SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gaming Mouse review
The humble gaming mouse is a stalwart fixture in anyone’s set-up, but finding one that not only performs really well but also feels comfortable and looks good can be tricky. Quite often, one area will suffer in service of the others. It’s why I tend to find HyperX mice to be the best mid-range models. They look less like someone disturbed a Transformer mid-change (looking at you, Razer), and more like sleek, sturdy accessories. SteelSeries also excel at mouse design, and their Aerox range of lightweight mice are ideal for gamers and workers alike. The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Mouse is no exception. It boasts 18,000 CPI (counts per inch / dots per inch) and 80 million clicks, making it both durable and responsive.
I’ve been using it while playing various titles such as New World and Destiny 2, and I’m impressed with how it performs. It’s precise, and feels comfortable under my palm. I’m not, however, overly keen on the honeycomb design. I like a mouse to feel like I’m holding something weighty, and the Aerox 3 just feels a tad too lightweight for me. This is a personal preference, of course, but it’s worth noting.
Often, when something feels as light and delicate as the Aerox 3 (it weighs in at just 68g), it also has the side effect of feeling cheaply made, but that’s not the case here. SteelSeries’ products always look the part, and deliver on their looks with solid functionality. The silver-white “Ghost” edition also looks gorgeous, especially in a low-lit room. The soft white plastic looks great when the RGB is in full effect.
You can program the RGB and the six buttons using the SteelSeries GG software, allowing you to dictate which switch does what while you’re playing. This is always a useful feature in a gaming mouse, and can make up for mice that don’t boast a dozen unreachable buttons.
It comes with a little USB dongle for connecting it via Bluetooth or WiFi, and a USB-C cord for charging it. You’ll need to plug the dongle into the provided adapter, and then connect that via the cord, which is a bit of an inconvenience when many mice come with dongles that plug directly into a USB port.
It boasts up to 200 hours of battery life when connected via Bluetooth, but adjusting the lighting or using it for long periods of gaming will drastically reduce this, of course. I’m also not a big fan of the standard RGB light pattern, but this is easily adaptable with the software.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless gaming mouse is a solid choice for most PC gaming set-ups, but its delicate frame and slightly inconvenient connectivity might put some people off. In terms of performance, though, you’re going to feel the difference when compared with less high-profile models.
