This year, SteelSeries, next to the Prime family, decided to provide market freshness for mice also with models from the Aerox 3 series. So, next to Rival, Sensei and Prime, we can buy “perforated” and thus focused on the lowest possible weight of the Aerox 3 2022 mouse in white or black version . Today we have an Aerox 3 2022 Edition Snow test for you, because that’s what the official name of this mouse is.
Box and accessories included
If you have had the opportunity to put your hands on these newer SteelSeries mice, the characteristic packaging with a render corresponding to the size of the mouse and the exact specification on the side should not be a mystery to you. A hard cardboard box in the form of a box is designed so that when opened, the mouse looks like on a pedestal in the form of a molding made of some kind of plastic. Under it there is both the user manual and the detachable USB-A to USB-C cable required for operation.
Also read: Test SteelSeries Prime Mini, the slimmed Prime model
The most important features
- TrueMove Core optical sensor
- Sensitivity on 5 levels from 200 to 8500 DPI (increments of 100 units)
- Weight: 59 grams
- Dimensions: 120 x 57 x 21 mm
- Material: matte ABS plastic
- Master switches: 80-million-click SteelSeries
- Number of buttons: 5 + scroll wheel
- Interface: USB via a 180 cm long cable in a fabric braid “super mesh”
- USB refresh: 125, 250, 500 and 1000Hz
- RGB illumination on the entire base in the form of 3 zones
- Dedicated Steelseries GG software
- Warranty: 2 years
- Producer price: PLN 309.99
Design, materials and workmanship
The Aerox 3, wrapped in innocent white, is not an ordinary mice, and therefore it probably catches the eye. It is not even about a whole lot of holes on its casing, which are on the spine, parts of the main buttons and on the bottom, but also the clearly flattened casing. 21 mm high is insanely little, which affects the comfort and possible holds, about which in a moment.
At the very beginning, it is worth solving the most important issue of performance, i.e. durability, strength and stability of the ABS housing. It is not easy to create a mouse that retains structural rigidity with such perforations. In the case of the Aerox 3, you can rest assured – the casing consisting of four main panels is completely resistant to both pressure. It does not begin to creak and groan, and it does not bend even under considerable pressure.
The design itself is built in the case of the Aerox 3 mainly through perforations that allow you to look inside the mouse, but that’s not all. Steelseries emphasized the character of this model by contrasting with the casing black buttons and a roller, pleasant to the eye laminate, its logo on the left side of the main button and a milky strip stretching along the entire base. This one is for a backlight diffuser, but it is not necessary, because through the holes the RBG power spills left and right.
On the equipment side, the Aerox 3 does not reinvent the wheel. The traditional set of buttons complements the USB-C port on the front, and on the bottom, in addition to the TrueMove Core sensor, there are two large translucent PTFE sliders with rounded edges. Returning for a moment to the PCB itself, i.e. the laminate inside the mouse, this one is protected against liquid and dust thanks to the AquaBarrier, which provides it with IP54 protection.
When it comes to how to connect the computer with the mouse, you can count on a solid, yet flexible and light cable. It is secured by a great quality nylon braid and equally well-made tabs connecting the cable with the ports. It can be assessed at the level of 8 out of 10, because there are lighter and more flexible cables on the market, which, moreover, are often paired with this type of “perforated mice”.
SteelSeries Aerox ergonomics 3
As I mentioned, the Aerox 3 is a very, very low-profile mouse, but don’t think that the mentioned 21mm is for the highest point. This would be an exaggeration and indeed the 22 mm mentioned refer to the height from the base to the beginning of the roll, while the height from the base to the top of the spine is almost 38 mm.
This makes the Aerox 3 best suited for claw and fingertip grips, at least for my larger and heavier hands. The one with the whole hand is possible, but each time my hand rests on the Aerox 3 in a natural way just like the two mentioned. No wonder, because with palm-grip it is difficult to find the most important, i.e. clicking on the main buttons.
Also read: Steelseries Prime mouse test, a light and interesting model
The Aerox 3 is a perfect example of a mouse for dynamic games, in which the light weight and great quality sliders are ideal. Thanks to this connection, this model flies over the washer without any problem. However, it is difficult to imagine working with him for many hours.
Under the main buttons there are SteelSeries Golden Micro switches of the new generation with IP54 resistance, reportedly withstand up to 80 million activations. That’s a lot. So much that one day the neighbor’s dog will chew through the cable attached to the mouse before it reaches 80 million activations of one button.
Even if you fall in love with clicking, and you can fall in love, because the nature of the main Aerox 3 buttons will appeal especially to those who like a loud and hard type of click. You don’t have to worry about responsiveness, immediate reaction and constant clicking regardless of the place on the plastic wing. It is phenomenal.
A similar character, although less sophisticated, is offered by the side small buttons and even the roller itself. This one is based on a bearing densely dotted with successive steps, on which “jumping” manifests itself as a sharp jump, but it occurs so quickly and without much effort that it fits into the dynamic nature of Aerox 3. During violent, fast scrolling, it does not seem strange sounds, so it really works for a medal.
SteelSeries GG software
Aerox 3 is among SteelSeries products compatible with the HUB, where we can have fun with, among others assigning mouse profiles to application data. The most important options, however, concern the operation of Aerox 3 itself, and so in the first menu we get the most important ones, because the option to adjust DPI on up to five levels, set the refresh rate from 125 to 1000 Hz, or replace the functions of each button.
We also get the ability to change the intensity of prediction and increase and decrease the speed in the first and last phases of mouse movement. There was a possibility of playing with 3-zone backlight with adjustable brightness with the option of selecting a separate color for each of them, and even an effect (one of the 3, as long as we omit the option of completely turning off the backlight. On the macro side, we have access to an extensive wizard with the option of recording and modernizing text macros and those involving the buttons themselves.
Aerox backlight 3
It is common knowledge that “white likes RGB” and Aerox 3 more than confirms it, because thanks to its white housing, five LEDs built into the base, which can be seen with the naked eye, illuminate the entire interior of the mouse. It is quite pleasing to the eye, as it shows a large part of the laminate and internal elements, and even illuminates a large area of the desk. At least until we look at the base of the mouse, where the LEDs divided into three groups are shocking to the eyes.
Also read: Cooler Master MM730 mouse test with PAW3389 sensor
Test sensora TrueMove Core
As the name suggests, the TrueMove Core sensor, developed jointly by SteelSeries and PixArt, is the “core”, “basic” sensor in the entire family, which can be seen from its less spectacular specification for so many other sensors from the manufacturer. Subjectively, it works well, and even working with it, requiring precision, is not a challenge. But what will the tests say?
According to measurements, Aerox 3 is characterized by a high LOD, at the level of over ~ 2.8 mm, but at the same time a complete lack of the worst phenomena such as increased prediction, low-frequency noise, negative and positive acceleration, or perceptible smoothing. The biggest drops in performance start at 3200 DPI, although the slight ones appear at the level of 2400 DPI.
SteelSeries Aerox 3 test – summary
215 zlotys – that’s how much on the day of writing this test you have to pay for the SteelSeries Aerox 3. It’s a very, very bargain price for a mouse of this class. Perfectly made, light and designed for dynamic games, although only with a sensitivity of up to 2400 DPI. The backlight system may not be the most effective in this mouse, but it highlights the interesting design of this full perforation housing. It is impossible to indicate the defects that completely disqualify this mouse and that is why it deserves the recommendation:
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