttons feeling a bit spongy for my taste. The button behind the mouse wheel is the worst though, rocking so much I initially intellection it was a larrup. It's not. It's upright a very loose-touch clit.

The other standout feature article of the Competition 500 is supposed to make up its "Exteroception Alerts" organisation. I was really curious in this when I first detected of it, as it's in essence a controller grumble (operating room your headphone's vibration notifications) in a mouse. Meant for gambling, the idea is that when certain actions happen (say, skill cooldowns) the mouse will vibrate to alert you.

Cool idea, suitable? Much more practical than, say, having a single samara on your keyboard slowly fade from red to green patc you're looking for at your screen.

The problem: Tangible Alerts, comparable RGB LED effects, involve implementation. From what I can say, it's currently found in only three games—Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and Minecraft. More are on the way, but information technology's hardly a must-experience feature at the consequence.

And I can't imagine many another Counter-Strike pros buying this mouse, to be honest. IT has the famed PWM 3360 sensor inwardly, which is loved by plenty of shooter fans for its accuracy and tracking, but the Rival 500's both heavy and overlarge.

IDG / Hayden Dingman

That leaves you with…two games. Both are vastly touristed games, for sure! But I'm left feeling a lot the same about Tactile Alerts as I flavour about RGB effects in games. Information technology'd embody cool if all companies got together, implemented this technical school with a single standard, positive game developers there was a market, and got it added into all major game releases. Alternatively, you'll probably block about it until one day you're performin Minecraft and think, "Wait, did my mouse just vibrate or was it my phone?" the same way I'm in a moment confused every time I'm using a Razer keyboard, boot up Overwatch, and the lights all go haywire.

So yeah, a bit of a letdown. I think mice could definitely use haptic feedback on a even with gamepads, but the Rival 500 ISN't the mouse that brings us at that place. Not yet, at any rate.

Sunset but not least, it's worth talking about disconnects. Look more or less online and you'll find a ton of discussions about the Challenger 500 disconnecting from PCs at inopportune times (like, mid-multiplayer cope with). It's a beautiful disastrous bug, true? And probably one that should've been caught before launch. On the plus pull, it's been taped as of June and thus won't be factoring into our score. Just a heads up.

Bottom business line

The Match 500 is fascinating. I force out't in good conscience musical score information technology highly—I upright don't think it's an incredible mouse. The shape is squat and fat, information technology's heavy, the buttons are spongy when they need a satisfying click and to a fault smashed when they need to be spongy, the cable's mere rubber, and indeed happening.

But we need more forward-rational mice. The Rival 500's thumb layout? Brilliant. One of the most forward-looking I've used in years, and meriting to follow implemented in more (and better) devices readily. Then there's Tactile Alerts, which are marginal-useless in their current State but could perhaps be fifty-fifty more turning done right than the thumb layout.

It's an tall concept mouse that just needs a bit more finish before it's prepared for mainstream use. Hopefully we'll attend an built version soon.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/407160/steelseries-rival-500-mouse-review.html

Posted by: myersteaks1995.blogspot.com

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