At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Aerox 5 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!"

LIGHTning Fast

The Aerox 5 Wireless is optimized for the fastest swipes, so you beat the competition to the trigger. When milliseconds count, speed matters.

 

Ultra-Lightweight Multi-Genre Mouse

State-of-the-art engineering gave rise to the Aerox 5 Wireless, making it up to 40% lighter than other multi-genre mice. Excel in any game with an ultra-lightweight 74g build, optimized for unmatched agility.

Holey Shell

Honeycomb shell reduces weight by up to 20g while maintaining strength and durability for the most intense gaming sessions.

Lightweight Battery

Weighing 6g, our battery is 14g lighter than those in other multi-genre mice, while still giving over 180 hours of battery life.

Ultra-Thin PCB

Re-engineered electronics that boast a 50% slimmer circuit board while maintaining durability.

 

9 Programmable Buttons

The macros you need are at your fingertips, and so is victory. Instantly execute game-winning actions with a 5-button side panel, including a custom-built up/down flick switch. Customize the Aerox 5 Wireless to your preferred method for glory.

 

Quantum 2.0 Wireless

Next-gen wireless is here. Quantum 2.0 technology transmits data faster than ever before, with industry-leading power efficiency and stability.

 

180-Hour Battery Life

Play longer, conquer more, charge less. Meticulous engineering extends the battery life of the Aerox 5 Wireless up to a mighty 180 hours, with only 15 minutes of charging for over 40 hours of gameplay and glory. Less waiting, more winner-winner chicken dinners.

 

AquaBarrier™ Protection

Forget the spills, focus on the win. The IP54-rated AquaBarrier™ protects the Aerox 5 Wireless from dust, dirt, oil, and debris so you can focus on the game. This barrier shields interior circuitry from virtually all types of environmental damage.

 

TrueMove Air Sensor

Unrivaled precision with 1-to-1 tracking brings you absolute control. The groundbreaking sensor, co-developed with PixArt, features 18,000 CPI, 400 IPS, 40G acceleration and tilt tracking, making the mouse an extension of your hand to dominate in game.

 

100% PTFE Glide Skates

Swipe flawlessly to victory on 100% pure PTFE glide skates, designed for enhanced control and super-fast mouse movements.

 

SteelSeries Engine

Easily remap important keys and auto-launch your custom configs for each game you play. Engine offers an arsenal of different customizations, from RGB lighting, to adjusting the mouse sensor CPI, and triggering lighting effects with in-game events from GameSense-enabled titles.

Detachable USB-C Super Mesh Cable

Nothing holds you back, as our all-new lightweight microfiber mesh cable reduces drag, letting you hit that crucial shot.

Brilliant PrismSync Lighting

Redesigned lighting provides 3 zones of 16.8 million beautifully crisp colors that can synchronize with other SteelSeries products. Choose from millions of colors and effects from reactive lighting to interactive light shows that bring RGB to the next level.

Grip Styles & Dimensions

The right-handed shape of the Aerox 5 Wireless is designed for a player’s highest demand for lightweight precision and comfort using claw or palm grip styles.

 

Sensor

 

Sensor: SteelSeries TrueMove Air

Sensor Type: Optical

CPI: 100–18,000 in 100 CPI Increments

IPS: 400, on SteelSeries QcK surfaces

Acceleration: 40G

Polling Rate: 1000Hz / 1 ms

Hardware Acceleration: None (Zero Hardware Acceleration)

 

Design

 

Back Cover Material: Black Matte Finish

Core Construction: ABS Plastic

Shape: Ergonomic, Right-Handed

Grip Style: Palm or Claw

Number of Buttons: 9

Switch Type: SteelSeries mechanical switches, rated for 80 million clicks

Illumination: 3 RGB Zones

Weight: 74g

Length: 128.8mm / 5.07 inches

Width: 62.8 mm / 2.47 inches (front), 68.2mm / 2.68 inches (back)

Height: 26.7mm / 1.05 inches (front), 42.10mm / 1.65 inches (back)

Connection: 2.4GHz / Bluetooth 5.0

Battery Life: Up to 80 hours 2.4GHz; Up to 180 hours Bluetooth

 

 

Quite recently, the Aerox mice family from SteelSeries just got bigger with no less than three new additions: Aerox 5, Aerox 5 Wireless but also the Aerox 9 Wireless models. These models are oriented towards low weight, while offering top-notch performance and enough buttons for most gaming activities and not only! The Aerox 5 Wireless is noted as the lightest multi-genre mouse on the planet, weighting just about 74g, while providing up to 180 hours of usage from a single charge! What is more interesting is the fact that this mouse is equipped with fast charge technology, so we can expect up to 40 hours of use after charging the mouse for just about 15 minutes.

 

The product is shipped inside a compact cardboard enclosure which shows the mouse in operation, but also highlights a previous award which SteelSeries has got from another publication, PC Gamer:

 

 

 

On one of the box sides, we will note a lateral photo of the mouse, highlighting the button interfaces:

 

 

 

The opposite area comes with the included items list, but also the hardware specifications. The battery life is noted here as up to 180 hours in wireless mode and a guaranteed 180 hours in Bluetooth mode, but with the default lighting/power saving modes applied:

 

 

 

The top area presents itself with a handle, but also mentions that “Pros have won more prize money with SteelSeries than any other brand”:

 

 

 

The bottom area notes the product serial numbers, the manufacturing date, the power rating and more!

