SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Gaming Mouse Review

Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
SteelSeries unleashed its Sensei in 2011; one year later, the revamped Sensei [RAW] joins its ever-growing gamer-oriented line. Join us as we see whether or not the newest model's "less is more" approach is enough to merit its celebrated predecessor's status as one of the acknowledged masters of the gaming mouse class.

Check out JD's full look at SteelSeries' Sensei [RAW] and discuss it here!
 
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Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
As I posted this review, I had wondered if I'd like it as much as my pure Sensei, and well... a delivery man came by today to drop one off. I am not sure how it happened, but I get my wish to compare!

Will chime in with my thoughts once I get some time put into it. The surface of the mouse intrigues me the most.
 

Big Red Machine

Hellfire and Brimstone
Staff member
Rob, did you get the rubberized version as well?

You'd have to pry my review sample out of my cold, stiff hands to take mine. :D
 

Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
I have the same one, and have been using it since about the time I made that post. Like the original I am loving it quite a bit, no complaints. i do appreciate the texture more, that's for sure. I've had almost no gaming done with it yet, but that'll change come Friday ;-)
 

Doomsday

Tech Junkie
I will consider this one when i go shopping for a nice mouse in a week or so! :D

I have come to a decision, I will NEVER buy a Razer ever again!

1: Lycosa Mirror, 8 months, keys started coming off, had to stick em with glue..
2: Death Adder, 7 months, left button and wheel get screwed up!
3: Megasoma, 4 months, got wear and tear issue.. used their own Mamba on it
4: Mamba, 8 months, wireless lag! 11 months, tracking issues while wired...

Never again Razer! Every person I have met here has had issues with Razer, they turned to Steel Series!
My old Logitech MX 518 I bought in 2007 is still working without any issues! The G35 headsets, almost 3 yrs, no issues!
Will buy the G700, positive reviews and being a logitech its chances of getting screwed are very very slim, got the Steelseries 4HD Mouse Pad to go with it! :D
 

Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
One thing I am starting to not like, now that I put the mouse to the light, is the fact that finger grease or whatever is on the left and right click buttons. The regular Sensei had a problem with finger dirt also but it could be cleaned easier than I suspect this will be.

I think you'll like this one Doomsday, as long as you don't mind the aforementioned problem (I am wondering if JD experienced the same?). But, since Razer's products mostly used the same surface it might feel no different (from what I can recall, at least).

You have seriously had bad luck with Razer man, and the first time I ever hear someone recommending Razer to someone else, I think of your experiences, haha.
 

Doomsday

Tech Junkie
One thing I am starting to not like, now that I put the mouse to the light, is the fact that finger grease or whatever is on the left and right click buttons. The regular Sensei had a problem with finger dirt also but it could be cleaned easier than I suspect this will be.

I think you'll like this one Doomsday, as long as you don't mind the aforementioned problem (I am wondering if JD experienced the same?). But, since Razer's products mostly used the same surface it might feel no different (from what I can recall, at least).

You have seriously had bad luck with Razer man, and the first time I ever hear someone recommending Razer to someone else, I think of your experiences, haha.

I will definitely consider this one when it becomes available.. But I am leaning towards the G700 due to the wireless option, (I loved the Mamba wireless while it worked, lol!) the newer version has a bigger battery with more wireless working hours so its also a good choice.. :D
 

Tharic-Nar

Senior Editor
Staff member
Moderator
Has it been updated since I last reviewed it then? Battery life was terrible, pretty much the same with all high-end wireless mice You can still use it while on the charger, but the stiff cable really was a handful after a while. I just don't trust wireless peripherals too much - if it's not some kind of interference, the batteries give out (and that rather annoying habit of failing to be recognised on boot). Having said that, one wireless mouse I do like is the M705 - but that's hardly a gaming mouse.
 
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Optix

Basket Chassis
Staff member
I've toyed with the idea of going wireless, but for all of the reasons that Jamie mentioned above, there's no way I'm pulling the trigger until battery technology makes a few jumps. Cold fusion powered peripherals...that's the wave of the future, boys!
 

Big Red Machine

Hellfire and Brimstone
Staff member
One thing I am starting to not like, now that I put the mouse to the light, is the fact that finger grease or whatever is on the left and right click buttons. The regular Sensei had a problem with finger dirt also but it could be cleaned easier than I suspect this will be.

I think you'll like this one Doomsday, as long as you don't mind the aforementioned problem (I am wondering if JD experienced the same?). But, since Razer's products mostly used the same surface it might feel no different (from what I can recall, at least).

You have seriously had bad luck with Razer man, and the first time I ever hear someone recommending Razer to someone else, I think of your experiences, haha.

Yessiree Robski, I have observed the same. Finger oils do leave a smudge on the left-click button (strangely never the right click). But it's very easily wiped off with a wet-wipe (I always have a box near my PC, as I dislike leaving my keyboard and mouse having oil smudges on them).

And, yep, despite the recent glut of mice I've been testing, the Sensei [RAW] has yet to be displaced as my daily driver mouse. I'm in love with this thing.
 
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