SteelSeries Sensei Laser Gaming Mouse [RAW] Frost Blue Edition

I've been looking for a good mouse for the past few weeks and decided upon the Sensei. Despite being two years old, it is still basically the best 9500 based mouse out there. Even though it is a laser sensor, the custom firmware SteelSeries developed makes acceleration almost non-existent. It isn't completely gone, though it's somewhere in the range of 1% or lower which is practically imperceptible. The ergonomics of this mouse are really good for being an ambidextrous design. I have normal average sized hands and never have a problem accidentally clicking side buttons. The weight is good, the balance from front to back is about even so sudden side flicks aren't either too sharp or dull since the mouse pivots naturally with your hand. The gliding pads are good, though I wish they were beveled, however no manufacturer does this so it's sort of a moot point. The cord is great, seems to be very high quality and the connector is gold or gold plated which is very nice. The main left and right switches are perfect. I can comfortably rest my fingers on them without activating them, though it doesn't require much pressure at all to press them. They have great feedback too, springy and loud but not overly so. I'm positive they're Omron switches though I don't believe the side switches are the same.Now for the bad stuff, or rather, misleading stuff. The advertisements on the box, website, literature, whatever all say the same thing but some of it isn't true. First and foremost, there are only a handful of colors that the built-in LED's can produce. The LED's are blue, red, yellow/orange, and green. They can go half intensity or full intensity and that sort of limits the colors available. They can basically only display primary, secondary, and some tertiary colors. In the software you can set any color you want, however the mouse LED's will just produce the closest color to one you chose out of the aforementioned color combinations. Not a big deal, I do like the "white" since it's a swirl of light blue and light purple--which looks especially striking on the SteelSeries logo on the back. Second, the sensor is capable of going to about 5700 CPI, however it does so in steps of 90. In the software, you are able to set the CPI in increments of 1 CPI, so I guess they are going to the closest natural CPI and interpolating up or down to get the desired CPI. Again, not a major issue, but a little misleading. Finally, the Sensei can store five profiles, each profile having two CPI settings. However, the first profile slot is reserved for an undefinable default profile. Again, not a major problem. I play two different genres of games as well as use this mouse for work and I still have an extra profile slot left.Now with those minor faults and with the mouse being two years old, I have one overwhelming reason to recommend this mouse: after you have your profiles customized, loaded, and stored on the mouse, you can uninstall the SteelSeries Engine and switch profiles using the LCD on the bottom of the mouse. This is a huge plus for anyone who has had to deal with Logitech's conflicting software, Razer's "cloud" software, or any of the other bloated and resource sucking manufacturer software packages out there. No driver crashes, no software freezes, no sudden resource usage spikes... I can confidently recommend this mouse if only for that reason.

Incredible mouse that allowed exacting precision and customization. The drivers are amazing. The constantly evolving drivers/firmware just keep making this mouse and the software even better. The ability for storing on device profiles by name makes LANing or using different computers a breeze. Once you get your on device settings correct there is absolutely no need to have the drivers installed as the on device settings take over. I've played games at professional level in my earlier days and I wish I had this mouse back then. Even for more casual style play I recommend this mouse. I've paired it with a hybrid mouse mat (Steelseries 5L), Razer Goliathus, Everglide (old thin speedy cloth mousepad), and an old Icemat - it worked like charm on all, with the Steelseries 5L and S&S really providing the best feel and accuracy/tracking. I still use my Razer Naga for MMO's and MOBA's just because of the ease of the side buttons, but for everything else including everyday use this is king. I have played and used previously almost all of the intellimouse line (my all time favorite being the IE 3.0a), MX510, MX518, G15 (the Logitech mouse with the weights, favorite Logitech mouse was the 510 by far), a razer death adder (original), a razer death adder 2nd edition, razer naga, and way back when a razer boomersland (razer's first mouse...it was awful) ... my favorite razer product was the naga...but only for MMO's and MOBA games....which it still reigns supreme for.... The Steelseries hands down beats all of these mice by a landslide for all uses except MMO's and MOBA's. My recommendation is that if you are a casual player, a competitive player with aspirations for success, or a professional gamer (or former pro, like myself) ... that you waste no more time and spend the chunk of change on this mouse. I wouldn't give my endorsement and recommendation without it being above excellent (especially for a gaming peripherial), and that it is!Pair this with a Steelseries 5L for fast and responsive feel.Pair this with a Steelseries qck+ or razer goliathus for a more controlled feel.Hard mats are over rated for mice of this caliber, stick with hybrids or soft large mats.

I bought the SteelSeries Sensei for gaming, but I am not endorsed by their company like some of the other reviewers. Any bias I have is either me trying to justify an $85 purchase or because I like the mouse.It is a very nice mouse. It has the fundamentals down perfect -- comfortable shape (I use a claw-palm grip, if you care), it feels like it will last for years, it practically glides across my mousepad, and the weight is very nice (though I'm sure some people would like the ability to customize that). The button positions are also great, but almost every gaming mouse has them in the same spot; the Sensei has auxiliary buttons on both sides, though.It's gaming aspects are also great. The only negative part is it's software. The SteelSeries Engine works well, but is so feature-rich that it is difficult for a new user to figure out how to use the mouse. It's not ridiculous; it took me about twenty minutes to get it all sorted out. That said, the CPI count is amazing for shooters and the laser's quality is excellent. I went to this mouse from a Razer DeathAdder, which was great as well, but the Sensei definitely has an edge. It feels more responsive and more accurate.This mouse is expensive, but that's only because it is well-made and advanced technology. To sum it up, I was very impressed with the SteelSeries Sensei. I would recommend buying it if you have the money to spare.EDIT: I've been accused of being a fake reviewer...I'm not. I'll prove that if someone comes up with a good way. The mouse really is great, and months later I still recommend it. The only thing that's become an issue is sweat -- the sweat from my hand sometimes becomes a problem if it's hot in my room.