Features:

  • Fastest, most ergonomic button layout available – built around your thumb
  • 16,000 CPI custom PixArt sensor for extreme precision
  • SteelSeries exclusive tactile alerts let you feel in-game events
  • Reinforced left and right mouse buttons with industry-leading 30 million click switches
  • Fully-customizable with 15-programmable fast-click buttons; Grip Style: Palm, Claw, and Fingertip
Top of the line for large hands

TLDR: Its heavy, but if thats not an issue for you you will die for this mouse. This mouse screams premium all day every day. If you feel you want lots of functions for a mouse this is a great way to go, the side buttons and top buttons are all perfectly placed with solid actuation points. I am not a fan of using the side buttons for leaning in my game of choice "rainbow 6 siege" but it did the job, just not as well as my current shooter mouse the "glorious model O" but that's not what this mouse is built for. This mouse is built for people with big hands that want to hold the mouse with their whole hand, your hand will not hang off the edge of the mouse with this no matter how u hold it. Scroll wheel is super smooth and the buttons have nice low tone clicks which feel very premium and fit the mouse. Sensor is super fast and never felt slowed down by the sensor. Software is easy and creating and assigning macros is easy and intuitive. My only gripe with the mouse is the weight but that comes with large moba mouses with lots of side buttons. It is way lighter than the corsair m65 but thats a pretty low bar haha. For highly competitive shooters I would look at the glorious model O since it is my current favorite mouse for its weight but this mouse is way more comfortable than that mouse honestly so unless Im playing a fast reaction based shooter where I need to utilize every frame and my elo is my top priority this mouse is my go to. Scores: quality: 10 shape: 10 primary buttons: 9 Max fair price imo: 100$ weight: 6

Very comfy

I have been using a lot of different mouses lately looking for just the right fit. This one has excellent software and the buttons are so well placed. They react well and I especially like the two buttons below the thumb. I thought there would not be a good place for my thumb to rest but right where the little orange mark is, is where it rests. My only issue is...my hand is just a bit small to reach the front index button and the front thumb button....No fault of the mouse. My hands are 7 in from back of palm to finger tip. I will keep using it because it has the number of buttons I need even without the two I have to stretch to reach. Well done.

but all the recent reviews were strong and it sounded like Steelseries fixed the programming

I wasn't sure about ordering this based on some early reviews about performance glitches, but all the recent reviews were strong and it sounded like Steelseries fixed the programming, so I thought I'd give it a trial. I have to say, I absolutely love it. Sensor works flawlessly and the haptic feedback is incredible. I'd love to see them add more software support/games for the tactile alerts because they're really a game changer. I was worried that the SS engine would be difficult to use, especially with programming so many buttons, but it's easily laid out and I was able to customize pretty quickly. If you're into MMO games, this is definitely the mouse to buy.

Quite possibly the greatest gaming mouse ever created!

This is by far and out the best gaming mouse I've ever used and I exclusively buy high end gaming mice! Just as a point of reference, I'm a veteran FPS player and am in the top 0.10% in any FPS I play. I use MOBA style mice because they are much more versatile than standard FPS mice, which is unlike many competitive FPS players. Yet, generally speaking MOBA style gaming mice tend to fall behind FPS mice in certain categories such as high end sensors, ergonomics, weight distribution etc. Yet, this mouse has absolutely no flaws to be found! The build quality is absolutely top notch! I can state without a doubt that if you're in the market for an incredibly flexible gaming mouse, you've absolutely found it! This mouse will suit claw, finger tip and palm (of which I use all three depending on the game) and will also work well for hands of all sizes from small, to medium, to massive. Note: Early reviews for this mouse tend to clearly state about it having an issue with the firmware, which at times can render the mouse useless. This issue has been resolved in the most recent firmware update, so make sure to follow the directions as to how to properly install it and you'll be good to go. Do not avoid this mouse, because of the previously stated issues by early reviewers, because if you do, you'll be missing out on what might possibly be the greatest gaming mouse ever created!

