SteelSeries unveils Sensei Pro and Rival Pro gaming mice with hot-swap ‘Infinite Power’ batteries

The folks at SteelSeries have figured out a way around the main issue with wireless gaming gear: losing power during a match. They’ve made it possible to switch out batteries while a game is still going on. The company announced its Sensei Pro and Rival Pro gaming mice on September 29, and the big draw is an “Infinite Power System” that pairs hot-swappable batteries with a design taken from the company’s own Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset.

The announcement comes as part of SteelSeries’ 25th anniversary celebrations. The Sensei Pro and Rival Pro series revive two of the company’s best-known mouse families, but with fresh wireless tech and a battery trick that will already be familiar to owners of the Nova Pro headset.

Hot-Swappable Batteries

SteelSeries is not relying on a single internal battery that needs charging. Instead, each new Pro Series mouse comes with two hot-swappable batteries. This arrangement follows the same design that made the Nova Pro Wireless headset stand out for its dual-battery setup.

Owners of Nova Pro headsets keep one battery installed inside the device while charging a spare in the Wireless Base Station, swapping the two once the active battery runs low. SteelSeries has now adapted that idea for its mice with the Infinite Power System, where one battery runs the device while the second charges. Players can switch the two instead of attaching a cable and letting the mouse charge on its own.

Battery life is what counts in this comparison. The Nova Pro Wireless holds a rating of up to 22 hours per charge. Both the Sensei Pro and Rival Pro batteries run for up to 16 hours at their top setting of 8,000Hz polling rate. Lower the polling rate to 1,000Hz instead, and the stated battery life rises to 60 hours per battery, pushing the two included units to a combined total of up to 120 hours of operation.

UWB Wireless and TrueMove 42K

For its latest lineup, SteelSeries has abandoned the standard 2.4GHz wireless setup. Instead, both the Sensei Pro and Rival Pro rely on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless technology, which operates within the 6.4GHz to 9.056GHz range.

SteelSeries says UWB delivers roughly 20 times the bandwidth, which lets the mice use several wireless channels at once. That cuts down on the chance of other devices clogging up the 2.4GHz band with congestion and interference.

Among the features on offer is a Max Performance Mode that runs the sensor in 8K mode while sustaining 20,000 frame captures per second. The tracking ceiling sits at 800 IPS with acceleration reaching up to 70G. The line also includes a TrueMove 42K optical sensor and optical switches built to last through 100 million clicks, with the company pointing to click latency as low as 0.35ms.

Sizes, Colors and Pre-Order Dates

All four Sensei Pro and Rival Pro models come in black and white, with the full-size versions weighing 1.87 ounces and the Mini versions weighing 1.73 ounces.

Through SteelSeries GG, users can customize the mice, adding a range of settings such as Rotation Control, an adjustable lift-off distance, Scroll Jump Protection, a Sensitivity Finder, a Sensitivity Converter, and a 3D Aim Trainer.

The four models will be sold starting October 13, after pre-orders begin opening on September 29. The price in the US is set at $179.99, and customers can also buy a separate Wireless Travel Dongle for $24.99.

What We Make Of It

The hot-swap battery method addresses a genuine issue: the instant a wireless mouse stops working during a match. It does so without demanding any alteration to grip or use, which is a clever solution. This technique previously succeeded with the Nova Pro headset, and it succeeds once more here.

Competitive play demands a serious polling rate, and the device’s 16-hour battery life at 8,000Hz keeps players going through a long session without interruption. Lowering the rate to 1,000Hz stretches the battery to 60 hours per charge, offering a generous buffer for most uses.

The UWB wireless represents a clear advance over the standard 2.4GHz links. The firm’s assertion of 20 times the bandwidth is supported by its account of multiple channels operating at once, a feature that ought to lessen the kind of disturbance that troubles busy Wi-Fi setups.

The TrueMove 42K sensor and the 100-million-click switches both add real value. The 0.35ms click latency is a strong figure, even if the source never compares it against what other companies offer.

There is a catch. The $179.99 price includes two batteries, but the Wireless Travel Dongle is sold separately for $24.99. That is a small extra cost, but it is worth noting for anyone buying the full package.

Players who prefer a lighter profile can now get the same features in smaller form, and the black and white choices make it simple to tell one model from another.

The release window is narrow: pre-orders start September 29, with the mice landing on store shelves one month later, in October 13.

Source material: “SteelSeries reveals new gaming mice with “infinite” power thanks to hot-swap batteries,” Dexerto.

gaming · hot-swap batteries · SteelSeries · TrueMove sensor · wireless mice