After I gave the Aerox 3 wireless mouse a spin, I was curious what the next upgrade could be or what improvements could come as a result of making a lightweight mouse. Thankfully I got the answer I was looking for when SteelSeries released the Aerox 5 wireless mouse.
The Aerox 5 takes the already great lightweight mouse’s formula and adds to it without compromise. While it may sound like I may be repeating myself from the Aerox 3 review, trust me that those same things apply here and more.
SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless Mouse
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
MSRP: $139.99 USD
Spending plenty of time with this mouse gave me the opportunity to see what upgrades could be possible from it’s lower number younger brother known as the Aerox 3.
For starters, they’re both, you guessed it, lightweight, which makes the gliding across the mousepad a breeze. The overall form factor is still relatively the same as before but with a little but of a twist on the left side of the mouse itself.
There’s a silver button that replaces an empty space on the Aerox 3 and it gives you more of an option to map another key for easy shortcuts. A protruding black bar is also programmable and is a new addition.
It’s not easy to hit since it doesn’t press in but rather flicks up or down for another set of shortcuts. Outside of those minut changes, it’s still the same classic feel of the Aerox 3 with some more ease of controls that can be changed via SteelSeries GG Engine.
Accompanying the slight additions, the battery life seems to be a little bit lessened from the Aerox 3 but that may be only the case for me since I leave it on overnight and forget to turn it off. Bluetooth connectivity will make you battery last longer and it can be connected to mostly everything with the same Bluetooth connectivity.
The toggle is still located underneath the mouse but is easier to toggle than something like the Rival 3 wireless mouse, which got scratches from where I’ve used my nail to position it to but end up going to Bluetooth.
Lighting systems are still able to be changed via the SteelSeries GG desktop application. Using it you can change the three segments of the mouse to be different in color with three different effects like Steady, ColorShift, and Multi Color Breathe. Formulas like this staying the same is not bad and a testament to if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and it works for this mouse entirely.
What the Aerox 5 has packed in makes it a very intermediate level type of user device filled with customizations for macros and shortcuts for those who are heavy into gaming. Compared to anything else I’ve tried, this is still top tier and is very versatile for customization.
However, there is a drawback to this and it needs to be presented. This mouse costs $139.99 USD which is $40 USD more than the aforementioned Aerox 3 wireless mouse which features less buttons but is basic at $99.99. It’s price is the biggest drawback for someone that may want to have a great wireless mouse with the macros they want to set up.
It would be better to shoot for something a bit cheaper since I don’t personally believe it justifies the price increase over the Aerox 3 for the sake of three additional options for mapping. It’s an excellent mouse that is my daily driver but it’s an anomaly within it’s price point.
If you’d like to learn more about the Aerox 5 wireless mouse, you can check it out here at SteelSeries’ website for more technical specs.
The Aerox 5 was reviewed with a retail unit provided by SteelSeries. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. The Aerox 5 is available at Amazon and other retailers.
