We gave the SteelSeries Sensei our highest award when it debuted. Can the RAW edition gaming mouse follow in its footsteps or fall short of victory?
Product on Review: SteelSeries Sensei Raw
Manufacturer and Sponsor: SteelSeries
Street Price: £44.99 (at time of review)
The original SteelSeries Sensei is perhaps the best mouse we have had the pleasure of reviewing here at Vortez. The sleek lines, class leading specification, fully customisable lighting and macro functionality made it a deserving platinum award winner. As far as mice go though it wasn’t cheap, costing some £60 which was well above the average price for a gaming mouse. SteelSeries then have taken note of this and have trimmed the fat from Sensei while still retaining the ‘Raw’ appeal of the original design.
The original Sensei had a variety of luxuries the average gamer would have little need for such as a 32-bit ARM processor, 16.8 million colour illumination, 5 on-board profiles and the DCPI (Double counts per inch) feature. These features, while great to have, unfortunately boost up the price. Think of it in terms of the Sensei being a Ferrari while the Sensei Raw being a stripped out hot hatch and you wouldn’t be too far off the mark.
So the question has to be asked, has too much been taken away to make the Sensei Raw a more affordable proposition? Let’s find out..
SteelSeries on Sensei RAW
SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] did away with processor, the LCD menu system and the on-board memory. If you don’t travel around the world as a pro gamer, if you don’t plug into tournament computers and if you don’t need all the colors, this is a much more price conscious option. Same world class performance, same amazing customization options, now you just need to configure the mouse thru SteelSeries Engine instead of doing via the LCD menu system. And Sensei [RAW] is available in 2 versions: one with rubberized soft-touch surface, one with smooth glossy surface – pick your favorite feel and start fragging.
Specification & Features
Comparison between the Sensei and Sensei Raw
As you can see from the above chart, the main features of the Sensei are still with the Raw. The same pro grade laser is in situ along with the robust Omron switch gear. All seven buttons are still programmable and the mouse shape retains its ambidextrous shape.
Features
Buttons
1. Left side button 1
2. Left side button 2
3. Left click
4. Right click
5. Scroll wheel & middle click
6. CPI high / low switch
7. Right side button 1
8. Right side button 2
Size and weight
Weight: 90 grams (0.2 lbs)
Height: 38.7 mm (1.5 in)
Width: 68.3 mm (2.7 in)
Length: 125.5 mm (4.9 in)
Software
There’s no need to install software of any kind in order to use the Sensei [RAW]. It is completely capable of operating flawlessly with default settings. SteelSeries Engine enhances the Sensei [RAW] with advanced customization options like CPI settings, programmable buttons, LED intensity, and lighting modes.
Lighting
The brilliant white illumination is capable of several modes of operation including: solid, slow, medium, and fast pulse. You can also vary the intensity of the illumination between low, medium, and high. For those of you who don’t like glowing shiny stuff on your desktop, you can completely switch off all illumination.
Macros
Thanks to the support of the SteelSeries Engine software, you can record even extremely long and advanced macros to the Sensei [RAW]. The macros can not only be layered and can include keystrokes and precise timing, but they can span across your peripherals allowing you to have a mouse button assigned to perform keyboard strokes and mouse clicks in the same macro. How you will decide to use this advanced feature is up to you (choose your configurations wisely and adhere to any rules that you may need to abide by during gameplay); we are only presenting you with the capabilities for endless possibilities.
Rubberised vs Glossy
The SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Rubberized features a rubberized, soft-touch coating that is hand-sweat resistant, which allows for exceptional grip and comfort even during the most frantic gaming sessions.
SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Glossy features a sleek, glossy black coating that delivers a unique feeling, allowing the user to compete and win in style
Technical Specifications
Frames per second: 12000
Inches per second: 150
Mega pixels per second: 10.8
Counts per inch: 90 – 5670
Maximum acceleration: 30 G
Sensor data path: True 16 bit
Lift distance: ~2 mm
Maximum polling: 1000 Hz
Buttons
1. Left side button 1
2. Left side button 2
3. Left click
4. Right click
5. Scroll wheel & middle click
6. CPI high / low switch
7. Right side button 1
8. Right side button 2
Size and weight
Weight: 90 grams (0.2 lbs)
Height: 38.7 mm (1.5 in)
Width: 68.3 mm (2.7 in)
Length: 125.5 mm (4.9 in)
Software
There’s no need to install software of any kind in order to use the Sensei [RAW]. It is completely capable of operating flawlessly with default settings. SteelSeries Engine enhances the Sensei [RAW] with advanced customization options like CPI settings, programmable buttons, LED intensity, and lighting modes.
Lighting
The brilliant white illumination is capable of several modes of operation including: solid, slow, medium, and fast pulse. You can also vary the intensity of the illumination between low, medium, and high. For those of you who don’t like glowing shiny stuff on your desktop, you can completely switch off all illumination.
