At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Rival 650 Wireless Gaming Mouse for testing and reviewing.

 

About SteelSeries:

"From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making high performance gaming gear used by the most demanding, top professional gamers worldwide and peripherals that provide superior quality and a competitive edge to gamers of all skill levels. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying!

 

What originally began with two people who recognized the need for superior, high-quality/performance gaming gear that would give gamers a competitive edge, has grown into a global leader in gaming and entertainment gear sought after for their high performance capabilities.

 

Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

 

While we are proud of our technology and product innovation, we are even more excited about how these products are developed to meet the needs of gamers. Many companies may claim to develop superior gaming products but few actually do. Instead, they spend countless hours with lab engineers trying to force fit a new technology with bells and whistles and mediocre functionality for the end-user.

 

At SteelSeries, we develop our products with a small internal team and a vast network of technology partners, channel partners, game publishers, and gaming communities around the globe. We aren’t afraid of being challenged and implementing new ideas. Our main goal is to always to listen to the collective feedback of our professional gaming community.

 

We won’t bore you with cheeky slogans, trying to underline our authenticity as gamers. We fully acknowledge that the best professional gamers in the world know more about what they want and what will make them better, than we do. We are proud to be working with our partners, but we can’t take credit for their invaluable input and feedback. Instead we tell it like it is: they help us. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. For this reason, SteelSeries creates innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for all gamers.

 

Critical to our company’s success is also our reinvestment in the gaming communities and the individuals who support them. As a result, our corporate philosophy is to take a substantial portion of our revenue and put it back into the gaming community to help spur industry growth. We support our community in numerous ways, ranging from co-hosting tournaments like Iron Lady and King of the Hill, and supporting gaming competitions of all sizes, to promoting the top and up-and-coming gaming teams/organizations.

 

Put simply, SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do we focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd.

 

Instead we leave it to you, the gamer, our customer/partner/inspiration, to decide if we are deserving of such declarations and accolades. What we do promise, however, is to remain committed to you. We will continue to work with you and the gaming community to make the best products possible and give you that competitive edge. We will continue to do our best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities. By doing so, we don’t just talk a good game, we win!"

Next Level Wireless Precision

 

The first true performance wireless gaming mouse is here. The Rival 650 Wireless features Quantum Wireless™ 1ms lossless performance, lightning fast charging capabilities, and the most precise gaming sensor ever made.

 

TrueMove3+ Optical System

 

2 sensors. True 1 to 1 tracking. Instant lift off detection.

 

The all new state-of-the-art lag-free system delivers 1000Hz, 1ms latency, 24 hours of battery life, and tournament grade frequency optimization for unrivalled performance even during the most demanding gaming sessions.

 

FAST CHARGE

 

The Rival 650 Wireless delivers exceptional charging speed. 15-minutes of charging offers 10+ hours of gaming time. Never again have to charge in the middle of your game.

 

2 SENSORS FOR NEXT LEVEL PRECISION

 

The world’s most advanced sensor system, the TrueMove3+ combines true 1 to 1 tracking with breakthrough state-of-the art lift off distance detection. For the first time ever, you are in complete control - even on lift off.

 

Depth Sensor

 

True depth perception for the world’s most precise and lowest lift off detection down to 0.5mm. Elevate your skill ceiling to the next level with increased accuracy, more control, and faster movement.

 

Primary Sensor

 

TrueMove3 sets the new standard for all gaming sensors in the past and the future. Experience incredibly accurate crosshair placement for all movements. No acceleration, no tracking errors, and no lag.

 

True Precision is Distortion Free

 

TrueMove3 is a 12,000 CPI, 350 IPS optical sensor built exclusively with industry leader PixArt. Instead of focusing on CPI alone, TrueMove3 was engineered for true 1 to 1 tracking. Moving a specific distance on a mousepad results in the same exact distance on screen, without introducing latency, interpolation, or affecting jitter reduction.

 

Depth Perception Increases Accuracy

 

While most gaming mice process lift off distance from a single primary sensor, the Rival 650 deploys a state-of-the-art dedicated depth sensor to achieve the world’s lowest and most accurate lift off distance. Never again have unnecessary movement when you pick up and put down your mouse.

 

PERFECT WEIGHT AND BALANCE

 

The all new center of gravity tuning system includes moveable weights and light-to-heavy customization, delivering the widest range of adjustment of any gaming mouse.

 

256 Weight Configurations

 

Center of gravity weight combinations for the perfect balance of any grip or game play style.

 

Range of Weight

 

Removable sides allow easy and secure placement of the eight included 4g weights.

 

Rev Up the Engine

 

SteelSeries Engine Software unlocks an impressive arsenal of Engine Apps that make customization of the 8-zone RGB lighting easy and intuitive. The Discord and GameSense Engine Apps allow for chat notifications, in-game events, and more...

 

ARMED FOR PERFORMANCE

 

Powerful 32-bit ARM processor allows you to save CPI settings, button remappings and lighting effects on-board for software free use at LAN events and tournaments.

 

ERGONOMIC DESIGN

 

Every aspect of the Rival 650 Wireless design meets players' stringent demands for comfort. Whether you deploy a claw grip or palm grip, the shape will provide perfect comfort for long and intense gaming sessions.

 

Sensor System:

 

Design:

 

SteelSeries has updated the Rival 600 design with a new model that does also feature wireless capabilities; the new system is named Quantum Wireless and incorporates fast charging. In order for the Rival 650 to benefit from the same low-latency capabilities while functioning on wireless, SteelSeries is using a special dongle, with a proprietary RF protocol; this way, it is possible to have the same 1ms polling rate as the wired offerings.

