CONCLUSION

   SteelSeries was behind many gaming mice that I happened to like and use quite a lot including the Xai, Sensei and Sensei MLG models so when they released the Rival 700 I just had to get my hands on it. The housing of the Rival 700 doesn’t follow the same design as the Xai, Sensei and many other models by SteelSeries so I can’t say that my hand felt right at home from the get go. However it didn’t take more than an hour or so to get used to it and that’s not a bad thing considering that most of the times it takes me at least 3-4 hours to fully get used to a mouse. In terms of grip the Rival 700 is one of the best gaming mice to ever pass from my hands and although it has 3 medium sized PTFE fee it does glide extremely well. The PMW3360 optical sensor is nothing short of impressive with very fast and accurate tracking (so much that I don’t know why anyone would swap it with the ADNS-9800 laser sensor). Unfortunately the Rival 700 is not an ambidextrous model but it more than makes up for that with the OLED screen, the removable backrest and the detachable cables. It goes without saying that the OLED screen is not very practical and will probably not be of much use to anyone but the Sensei did have a similar screen on its base so it’s good to see it once again. As for the SteelSeries Engine 3 software it’s still one of the best in the market since it’s very easy to use and offers a plethora of features which can be used by both regular and serious gamers.

   The Rival 700 is one of the most advanced gaming mice in the market today and that comes at a price. Fortunately since launch the price of the Rival 700 has taken a few “hits” so it’s currently available for USD74.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 82Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). This price tag places the Rival 700 right next to several high-end gaming mice like the Corsair Scimitar Pro or the Razer Deathadder Elite so at the end of the day it once again comes down to what your needs are and what you’re looking for. Overall we don’t know whether or not the Rival 700 is indeed the best gaming mouse in the market today but it doesn’t get much better than this and that’s why it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Frame / Primary Buttons – 30 Million Clicks)
- Design
- Excellent Grip
- Very Fast And Accurate (PMW3360 Optical Sensor - 16000DPI / 300IPS / 50G)
- Primary Features (OLED Screen / Vibration Motor / Swappable Optical Sensor)
- Secondary Features (Detachable Cables / Removable Backplate / Dual Zone RGB Illumination / Replaceable 3D Nameplate)
- Engine 3 Software

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Right Handed Only