SteelSeries just released their newest high-performance offering dubbed
Sensei. Sensei features a 5700 DPI capable sensor and has an onboard
32-bit ARM processor which handles transmission to and from the PC and
can run an interpolation algorithm which boosts the output of the mouse
to 11400 DPI or twice that of its native resolution. The visual
appearance has changed a bit since the Xai mouse, but you can clearly
see that all the main parts have been left relatively unchanged.
SteelSeries' explanation for going with the incorporated ARM processor, besides the interpolation features, is that it allows them to shape the output before it is passed to the PC. This should give a small reduction in delay in the millisecond range.
The mouse sells at $89 which is the same price the Xai was introduced at.
SteelSeries' explanation for going with the incorporated ARM processor, besides the interpolation features, is that it allows them to shape the output before it is passed to the PC. This should give a small reduction in delay in the millisecond range.
The mouse sells at $89 which is the same price the Xai was introduced at.
Specifications
- Programmable macro buttons
- Ambidextrous shape
- Driverless plug-and-play
- User defined bitmaps for the onmouse LCD
- SteelSeries ExactSens
- SteelSeries FreeMove
- Menu system on the mouse
- SteelSeries ExactAim
- 7programmable buttons
- SteelSeries ExactLift
- Gold-plated USB connector
- 16 million colors of illumination
- Three zone lighting – Scroll Wheel, CPI Indicator, and Log
Package
Sensei arrived in a flip-top cardboard box. The package is quite durable
and lets you feel the shape of the mouse before buying it which is
good.
Inside the box you find the mouse and a small pamphlet that describes the features in the mouse and driver suite.
Closer Examination
SteelSeries decided to stick with the shape we know from the Xai gaming
mouse, which is a good thing. The paint job on the palm plate is
debatable, it certainly looks flashy, but it does provoke a little more
perspiration than the normal textured plastic tops.
Shape wise the Sensei leans itself towards those using a palm-type grip.
Fingertip control is possible but the shape is not ideal. Carried on
from the Xai is also the ambidextrous design, which means that the
Sensei is equally good for ordinary people and lefties!
The packaging of the scroll wheel area is reasonable. The scroll wheel
can be used without accidentally hitting the DPI-selector. The wheel
mechanism feels solid, but the amount of force needed to scroll is on
the low side for a hardcore gaming mouse. As a compromise, between
everyday use and gaming, it is really good.
SteelSeries went all out in their quest for extra bling. The palm plate features an illuminated "dot" SteelSeries logo.
The cable mount and plug looks great on the Sensei. The braided wire has
its pros and cons, but it works alright with the Sensei.
SteelSeries use the same type of feet on the Sensei as on their Xai. The
big well placed feet mean that the glide experience is nice and even,
and that the mouse sits on the mat nicely. These oversized feet
completely remove wobble on harder mats.
A 5700 DPI resolution sensor is featured on the Sensei. It is placed
dead center which means the mouse handles very well. Agilent's
9500-series sensors have a very good reputation and do not exhibit
z-axis tracking such as Philips Twin-eye sensor equipped mice. The
sensor is the best on the market and it seems well implemented on the
Sensei.
Lights on! While the Sensei is not the most "blinged"-out mouse we have
ever seen, it is certainly in the high visibility category with the
lights on. They can be adjusted to any color you like, and can also be
switched off.
Driver
The first two panes allow you to control button functions and what profiles are loaded onto the mouse.
The three following panes are much more interesting. Here you can adjust
everything from lift-off distance to various acceleration and angle
snapping settings. Color control, which is new for the Sensei, seems
well implemented and it is quite easy to switch between the ordinary
colors. If you want a fully customized look, the RGB selector will be
hard to control and the omission of a hex or simple RGB codes seems a
bit odd.
You can even load a customized logo onto the back side LCD display. Last but not least there is a monitor program included which can run some simple statistics over your mouse use.
You can even load a customized logo onto the back side LCD display. Last but not least there is a monitor program included which can run some simple statistics over your mouse use.
Performance
The SteelSeries Sensei was put through its paces in
both games and doing general desktop work. The gaming tests were all
conducted using raw input from the mouse. The sampling rate was fixed at
1000 Hz at all times. Sensei's sensor has a native resolution of 5700
DPI which is more than enough for everyone; it does however allow for
interpolation up to 11400 DPI or twice the resolution of the sensor. Our
initial tests show that the interpolation algorithm works way better
than those of yesteryear, but it still not a substitute for true
resolution.
The mouse was tested on a solid wood desk, SteelSeries 9HD and ModMyMachine SlamePad (black).
The mouse was tested on a solid wood desk, SteelSeries 9HD and ModMyMachine SlamePad (black).
Games
Sensei performed well and handled just like its elder
brother the Xai. With all the options present in the driver suite I am
confident that anyone can tweak the mouse to their liking. Right from
the start the Sensei mouse was quite easy to get used to coming from the
older Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 1.1. In order to take full
advantage of the sensor it was fixed at 5700 DPI for the game tests, and
in-game sensitivity was lowered to provide the wanted total
sensitivity. Once configured the gaming experience was very pleasant. It
is worth noticing that the sensor performs best at its native DPI, so
to avoid any unnecessary grief go for the high DPI and then simply scale
back the sensitivity.