Macros
Thanks to the support of the SteelSeries Engine software, you can record even extremely long and advanced macros to the Sensei [RAW]. The macros can not only be layered and can include keystrokes and precise timing, but they can span across your peripherals allowing you to have a mouse button assigned to perform keyboard strokes and mouse clicks in the same macro. How you will decide to use this advanced feature is up to you (choose your configurations wisely and adhere to any rules that you may need to abide by during gameplay); we are only presenting you with the capabilities for endless possibilities.
Rubberised vs Glossy
The SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Rubberized features a rubberized, soft-touch coating that is hand-sweat resistant, which allows for exceptional grip and comfort even during the most frantic gaming sessions.
SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Glossy features a sleek, glossy black coating that delivers a unique feeling, allowing the user to compete and win in style
Technical Specifications
Frames per second: 12000
Inches per second: 150
Mega pixels per second: 10.8
Counts per inch: 90 – 5670
Maximum acceleration: 30 G
Sensor data path: True 16 bit
Lift distance: ~2 mm
Maximum polling: 1000 Hz
Packaging & Accessories
The front of the packaging is typical Steelseries with a quality cardboard construction laminated with a matt finish which gives off an air of prestige. A profile shot of the mouse dominates the front of the box with a small tag towards the bottom left depicting which version of mouse is contained within, rubberised or glossy as there are two versions of the Sensei Raw with special limited editions to boot!
Flipping the box over we find that SteelSeries have left no stone unturned with multiple European languages catered for, each giving a breakdown of the mouse’s features.
The box has a flip lid which allows you to get a ‘feel’ for the mouse without opening the box. Sadly, there was no gap for you to feel the rubberised or glossy texture coating.
The accessory list is basic with just a manual, product catalogue and a SteelSeries case sticker. SteelSeries believe (as do I) that a driver CD is not required for a product that is initially plug and play as this ensures you download the very latest software rather than using the usually outdated ones on an included CD. Again, the lack of a CD will also keep costs down.
Let’s break open the box and take a look at the mouse…
First Look
The ambidesxtrous design of the Sensei Raw ensures that both right and left handers will feel at home using this mouse. Some gaming peripheral manufacturers persist in using moulded designs which some users may prefer however, the Sensei retains the classic, understated ‘one size fits all’ which works quite well.
Both the left and right sides of the mouse are mirror images of themselves with two identically placed buttons on either side. these Omron switched buttons are fully customisable using the renown SteelSeries Engine and further improve the ambidextrous design/appeal.
The front of the mouse as you would expect features a wheel and the two main mouse buttons. The main buttons form from the shell and like the side buttons are Omron switched so are delight to use yet robust in continued operation. Sat between these two buttons is the mouse wheel which has a rubberised, ridged texture. The wheel glides very well in use and while the notched operations is easily identifiable, it is not intrusively so. Behind the wheel sits the sensitivity adjustment button which can shift between two sensitivities, the levels of which can be adjusted via software. So you could have your day to day duties with a low DCPI setting say of 800-1000 then up it to perhaps double this for gaming and back down agiain for sniping.
The rump of the mouse features the Steelseries emblem. This is laser etched through the rubberised texture and illuminates white either in an ‘always on’ state or a slow pulse.
The neutral shape of the Sensei and Sensei Raw is appealing yet you may well believe it to be basic. Pick the mouse up though and you immediately get the feeling that this is anything but a basic mouse. The rubberised texture is very nice to the touch and is sure to prevent your hands/fingers inadvertently slipping during gaming use. Matt black is a safe colour option and again, the white illumination will work with any set-up you may have.
The base of the mouse features three, high performance UPE pads which cover 16% of the mouse base. While the pads are fairly hard wearing, they will slowly wear down. Unfortunately, no replacements were included in the product accessories.
The pro-grade laser is state of the art and offers reliable, consistent performance. It boasts a 10.8 mega-pixel HD image correlation with speeds of up to 12000 frames per second. A silly fast mouse that can track movements of up to 150 inches a second. With a Counts per inch of 90-5670 and a max acceleration of 30G, you will not outperform the Sensei, it will cater for your every need.
Lastly, we see that SteelSeries have also kept the dense weave braid to protect the mouse cable. This braiding also has flecks of silver in-between to add aesthetic appeal.
Software
The SteelSeries engine is navigated using a series of tabs at the top of the window. IT is relatively user friendly thanks to the tool tips which give a brief explanation of what each function does.
The first and perhaps most useful tab is the buttons tab. This allows the user to define which button does what, be it execute a pre-recorded macro, text macro, launch an application or even disable the key entirely. Macro creation is straightforward and can be assigned to any one of the seven buttons.
