I remember the SteelSeries Sensei series. It was iconic, it was shiny and it was MLG. I thought I had to say goodbye and assumed it discontinued. Now, after 10 years, SteelSeries had decided to bring back the Sensei, with the Ten moniker in celebration of a decade with the Sensei Series.
Design
The Sensei Ten is not a complicated mouse, with a symmetrical body and discreet design language. The symmetry will appeal to lefties, and the low profile will appeal to both hardcore and minimalist gamers. There’s only one paint job, and it’s just matte black, which highlights its only 2 RGB zones, which are the scroll wheel and towards the bottom of the mouse where the palm rests. Side buttons are here too, with a pair on each side, which stays true to being lefty friendly.
It measures small (5.0 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches), with a very straighforward, no-nonsense layout. You’ve got both left and right clickers, a satisfying clicky scroll wheel, and the CPI-switcher just below the RGB scroll wheel.
One thing to dislike here is the lack of attention to the wire used. It’s not braided and surely going to tangle on you if you don’t frequently keep things in check. It could have been immediately forgivable if it could be detachable but perhaps it might happen in a future wireless version.
Features
All eyes are on software once the hardware’s been covered. SteelSeries Engine has always been on of my most favorite peripheral supporting apps because in my opinion it’s well made, well optimized and the synchronization is painless. I can pretty much say the same for Corsair and ROG’s too, but in this case, I own a near full SteelSeries ecosystem sans the keyboard. I have this mouse, the Arctis 5 RGB headset and an XL QcK Prism Cloth, so I do have a good impression about the brand and the software.
The Sensei Ten has one of the widest ranges of CPI I have ever seen, spanning from 50 to 18000, and you can create profiles and set the RGB to indicate what CPI you’re on. All the compatible hardware can adjust themselves accordingly to any game you set, so there’s that versatility and customization that people should have. If you intend for this mouse to be part of your main esports gear, the Sensei Ten is able to save up to 5 profiles on its own, so you don’t have to install SteelSeries Engine on the tournament PC.
On a final note, all 8 buttons in this mouse are programmable and that’s pretty neat considering it’s for both right and left handed users and diverse gripping postures (Claw, fingertip and palm)
The Apps section in SteelSeries Engine is very straightforward. Working with even 3rd Party apps like Discord and Spotify, you can configure your hardware to notify you using colors when something happens, such as choosing for the mouse to flash green when someone enters the Discord chat or the keyboard going red for awhile when someone leaves. PrismSync is great too and I use it all the time because it’s literally just a switch for me to toggle when I absolutely want ALL my hardware to light up in unison.
TrueMove that truly moves
The leaps and bounds that the Sensei Ten flexes is the new TrueMove Pro sensor. Following the footsteps of the Rival 600, the sensor features superior tilt tracking and ripple control. This is a good thing for those who prefer to play on high CPI settings, as the sensor does not struggle trying to keep up with the player’s high speed movements. The operation is overall buttery smooth, with the weight of the device just being a respectable 92 grams.
Is it worth it ?
The Sensei Ten is a good choice, even if you didn’t own one ten years ago. It has an appeal to the low-profile minimalists and the gamer who wants to prioritize precision and performance over aesthetics. It comes with a fair RM 279 price tag and there are no complicated frills about it.
You’re going to focus on your game and not your mouse. If you’re not convinced about the lack of detachable wiring and RGB light zones, I’d recommend the Rival 600. Not only will you get the detachable wiring, but the ability to open the side grips and add little weights in for the perfect fit.