In Battlefield 3 the acclimatization period was extremely short because the mouse handled my usual low to medium sensitivity setup with ease. Even at high sensitivities the mouse remained very calm despite having zero angle snapping or any other custom smoothing features turned off. SteelSeries allows you to customize that as well in their driver suite which works great, when it works. Over our week of testing the "SteelSeries Engine"-service dropped four times on our fully updated Windows 7 x64 machine.
SteelSeries even lets you tweak the lift-off distance of the sensor, and this should be tweaked per mat. On the 9HD around 25% was need to keep the mouse tracking well, for the Mod My Machine pad 29% was used, even though the lift-off distance did not feel different between the two mats.
CounterStrike:Source yielded very similar results, this mouse is quirk free if you stick to the basics. Once you start meddling with the advanced settings in the driver you usually end up with a bad result. Tampering with the driver will of course allow you to get just the right amount of acceleration and angle snapping you want, but our guess is you are better off just learning to play with the mouse without the tweaks.
The buttons on the SteelSeries Sensei are definitely better than what is on the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 1.1 and is on par with what you find on the Mionix 5000 mice, which in short means they are great. They have just enough tactile feedback, and are positioned brilliantly for people with normal sized hands.
The Sensei uses the same sensor as the Xai gaming mouse which means it has very close to perfect tracking on hard mats. On soft mats some might experience slight negative acceleration at high speeds. On the two hard mats at our current disposal the mouse performed admirably.
Pushing the Sensei to a point where it does negative acceleration on a hard mat is impossible under normal circumstances. Sensor performance varies with the surface used and it should be noted that the Sensei is no different, best tracking was achieved on the 9HD and Mod My Machine mat, brief tests on a black cloth mat revealed that it is not ideal.
In Battlefield 3 the acclimatization period was extremely short because the mouse handled my usual low to medium sensitivity setup with ease. Even at high sensitivities the mouse remained very calm despite having zero angle snapping or any other custom smoothing features turned off. SteelSeries allows you to customize that as well in their driver suite which works great, when it works. Over our week of testing the "SteelSeries Engine"-service dropped four times on our fully updated Windows 7 x64 machine.
SteelSeries even lets you tweak the lift-off distance of the sensor, and this should be tweaked per mat. On the 9HD around 25% was need to keep the mouse tracking well, for the Mod My Machine pad 29% was used, even though the lift-off distance did not feel different between the two mats.
CounterStrike:Source yielded very similar results, this mouse is quirk free if you stick to the basics. Once you start meddling with the advanced settings in the driver you usually end up with a bad result. Tampering with the driver will of course allow you to get just the right amount of acceleration and angle snapping you want, but our guess is you are better off just learning to play with the mouse without the tweaks.
The buttons on the SteelSeries Sensei are definitely better than what is on the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 1.1 and is on par with what you find on the Mionix 5000 mice, which in short means they are great. They have just enough tactile feedback, and are positioned brilliantly for people with normal sized hands.
The Sensei uses the same sensor as the Xai gaming mouse which means it has very close to perfect tracking on hard mats. On soft mats some might experience slight negative acceleration at high speeds. On the two hard mats at our current disposal the mouse performed admirably.
Pushing the Sensei to a point where it does negative acceleration on a hard mat is impossible under normal circumstances. Sensor performance varies with the surface used and it should be noted that the Sensei is no different, best tracking was achieved on the 9HD and Mod My Machine mat, brief tests on a black cloth mat revealed that it is not ideal.
General Work
Working in various photo editing suites and CAD
programs turned out to be a painless affair with the SteelSeries Sensei.
Due to the seven well placed buttons you never feel that you have to go
out of your way in order to activate a function. The insane DPI count
does not make a difference, the interpolation works alright but is again
totally uncalled for with desktop applications, even on a 2560 x 1440
monitor. Even at 5700 DPI the mouse is way too fast for any type of
precision work and rockets around on your desktop. For those with
ultra-high resolution monitors it might be usable.
Durability
The mechanical side of the mouse seems very robust.
How the integrated hardware will hold up only time will tell. The driver
suite does need a checkup with focus on stability at the very least on
x64 systems.
Value and Conclusion
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The SteelSeries Sensei mouse is a good albeit expensive mouse. It is
definitely one of the best performing solutions out there, and is right
up there with the Mionix 5000. Sensor wise the Avago 9500 based mice are
still in the lead, despite having issues on some mats. The Sensei
definitely works best on hard mats.
Overall the Sensei is a very
well rounded mouse. The shape of the mouse allows for perfect control
with a palm type grip, and it feels good to hold and use. With seven
well performing buttons it will be good even for most MMO players. For
FPS gaming the sensor does a really good job, tweaked back to low
sensitivity it definitely matches the IntelliMouse Explorer 1.1 at 1000
Hz polling rate. And at medium to high sensitivity the Sensei is simply
way better. There still seem to be some slight performance
inconsistencies across the DPI range, but it is generally better than
with the majority of laser mice out there.
source:www.techpowerup.com