The next tab is the Settings function. This allows the user to adjust the sensitivity of the mouse which is then depicted with the little light between the wheel and profile button. Polling rate can be adjusted to one of four levels 125, 250, 500 or 1000Hz. The illumination and intensity can also be adjusted here with pulse set to steady, slow, medium or fast. The white light intensity also has four levels, off, low , medium or high.
the properties button allows the user to configure when the chosen profile is activated. So say if you were a BF3 pilot and you wanted high sensitivity for this along with a certain set of Macros then you can add this application to a list for that specific profile so when you load BF3 up, the correct profile is automatically set. Not a new feature by any means but a useful one nonetheless.
Lastly, the statistics tab allows you to view erm….your statistics. Why anyone would need to know how many button presses they have done in a gaming session is beyond me but the feature is there regardless – just don;t forget to hit record before hand!
Overall, the software is good. It has pretty much everything you need to set the mouse up to your preferences. Most of all it is easy to navigate and programme so you won’t need to spend hours wading through a manual to get the Sensei Raw all set up and ready to play.
Testing
General UseThanks to the ambidextrous design of the Sensei Raw it will be comfortable to use for the both left and right handers. It is the exact same shape and profile as the original Sensei mouse which is no bad thing considering it is our favoured mouse. The plush rubberised plastics used are great and despite the light weight, it does not feel cheap in any way.
General office duties was good but not excellent. For this type of use I prefer a palm grip to rest my hand however I felt more at ease with the Sensei Raw using the claw grip which is an ergonomically less than ideal stance for a day in the office. With that said is was still comfortable to use and very accurate on a variety of cloth, glass and textured surfaces.
The sensitivity of the mouse is good with the buttons requiring just the right amount of force to actuate, an important feature for any mouse. The buttons were perhaps a little too sensitive for everyday tasks as I found myself clicking the mouse (or finger) buttons when not required.
While the Raw is perfectly acceptable as an everyday mouse (certainly more so than other gaming mice), it is gaming that the Sensei Raw holds most appeal.
Gaming Performance
Before setting the mouse up with SteelSeries engine software, we jumped straight in for a game of Battlefield 3. After a few minutes we felt the mouse was a little too fast, this was when we realised we had hit the profile button which loaded up the sensitivity. With the button now clicked (and the light extinguished) it was much smoother and more suited to our style of play. Jumping into a jet meant switching back to the higher sensitivity to avoid the missiles and lose our pursuers during a dogfight. Needless to say, the Raw, like it’s bigger brother, became a firm favourite in the office.
Onto a bit of RTS gaming and once more the Sensei performed very well as expected. Again, it comes down to personal preference as to whether you prefer claw or palm grip so unless you have really small hands, the claw grip method seems to work best with the Sensei Raw. Me? I prefer a palm grip for RTS due to less rapid movement being required as opposed to FPS gaming.
Overall then the SteelSeries RAW is a damn good gaming mouse and perfectly usable for everyday tasks.
Conclusion
Two of the best ever gaming mice spring to mind are the Microsoft Intellimouse and the Logitech MX518. Both mice were fairly neutral in design, certainly not as sculpted as the equally popular Razer products yet their simplicity allows them to go down in gaming folklore as some of the all time greats of gaming peripherals which are still to this day held in high regard by pro and novice gamers alike. There is a lot to be said for keeping things simple.
The original Sensei was a show piece of mouse technology. I have used the very same mouse for the past year and it has served me extremely well and I wouldn’t part with it for the world however, it has to be said that save for the first week or so, I have made very little use of the many features it has. The Raw is a near identical mouse to the Sensei save for these razzmatazz, yet for the most part, extra features which hold little real world gaming value. Sure it is nice to have as many features as possible but more features equate to more cost and perhaps the only criticism we could aim at the Sensei was it’s cost so what SteelSeries have done is removed the fancy extra’s to leave the Sensei in a ‘raw’ basic state.
The simplicity of the design is such that it just ‘works’. the SteelSeries raw is reliability, performance and gaming finesse all wrapped up in an unobtrusive yet sleek design. If you are looking for a high performing gaming mouse that doesn’t cost the Earth yet retains the core features of the best gaming mouse on the planet then the Sensei Raw is the mouse for you.
Pros
+ Sleek, ambidextrous design
+ Customisable features
+ Rubberised texture
+ Macro functionality
+ Good DPI range (if somewhat limited in choice)
+ Same DNA has the original Sensei
+ Available in Rubber or Gloss coating
Cons
– No colour customisation
+ Sleek, ambidextrous design
+ Customisable features
+ Rubberised texture
+ Macro functionality
+ Good DPI range (if somewhat limited in choice)
+ Same DNA has the original Sensei
+ Available in Rubber or Gloss coating
Cons
– No colour customisation
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
