CONCLUSION

   When we reviewed the RIVAL 700 although we concluded that it was one of the 5 best gaming mice to ever pass from our lab still we thought that it had more bells and whistles that it really needed. Sure the modular sensor is a very a good touch (if supported in the future by SteelSeries that is) but that aside what really impressed us was its grip and tracking performance rather than its OLED screen, removable backplate, detachable cable and 3D nameplate. The RIVAL 310 may not feature a modular sensor (thus it may not be future proof like the RIVAL 700) but it retains all the great things about the RIVAL 700 and at the end of the day that's what really matters. Tracking/accuracy is near excellent, speed is impressive (although i doubt many will be using it at 12000CPI) and grip is exactly what you've come to expect by SteelSeries manufactured professional gaming mice. Ontop of that add the new split-trigger switches by OMRON with their much higher endurance (50 million clicks) and you have a mouse that can really RIVAL even the 700 model. Unfortunately however just like the RIVAL 700 the RIVAL 310 also lacks an impressive RGB illumination system so if you're looking for a gaming mouse that will light up your desk this is just not it.

   By cutting down on many of the features found in the RIVAL 700 SteelSeries has kept the price of the RIVAL 300 at rather low levels and so currently it retails for just USD59.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 67Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). That being said you can also find the new Sensei 310 ambidextrous model for the same amount of money (only the housing basically changes between these two models) so even left handed gamers can enjoy the TrueMove3 optical sensor. Bottom line the RIVAL 310 may not offer the plethora of features found in the RIVAL 700 but for serious gamers that matters very little and since it does extremely well in terms of build quality, tracking performance, speed and grip it's more than just worth of our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Fiber Reinforced Frame / OMRON Switches)
- Design
- Near Excellent Grip
- Very Fast and Accurate (TrueMove3 Sensor)
- Dual Zone RGB Illumination
- Engine 3 Software
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Right Handed Only
- Plain Cable And USB Plug