SteelSeries Rival 650 review: Solving the wireless-mouse problem with 15-minute charging

SteelSeries has long had a weak spot in its peripherals lineup: mice. Great headsets, good keyboards, mediocre mice. Some were too conservative, others too daring, but none of the ones we’ve looked at over the years have qualified as must-haves.

That changes with the new Rival 650 ($120 on Amazon). At long last, SteelSeries has a mouse that both nails the fundamentals and packs a solid gimmick.

WEIGHTED AVERAGE

Let’s start with the design, because SteelSeries has improved by leaps and bounds in that regard. SteelSeries headsets have always featured forward-thinking aesthetics, but its mice have looked more like something you’d find in an office. Lots of grayish planes, function-over-form materials, and so on.

The Rival 650 is recognizable—which, given the limited elements in a mouse, is and its all-encompassing light ribbon. It’s eye-catching, and a real standout in the SteelSeries lineup.