Steelseries Sensei Wireless Review
Category : Mice
Published by Luca Rocchi on 09.09.14
As you might be assuming by its name, the Sensei Wireless is SteelSeries wireless gaming mouse. It features a PixArt ADNS 9800 laser sensor and eight programmable buttons. Apart from that there is an ambidextrous design and the build quality is simply excellent.
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Today, we are taking a closer look at a new wireless gaming mouse, created by Steelseries, the Sensei Wireless. The Sensei Wireless is a gaming mouse that features a laser sensor that can go as high as 8200DPI, fully customizable LEDs and a useful ambidextrous design, which should get along with any kind of grip.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Photo Gallery
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Features
| Model number | Sensei Wireless |
| Keys | 8 |
| DPI | 8200 |
| Materials | ABS |
| Polling Rate | 1000Hz |
| Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Cable | 2.0 m |
| Dimensions | 129 x 69 x 41 mm |
| Weight | 120 g |
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Closer Look
Having a first look at the Sensei Wireless quickly shows that this is a harmonius and ergonomically shaped gaming mouse. The shape and arrangement of buttons make the mouse symmetrical and usable by both right- and left-handed gamers/users. Other than that, the Steelseries Sensei Wireless features a very grippy surface with a black matte finish. The materials used are of excellent quality, and even the softouch is well made and very comfortable. The wheel, which is made from plastic and almost entirely covered with rubber, is big, strong and provides an excellent grip as well as a tactile feedback. Right behind the wheel, there is a button to increase/decrease the DPI. The back part of the mouse features Steelseries logo, which can glow in RGB color while plugged into a running PC.
As its name suggests, the Sensei Wireless is a wireless mouse that uses WiFi to communicate with your computer. The charging base is thick, strong, heavy, and definitely conveys solidity and quality. The range is more than adequate and, as for the mouse, this charging base has an RGB LED backlight which will indicate the battery charge of the mouse.
Back
The Sensei Wireless uses a laser sensor, the PixArt ADNS 9800, which is able to reach the 8200 DPI in 50DPI steps. Under the mouse there are four small black teflon feet arranged in a way that will certainly ensure low friction. Despite being a gaming mouse you can not adjust the weight, however, the Sensei Wireless is already well balanced and very light. The cable, black and sleeved, is 2.0 meters long and in case of low battery you can insert it into the mouse and continue to use the Sensei Wireless.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Software
Inside the package there is no optical media and the software application, called SteelSeries Engine 3, is only available on the official website. The software requires approximately 100 MB of space on your hard drive and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Mac OS X 10.7 - 10.9.
The graphic interface of the software is practical and easy to use. With this program you can configure macros, customize profiles, buttons and the backlight. The backlight is RGB and you can use different colors for the wheel and the logo in the back part of the mouse.
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |
Conclusion
| General | + | - | |
| The Steelseries Sensei Wireless is a pleasant surprise. The device is comfortable, with some really interesting features and an expected high build quality. The rubber surface provides a good grip for long gaming sessions. Overall, the sensor performs well and the software is practical and easy to use. In addition, even the battery life is a very good surprise since the duration reaches 20 hours. This model is also suitable for left and right-handers. |
- Design
- Build quality |
||
| Performance / Ergonomics | + | - | |
| As usual, we used the gaming mouse in both 2D and 3D environments for our tests. After a few days of use with standard office applications we can say that, despite being a gaming mouse, Steelseries'
new product behaves very well in those scenarios as well, mostly thanks to its many levels of DPI and numerous options that you can change within the software. Also, the gaming experience is very good, and we have used the Sensei Wireless with both RTS and FPS games without any problem. Although it is a wireless mouse with a battery inside, Sensei Wireless is definitely lightweight
and quite similar to wired models. Ergonomically, the Sensei Wireless is very comfortable from the first contact, thanks to the soft touch cover on the top. It is also worth to mention that this model is also suitable for left-handers. Regarding the connectivity we have nothing to report, the range is great and the 2.5 GHz wireless band allows clean perfomance without any limitation. In our test the battery life reached 20 hours while some energy savings on the mouse, like for example the backlight, were turned on. Overall, we believe that the product is able to cover completly a daily usage. The charging time is about 3.5 hours. |
- Comfort - Battery life | ||
| Software | + | - | |
| The software, available on the official website, it is well made and easy to use. The program is complete, intuitive and easy to use. There are even some interesting options for the backlight, like the "LED mode" which can work in three differents ways. The software is compatible with most operating systems including Mac OS X and the latest Windows 8.1. | - Easy to use | ||
| Recommendation / Price | + | - | |
| With the Sensei Wireless, SteelSeries is offering an absolute high-end product and it appears that the company is well aware of the if we take a closer look at the price. On Geizhals the Sensei Wireless is listed fo 140 Euro, which is really a lot. Should you be looking for a wireless gaming mouse that is very close to perfection and should the price be of no concern for you, then we can definitely recommend this great product. | - Price | ||
| Rating | |||
| The Sensei Wireless from Steelseries receives very good 4.5 out of 5 stars. | |||
| Page 1 - Introduction |
| Page 2 - Photo Gallery / Delivery |
| Page 3 - Features |
| Page 4 - Closer Look |
| Page 5 - Software |
| Page 6 - Conclusion |