Perfect Gaming Mouse

I had been using a Razer Naga (several of them) but when the latest broke I wanted to try a SteelSeries mouse to match my Arctis headset. I was a little worried about replacing the Naga and its calculator-style side buttons with something different, but after a day of using the Rival 500, I’m absolutely loving it. My favorite thing about the Rival 500 is the new style of button placement. I play a lot of Dota 2 and I need a lot of buttons. It’s perfect having all the buttons around my thumb, but with an empty space to rest it. I can tell that a lot of thought went into it and it was extremely easy to master. I didn’t buy it because of the rumble that they call tactile alerts, but that feature is really fun. The SteelSeries software has Dota 2 settings built into it and I have it set to give gentle vibrations and light changes when I dominate. Very cool.

Finally real INNOVATION in the mouse input sector. Gaming with this is a dream come true.

I've been searching for a mouse for over a decade to replace how I felt about my Logitech MX 1000 and this seems to be it. SteelSeries hasn't always struck me as high end in the past. I've had several items from them and they always left me with the "it's OK" feeling but never blown away. I'm an avid gamer as well as an IT pro so I go through a lot of mice, keyboards and other devices. I've also got a real thing for human input devices, always looking for something that is new and innovative. This mouse really takes the cake in the above mind set. The mouse its self feels sturdy, well built and the buttons are well laid out and solid. I've been gaming with this device for a month now and I'm not able to see any difference between when I first un-boxed it and now. Buttons are stiff and almost never get accidentally pressed, even the bottom thumb flick buttons. The light from the LEDs is nice and not dim or overly bright and of course you can adjust this to your liking. The SteelSeries mouse driver / engine for programming is nice but could be laid out a bit better. It took me a bit of time to find out what they were meaning by some of the names of the functions or the button names, but once you get it, you're good to go. It by no means is difficult, just different. I do wish that the software wouldn't open multiple small windows, it would be nice to have all the functions contained in the one window only because windows can easily become lost behind whatever else you're working on but you just need to be aware of this and it won't be an issue. Now onto the real reason why I bought this mouse. 13 programmable buttons (14 & 15 are right and left click so unless you're not going to right and left click, the real number is 13) and a VERY innovative layout. The two bottom thumb buttons have quickly become my go to attack buttons / high use buttons and the whole thumb button layout / area is amazing. You get a total of 6 buttons at your thumb and they are so well laid out that you quickly become in-tune with the mouse and where things are at. You get 2 buttons on your index finger next to the left click, one button at your right click finger and a VERY sturdy tilt scroll wheel mouse with a down click as well. The index finger buttons are VERY stiff and you will never accidentally hit them. This can be a good and bad thing, but overall I find the placement and stiff click nice. Same goes for the right click side single button. You can easily be pressing and holding down on your right click button and roll your finger over and press the custom button on that side and never lose your right click hold. Super bonus. The scroll wheel tilt and press is one of the best in the industry right now. Many companies are using a very lose or easy to use tilt / press and this can cause mis-clicking, however with this dream of a mouse, the tilt wheel is nice and tight, you can easily have a high use command on all three sides of the scroll and know that what you intended to click / use will be what happens. At the time of getting this mouse, I've been using a Razer Naga, Razer Naga HEX (also a great mouse), a Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum and a Corsair Scimitar (I told you I have an addiction). I bring this up because I feel that I've had all of the current "top tier" mice in my hands from the past few years and this mouse is just second to none. The lighting ques for the illumination may not be as sophisticated as the Razer or Logitech, the macro recording and driver programming might not be as beautiful as them either but the hardware, buttons and device make up for this. I feel that the companies have been depending on their flashy software and "cool looks" for too long and haven't really thought about real innovation. The SteelSeries Rival 500 is this in spades. Lift off and quick turns / reactions in my FPS games are on par with the other mice in the field, the driver is super easy on PC resources and has yet to crash or have any issues on my custom built Windows 10 computer. They update as needed but it's not every freaking day like Razer. I just love this mouse, so much that I've given away 3 to friends and I'll be using it as a give away to or clan guys in our next event. I even bought 2 more to hold onto in case they do away with this for some scary reason and I break mine. I've spent about a decade looking for a mouse that I loved after the Logitech MX1000 left my life. I have bought pretty much every multi-button programmable mouse since then and I've been disappointed in one way or another until now. My search is over and it's even exceed the very device I was looking to re-create. ***EDIT August 8, 2017*** Six weeks in and this mouse is going strong. I've really started to utilize the feedback timers and such in game and wow that's nice for training. I have several profiles setup, each game I play and for work and switching is easy. I've really come to like the software and I find it as easy to program now as I do my Logitech and other devices. Now to the hardware. I'll admit it, I'm a no-life gamer and like I said above, I am an IT consultant that works from home. I use my computer for 12 hours a day at a minimum. Even on weekends I'll be on my computer for 5+ hours. The buttons feel the same, the layout has really grown on me and I'm still not having any issues hardware wise. I'll update again around the 6 month mark if I can remember, but for the price, even if I only got 90 to 120 days out of this device, I'd be happy. That's how nice the button placement and usage is. *****EDIT March 29th, 2018***** Final edit on this product. Still use it, still love it, bought 2 more in case they ever go away. Not much else to say. :) Still like the day I bought it other than the feet are beginning to show wear, but again, I'm on my computer 12+ hours / day for work or play. This thing has seen a TON of use. VERY happy with this product. Even if it were to give up the ghost in 3 months, and I don't see that happening, it would still be worth it as I've been using this thing for a solid 9 months.

