The SteelSeries Prime is a great wired gaming mouse. It's very lightweight and has an ergonomic right-handed shape well-suited for all grip types and most hand sizes. It has a flexible cable and mouse feet that glide smoothly on mousepads and desks. Performance-wise, it has a very low lift-off distance, a wide CPI range, and a CPI that's adjustable along with other settings using the companion software compatible with Windows and macOS.
Our Verdict
Although it isn't for this use, the SteelSeries Prime mouse is decent for office or multimedia work. It feels very well-built and has a right-handed, ergonomic shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes. It has a good number of programmable buttons and companion software compatible with Windows and macOS. Unfortunately, you can't use this mouse wirelessly, and the mouse wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
- Companion software compatible with Windows and macOS.
- Wired-only.
- Mouse wheel lacks L/R tilt buttons and doesn't unlock for free scrolling.
The SteelSeries Prime mouse is great for FPS gaming. It's lightweight, feels very well-built, and has an ergonomic, right-handed shape suitable for all grip types and most hand sizes. Its cable is lightweight and fairly flexible, and its mouse feet glide smoothly on both mousepads and tables. Performance-wise, it has a wide CPI range, and very low click latency providing quick and responsive-feeling gameplay.
- Very lightweight.
- Great mouse feet that glide smoothly on desks and mousepads.
- Cable is fairly flexible, lightweight, and detachable.
- CPI button is on the bottom of the mouse, making on-the-fly changes awkward.
The SteelSeries Prime mouse is very good for MMO gaming, but it doesn't have nearly as many side buttons as a dedicated MMO gaming mouse. That said, you can program all of the buttons on the top of the mouse using the companion software compatible with Windows and macOS. Performance-wise, it has a very consistent sensor, a wide CPI range, and very low click latency.
- Companion software compatible with Windows and macOS.
- Cable is fairly flexible, lightweight, and detachable.
- CPI button is on the bottom of the mouse, making on-the-fly changes awkward.
- Not nearly as many buttons as a dedicated MMO mouse.
The SteelSeries Prime is an impressive mouse for ultra-light gaming. It's very lightweight, feels very sturdy, and has an ergonomic right-handed shape ideal for all grip types and most hand sizes. It has a fairly flexible cable and mouse feet that glide smoothly on mousepads and desks. It also has a wide CPI range, and very low click latency.
- Very lightweight.
- Great mouse feet that glide smoothly on desks and mousepads.
- Cable is fairly flexible, lightweight, and detachable.
- CPI button is on the bottom of the mouse, making on-the-fly changes awkward.
The SteelSeries Prime mouse is inadequate for travel use as it's fairly bulky and may not fit in some laptop cases. It also can't be used wirelessly, making it cumbersome for use in smaller spaces like buses, trains, or planes. On the bright side, it feels very well-built, it has a detachable cable, and it has onboard memory for settings.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 09, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update simplifies our Weight test and expands on our CPI test from Test Bench 1.1, resulting in changes to test results in both sections. For more details, you can see our complete changelog here.
- Updated Nov 25, 2022: Public Update: We've adjusted the text in our usage and Click Latency sections to reflect our new results following the update to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Nov 17, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update revamps our Click Latency test and results in changes to test results. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Jul 28, 2021: Changed the test result for click noise from 'quiet' to 'loud.'
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The SteelSeries Prime belongs to a lineup of three SteelSeries mice that share the same ergonomic shape. The SteelSeries Prime is the base version, but there's also a SteelSeries Prime+, which has an OLED screen and a secondary sensor on the underside, and the SteelSeries Prime Wireless, a version with wireless connectivity options. The model we tested is black, and there are no other color variants. You can see the label for our unit here.
Popular Mouse Comparisons
The SteelSeries Prime is a great mid-range wired gaming mouse and the base model within a lineup of three SteelSeries mice. It's lightweight and has impressive sensor performance. Still, it lacks the more unusual features and connectivity options of the other mice in the lineup, so there isn't a great deal that sets it apart from similar lightweight wired gaming mice.
