We Recommend the Rival 500 Mouse from Steel Series

The Rival lineup from Steel Series is growing each and every day it seems. The 500 has been added to the lineup that already includes the Rival 100, 300, and 700 (which is my current mouse).

Here is a bit from the Steel Series CEO:

The Rival 500 is the first true multi-button gaming mouse engineered to maximize gaming efficiency, while keeping the gamers movement and comfort in mind,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, SteelSeries CEO. “We created a MOBA/MMO mouse that fits your hand and not the other way around.

Everything that was promised in the Rival 500 seems to be delivered in the actual product. I’ve been using it to play Overwatch and World of Warcraft, and I have to say, I’m incredibly impressed with the everything the mouse offers.

The inclusion of the subtle pulse is the best feature I’ve ever encountered in a video game. Whether you are waiting for cool down timers to finish, or indicating when ammo or health is low, the small pulse you will feel in your hand could mean the difference between getting in a few extra shots, or ducking behind cover long enough to fill that health meter. It seems insignificant, but it has saved my bacon on numerous occasions.

We will be spending more time with the Rival 500 in the upcoming weeks, but safe to say, for under 80 USD, this is a mouse that deserves some serious consideration. It might not have all the bells and whistles of a 200-300 dollar gaming mouse, but you won’t get much more for 80 USD; frankly, it’s a smarter purchase in the long run!

After 1 month…

This product arrived to us in early October, and now in early November, we are breaking down our thoughts on the mouse overall. First, everything stated above continues to apply, which frankly means, we still love this mouse. Sure it’s not the Rival 700 – which we have reviewed here – but it is much better than the 300 and for only a bit more. If you’ve moved into the competitive real of video games and are looking for a quality mouse at a good price, the Rival 500 is the one for you.

The big thing we test for over time is how well the mouse has held up to heavy, HEAVY use. I’m pleased to announce that the mouse feels as new as it did on the first day of use. Buttons are all still providing the satisfying click and feel when pressed, and the scroll wheel is still flawless.

I was originally skeptical of all the extra buttons around the Rival 500, including the two front left buttons and the size right button, which are to the left and right of your main two clickable buttons. Using them at first required a minor learning curve as most mice have these types of buttons located along the side. However, it only took a few days to get comfortable with them, and after mapping the controller for specific games, I was having a much better experience then when using other gaming mice.

There is a definite market for this mouse. With similar tactile feedback and movement recognition as the other Rival mice, purchasing this mouse depends on your play style. For MMO’s, the 14 programmable buttons are a phenomenally important bit of hardware to have access to. If you are simply going to play some StarCraft, or other similar RTS titles, the sheer number of buttons is overkill, and I’d recommend going up to the 700 or down to the 300.

Conclusion

If you are ready for a steep learning curve, and want to map as many commands as possible to a device you control with one hand, purchasing the Rival 500 is a no brainer. The sheer number of buttons – overkill in many gaming situations, but very valuable in some popular ones – will be helpful in mapping everything you could possibly want, and the wonderful pulse technology will have you reloading much faster with instant alerts to low and empty cartridges in that ultra competitive FPS. It might only be a few seconds different, but how valuable those few seconds are.

Overall, the 500 is a good mouse regardless of what you use it for. If you are playing less demanding titles and can afford it, I’d recommend going up to the 700; similarily, if you cannot afford it, I suggest going down to the Rival 300. If you are playing a lot of Overwatch and World of Warcraft – along with similarly complex titles – the 500 is the PERFECT option for you.