SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless and Wired Review

Introduction

“Wait a minute OC3D”, we hear you say, “why are you reviewing these two mice together? They are only aesthetically similar”. You’re not wrong, reader who only exists in my head. But there is a method to our madness.

If you glance to the photo below it’s clear that the two SteelSeries Aerox 3 mice have difference connection methods and different sensors. However, we think that the looks are bold enough that you will either love it or hate it, and so the differences as to whether it’s wireless or wired, or 18000 CPI or 8500 CPI are less pronounced than they might be if we were looking at two separate designs.

Unquestionably there are two major parts of the Aerox 3 and the second one calms your worries of the first. Yes, those are holes in the chassis and yes they are both supremely light. However, with the SteelSeries AquaBarrier technology they both have IP54 rating, giving water spray protection from any direction, and although it doesn’t protect against dust ingress it does guarantee that dust won’t affect usability.

With the design being the show-stopping element, let’s run through the specifications and then take a look at the Aerox 3 in the flesh.

Technical Specifications

We could move all these to a created table, but it’s easier to compare by looking at the boxes themselves. The Aerox 3 Wireless is on the left, with the beefy TrueMove Air sensor that brings 18000 CPI and enormous battery life whilst the wired model on the right is identical except for having the TrueMove Core sensor which has a 8500 CPI sensor. It all becomes clearer looking at them side by side, so let’s do that.