 

The Rival 650 mouse is shipped in a small cardboard enclosure, with the signature SteelSeries boxart and the list of product highlights:

 

 

 

The side of the packaging does present us with the product specifications:

 

 

 

The back side of the packaging does present the wireless and Truemove 3+ systems in more detail; SteelSeries does also advertise the 24+ hours of battery life and the fact that a 15-minute charge gives 10 hours of usage time. Since the wireless version does also include an internal battery, the Rival 650 weight went up to 121g, versus the Rival 600 that did weight only 96g:

 

 

 

After removing the top packaging layer, we will get to see a secondary layer, with the well-known “Rise Up” SteelSeries motto:

 

 

 

After opening up the enclosure, we will be able to reveal the Rival 650 mouse, sitting secure inside a custom black plastic mold; nearby, we will find a smaller box that contains the product bundle:

 

 

 

We are also receiving a Product Information Guide, for checking out the mouse operating modes:

 

 

 

 

Along with the Rival 650, we are receiving the WiFi dongle with an adapter, the weight system but also the USB data/charge cable:

 

 

 

The USB cable connectors do feature a branded, custom design in order to accommodate the mouse USB port better and avoid accidental disconnects:

 

 

 

 

The weight container is made of rubber and houses no less than eight 4g pieces:

 

 

 

 

These come with a special design, in order to be able to fit them inside the Rival 650 chassis:

 

 

 

The WiFi dongle adapter permits the user to move the actual dongle closer to the mouse, for optimal response; this does also imply the use of the supplied cable, which will connect the adapter to a spare USB port from our PC:

 

 

 

Here are ports of the supplied adapter:

 

 

 

 

If we do use the Rival 650 with a gaming laptop, the small size of the dongle is a benefit, because it will not block other nearby USB ports:

 

 

 

All design elements have been preserved from the previous Rival 600, including the RGB LED segments and logos. Near the rubberized RGB-enabled scroll wheel, we will find an additional button for CPI switching on-the-fly. The left and right click buttons do feature mechanical switches, that are rated at 60-million clicks:

 

 

 

 

The left side panel does house three programmable buttons, but also a silicone layer for additional grip:

 

 

 

The right side panel does have two other separate silicone layers available, for added comfort:

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the Rival 650, we will find the TrueMove sensor lens, found with the other, newer SteelSeries mice as well; a secondary Pixart optical sensor is available, that is meant for tracking the lift-off distance. In the corners, we will spot the usual PTFE feet that help the mouse glide smoothly on the pad. The extra elements of the Rival 650 are the Connect button for syncing with the dongle, but also the On/Off button:

 

 

 

The side panels are held fixed with magnetic force and can be easily removed:

 

 

 

 

A closer look at the chassis does reveal the rubber gasket for fitting the supplied weights, on both sides:

 

 

 

 

Fitting the weights only takes a couple of seconds:

 

 

 

After reinstalling the panels and powering on the mouse, we can enjoy the RGB LED light show:

 

 

 

 

 

For configuration purposes, Rival 650 does make use of the SteelSeries Engine 3 unified software that supports many SS peripherals; from its dashboard, we can also perform firmware updates:

 

 

 

The GUI is adapted for the customization of the Rival 650 and is pretty intuitive:

 

 

 

The interface does permit mouse views from the left and from the top:

 

 

 

The button configuration menu will appear in a separate window:

 

 

 

Here are the function categories we can assign for the programmable buttons:

 

 

 

Default

Keyboard Buttons

Macros

Media Buttons

Mouse Buttons

 

Deactivate Button

Launch Application

Launch Configuration

Launch Engine Apps

OS Shortcuts

Record Macro on-the-fly

 

The Macro Editor does open up in a new window and can record the desired sequences; miscellaneous options can be accessed by pressing on the small Gear button:

 

 

 

The GUI does allow custom settings for the two available CPI steps:

 

 

 

Depending on the sleep timer we are using, the battery life will vary:

 

 

 

The lift distance adjustment option is next:

 

 

 

The Acceleration/Deceleration options are also customizable:

 

 

 

Finally, we do have the Angle Snapping and Polling Rate options available:

 

 

 

The Illumination configuration area does permit custom settings per each segment:

 

 

 

We have different RGB presets we can work with; depending on the selected option, we will have other configuration options available:

 

 

 

Steady

ColorShift

Multi Color Breathe

Reactive Key

Disable Illumination

 

Other applications can be downloaded from the dashboard, in order to enhance the product functionality:

 

 

 

Engine 3 can automatically switch profiles when a compatible (detected) game is loaded:

 

 

 

We have tested the Rival 650 Wireless in CounterStrike: Global Offensive, Champions of Titan, Destiny 2 but also Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars -> the comfort level is pretty much identical to the Rival 600 but with the added wireless bonus. The lift-off distance was set at 0.5mm and we have experienced no erratic behavior after no less than two hours of gaming. Thanks to the included lateral programmable buttons, we could access our macros with ease in-game, for increased efficiency.

 

The mouse can be easily customized from the Engine 3 GUI, with plenty of actions to choose from; in order to conserve battery life, we can always choose to work with the standby timer or disable the RGB lighting completely.

 

As we have seen with the Rival 600, the 650 Wireless does incorporate a 32-bit ARM processor for achieving low-latency and also takes care of saving CPI, lift-off distance, lighting effects or custom button mappings.

 

Rival 650 weight system is easy adjustable and we can choose the desired amound of 4g weights on each side; the detachable USB cable does allow easy switching between wired and wireless modes, but also for charging the battery while playing.

 

The Rival 650 mouse can be found online for about 117 Euros, while the older, non-wireless variant baptized Rival 600 can be currently had for about 52 Euros.

 

SteelSeries Rival 650 Wireless Gaming Mouse is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to SteelSeries for making this review possible!