 

 

 

After unsealing the box, we will note that the Aerox 5 Wireless is staying secure on a black cardboard mold:

 

 

 

Besides the main product, we will note the Product Information Guide, the USB charge/data transfer cable, an adapter but also the wireless dongle:

 

 

 

Inside the manual we will find useful information in order to get accustomed with the product:

 

 

 

The USB charge/data transfer cable features compact connectors:

 

 

 

The cable is fully braided for additional durability and very flexible (paracord):

 

 

 

The USB-C adapter allows the user to move the WiFi dongle away from the computer, to avoid interference; this aspect also helps with increasing the WiFi range:

 

 

 

The USB-C ports are available on both sides:

 

 

 

 

On the bottom area we do have a small rubber foot:

 

 

 

The WiFi dongle is Quantum Wireless 2.0 enabled, meaning that the data transmission is very efficient, the over-the-air handshake algorithm protocol confirms 100% that the signal is sent and received up to 20% faster, which allows channel switching before data loss occurs:

 

 

 

It also comes with a subtle SteelSeries logo:

 

 

 

On the opposite side, we will note the product ID numbers, but also the code names and the power rating:

 

 

 

Given its dimensions (128.8mm x 68.2mm x 42.1mm), we can categorize it as a medium-sized mouse, and we found it ideal for palm and claw grips, depending on preference and hand size. The holed shell does help with bringing down weight with about 20g and this couples with the new battery which is 14g lighter and the ultra-thin PCB. Even if we are talking about an ultra-thin and light PCB, it is also IP54 rated to gain protection against dirt, oil, dust, or debris:

 

 

 

In the front, we do have the left/right triggers but also the scroll wheel. The rubberized scroll wheel is not RGB-enabled and on the left trigger we will note a subtle SteelSeries logo; the SteelSeries mechanical switches are rated for 80 million actuations:

 

 

 

On the top we will note the CPI selector button:

 

 

 

The left side comes with the frontal button which can be used as a sniper trigger, two buttons which can be easily accessed by using the thumb, but also a fourth button which comes with two actions (up and down), each having a different function:

 

 

 

The right side is ergonomic as well, but does not feature any extra interfaces:

 

 

 

In the front, we can clearly see the USB-C port:

 

 

 

On the bottom layer, we will see again the holed design, but it is covered on the inside with the light diffuser, which helps with distributing the light from the five RGB LEDs on a larger surface. Here we will note the large 100% PTFE Glide feet which are helpful for allowing the Aerox 5 Wireless move smoothly on the surface, but also the SteelSeries TrueMove Air sensor with a CPI between 100 and 18000 and the ability to adjust the sensitivity by 100-unit increments:

 

 

 

The small switch allows the user to use either 2.4GHz WiFi interface (where the dongle comes in) or connect to other devices via Bluetooth 5.0:

 

 

 

The curved back has the light diffuser in the lower area:

 

 

 

After turning the mouse on, we will note how the RGB LEDs are positioned: two near the front, two in the back but also one under the back PTFE foot; this defines three separate segments for configuration:

 

 

 

 

 

To have control over the complete mouse functions and benefit from cloud saves, you need to install SteelSeries GG. The software also works in “guest” mode, but in that case, saves won’t work:

 

 

 

In Engine, the mouse was successfully detected, but a firmware update was readily available and recommended:

 

 

 

The whole wizard is presented to the user via small dialogs, which instruct going forward with the dongle update and afterwards the mouse update:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The button configuration interface, sensor options and power saving features are all visible from a single GUI:

 

 

 

The menu for adjusting the button functions is easy to work with:

 

 

 

We have quite a bit of actions we can set up:

 

 

 

Default

Keyboard Buttons

Macros

Mouse Buttons

Deactivate button

Launch Application

Launch Configuration

Launch Engine Apps

OS Shortcuts

Record Macro

 

The Macro Editor has a menu of its own and custom details can be modified as well:

 

 

 

We can work with different Macro types:

 

 

 

The sensitivity levels can be customized with different CPI steps, up to 18000, in increments of 100:

 

 

 

The battery saver settings make sure we’ll meet that 180-hour mark!

 

 

 

Angle Snapping can be configured as well:

 

 

 

Same goes for Acceleration / Deceleration:

 

 

 

Polling Rate is next:

 

 

 

The lighting can be configured in the next tab of the GUI and here we have three independent segments we can work with:

 

 

 

The presets we can work with are Steady, ColorShift, Multi Color Breathe or we can disable the illumination completely:

 

 

 

Depending on the selected preset, we have other options to choose from:

 

ColorShift

Multi Color Breathe

Disable Illumination

 

 

Right after setting up the CPI and button settings to our preference, we fired up multiple titles such as Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy, SWTOR, GTA V and Space Punks; due to the low weight, the mouse is easy to work with, while the comfortable shape and high-end sensor do really make a good combination. If you need to react fast, Aerox 5 Wireless has your back and the two side buttons are easy to work with; the third button near the top needs a bit of a learning curve though and can be mapped with two different functions.

 

We really like the power management features of the mouse in order to obtain a very long usage time from a single charge and the fact that we can charge the mouse only 15 minutes in order to get about 40 hours of extra battery life…quite a big deal if you are in a competition and would not like to switch to wired mode for longer.

 

On this mouse chassis, we found only two out of three RGB segments visible in normal use (the one near the front is not visible from either lateral sides or from the top) so we’d better disable it altogether to save even more battery life.

 

When people see mice like these with a holed design do keep asking about durability, if debris or water will find itself its way inside…. will it break? The internals are kept safe via the IP54-rated AquaBarrier Protection, which shields the interior circuitry from all types of environmental damage. The left/right click buttons are also rated for up to 80 million actuations … so no problem here either.

 

At the time of the review, the Aerox 5 Wireless could be picked up with a huge discount from the manufacturers’ website, which brings the price down to 99 Euros.

SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless Gaming Mouse is Recommended for:

 

 

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