Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
Mouse designs have not really changed over the years, and the SteelSeries Rival 600 is no different. The traditional design is made modern, however, with the LED breaks between the sections as well as more distinct breaks between the buttons and the rest of the mouse. It is not entirely noticeable in the above picture, but the mouse is asymmetrical to fit right handed users better. The back end does not bulge outward too much, but this mouse is definitely comfortable for palm grip users. Furthermore, a claw grip is also not outside of bounds with this Rival 600, as SteelSeries aimed it to be comfortable for both. There is a very slight indent for the thumb, around which are three buttons with a matte finish. There is one large button in the center of the mouse and two main buttons at the front, all of which is covered in a soft touch rubber. The side rubber feels slightly different than the rubber used on the rest of the body, as the sides are a silicone compound. It is all made from a soft touch material, which is absolutely amazing to use. The SteelSeries Rival 600 is definitely one of the most comfortable mice I have ever used, and I have not grown tired of it over the weeks. Unfortunately, it does attract fingerprints.
There are eight different RGB LED zones. The scroll wheel is the first. The two LED strips that extend to the back of the mouse feature three distinct LED zones each, with the last zone being the SteelSeries logo. This is probably the most extensive RGB customization I have ever seen on a mouse. It makes for a dazzling light show, but aesthetics is only one part to the overall quality of the mouse. We will have to see how it performs on the next page. When it comes to dimensions, the SteelSeries Rival 600 actually has a few different measurements at different stages of the mouse. Length stays constant at 131 mm, but at there are two different width measurements, which is 62 mm at the front and middle, but 69 mm at the back of the mouse. The height at the front of the mouse comes in at 27 mm, but at its highest point, the height is 43 mm. All in all, the SteelSeries Rival 600 is a standard sized mouse. As for weight, it can be adjusted to your liking. The base weight comes in at 96g and can be increased in increments of 4g up to 126g. The implementation of adjustable weights is also one of the best I have seen. The plastic covering on each side of the mouse can be popped off and four 4g weights can be added on each side. This ensures excellent weight distribution throughout the entirety of the mouse instead of the weight being focused on one place. It also provides great customization to where you would want the weight to be focused.
This picture gives you a better idea of where the plug in for the cable is and the different shade of black between the buttons and the main body of the mouse. This view also gives a much clearer picture of the gaps between the buttons and the mouse. As for the two main buttons, these have a slight concave design to fit your fingers a little better. These two buttons also feature mechanical switches rated to 60 million clicks, which should last a lifetime. The buttons split-trigger, and from what I could gather are SteelSeries' own switch design. For the overall feel, they have satisfactory tactile feedback, being both crisp and clean. Furthermore, they are responsive, making my experience with the mouse excellent. Otherwise, the detachable USB cable is 2m long and is made from rubber. It would have been nice to see a braided cable here, but rubber is good too.
On the bottom of the mouse is where the true magic happens. The SteelSeries Rival 600 has been constructed with three Teflon feet on the bottom, a large one at the front, and two smaller ones flanking the rear. These ensure a smooth experience. Between the two smaller Teflon feet is a sticker with some more miscellaneous information. Right in the center of the mouse, we find the dual sensors, which SteelSeries calls their TrueMove 3+ system. The primary sensor is the TrueMove 3 optical gaming sensor, which is a customized PixArt 3360 sensor. SteelSeries promises no jitter up to 3500 DPI, while beyond that, it uses jitter reduction algorithms. Furthermore, the sensor promises true one-to-one tracking and the secondary sensor promises the world's lowest lift off distance detection. As for DPI, the SteelSeries Rival 600 features up to 12000 DPI and 350 IPS. DPI stands for dot per inch, while IPS stands for inches per second. Both of these refer to the intake of information, but also the output of the information on the screen. A higher IPS means the mouse can intake more information, so if you make a fast and large movement across a mouse pad, a higher IPS will be least likely to miss any of the tracking information. DPI should be called CPI according to SteelSeries, which is counts per inch. This means the mouse can display x counts (virtual pixels) on the screen in a real life inch. So, 12000 CPI means the mouse can display 12000 counts on the screen for every inch moved in real life. This also means a mouse with 16000 CPI is not any better than a mouse with 12000 CPI; it all depends on the accuracy of the sensor. When it comes to how accurate the SteelSeries Rival 600 is, we will find out on the next page.
The SteelSeries Rival 600 is controlled through SteelSeries Engine 3, which is the same software they use for all of their products. After installing it, it is easy to select the device you want to configure. One of the best things about this software is its simplicity. Everything can be found on this first tab, including customization of the buttons, CPI settings, acceleration and deceleration, angle snapping, lift off distance, and the polling rate. On the next tab are the RGB LED settings. Here, you can select one of the eight different zones, customize them independently from one another or just select them all. There are a couple of illumination settings that will cycle through colors or breathe with the same color or others. There is also a reactive LED setting. All in all, the SteelSeries Engine 3 is an intuitive system, and I have experienced no issues throughout my use.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