Finally I can let my WOW GE mouse go for something that's worthy!

My first Rival series mouse from SteelSeries. How do I like it? (said like Jim Carey) I "loike" it "ah" lot. I'm coming from the WOW line of mice from SteelSeries. I started with the WOW Legendary, then to the wireless Legendary, then immediately to the Gold Edition (this is the same as the legendary just updated hardware/software compatibility) because the wireless version took away 1 button which may seem small but it was a big difference. And now I'm on the Rival 500. So this is how I feel about it. 1. The feel: This mouse feels amazing! The way your hand comfortably fits around the mouse is just great. It glides very smoothly on my mouse pad (SteelSeries) and the groove indention for the thumb is like the mouse is a glove just for you with good matted grips within. All of you fingers just seem to go right where they need to be (with the exception of learning a new mouse). 2. Button Positioning: The buttons are positioned in very reachable places for large and medium (me) hands, small hands would have to put more effort into reaching all of them. Now if I had my way I would move button 11, 12, and 13, here is why. It would be more accessible if 11, and 12 were on the right side of the left click button (next to he scroll wheel), and 13 on the left side of the right click button (next to the scroll wheel) rather than where they are now. But remember I'm coming from the WOW styled mice which are like that. Now seeing that 11 is farther forward I thought that would be one of the hardest to press, but no, the two buttons I had more trouble learning was 12, and 5. 5 is the forward most button where you thumb rests, I have to actually think more about moving my thumb forward when it's resting so comfortably, it's like kicking it out of bed to get to work lol. Now because you have to bend you index finger to press 12 it's a bit slow for me to get to due to the fact that it is slightly more to the left than I'd like it to be, but doable. All of the other buttons are naturally accessible with almost no effort for execution. All of the buttons have an easy click to them in which you don't have to press hard to perform you actions, except for 11, 12, and 13, these you have to press just a little more until you get used to it. 3. The Software: The software (not buggy from my experience) is very user friendly. Easy to understand and customize. This is my first time in SteelSeries Engine 3 since I was in 2 for so long (that was/is easy also). The RGB (and the white is real white lol) assigning is great and easy as well as the macroing, and profiling. And if you have other SteelSeries components they are all easy to jump between and sync with a very keen and clean UI. This is the first time I was actually able to truly make every button the ESC button lol. And unlike others' software you don't need it to allow your mouse to function as a simple mouse. Some others you have to have the software to even use and/or let the mouse be recognized/registered by the PC, but you don't have to worry about that with this mouse. And the dual CPI settings are extremely accurate, no lag, and smooth, and a very nice adjustable lift distance also. 4. The Lighting: The lighting is as bright as you need it to be. There are only two main lit areas, under you palm and around the mouse wheel. They each can be separately customized. 5. The Bonus: The tactile feed back is (for me) a very nice addition to in game satisfaction. When firing you weapon and feeling that well earned kill is just wonderful. You can also have the mouse give feed back with timed cooldowns letting you know when they are available. Not compatible with every game but still NICE! 6: Other Thoughts: My experience with this mouse has been very rewarding thus far. In the beginning the mouse kept slipping out of my hand when lifting for repositioning, due to me coming from much lighter mice. This mouse has slightly more weight which balances the mouse just right. I personally don't like heavy mice, but this one is well balanced. This mouse is still IMO light but not like the WOW gold, that mouse is like a feather lol. I like my mouse to feel like it's stuck to my hand and after about 3 days that's how it feels now, no more dropping. Now it took me about two weeks to really get used to buttons 12 and 5. I needed a good mouse with 11 buttons or more since I am used to all 11 of my WOW mouse, so this mouse was just what I needed and I didn't want some grid number setup where my thumb would be, I wanted something that felt more natural and gamy and this does :) Now if I could just use a different keyboard then I would be fine, the MERC STEALTH has spoiled me. Being used to using 29 of the 34 buttons with my left hand on the game pad side means I CAN NOT USE ANY regular keyboards at all.......oh well I guess I'll be stuck for a while more. 7. Five Star Rating: I gave this mouse a 5 star rating because it does everything this type of gaming mouse should do with bonuses. Targeting MMO/MOBA's as stated it handles those just as it should while still being an all around gaming mouse for other genres as well. And even though I would change the position of 3 buttons, the reality is I can properly and successfully press all of the buttons just fine now, so 5 stars it is. I was afraid to leave my old mouse but this made it easy :) I would definitely recommend the Rival 500 to any gamer looking for a mouse that can meet all of your gaming needs + some.

