Out of the loop on the new wave of gaming mice that look like cheese graters? You're not alone. Here's what the hole they're all about.
Think back to when you were 12 years old. There was probably some new technology that came out around that time that you were obsessed with, and your parents were either against entirely, or thought it was stupid. Remember how quickly your young self adapted to the newest technologies? How exciting it was to feel literal upgrades?
They didn't get it. It was "new" and "different" and "unneccesary". But you "got" it. And eventually, your parents got it too (well, depending on the technology, maybe they didn't get it). Unfortunately, now you're older, and some of the love and joy has likely managed to escape from your heart. You probably aren't as easy to impress as you were back then. But there's one piece of tech that you might still be able to hold out hope for: a "holey" mouse. Yes, one that looks like a cheese grater. Please don't do that with your holey mouse, but n)ote that there will be similarities.
SteelSeries' Aerox 3 (2022) and Aerox 3 Wireless (2022) mice are just about as "holey" as you can get, and you'll definitely want to get your hands on them. But wait, why would you want to pick up such a strange piece of equipment? We've got everything you need to know right here. Open your mind and get ready for a new way of thinking.
Why would you want to use a mouse with holes?
When it comes to mousing with what looks like a hollow diamondback pattern, it might take a bit to get used to at first. But you'll quickly discover the boon that such a piece of tech offers.
For one, you'll barely notice the holes. They look far more jarring than they actually are. In most situations, your hand will cover them. The Aerox series is classified as an "ultra lightweight" set of mice, which means they're less than 80g -- typically, around the 70g mark in terms of weight. With the 2022 editions, we've pushed this bar even further — down to 68g. Aerox mice are optimized to get the fastest swipes, so you beat the competition to the trigger.
If you're a fan of first-person shooters or play games that have you moving around the map a lot, you'll likely find that a more lightweight mouse makes sense for you. The extra weight that could have caused potential issues on the outside of the peripheral has been removed -- hence the additional holes -- so you have less drag as well as less strain on your hand and wrist.
Given that most mice are about 100g+ or more, a lightweight mouse like this one tends to make you feel more like you have less material to move around the desk. Thus, you feel footloose and fancy free, and able to accomplish everything you need without worrying about the mouse being too slow to do what you want.
Plus, there's always the following:
- Flexible, lightweight cables that don't add weight or cause a feeling of drag
- Lightweight interior components like the circuit board
- Specific mouse feet made of super non-stick PTFE and other glide-friendly materials
- A gaming sensor that can keep up with the mouse's ultra fast swipes
Holey mice are also durable
Sure, holey mice are lightweight and easy to work with, but they're also going to last you quite some time. You might assume they're a magnet for dust, skin cells, fur, crumbs, or even water and drinks.
They're actually a lot less worrisome in that regard than you might think. Many rely on water-resistant sprays to keep their internals from harm. There are a variety of other design decisions that have been made in the interest of protecting the mouse's integrity over time as well. So if you're thinking the extra space on the mouse means additional reason to worry about using it regularly, you can treat it just like any other mouse. Aerox is the first ever gaming mouse to receive an IP54 rating, providing water resistance and protection from dust, dirt, oil, fur, and more.
When you really mull it over, there's really no reason for you not to try a holey mouse! Make sure you choose the best one for you based on weight, durability, and even the more exciting features, like RGB lighting.
In terms of picks for the best ultra lightweight mouse you can get, SteelSeries has just the thing: the Aerox 3 2022 Edition and Aerox 3 Wireless 2022 Edition. And you don't have to take our word for it: PC Gamer just named Aerox the best lightweight wireless gaming mouse.
Read more
- Why Use an Ultra Lightweight Mouse?
- The History of the SteelSeries Mouse
- How We Made the Aerox Mouse Ultra Lightweight
Want to chat about your favorite SteelSeries ultra lightweight mouse? Head on over to the official SteelSeries Discord server.
