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A mouse is a mouse is a mouse, right?
Wrong.
The Steelseries Prime Wireless is the company’s flagship gaming mouse and it is, in a word, interesting. Rather than bulk up the mouse with a dozen buttons and grams of weight, this mouse takes a streamlined approach to gaming that offers two big buttons, a scroll wheel, and two side buttons. The mouse is super light, weighing in at 80 grams, and features Steelseries’ best tracking system to date, a massive upgrade to other gaming mice in its class.
I’ve used a Logitech G602 for the past few years as my daily driver and getting used to the Prime Wireless has been a bit of a change. The first thing you’ll notice with this mouse is the size. If you have big hands this will be in the medium range in terms of overall size although the mouse buttons are positioned nicely even with my larger hams. The entire package is quite thin and light in general and the included pads slide smoothly over almost any surface including the wooden table I shot the mouse on.
In terms of wireless performance the Prime Wireless uses a 2.4Ghz dongle or USB-C cable to connect to your computer. You won’t enjoy this mouse if, say, you’re connecting it to a device with few side ports but a traditional gaming rig will handle it fine. Steelseries includes a traditional USB to USB-C cable and adapter and you can always just plug the mouse directly into the computer.
What’s Special About This Mouse?
Of specific interest are the gaming-focused features. First, the Prime Wireless uses an interesting button system that “clicks” using powerful magnets. When you tap a button, the spring activates the magnet which then lets the button go shortly after actuation.
The result is a satisfying “clunk” vs. the mechanical sounding click-click of traditional buttons. The switches are rated for 100 million clicks and the suggestion is that the buttons will offer consistency over a long lifespan.
The other interesting aspect is the TrueMove Air Gaming Sensor which simply means the mouse senses lifts more precisely. In practice the mouse is surprisingly precise when you reach the edge of the screen and have to move the mouse slightly for more space. In my tests I was able to lift and drop the mouse almost anywhere and the cursor stayed in the same position each time, an impressive feat.
These two features alone are worth the price of admission and although it’s nice to have fifty different gestures and a dozen buttons, the asceticism of the Prime Wireless is quite refreshing. The wireless connection is fast and lag-free and I can easily argue that this is one of the best and most precise gaming mice I’ve used.
What Do We Think Of the Steelseries Prime Wireless?
The Steelseries Prime Wireless is a powerful and fast mouse. It’s a great gaming mouse but not amazing for everyday use as the speed and features might be wasted on an Excel jockey. At $129, the mouse is expensive but impressive and well worth a look if you’re looking to up your PC game. Although you can definitely pay more for a mouse with all the bells and whistles (and buttons) the Steelseries Prime Wireless offers everything you need in a small, compact package that weighs in at under 100 grams. It’s impressive, powerful, quick, and a pleasure to use.
