A lovely update to one of my favourite gaming mice. Beefing up the sensor, polling rate, battery life and software experience helps SteelSeries stay very competitive in this mid-range sector.
Powerful with high DPI and polling rate
Some may prefer a less flashy look
Honeycomb chassis can look a bit dated
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SteelSeries has updated its longstanding Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 rodent for 2026 as it seeks to bring a veteran of the ultralight rodent world up to date. The changes are mostly inside, with a shiny new sensor, higher wireless polling and major improvements to battery life.
The £100/$100 price tag is enticing, although we've seen this area of the market explode with some very competitive ultralight rodents from the likes of Endgame Gear and even Be Quiet! in the last year, potentially making this quite a difficult sell for SteelSeries.
With this in mind, the one area of this new rodent that isn't a difficult sell to me is the colour. I love this magenta/bright pink colourway and now want my entire setup covered in it because it's essentially neon. SteelSeries bundled along a matching mousepad to at least let me live out some of my pink setup pipe dream.
If you'd prefer something a little more muted, then standard black and white hues are available—just know it'll never look as funky as my bright pink mouse.
The outside of the Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 hasn't shifted all that much from both the OG model and the 2022 refresh variant. The weight is the same light 68 g that helps it feel zippy and agile, while it features the same comfortable shape that suits my palm grip nicely.
There is some small contouring down the sides to make this more of a sculpted feel in-hand, although not to the same extent as other rodents you'll find. I think it's a nice middle ground.