Steelseries Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse Review
by E. Fylladitakis on May 1, 2014 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mouse
- Gaming
- SteelSeries
Most advanced users, especially those that are interested in gaming, have almost certainly heard of SteelSeries, a reputable manufacturer of gaming-related peripherals and hardware. The company originates from Denmark and today has offices in the US and Taiwan. They have a very large selection of products available and we cannot possibly cover them all in a single review, but today we will be having a look at their most advanced (and expensive) mouse, the Sensei Wireless.
We received the Sensei Wireless inside a simple, well-designed, hard cardboard box, which should offer ample shipping protection to the lightweight mouse. Aside from the mouse itself, the only other items inside the box are the dock, the USB cable, a company sticker, and a basic manual. There is no CD with the required software, which instead must be downloaded from the company's website.
The SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Mouse
The SteelSeries Sensei Wireless is a symmetrical mouse of classic design. It is a good choice for left handed or ambidextrous users and very comfortable for prolonged use, although perhaps not as ideal as ergonomic mice that are shaped to fit either the left or the right hand. For instance, the Sensei Wireless has two buttons on either side of the mouse. Two of these buttons can easily be pressed by a thumb but it is painfully frustrating to press the other two with your pinky or ring finger. The ribbed wheel of the mouse offers good feedback and comfort, without being too stiff or too soft. There is only one button at the top of the Sensei Wireless that, if not re-programmed, can be used to cycle through the CPI settings.
The top and sides of the SteelSeries Sensei are made of corona treated ("rubberized") plastic, which feels comfortable to the hand and improves adhesion. The company logo can be seen at the top part of the mouse, which illuminates once the mouse is powered on. You can even pick the illumination color and intensity through the software, as well as select from a couple of visual effects, such as "breathe" and "battery status". The default colors of the mouse are red and it is set on "breathe", but these can be easily changed to virtually any color combination and intensity possible.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Sensei Wireless is its metallic charging dock. The heavy dock has a metallic surrounding frame but its central and bottom parts are plastic. It is heavy enough so that it won't slide around on your desk and it's shaped to be a perfect fit for the mouse. It also acts as the wireless receiver, but unfortunately the fact that the wireless receiver is integrated into this large, heavy, metallic dock reduces the portability of the Sensei Wireless down to virtually zero, at least if you want to use it in wireless mode. An illuminated ring surrounds the dock, which can also be programmed via the software.
The cable that SteelSeries provides can be connected to either the charging dock or the mouse itself. This way, if you run out of battery, you can just connect the cable to the mouse and keep playing. The proprietary molding of the cable is a perfect fit for either the mouse or the dock. The connector will lock into place once attached to the mouse and you'll need to be careful and not forget about the unlocking button when removing it, as otherwise it is easy to cause permanent damage. There is a catch too; due to the proprietary shape of the connector, finding an exact replacement will be a pain should you lose or damage yours. A typical mini USB cable will fit into the dock but it will not really be a good match for the mouse.
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Notmyusualid - Friday, May 2, 2014 - link
Best comment here.Coup27 - Saturday, May 3, 2014 - link
Hardly. Anyone with any intelligence knows to always get the latest drivers from the web and not use the pre-packaged CD or thumb drive which was made and then sat around for weeks or months waiting for the unit to be sold.Notmyusualid - Sunday, May 4, 2014 - link
Shouldn't be forced online to use something as basic as a mouse. Should we register too? (I'm looking at YOU Razer)I know of a number of machine that will never, ever go online, in the role they perform.
Coup27 - Sunday, May 4, 2014 - link
Someone else who misses the point entirely. Nobody is forced online to use a mouse. The drivers built into any OS will give you all the essential functionality required to use a mouse.However this mouse isn't "basic"', It's a performance gaming mouse. The chances of someone buying this type of mouse for a machine which never goes online is virtually nil.
For machines which will never go online, a £5 OEM special will most likely meet all the requirements.
Coup27 - Sunday, May 4, 2014 - link
NB - Just seen you're the same user. When will we be allowed to edit posts? :@jigglywiggly - Friday, May 2, 2014 - link
why do you guys even post mouse reviews? You don't even list the sensor in the mouse or list he max tracking speed or anything.sonicmerlin - Saturday, May 3, 2014 - link
I need a wireless gaming mouse that works with a claw grip. The big sculpted ones like the Logitech G500 give my hand major cramps. This seems to be the first one that would actually work with a claw grip.dorekk - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
It does. I bought a Sensei Wired to replace my aging Intellimouse w/ Intellieye for work, which needed to come home and have some work done on it after 15 years of gaming and work. It's about the same shape and works great for my fingertip grip.masterpine - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
This is furthering the echo chamber here but man, that is a hell of a lot of money for a mouse. I use a Steelseries Sensai Pro and absolutely love the thing but have always had a soft spot for wireless mice, so when this was announced i was keenly interested. It's a huge ask to pay more than twice the price of their previous highest priced mouse just to cut the cord (and lose the kinda helpful on-board memory).I prefer mice to be as light as possible, so i get the thinking behind using a proprietary, low-capacity battery to shave off grams. What i would really like is for someone to copy how Logitech did it with their old G7 Laser, by using thin hot-swappable battery cartridges which meant you could have one charging while the other was in use. That was a fantastic and light mouse. I've only seen Saitek do something similar with the R.A.T. 9, although that was a pretty hefty thing.
At least we've got a lot of variety out there. Reviews of mice are an interesting thing, personally i'm fine with a very basic "It works like a mouse should, here's the software" (although a list of sensors would be great). Purchasing a new mouse pretty much requires getting hands-on with them at the end of the day, everyone's a bit different in the shapes and contours they prefer.
moonbogg - Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - link
Logitech G502 is vicious and cost half the price. When the word really gets out about how good its sensor really is, then people will either buy it or beg for other mice based on that sensor (which many have already started to do). I just wrecked a server several games in a row (HC snipers only) and this mouse feels beyond crisp. Its just perfection.