INTRODUCTION

   As far back as i can remember there was one thing both i and most of the people i know in this industry were looking for, to find the perfect gaming peripherals such as keyboards, mice and headsets (you can now add chairs to that list too). Unfortunately to this date there hasn't been a perfect keyboard, mouse or headset (or chair for that matter) and the main reason is that the majority of gaming peripherals manufacturers in the market are not really taking any chances and thus most products are very similar both in terms of features and specifications. In 2016 SteelSeries aimed to change all that by releasing what might as well be the most advanced gaming mice in the market. Its name is the Rival 700 Elite Performance Gaming Mouse and after many months of waiting and testing our review is finally ready.

   SteelSeries has fueled the gaming industry by creating innovative new products, designed specifically for eSports and passionate gamers everywhere. Here at SteelSeries, we are obsessed with “firsts”. Dating back to 2001, our company was formed to meet the surface needs of hardcore gamers by introducing the first glass mousepad, the Icemat. Since that original innovation, we created the first mechanical gaming keyboard, the first suspended headband for gaming headsets, the first World of Warcraft mouse and endless other innovations. SteelSeries is dedicated to building products that push professional gaming further than anyone dreamed. Those innovations make gaming more competitive and more fun for gamers everywhere.

   The Rival 700 by SteelSeries is considered to be among the most advanced (if not the most advanced) gaming mice in the market thanks to three quite unique features. First it has a fully customizable black and white OLED display on its left side which can be used to monitor statistics, button mapping and can also be personalized by adding one of the available logos/designs or by inputting your very own. The second most important feature is the swappable Pixart PMW3360 optical sensor which can be replaced with the Pixart ADNS-9800 laser one. The PMW3360 has a resolution of up to 16000DPI with speed of up to 300IPS (inches per second) and 50g acceleration whereas the ADNS-9800 has a resolution of up to 8200DPI with speed of up to 150IPS (inches per second) and 30g acceleration. We didn't have both sensors to compare but we see little reason for someone to opt for the ADNS-9800. Third and last feature is a built-in vibrating motor which can be used to provide the gamer with a total of 13 tactile alerts as long as they are supported by the game you're playing (unfortunately just a handful of game titles do currently). The Rival 700 also features reinforced primary buttons (30 million clicks), seven programmable buttons, two-zone RGB lighting, two detachable cables, swappable rubber 3D nameplate and a removable backplate (you can get different ones directly from SteelSeries).