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The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 looking excellent in pink on a grey mousepad.
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SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 review

A worthwhile update.

(Image: © Future)

Our Verdict

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.

For

  • Comfortable shape
  • Powerful with high DPI and polling rate
  • Clever software trickery

Against

  • 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.

Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 specs

The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 looking excellent in pink on a grey mousepad. if (window.sliceHydrationLazy) { } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } if (window.sliceHydrationLazy) { } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } if (window.sliceHydrationLazy) { } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); }

All of this combines to make this SteelSeries choice feel especially responsive in shooters, such as CS2, with brisk and responsive movements and inputs with little noticeable latency that make this a strong choice for FPS titles. The switches inside are mechanical ones rated for up to 80 million actuations, and they felt especially tactile under finger. We have gotten to a point where hybrid switches with optical powers can be found on similarly-priced mice, potentially yielding faster response times for inputs against more traditional mechanisms. Nonetheless, I'm still a fan of how the Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2's switches feel.

Connectivity is handled either by Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz, with the latter supporting the 4000 Hz wireless polling rate. The fact that this mouse also comes with Bluetooth adds some versatility against the competition, which eschews that in favour of outright performance in one device. I found the mouse's connection over either method to be reliable and stable, using Bluetooth on my MacBook Pro and the bundled receiver on my Windows gaming PC.

Buy if...

✅ You want some clever software: The Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 impresses with some clever software trickery that helps set it apart at this mid-range price point.

Don't buy if...

❌ You want more of a modern look: Some may think the honeycomb pattern on the rear of this mouse makes it look a bit dated—rival choices can look a little cleaner and more modern for a similar price if it's a big concern.

SteelSeries has also majorly improved the battery life of the Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 over its predecessors, with up to 120 hours over 2.4 GHz with 1000 Hz polling, and up to 200 hours over Bluetooth. If you go up to 4000 Hz polling, there is a significant drop-off down to 35 hours, although this is still just enough to get through most of a working week between charges if this rodent is used at full pelt.

The software side of things is handled by SteelSeries' all-encompassing GG suite, which provides access to a range of controls. On the face of it, it seems like standard fare with means for controlling DPI on several levels, polling rate, power saving modes, plus Prism RGB lighting control with varying presets or custom addressing.

The most impressive part of the software suite, though, is the clever 3D Aim Trainer and Sensitivity Finder, which puts you into a small in-software minigame that takes around ten minutes, and is designed to optimise your mouse's DPI sensitivity for a specific FPS game. You can then take the software's guidance and apply into the game, and even 'convert' the sensitivity from one game to another for a consistent experience.

I think SteelSeries has done an excellent job with the new Aerox Wireless 3 Gen 2 in taking a rodent that was already a great choice in this fiercely competitive mid-range sector and bringing it up to date with a more responsive feel, better battery life and some clever software trickery.

Razer DeathAdder V3 Hyperspeed gaming mouse
Best gaming mouse 2026

1. Best wireless:
Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro

2. Best wired:
Logitech G502 X

3. Best budget wireless:
Logitech G305 Lightspeed

4. Best budget wired:
Glorious Model O Eternal

5. Best competitive:
Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike

6. Best lightweight:
Corsair Sabre V2 Pro

7. Best MMO:
Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE

8. Best compact:
Razer Cobra Pro

9. Best ambidextrous:
Logitech G Pro

10. Best ergonomic:
Keychron M5

11. Best customizable:
Orbital Pathfinder


👉Check out our full gaming mouse guide👈

The Verdict
SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2

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.

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