SteelSeries Aerox 9 review TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. SteelSeries Aerox 9 review The SteelSeries Aerox 9 is tailor-made for MMO or MOBA enthusiasts. By Allisa James published 7 September 2022 (Image: © Future / Allisa James) TechRadar Verdict For those looking for a premium quality gaming mouse that's built specifically for MMO or MOBA gaming, the SteelSeries Aerox 9 is the best you can get in terms of build quality and performance. Pros + Excellent performance+ Premium build quality+ Fantastic battery life Cons - Not left-handed friendly- Expensive Jump to: One-minute review Price Design Features Performance Should I buy it? Also consider Report card SteelSeries Aerox 9 One-minute review The SteelSeries Aerox 9 is the company's latest foray into creating a high-end gaming mouse that's specifically designed for MMO and MOBA gaming. The mouse goes for $149 (around £128, AU$217), which is steep but reflects its premium design. It's lightweight, well-built, and comes with gorgeous RGB lighting. Unlike the SteelSeries Aerox 5, which features a multitude of buttons all over the wireless gaming mouse that can be mapped for various tasks, the Aerox 9 has six buttons scattered over the rest of the body and 12 numbered buttons on the left side. These buttons can each be mapped out for a unique command shortcut, instead of having to set those shortcuts on the UI itself, which makes for lightning-fast move executions. Just like the 5, the SteelSeries Aerox 9 comes with software in order to customize the button layout. However, unlike the 5 or even the 3, when connecting the 9 to your PC or laptop, the software doesn't automatically load up. You have to search for it first, which is both inconvenient and odd, to say the least. In terms of specs, it's what you would expect from a premium gaming mouse: water- and dust-resistant, mechanical switches with over 80 million click durability, 18,000 CPI, 400 IPS, 40G acceleration, 1 to 1 tracking, tilt tracking, an incredibly long battery life, and either 2.4 GHz wireless or Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity. Even the glide skates are high quality and work well on most smooth surfaces that, coupled with the perforated body and thin PCB, supports even faster movements and reaction speeds. All of these are vital for when you're in the heat of battle and need your commands and abilities to activate immediately. SteelSeries Aerox 9 Price and availabilityHow much does it cost? $149 (£139, AU$159)Where is it available? Available nowWhere can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia You can purchase the SteelSeries Aerox 9 now for $149 (£139, AU$159), which is steep for a gaming mouse. However, since you're paying for a mouse that's built from the ground up for optimized gaming, it's more than worth its asking price. SteelSeries is also good about making this mouse available globally, as you can purchase it in a wide variety of regions including the UK and Australia. Pricing is pretty fair among those regions as well.Value: 5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Allisa James) SteelSeries Aerox 9 DesignLightweight yet sturdy designButtons located in convenient spotsNot for left-handed people The SteelSeries Aerox 9's design is excellent, made to be as light, and easy to move as possible in order to enhance its speed. Just like the Aerox 5, it features a perforated body and an ultra-thin PCB, which cuts down on the weight. The glide skates offer smooth movements across most surfaces, whether wooden or metal, meaning that you won't be worrying about the mouse getting caught up during a heated session. (Image credit: Future / Allisa James) There's also the button placement, which is located in strategic spots based on where a gamer's fingers and hands tend to rest. The six main buttons are designed to accommodate most grip types including claw, fingertip, or palm grips, while the 12 numbered ones are placed on the left side for easy reach with your thumb. It can be a little tricky to adjust to using so many buttons at once, especially without looking at them, but eventually, it becomes second nature. The only main issue is that this is clearly a right-handed mouse so left-handed players, unless they can adapt, will find it extremely difficult to use this mouse.Design: 4.5 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Allisa James) SteelSeries Aerox 9 FeaturesComes wireless dongle and wired chargerHave to search for and install the SteelSeries GG application The SteelSeries Aerox 9 comes with a USB Type-C dongle for the wireless connection, as well as a Type-C charging cord for fast charging. The cord also allows users to utilize the mouse in wired mode, which means you'll never be without your mouse. There's RGB lighting, which is great for fans of it, but we found that while you rest your hand on the mouse, it's obscured. The SteelSeries GG application allows you to fully customize your mouse buttons including the 12 on the left. However, it's odd that unlike the Aerox 5, this mouse doesn't automatically load up the software. Instead, you have to search for and open it yourself.Features: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future / Allisa James) SteelSeries Aerox 9 PerformancePerformance is excellentGreat quality mechanical buttonsLong battery life With all these features, how well does the SteelSeries Aerox 9 perform? Spectacularly, we're glad to report. All the design features like the ultra-light weight, glide skates, the build itself that allows for multiple gripe types (claw, fingertip, or palm grip), and of course, the button layout help deliver an excellent experience while playing any game, especially MMOs. Like the other mice in the series, the Aerox 9 purports an 18,000 CPI with 1000Hz/1ms of polling, 400 IPS, 40G acceleration, 1 to 1 tracking, tilt tracking, and more. In other words, this mouse has some incredibly precise cursor control that can be customized even more with the software. Its battery life is also excellent so you can literally forget about charging it for days and then quickly charge it to full capacity within a few hours. Meanwhile, whether you choose between 2.4 GHz of wireless connectivity or Bluetooth 5.0, you'll still get a lightning-fast connection, although the wireless one is preferable as it's far faster than Bluetooth. Being able to assign abilities or spells to the 12 buttons on the side of the mouse's body allows for instant execution of so many of them beyond even the other buttons. All 12 buttons utilize high-quality mechanical switches, meaning they have near-instant reaction times and a long shelf life, ideal for those who need a long-lasting mouse for their hardcore gaming sessions.Performance: 5 / 5 Should I buy the SteelSeries Aerox 9 (Image credit: Future / Allisa James) Buy it if You need a specialty gaming mouse for MMO/MOBA The SteelSeries Aerox 9 is meant for those who want a dedicated mouse for either MMOs or MOBA games, as its features are built around that genre.You're looking for a premium build and performance This mouse is both premium in its build quality and in how well it performs, a reflection of the care that SteelSeries took in creating it.You want customization options Thanks to the SteelSeries GG application, you can completely customize the mouse, from its polling rates, DPI, angle snapping to its acceleration, deceleration and other options. Don t buy it if You're on a budget This is not a cheap product, as it's built from the ground up to be the ultimate gaming mouse, so if you need something inexpensive then look elsewhere.You're not a fan of RBG lighting While there are many fans of RBG lighting, for plenty of people it can be distracting or make the mouse more difficult to use due to the bright and flashing lights. Also consider (opens in new tab)Razer Deathadder V3 Pro This is one of the best gaming mice, period. While it's expensive it's more than worth the price of admission, with its light and sleek design, near-perfect performance, and long battery life. Check out our full Razer Deathadder V3 Pro review (opens in new tab)