A battle of the peripheral software; is one really better than the other?

SteelSeries Engine can link to other apps to display various bits of data.

© STEELSERIES

WHEN WE REVIEW a product, we look at the software as well as the hardware. Sure, most peripherals have good functionality without having to install anything, but if you want to unlock their full potential, installing the software suite is advised. In this head-to-head, we’re going to look at the two software suites we seem to get on with the best: Corsair iCUE and SteelSeries Engine 3. This isn’t to say that software from other brands is not up to scratch (Razer’s Synapse is another standout), but these two are our current favorites.

Corsair iCUE comes in at a hefty 741MB for its latest version. Corsair has all the usual macro controls for keyboards, mice, and headsets, and with the acquisition of Elgato, you can actually integrate the Stream Deck with it, too, so you can create some crazy lighting scenes at the touch of a button. If you want to control your Philips Hue products with iCUE alongside this, no problem. With Corsair having far more hardware than SteelSeries, there is a lot more to control. Corsair manufactures power supplies, RAM, coolers, cases, custom loop products, and more, and the majority of it has some type of control via iCUE, even if sometimes it is just lighting.