Instead of rolling out their next generation of gaming peripherals, SteelSeries has opted for a different approach by deciding to update their fan favourite products to match the current industry standards that consumers desire. Most notably, the Rival series of eSports-geared mice. This lineup contains a rich legacy of products that continue to be go-to recommendations from many prominent players in the field across multiple titles, including Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The subject of this review is the Rival 110, the cheapest mouse currently offered by the manufacturer that still contains the core essentials for competitive PC play.
Starting with design, the SteelSeries Rival 110 features the same streamlined chassis as its previous iteration, the Rival 100. It’s understandable why there was no need to update the chassis because the Rival 100 is a very accommodating mouse for right-handed players that feels comfortable to use due to its small form-factor and low profile. Unfortunately, this still leaves left-handed players with the SteelSeries Sensei as the companies only ambidextrous offering. As is standard with Rival mice, the left and right sides of the mouse are covered with textured gripping to take advantage of the variety of grip styles players use. The only true weakness of this Rival 110’s design and 6-button layout is that the USB cable only uses a stiff sleeve instead of a more durable and flexible braided cable. This feels like the only real compromise that comes from the mouse’s affordable price tag of $49.99 CAD.
While the design of the Rival 110 has not been updated, the sensor certainly has. Previously the heart of the Rival 100 was a custom 3059-SS sensor, which had a max of 4000 CPI, 143 IPS, and 20g acceleration. This sensor has instead been swapped out for the new line of SteelSeries TrueMove sensors, which the company advertises as being the world’s first true 1-to-1 tracking mouse. The Rival 110 specifically uses the TrueMove 1 sensor, which touts specs of a max of 7200 CPI, 240 IPS, and 30g acceleration. These numbers can be hard to interpret for casual readers, but what these values equate to is a mouse that has no latency, pinpoint precision, and the ability to keep up perfectly with the quick flick movements of players who lower their DPI settings.
Performance-wise I would rank the SteelSeries Rival 110 right up there with the likes of some of my favourite mice, such as the Logitech G403 Prodigy and the classic Rival 300. All three of these mice deliver a great pinpoint experience and feature the in-depth customization software required to fit the user’s personal needs. What makes SteelSeries products competitive-player friendly is that the user’s settings can be saved to the Rival 110 and taken anywhere on-the-go without the need for additional software or drivers. The Rival 110 may not have any of the innovative features of its more expensive brothers, but the mouse can still sync up with a variety of lighting effects using the SteelSeries Engine Software and other Prism Sync enabled products.
The SteelSeries Rival 110’s greatest strength is that it offers a fantastic 1 to 1 sensor experience to budget users at an affordable price. While I personally prefer mice with a bit more bulk and additional features, this mouse delivers the core essentials that every player requires from their hardware with no hassle. Users who already have similar hardware don’t need to upgrade and should wait for the next generation of gaming peripherals if they are looking for more innovation.
A retail version of this device reviewed was provided by the manufacturer. You can find additional information about CGMagazine’s ethics and review policies and procedures here.
