SteelSeries Rival 600 vs Logitech G502

On this page I’ll be reviewing and comparing the SteelSeries Rival 600 vs the Logitech G502. The mice are similar in that they both have weight tuning options, outside of this they have a few notable differences. Logitech and SteelSeries clearly had the same aims when designing these mice, it’s interesting to see what each company came up with. If you’re looking for a high-end gaming mouse with weight tuning options then you could end up choosing between these two, hopefully this comparison helps.

SteelSeries Rival 600

Logitech G502

Quick review: SteelSeries Rival 600

SteelSeries claim the Rival 600 was developed with three basic principles: performance, durability, and flexibility. The mouse has received some impressive reviews including being voted #1 overall mouse by Rocket Jump Ninja, as well as Tech Radars best mouse for 2018. With a medium to large shape and practical weight tuning options, SteelSeries have succeeded in making a flexible mouse.

Weight tuning

The key feature of the mouse is the weight tuning options. The left and right side of the mouse are removable revealing 8 slots where you can insert the weights. It has a 96g to 128g range of weight which is an amazing amount of flexibility. The way the slots are laid out it should be easy to maintain the right balance, you wouldn’t want all the weights on one side for example.

Shape and design

There is nothing more important than the shape of a mouse, if your hand is not comfortable then the rest is useless. The Rival 600 is a medium to large mouse best suited for palm or claw grip, possibly fingertip grip with larger hands. It has a nice shape designed with comfort in mind. The mouse click buttons are slightly grooved which I’m a big fan of. To help with lift-off or swiping gameplay the sides of the mouse are rubberized with durable silicone. One odd thing about the design is the two indents going along the top, these are only there for effect and I imagine they don’t change the feel very much.

Extra buttons

Most gaming mice aimed at FPS gameplay have two or no side buttons. The Rival 600 has 3 side buttons, the first two placed in the usual location and the third being angled just in front of them. I’m a fan of this layout as the third button is not intrusive, if you don’t want to use it it shouldn’t get in the way. You can also find a DPI button below the scroll wheel, with this you can switch through multiple DPI profiles on the fly mid gameplay. If you feel there is not enough extra buttons you could rebind the DPI button as well as the scroll click using the SteelSeries Engine. The left and right mouse clicks are mechanical and said to last for up to 60 million clicks.

Sensor

The mouse is equipped with a 16,000 DPI optical sensor. SteelSeries ensure that the “TrueMove3” optical sensor has no acceleration, no tracking errors and no lag. It’s a high-quality sensor and with multiple settings to choose from it should be suitable for everyone. The Rival 600 also has a second sensor, the depth sensor. The optical depth sensor is said to provide the most precise and lowest lift-off detection, elevating your skill ceiling to the next level. It’s hard to tell how necessary this second sensor is, although I don’t think anyone would complain.

Software and lighting

To unlock the mouse’s full potential it’s important to download the SteelSeries Engine. Using this software you’re able to adjust the lighting, keybinds and the DPI settings. The DPI can be adjusted in steps of 100 up to 16,000. You can set multiple DPI profiles which can then be cycled through on the fly using the DPI button below the scroll wheel. If you want to rebind any of the buttons to specific macros or in-game abilities this is where you’ll be doing this.

The Rival 600 has full RGB lighting which can be customized in multiple locations. You can set individual lighting on the SteelSeries logo, the scroll wheel and lastly the two indented strips going across the shell.

Quick review: Logitech G502

The Logitech G502 is a popular mouse and was voted ‘best pick’ by Tom’s Guide. Logitech refer to it as a tunable gaming mouse due to its weight tuning options and many programmable buttons. It’s a large mouse and therefore is on the heavy side, while many people prefer lightweight mice, some find heavier mice more accurate.

Weight tuning

On the bottom of the mouse there is a removable magnetic plate, under this plate is where you can place the extra weights that come in the box. There are 5x 3.6 gram weights which are a sort of boomerang shape. One thing to consider is that the mouse is already pretty heavy without the extra weights (119 grams). It’s nice to have the option to add weight and many people do enjoy using heavy mice. The bottom plate being magnetic makes it extremely easy to place or remove the weights when needed.

Shape and design

It’s a large mouse being only slightly bigger than the Rival 600. Logitech have gone for a nice ergonomic shape, the mouse should be comfortable for all grip styles depending on hand size. The left side of the mouse has a curved ridge for where your thumb would be, this is a cool yet uncommon feature. Both sides of the mouse are rubberized and slightly textured to improve grip. It has a sort of futuristic spaceship design to it which I’m not really a fan of, although a lot of products have this style so people must like it.

Extra buttons

The G502 has a very unique button layout that might look hectic at first. The button directly below the scroll wheel enables the “infinite scroll” feature, unlocking your scroll wheel allowing it to spin endlessly with no bumps. The infinite scroll option is great for browsing or editing, it may even have some gaming uses if you get creative. There are essentially 3 different DPI buttons on the mouse which is confusing. If you feel no need for this many DPI buttons you can just rebind them in the Logitech software to something more useful. Like most gaming mice there is also two regular side buttons on the left side of the mouse.

Sensor

The sensor has a max DPI of 12,000 which can be adjusted in steps of 50. It’s an optical sensor that should have zero acceleration, smoothing or filtering across the entire DPI range. Logitech mice are known to have great sensors that are approved by many pro FPS players.

Software and lighting

The Logitech logo on the G502 has RGB lighting which can be static or cycled. There are also 3 lights on the left of the mouse which are used to indicate which DPI step you’re currently using. Compared to other mice the lighting is pretty minimal as the logo is fairly small. Whether minimal lighting is a bonus or not depends on how flashy you like your mice to be.

Using the Logitech Gaming Software (LGE) you can customize the lighting, DPI and keybinds. The mouse has 11 programmable buttons so there is a lot of room for customization. This is where you can set up your individual DPI profiles as well as your RGB lighting options.

Conclusion

Outside of the fact that they both have adjustable weights, these mice are pretty different. Which you prefer will come down to grip preference, how many buttons you need and lastly how heavy you like your mice.

The SteelSeries Rival 600 has a simpler design with fewer buttons and more lighting options. Although it’s a similar size it is far lighter than the G502, and if you don’t like light mice it’s very easy to bump up the weight. It has two sensors instead of one and should have no problem performing at a high level. With the weight flexibility, the double sensor and the slick RGB lighting, the Rival 600 is an amazing high-end gaming mouse.

Logitech’s G502 has quite a hectic but intentional design with many buttons and a futuristic style. It’s a heavy mouse even without the extra weights which could be an issue for people who play with a lift-off heavy style. It has RGB lighting but only on the Logitech logo which is quite small. Like all Logitech mice, it has a great sensor and should have no issues. If you enjoy a heavy mouse and like having many buttons the G502 is a perfect choice.