SteelSeriesRival 3vsSteelSeriesRival 5

The short version

The SteelSeries Rival 3 is symmetrical and the SteelSeries Rival 5 is ergonomic, and the SteelSeries Rival 5 is 8 mm longer, 5 mm wider, and 4 mm taller (120.6 × 58.3 × 37.9 mm vs 128.8 × 62.9 × 42.1 mm). By length that is medium-sized against large. The SteelSeries Rival 3 is 8 g lighter (77 g vs 85 g). The SteelSeries Rival 5 uses the newer SteelSeries TrueMove Air sensor and tracks to a higher maximum DPI (8,500 vs 18,000). Both poll at up to 1,000 Hz. The SteelSeries Rival 5 came out about 2 years later (January 2019 vs May 2021). In our rankings the SteelSeries Rival 3 is #57 overall and the SteelSeries Rival 5 is #47.

What actually separates them

SteelSeriesRival 3	VS	SteelSeriesRival 5
2019/01	Release Date	2021/05
#57	Overall Rank	#47
#50	FPS Rank	#39
#57	MOBA Rank	#47
#57	MMO Rank	#54
8500	Max DPI	18000 +111.8%
200	Min DPI	100 -50%
35 G	Acceleration	40 G +14.3%
300	IPS	400 +33.3%
SteelSeries TrueMove Core	Sensor	SteelSeries TrueMove Air
Symmetrical	Shape	Ergonomic
120.6 mm	Length	128.8 mm
58.3 mm	Width	62.9 mm
37.9 mm	Height	42.1 mm
77g	Weight	85g +10.4%
6	Total Buttons	9
60M	Switch Lifespan	80M +33.3%

Every spec, side by side

SteelSeriesRival 3	VS	SteelSeriesRival 5
General
SteelSeries	Brand	SteelSeries
2019/01	Release Date	2021/05
Rankings
#57	Overall Rank	#47
#50	FPS Rank	#39
#57	MOBA Rank	#47
#57	MMO Rank	#54
Performance
8500	Max DPI	18000
200	Min DPI	100
35 G	Acceleration	40 G
300	IPS	400
1000	Poll Rate (Hz)	1000
Optical	Sensor Type	Optical
SteelSeries TrueMove Core	Sensor	SteelSeries TrueMove Air
Ergo & Design
Yes	RGB Lighting	Yes
Right	Handedness	Right
Symmetrical	Shape	Ergonomic
Solid	Shell Type	Solid
	Colors
120.6 mm	Length	128.8 mm
58.3 mm	Width	62.9 mm
37.9 mm	Height	42.1 mm
77g	Weight	85g
No	Extra Weights	Unknown
Buttons
6	Total Buttons	9
2	Buttons (Left)	2
0	Buttons (Right)	0
Notched	Scroll Wheel Type	Unknown
Unknown	Main Switch	SteelSeries IP54 Mechanical Switches
Mechanical	Main Switch Type	Mechanical
60M	Switch Lifespan	80M
Connectivity
Wired	Connection	Wired
None	Battery Type	Unknown
Software Features
No	Hardware Acceleration	Unknown
Unknown	Software Acceleration	Unknown
Unknown	Angle Snapping	Unknown
Unknown	Smoothing	Unknown
Unknown	Motion Sync	Unknown

Where to buy

SteelSeries Rival 3

Amazon

AliExpress

SteelSeries Rival 5

Amazon

Common questions

Which is lighter, the SteelSeries Rival 3 or the SteelSeries Rival 5?

The SteelSeries Rival 3 is lighter: 77 g vs 85 g.

Are the SteelSeries Rival 3 and SteelSeries Rival 5 the same shape and size?

No, the SteelSeries Rival 3 is symmetrical and the SteelSeries Rival 5 is ergonomic, and the SteelSeries Rival 5 is 8 mm longer, 5 mm wider, and 4 mm taller (120.6 × 58.3 × 37.9 mm vs 128.8 × 62.9 × 42.1 mm). By length that is medium-sized against large.

Which has the better sensor specs, the SteelSeries Rival 3 or the SteelSeries Rival 5?

The SteelSeries Rival 5 is higher on paper: 8,500 vs 18,000 DPI and 300 vs 400 IPS.

Which is newer, the SteelSeries Rival 3 or the SteelSeries Rival 5?

The SteelSeries Rival 5, by about 2 years: January 2019 vs May 2021.

More comparisons

Full specs: SteelSeries Rival 3 SteelSeries Rival 5

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SteelSeriesRival 3VSvsSteelSeriesRival 5