SteelSeries ups your PC gaming experience for just over 100 dollars

SteelSeries has provided us with a couple products from their lineup, which includes the Siberia 200, a headset for the PC and PS4, and the Rival 100, a mouse loaded with options that supports both PC and Mac. While I have not had any hands on experience with SteelSeries’ products, I was looking forward to seeing how they compare to the likes of Roccat or Razer, especially being a more affordable option. With headphones and mouse unboxed, drivers downloaded, and configured for specific games, it’s time to see how the hold up.

I will begin with the Rival 100, a wired optical gaming mouse with six programmable buttons and a user friendly. The setup was easy, I just downloaded SteelSeries Engine 3 and I was ready to setup individual profiles for my preferred game or application. There is a unique feature called GameSense which provides different illumination for in game actions, the downside was that only three games support this feature, none of which I play. This mouse has smooth movement and easy to locate buttons, my only complaint is with the weight, being lighter than I prefer, and the side grips really didn’t provide much if any grip, but the performance customization is where it really shined.

Next up is the Siberia 200 headset, which is based on their best selling Siberia V2 with updates. This headset on top of providing great sound quality and voice chat was very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This comfort comes not only from the over the ear design, but the suspension headband that eliminates the pressure found wearing other headsets.  Another unique feature is the mic as it retracts and extends from the earcup for those times using just to listen to music. I mentioned the sound quality and it provided a great range of sound in explosions and motor noises in games and much easier to hear teammates at high volume during online play, which is my biggest issue with most of the headsets I have used on the PS4. Once again, like my complaint with the mouse is with the build quality and while they performed well, better than expected, they just didn’t provide a sturdy feel when handling.

I was pleasantly surprised with the time spent with my first SteelSeries products. The features and performance compare to those that are found in similar products at higher price points and come in a seven different color options. SteelSeries makes it easier to get more from the gaming experience after the large amounts of money spent building a gaming PC or PS4. Siberia 200 is the entry level to the Siberia lineup and is available for $69.99, while the Rival 100 is available for $39.99. Check them out and while you are at it, there are various options in each of the Siberia and Rival lineups.