Best gaming mouse I have ever played with

This mouse is the real deal. Immediately it felt great and was super responsive. The feel, contours, button placement, button clicks, and overall sleek style, make this the best mouse I have ever gamed with. The customizable software is awesome too. I had read reviews about how good this feels and how it fits the palm of the hand, I was skeptical at first, but I can’t stress enough how good this feels in the hand. The textured grips on the sides, the ability to lock the thumb buttons and use it as a thumb rest, all work tremendously well. This is a high end, high class mouse – for an incredible price.

My favorite mouse ever

My favorite mouse ever. The side buttons placements are all very good! I recommend binding two of the pairs of side buttons to pgup/pgdn and home/end. This is great for browsing the web, and you can bind those keys in games too. A few of the buttons I rarely use on the mouse, but overall most of the buttons are in comfortable positions to reach while doing normal gaming stuff. The shape and size of the mouse are pretty good, and the scroll wheel is nice too. I'm a little disappointed that SteelSeries didn't do a braided cord on this mouse like they did with the Sensei, though. Also, as usual, the rainbow LEDs have very poor color coverage, so prepare for colors to be washed out and dull, especially on the logo area. The mouse wheel represents color quite a bit better. I recommend doing a white logo with a colored wheel.

This mouse replaced my Logitech g600

I've had this mouse for a few months now and have played everything from mmos to fps games. It's very comfortable in the hand and the software it comes with is awesome. I like that im able to customize the buttons and color per application or game. It also changes automatically when you start the program and goes back to your default setting when you close it. Oh and you can make any button vibrate when pushed. They fixed the disconnecting issue it used to have, haven't had it disconnect on me once. Just make sure you update the firmware as soon as you get it. The two cons I have for right now is the cable and mouse wheel. I wish the cable was braided and would like them to add an option to set the left and right clicks on the mouse wheel to go back and forward on web pages, like my g600 did.

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