SteelSeries Aerox 5 Mouse Review: Lightweight and Customizable

An amazing mouse is an underrated addition to your desk setup, no matter whether or not you usually recreation or work at your desk. A daily outdated desk mouse isn’t customizable or enticing and sometimes makes your wrist uncomfortable. The SteelSeries Aerox 5 mouse solves all the issues commonplace mice current, and I totally loved my expertise with it.

There are two totally different variations of the Aerox 5: wired and wi-fi. I had the chance to check out each, and so they’re each nice. Your determination between the 2 would probably come down to private choice and finances; the wired Aerox 5 is $79.99, whereas the wireless Aerox 5 is $139.99. Moreover how every mouse connects to your pc, all the opposite options are the identical.

Though the SteelSeries markets the Aerox 5 as a gaming mouse, it’s good for any use. There are customizable buttons, RGB LED lights inside you can personalize, and a snug grip, options that each one folks can get pleasure from. Anywho, onto what I beloved about this mouse and what I didn’t love a lot!

Design & Consolation: Cozy and Fashionable

First off, the Aerox 5 is a light-weight gaming mouse, and it definitely delivers on that promise. The wi-fi model weighs 74 grams (0.163 lbs), and the wired model weighs a mere 66 grams (0.145 lbs). After I’m holding both mouse in my hand, it looks like I’m holding nothing. This light-weight high quality made it extremely straightforward to maneuver the mouse whereas gaming and dealing.

The design of the mouse can also be fairly distinctive. Each variations of the Aerox 5 look the identical: an all-black casing with a sq. grid design so you may see the LED lights and circuitry inside. After I first noticed that I may see contained in the mouse, I used to be frightened about potential spillage ruining the mouse. The Aerox 5 is AquaBarrier IP54-rated for water, dust, and mud, which suggests it’s resistant in opposition to splashes, however totally submerging it in water would render it ineffective.

I beloved the LED lights poking by the open grid, but it surely made the mouse a bit of heat over lengthy intervals. It was by no means heat sufficient to be uncomfortable, however I did discover that if it was hotter outdoors or I used to be carrying lotion, my hand would get a bit of sweaty. Sadly, there’s not a great way to have LED lights and never the heat that comes with them.

Although the Aerox 5 isn’t an ergonomic mouse, it’s extra snug within the hand than commonplace pc mice. It suits the curvature of my hand properly and leaves my hand and wrist extra snug than they’re with my typical mouse. I’ve fairly small arms, so I used to be frightened the Aerox 5 could be too large to be snug, however I’m completely happy to say that’s not the case!

There are additionally fairly a number of customizable buttons on the Aerox 5. What’s implausible about these buttons is that they don’t intervene with on a regular basis mouse use. SteelSeries didn’t simply stick buttons on right here haphazardly; the corporate selected button areas that really feel pure to achieve and aren’t tremendous cumbersome. Let’s speak about every thing you are able to do with these buttons and all the opposite methods you may customise this mouse.

Customization: One in all Its Greatest Options

It’s attainable to customise all Aerox 5’s 9 buttons utilizing SteelSeries’ GG software. The software program is totally free to obtain by an internet browser, and it’s supported on Home windows OS 8.1 or newer and macOS 10.13 or newer.

Although you may customise all buttons, Button 1 and Button 2 are your left- and right-click buttons, so that you probably received’t change these. The methods you may customise every button are nearly limitless, which I completely love. You may launch an utility, connect a customized macro, launch an OS shortcut, and extra with a button.

Then, as you may see above, you may simply change the Counts Per Inch, or CPI, setting to regulate mouse sensitivity to your liking. The Aerox 5 software program provides you a quick description to assist with choosing the right CPI in your private wants. It says that with a CPI setting of 800, a one-inch motion of your mouse strikes your cursor 800 pixels. If that seems like gibberish, know that the upper your CPI setting, the sooner your cursor will transfer on the display.

If the Aerox 5 didn’t let me customise the LED lights, I’d be mad about its gaming mouse branding. Fortunately, you may customise each the colour and the impact of the LED lights inside.

If you wish to spice issues up, you may select from 16.8 million totally different colours and even set three totally different zones to be a special shade (pictured above). I don’t like respiratory LED lights; I favor a static shade that matches my setup. However should you like interactive lights, you may customise the colours the LEDs swap between and even sync up the colours with in-game occasions.

Efficiency: What I Anticipated

The Aerox 5 carried out exactly as I assumed it could at this value level. Proper out of the field, it’s usable and takes nearly no time to arrange together with your pc, no matter whether or not you get the wired or wi-fi model. Putting in the software program and customizing the mouse can also be comparatively straightforward, although you may spend a bit of time poking round all of the out there settings and studying your manner round.

One of many settings I wanted to vary instantly was the CPI settings, or Counts Per Inch settings. Though CPI and DPI (Dots Per Inch) are technically totally different, the 2 phrases are sometimes used synonymously to explain mouse sensitivity. The Aerox 5 begins on 700 CPI, which it labels Degree 1, and I needed to bump it as much as 1200 CPI, or Degree 3, to be the right sensitivity degree for me. You may improve CPI as much as 18000, however at that degree, your cursor is shifting so quick throughout the display you may barely management it.

Although each variations had been straightforward to arrange, the wired model was simpler. Plus, there’s much less lag between the mouse and your pc with a wired connection. That mentioned, I didn’t expertise any lag with the wi-fi model, utilizing both Bluetooth or the USB-C dongle to attach the mouse to my laptop computer. The wi-fi model additionally has a terrific battery life, which may last as long as 180 hours relying on how a lot you employ the LED lights and the way vivid you set them.

Conclusion: Expensive, However a High quality Mouse

In the event you’re on the lookout for a dependable pc mouse so as to add to your setup, you may’t go mistaken with SteelSeries Aerox 5. The wired and wi-fi variations include a better price ticket than commonplace mice, however you get a lot extra for that value.

The customizable buttons are nice for no matter you need, whether or not to open your favourite recreation or rapidly open your e-mail in an internet browser. Then, the light-weight type issue places much less stress in your wrist and makes it straightforward to take the mouse with you whereas touring or simply working outdoors of the house. And whereas LED lights don’t essentially add something helpful to the mouse, they’re cool to have a look at and make your mouse extra of an announcement piece in your desk.