For more recommendations, check out our picks for the best wired mice, the best gaming mice, and the best SteelSeries mice.
The SteelSeries Prime and the SteelSeries Prime+ are similar wired gaming mice from the same lineup. The SteelSeries Prime is marginally lighter, but the SteelSeries Prime+ has an OLED screen on the underside that you can use to customize settings without using the companion software. It also has a secondary sensor dedicated to detecting lift-off distance. Although both mice have differently-named sensors, they perform almost identically.
The SteelSeries Prime Mini is a scaled-down version of the SteelSeries Prime, but it also has several added improvements. The Mini has better quality virgin grade PTFE mouse feet, and its paracord-like cable has a USB-C connector, while the full-sized Prime cable has a Micro-USB connector. On the other hand, the Prime feels somewhat better built. Both mice are suitable for all hand sizes, but the Mini is better suited for smaller hands, while the full-sized Prime is more accommodating to larger hands.
The Logitech G PRO SUPERLIGHT is a better gaming mouse than the SteelSeries Prime. The Logitech is lighter and connects wired or wirelessly with its USB receiver. It also has mouse feet that glide more smoothly. Comparatively, the SteelSeries is wired only and has a lower minimum CPI. Both mice are well-suited for all grip types and nearly all hand sizes.
The SteelSeries Prime Wireless is a wireless version of the SteelSeries Prime. The Prime is a wired-only model that's lighter. Its sensor has a lower lift-off distance and allows you to set the CPI lower and adjust it more precisely by increments of 50. On the other hand, the Prime Wireless has better quality mouse feet that glide more smoothly. Its cable also has a USB-C connector, making it much easier to replace than the cable on the Prime, which has an older micro-USB connector.
Test Results
The SteelSeries Prime has a fairly plain design with a solid, matte black plastic body, two side buttons on the left, a logo on the palm area, and a single RGB lighting zone within the rubberized scroll wheel.
The plastic body feels very sturdy and has a slightly textured surface. It doesn't flex when squeezed or make any rattling sounds when shaken. All the buttons feel responsive and provide good physical feedback, but there's a bit of a wobble in the scroll wheel. However, this shouldn't be noticeable during normal use.
The SteelSeries Prime has a somewhat textured matte plastic body and a grippy, rubberized scroll wheel. Its right-handed ergonomic shape is perfectly suited for all grip types and most hand sizes. If you're interested in a gaming mouse with a similar weight but with an ambidextrous shape and a pair of side buttons on either side, check out the Keychron M1.
If you have extra-large hands, your fingers may extend past the front of the mouse when using a palm grip.
This mouse is suitable for all hand sizes using a claw grip.
Small and medium-sized hands may not comfortably reach both side buttons or the scroll wheel using a fingertip grip.
The cable feels high quality, but it's not quite as flexible as some other paracord-like cables we've tested, and it retains some kinks from packaging. It's also detachable, making it easy to replace if it gets damaged.
The mouse feet glide smoothly on desks or mousepads, but they produce a slight scratching sound when used directly on desks.
You can program all of the buttons on the top of the mouse, including the mouse wheel up and down inputs, the mouse wheel click, and the left and right-click buttons. There's an additional button on the bottom of the mouse that cycles between five CPI profiles when pressed or between the four polling rate settings when held.
Note: This mouse uses magnetic optical-mechanical switches. SteelSeries claims these switches produce more consistent clicks and quicker response times. However, this isn't something we test.
The SteelSeries Prime has outstanding click latency. It provides a highly responsive-feeling experience for gaming in any genre.
The polling rate settings available on the SteelSeries Prime are 125Hz, 250hz, 500Hz, and 1000Hz. You can also cycle between polling rates with the button on the mouse's underside or by using the companion software.
The mouse wheel feels precise and has well-defined steps. It also has a grippy rubberized surface and is fairly quiet.
Update 07/28/2021: We previously incorrectly stated that this mouse had 'quiet' click noises instead of 'loud' click noises. This review has been updated to reflect this change.
The companion software has a clean, well-laid-out interface. The sliders are easy to control, and all settings are arranged on a single page.
