Each the SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wi-fi and the cheaper ($79.99 / £79.99) wired mannequin hit the cabinets on the identical time. Whereas the expertise between the 2 fashions is basically the identical, I am taking the steps for each right here to see how the most recent wave of honeycomb pointers performs towards a number of the finest gaming mouse choices in the marketplace.
Design
Kind issue: right-handed
DPI: 18,000
IPS: as much as 400
Keys: SteelSeries mechanical switches
Connection: Wired / Wi-fi (2.4GHz / Bluetooth 5.0)
Foot: 100% PTFE
Weight: 74g (wi-fi) | 66g (wired)
In fact, as you’d anticipate at this value level, every part is molded along with high-quality supplies, leaving a long-lasting impression of high quality right here. I notably appreciated the softer contact plastic within the honeycomb shell. Honeycomb designs can typically really feel a bit tough on the palms, particularly throughout lengthy classes. That mentioned, I barely felt the nicks within the plastic right here, and I even discovered that they provided a pleasant grip really feel.
There are additionally three RGB lighting zones to play with right here, however the one factor seen from the highest is a working mild panel beneath the mouse’s rear finish. Whereas it is good to have, I largely ignored the RGB settings throughout gameplay – I could not see the impact when my hand rested on the mouse, and I valued battery life way more.
Specs
The SteelSeries Aerox 5 feels a bit within the center in relation to being marketed as a light-weight machine. It is nonetheless a tiny wi-fi gaming mouse at 74g, however that is too heavy to be thought-about a characteristic by itself in right now’s market. The Roccat Burst Professional Air weighs in at 68g, manages wi-fi for at least $99.99, and the brand new Razer Viper V2 Professional squeezes as much as 58g for simply $10 / £10 greater than the Aerox 5 Wi-fi. Nonetheless, the wired mannequin comes considerably nearer to that light-weight dream – at simply 66g it is a a lot better choice for these after the FPS-only beacon.