SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless Review
A lightweight mouse built for MMO games
Verdict
The SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless is perhaps the best wireless MMO mouse out there. It’s especially comfortable to hold and functional to use, offering solid feeling buttons alongside powerful wireless connectivity, and excellent battery life. Compared to rivals, it’s only a little bit more expensive too, which makes it all the more worthwhile.
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Tactile buttons
- Vivid lighting
Cons
- Rather expensive
Availability
- UKRRP: £139.99
- USARRP: $149.99
Key Features
- 18,000 DPI sensor:The SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless features an 18,000 DPI sensor to offer some accurate and snappy tracking
- 18 programmable buttons:There are also a total of 18 programmable buttons, including a dedicated 12 button keypad
- Up to 180 hours battery life:The Aerox 9 Wireless also features up to 180 hours of battery life, providing plenty of endurance for gaming
Introduction
Gaming mice specifically designed with MMO and MOBA titles in mind have traditionally been heavy behemoths, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.
That’s the approach SteelSeries has taken with the Aerox 9 Wireless, which weighs just 89g, is wireless, and provides similar functionality to many of the best gaming mice for MMOs out there today.
Make no bones about it, this isn’t the cheapest option in the world, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless seemingly provides everything you could ask for.
Design
- Open housing looks fantastic
- 18 buttons provides great functionality
- 89g is especially lightweight for an MMO/MOBA mouse
It must be noted that the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless borrows some design cues from SteelSeries other Aerox ultralight gaming mice, with its honeycomb and somewhat open housed back, which not only looks excellent, but is designed to keep the weight of the unit down as much as possible.
Combined with these good looks, this is also a well built and especially sturdy mouse that justifies its price. It’s made from hard plastics that don’t feel soft or horrible. There’s not much in the way of rattling or anything of the sort.
As an MMO/MOBA mouse, it’s no surprise that the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless offers a plethora of programmable buttons – 18 to be exact. 12 out of the 18 buttons come as part of the keypad that adorns the left hand side of the mouse.
Some of the other MMO gaming mice I’ve used have offered especially large buttons that don’t offer much in the way of feedback, and the Aerox 9 Wireless inverts that by offering a small and manageable sized keypad with buttons that feel tactile to press. The same also goes for the other 6 mouse buttons, too; the main 2 of which feature SteelSeries’ own mechanical switches underneath, which feel more solid than any of the optical switches I’ve used in the past.
Like its less specialist brother, the Aerox 5 Wireless, this more MMO-oriented candidate is quite a long mouse, meaning it’s really best to be used with a palm grip, as opposed to a claw or fingertip. I’ve always been more of a palm gripper, personally, and the Aerox 9 Wireless felt rather comfortable to use over days of gaming.
A lot of the hoo-hah surrounding the Aerox 9 Wireless relates to how light it is, for an MMO/MOBA mouse, which goes hand in hand with how comfortable it is. It weighs just 89g, which makes it the lightest mouse of this type I’ve tested.
For reference, competitors such as the Razer Naga Pro clock in at 117g, while the wired Corsair Scimitar RGB Pro Elite weighs 122g. Of course, the Aerox 9 Wireless is still heftier than some of the absurdly light mice built for FPS gaming, but MMO mice this light is arguably unheard of.
On the underside, there’s some smooth PTFE glide pads which makes this a joy to use, especially given how smooth using it is.
Performance
- 18,000 DPI provides a brilliant level of sensitivity
- Dual connectivity is especially convenient
- 180 hours of battery life is solid
MMO and MOBA mice generally don’t need to have such high DPI figures given the extra functionality on offer with their extra buttons, but SteelSeries haven’t skimped on the sensitivity of the Aerox 9 Wireless.
Inside, there’s one of SteelSeries’ own TrueMove Air sensors, which outputs 18,000 DPI, and makes the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless a nippy mouse. This proved to be the case during testing when I booted up Planetside 2 for the first time in a while, and took full advantage of that sensitivity when trying to murder enemies as best I could.
The additional buttons on the keypad also proved to be useful in some rounds of Dota 2, given how many commands were at my disposal with that keypad. Even when trying some FPS games, the Aerox 9 Wireless worked pretty well, especially given how speedy it is, and how solid the wireless connection is.
Speaking of the wireless connection, the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless works over both Bluetooth and the bundled 2.4GHz USB receiver. Both means were solid, with little noticeable latency, although the best experience was provided over the receiver as opposed to Bluetooth. You can also connect the mouse up via USB-C, but that’s seemingly only for charging, as opposed to using it as more of a wired mouse.
While Bluetooth may add some more latency to the party, it’s actually this means of connectivity where you can get the best battery life possible. You can expect figures of up to 180 hours over Bluetooth, and 80 hours over the USB receiver, which betters the likes of Razer Naga Pro’s up to 100 hours claim, and should offer you weeks of endurance before needing to be charged back up.
Software and lighting
- Three lighting zones offer vibrant RGB lighting
- SteelSeries GG software provides opportunity for loads of customisation
The SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless keeps things simple with a total of three lighting zones that offer bright and vibrant lighting, which is easy to see with the mouse’s open housing. It’s perhaps some of the brightest I’ve had the pleasure of using on a gaming mouse, too.
Software is taken care of with SteelSeries clever GG suite, which really comes into its own with a mouse like the Aerox 9 Wireless. All of the mouse buttons (including those contained on the keypad) can be programmed easily, as well as the RGB lighting itself.
The software suite works for both Windows and macOS. That may sound like a minor thing, but it makes a huge difference, especially if you’re a gamer on a Mac who’s usually left a little short-changed due to the lack of software suites available for the platform.
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Should you buy it?
You want a lightweight MMO mouse:
The SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless breaks the mould of MMO mice by being lightweight, and indeed wireless, and is therefore an excellent pickup.
You want more of an affordable MMO mouse:
While the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless is a feature-packed mouse, it comes at quite the price, which may put off more cash-strapped gamers.
Final Thoughts
Traditionally MMO mice were always these large, bulky things that you never really wanted to use for anything else but their intended purpose. The SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless changes those perceptions, especially given it sheds an all-important 20 or so grams off its total mass compared to rivals, which made it an absolute joy to use in other types of games, too.
Apart from being lighter than the competition, it also offers better battery life, a comfortable shape for nearly every type of grip, as well as solid levels of power with an 18,000 DPI sensor. While it may be expensive in the world of gaming mice, there aren’t many better than the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless for MMO and MOBA games.
How we test
Every mouse we test is used for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check for ease of use and put it through its paces by playing a range of genres, including FPS, MOBAs and strategy.
Used as a main mouse for at least a week.
Tested battery life
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FAQs
You can charge the mouse via a USB-C charging cable.
Full specs
Jargon buster
DPI
DPI stands for "Dots Per Inch" and measures the sensitivity of a mouse. A higher DPI figure will see the mouse cursor travel a greater distance from the same wrist movement, making it very useful for competitive gaming.Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a method of wireless transmission that allows for the exchange of data between devices over short distances.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
