SteelSeries Rival 100 and SteelSeries 300 share a multitude of similarities and they both have the potential to give avid gamers the ultimate experience. The Rival 300 has been featured severally among the best fingertip grip mouse while the Rival 100 comes in handy for gamers scaling on budgets. This review provides you with sufficient comparisons between the two products so that you will make the best purchase for your gaming experience. By the end of the review, you will make up your mind on whether the improvements in Rival 300 are worth the higher price as compared to Rival 100.

Design

Both Rival 100 and 300 have six buttons and the sensor type is Optical. They both provide you with the ideal grip style of claw but Rival 300 comes with and additional palm grip feature. Rival 300 weights 130 grams, the height of 133mm, width of 70mm, cable length of 2m, DPI of 50 to 6500 and the grip style is palm or claw. Rival 100 has claw and finger-tip grip style, a width of 67mm, the height of 120mm, cable length of 1.8m, and weight of 92 grams.

Sensors 

Rival 100 has the custom-engineered S3059-SS optical gaming sensor that has 8CPI steps that can go up to 4000. The sensor also provides you with accurate optical tracking because it has 143 IPS and 20g acceleration. The Rival 300 has more precise accuracy due to ultra-accurate sensors that give you solid clicks. Rival 300 has a better CPI compared to Rival 100 because it can be adjusted from 50 to 6,500 without the problem of hanging.

Optimization of Lift-Off Distance

The Rival 100 achieves a lower lift-off distance without compromising the tracking performance. The Rival 100 gives you an accurate tracking plus an amazing ability to provide an optimal low lift-off distance. Rival 300 has improved lift-off distance and still has a better performance than Rival 100.

Hardware Acceleration

This special feature is important in avoiding errors that occur if you move the mouse faster than you intended. The Rival 100 allows you to reach the same point because the registration of physical distance is the same regardless of the pace of the mouse. Rival 300 has advanced optical sensors and fine-tuning such that it delivers zero hardware acceleration. The buttons are programmable, the polling rate and deceleration are manageable so that angle snapping is a quality you can enjoy with Rival 300.

Customization

The Rival 100 has a unique feature of giving you personalized configurations for games that will auto-deploy when your favorite game is launched. You can customize and remap the six buttons on the mouse, customize the illumination with over 16 million colors and also make adjustments on the optical sensor’s CPI. The Rival 300 has an additional feature of two-zone illumination which allows you to improve the virtualization and controls.

Comfort

The Rival 100 has textured side grips that ensure you do not lose control of the game by a mouse slipping out of your hand. The soft texture provides comfort all through the gaming sessions. Rival 300 has a raised back end and iconic soft texture on the sides that give you a comfortable grip while gaming.

Ergonomics

The Rival 100 comes right-handed and the six buttons only add more compatibility with your hand. The design is suitable for long and short fingers and even a hand that is thicker than average would not strain to handle the Rival 100. The ergonomics of the Rival 300 are superior in that it fits naturally into the hand due to the palm grip feature. It has the anti-sweating coating which adds more luxury in handling it.

RGB Illumination

The Rival 300 has prism RGB I illumination that gives you millions of colors and the feature of GameSense has the real-time game actions that are controllable using the Engine software. This is an improvement over the Rival 100. The Rival 300 comes with 3D printable nameplates which serve well in providing a wider variety of options.

The Premium Build

The inclination on the surface of the Rival 100 gives you comfort that is topped up with an iconic Soft-Touch texture on the sides. The Rival 300 has additional features in the build because it comes with a durable material that is resistant to scuffs and damages by sweat. Rival 300 also has sleek contours to add on to comfort.

 Wrap Up

The two options are valid for a gamer considering the amazing experience of Rival 300 and, on the other hand, affordability of Rival 100. I would recommend an avid gamer to go for the Rival 300 because it is an improvement on Rival 100’s best features.