The SteelSeries Rival 650 is a large mouse with versatile connectivity, adjustable weights, low lift-off distance, and good latency. Despite the weight, battery life, and steep price tag, this is a great mouse for home setups and casual and non-professional competitive gaming.
First released back in late 2018, the SteelSeries Rival 650 is a high-end wireless gaming mouse that boasts a right-handed shape along with an ergonomic design for both claw grip and palm grip users.
Similar to some of the best-rated computer mouse options available in its range, it supports wireless connectivity through a USB dongle but doesn’t have storage space for it. And just like most of the highest-ranked gaming mouse models out on the market today, it has a built-in rechargeable battery with 25 hours of battery life and eight-zone RGB lighting effects.
The Rival 650 features an input latency of 17 ms over the dongle. If you prefer the lower input lag of wired mice for gaming and want to go for a similar model, check out our SteelSeries Rival 600 review. The Rival 650 has nine primary mouse buttons, including the middle mouse button (clickable scroll wheel).
What Is Not on the Box
What the brand doesn’t always tell you…
our Verdict
The SteelSeries Rival 650 has an all-plastic construction that still feels durable. Its notched wheel offers basic 24-step precision but lacks horizontal or infinite scrolling functionality. The SteelSeries Engine 3 software, while slightly cluttered, is easy to use and works well on both Windows and macOS platforms.
Regrettably, battery life is just 24 hours, and the lowest weight setting (120.7g) feels heavy, though it can be increased up to 153g. Surprisingly, the wireless latency (tested at 8.3ms) outperforms wired (8.7ms), guaranteeing a delay-free experience in FPS games. Additionally, the mouse’s depth sensor minimizes the lift-off distance, measuring 1.2mm.
The Rival 650’s aggressive matte design and large size prioritize comfort for right-handed players with larger hands. Unfortunately, this also makes it poor for travel and small-handed users.
First released back in late 2018, the SteelSeries Rival 650 is a high-end wireless gaming mouse that boasts a right-handed shape along with an ergonomic…
First released back in late 2018, the SteelSeries Rival 650 is a high-end wireless gaming mouse that boasts a right-handed shape along with an ergonomic design for both claw grip and palm grip users.
Similar to some of the best-rated computer mouse options available in its range, it supports wireless connectivity through a USB dongle but doesn’t have storage space for it. And just like most of the highest-ranked gaming mouse models out on the market today, it has a built-in rechargeable battery with 25 hours of battery life and eight-zone RGB lighting effects.
The Rival 650 features an input latency of 17 ms over the dongle. If you prefer the lower input lag of wired mice for gaming and want to go for a similar model, check out our SteelSeries Rival 600 review. The Rival 650 has nine primary mouse buttons, including the middle mouse button (clickable scroll wheel).
At just 73.9 grams, the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless is a significantly more light mouse in comparison to the 122-gram SteelSeries Rival 650. And it…
At just 73.9 grams, the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless is a significantly more light mouse in comparison to the 122-gram SteelSeries Rival 650. And it comes with a much better 16000 DPI accurate sensor when put against the SteelSeries Rival 650’s 12000 DPI optical sensor. In addition, despite both models being wireless gaming mice, only the SteelSeries Aerox 5 has both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz RF connectivity through a USB extender, while the SteelSeries Rival only features a USB receiver and lacks Bluetooth.
The SteelSeries Rival 650 features a significantly better overall build quality when compared to the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro wireless gaming mouse. And the SteelSeries…
The SteelSeries Rival 650 features a significantly better overall build quality when compared to the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro wireless gaming mouse. And the SteelSeries Engine 3 app is available for both Windows and macOS users, which isn’t the case with the Razer Synapse 3 app, as it is only available for Windows. However, at just 88 grams, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro has a much lower weight than the 122-gram SteelSeries Rival 650. And the Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro has a lower wireless input latency of 5 ms.
While the SteelSeries Rival 650 has a strictly right-handed design, the Logitech G Pro Wireless is an ambidextrous mouse. And the Logitech G Pro Wireless…
While the SteelSeries Rival 650 has a strictly right-handed design, the Logitech G Pro Wireless is an ambidextrous mouse. And the Logitech G Pro Wireless has a whopping 15 different programmable buttons, whereas the SteelSeries Rival 650 only features nine programmable buttons. Moreover, at just 80.1 grams, the G Pro is a significantly more light mouse than the 122-gram Rival. Additionally, the G Pro comes with a much better 25600 DPI HERO 25K sensor than the Rival 650 model’s 12000 DPI primary sensor.
