MOUSE PADS

Keep your mouse happy atop a great surface

- By Jacob Fox

You shouldn't underestimate the humble mouse pad. I've been trying to convince my colleagues for years that mouse mats are a crucial bit of kit that's not to be overlooked, and this group test should go some way towards establishing my argument to that effect.

A good mouse pad can make or break your aim in a competitive shooter, giving you just the right—or just the wrong—amount of stopping power to land—or miss—that headshot.

QcK Performance Speed

STEELSERIES $40

Redefining smooth

Let's kick it off with one of my favorite products of the last few years, and the one that inspired me to do this group test in the first place: the SteelSeries QcK Performance. There are three different versions, but the Speed one is what most of the people I know who have tried it out like the most. This mouse pad redefined for me what comfortable first-person shooter gameplay can mean. It's not cheap for what is admittedly a very plain-looking cloth mouse pad, but you're getting a very unique kind of pad.

It's technically cloth, but it feels smoother and better-woven than that, without going fully glass or plastic. It should also last a long time thanks to its edge stitching, which is sunken and therefore shouldn't dig into your wrist or arm at all. All of which makes it a top-tier choice for both mouse control and speed, which is why it's my go-to for competitive first-person shooter gaming.

The only real downside is it doesn't come in a smaller size, so you might be out of luck if you have a small desk.

HyperFlux V2

RAZER $120

Pretty and practical