If you're not willing to spend a fortune on gaming peripherals, you might be interested in the products announced by SteelSeries. The company has announced three new products, including a $30 gaming mouse, a $50 waterproof keyboard, and a $100 keyboard with "hybrid" keyswitches.
SteelSeries says it wants to expand the options for gamers who are "stuck with boring, traditional office peripherals for gaming." My interpretation is that SteelSeries hopes to draw in gamers who might otherwise buy ordinary office peripherals due to cost constraints. Whatever the motivation, I am all for companies releasing inexpensive gear for gamers.
In this case, the new Rival 3 mouse is the cheapest at $30. It is shaped like an ambidextrous mouse, but the thumb button is located on the left side and is designed for right-handed users.
There are six buttons in all, and the main clicker is equipped with mechanical switches that can withstand 60 million clicks, according to SteelSeries.
At the heart of the Rival3 is a TrueMove Core optical sensor that supports 100 to 8,500 dpi in 100 dpi increments, which SteelSeries says provides true one-to-one tracking for precise on-screen motion. lighting is naturally part of the package.
Next up is the Apex 3 ($50), an IP32-compliant, waterproof keyboard that won't make you swear out loud when you spill your drink. That's never fun, but at least in this case there's a chance the keyboard will live on.
SteelSeries says the Apex 3 has new "low-friction switches for near-silent use." However, these are membrane switches, so don't expect them to feel like a mechanical keyboard.
Other features include dedicated media keys, 10-zone RGB lighting, and a "premium" magnetic wrist rest.
Last is the Apex 5, a $100 keyboard with hybrid switches that SteelSeries claims "combines the smoothness of membrane switches with the durability, performance, and click of blue mechanical switches."
There are many high-quality mechanical keyboards in this price range. What the Apex 5 potentially has, however, is a smart OLED display. This can be customized with animated GIFs and can display incoming Discord messages, real-time game information, TIDAL song information, etc.
All three are available now.
Comments