SteelSeries has unveiled its new Sensei Pro and Rival Pro gaming mice, featuring an Infinite Power System with hot-swappable batteries designed to keep players gaming without stopping to recharge.
Announced on September 29 as part of the company’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the new lineup revives two of SteelSeries’ best-known mouse families with new wireless technology and a feature that will already be familiar to owners of its Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset.
The Sensei Pro and Rival Pro series will be available in full-size and Mini versions, with SteelSeries pairing its new battery system with Ultra-Wideband wireless, an 8,000Hz polling rate, and a new TrueMove 42K optical sensor.
SteelSeries brings Nova Pro-style battery swapping to its mice
Rather than relying on a single internal battery that requires the mouse to be plugged in when its charge runs low, SteelSeries is including two hot-swappable batteries with its new Pro Series mice.
The setup follows a similar approach to the company’s Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset, which has used a dual-battery system as one of its key features. Nova Pro owners can keep one battery inside the headset while charging the spare in the Wireless Base Station, then swap the two when the active battery runs low.
SteelSeries is now bringing that concept to its mice through what it calls the Infinite Power System. One battery powers the mouse while the second charges, allowing players to swap them when needed instead of connecting a charging cable and waiting for the mouse itself to recharge.
SteelSeriesThere is a significant difference in battery life between the devices. The Nova Pro Wireless is rated for up to 22 hours from each battery, while each Sensei Pro and Rival Pro battery is rated for up to 16 hours when running at the maximum 8,000Hz polling rate.
Dropping the mice to a 1,000Hz polling rate increases the claimed battery life to 60 hours per battery, giving the included pair up to 120 hours of combined use.
The battery system also helps address one of the drawbacks of running a wireless gaming mouse at 8K. Higher polling rates require more power, with the mouse reporting its position to a PC up to 8,000 times per second compared to 1,000 times per second on a standard 1K mouse.
SteelSeries has also moved away from the traditional 2.4GHz wireless connection for its new lineup. The Sensei Pro and Rival Pro instead use Ultra-Wideband wireless operating across the 6.4GHz to 9.056GHz spectrum.
According to SteelSeries, UWB provides around 20 times the bandwidth and allows the mice to use multiple wireless channels simultaneously, reducing the potential congestion and interference caused by other devices using the 2.4GHz band.
The mice include a Max Performance Mode that keeps the sensor operating in 8K mode with 20,000 frame captures per second, alongside tracking of up to 800 IPS and 70G acceleration.
SteelSeries has also introduced its TrueMove 42K optical sensor and optical switches rated for 100 million clicks, with the company claiming click latency as low as 0.35ms.
Full-size Sensei Pro and Rival Pro models weigh 1.87 ounces, while the Sensei Pro Mini and Rival Pro Mini weigh 1.73 ounces. All four models will be offered in black and white.
The mice can also be customized through SteelSeries GG, with features including Rotation Control, adjustable lift-off distance, Scroll Jump Protection, a Sensitivity Finder, Sensitivity Converter, and 3D Aim Trainer.
The Sensei Pro, Sensei Pro Mini, Rival Pro, and Rival Pro Mini are available to pre-order starting September 29 before launching in stores on October 13. All four models are priced at $179.99 in the US, with a separate Wireless Travel Dongle available for $24.99.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
