SteelSeries SteelPad QCK+ Mousepad

Asa gamer, you are always trying to be better than the guy next to you. Every little advantage helps.  SteelSeries, a company dedicated tocreating performance peripherals and accessories for the gaming crowd,hopes that their SteelPad QCK+ will help provide that extra edge.  Canthe QCK+ live up to its billing as the "Limousine of cloth mouse pads,"or will that claim prove to be a stretch?

• XXL sized cloth mouse pad - your mouse will never slip off
• Ideal for low sensitivity mouse settings
• Compatible with all mice
• Specially designed non-slip rubber base
• 17.7 x 15.7in (450mm x 400mm) - thickness 2mm

"Theextreme size makes this mouse pad perfect for low sensitivity mousesettings, and the smooth cloth surface offers maximum precision. Thecloth surface is also very easy on the user’s wrists, even for hardcoregamers, graphic designers and others who use their mouse for extendedperiods of time."

First Impressions

Thefirst thing I noticed when taking out the mouse pad was just how bigthe thing is. According to the SteelSeries website, it measures  450mmx 400mm.  Here we see just how big the mouse pad is compared to a 30cmruler and a standard Microsoft Wireless mouse.  Having a lot of mousereal estate has a couple of benefits. A large surface area eliminatesthe annoying problem of sliding your mouse off your mouse pad.  Thismouse pad is clearly marketed towards players who prefer lowsensitivity over high sensitivity and need extra room to maneuver.Counter Strike 1.6 and Source are two prime examples.  Most hardcore orprofessional gamers will tell you that a lower sensitivity willincrease your aim and therefore improve your game. Unfortunately, a lotof people, including myself, don't have the time or don't care enoughto get used to such a low sensitivity.

Asyou may have noticed, the QcK+ is a fairly plain mouse padaesthetically. Unlike some other mouse pads on the market, it's notadorned with 3D designs or any other bling. The only distinguishingmark on the black cloth is a crosshair-esque logo in the lower lefthand corner of the pad. The reverse side of the pad is a texturedrubberized surface to prevent the pad from sliding or slipping off yourdesk.

I’dalso like to note that I recently attended a LAN Party and was able toroll up and store the pad conveniently in its retail box withoutdamaging it. Furthermore, the pad retained its flat shape and didn’tcurl up.

Testing

After using the QcK+ for a few weeksnow, I must say that I am truly impressed with it. Most of my testingconsisted of intense Counter Strike Source fragfests with theHardwareLogic staff, as well as other servers I frequent.  During gameplay, I lowered the in-game sensitivity to 1 and kept my LogitechMX-518’s hardware sensitivity at 1800 DPI.  I felt like I had morecontrol over the movements of my mouse compared to a standard mousepad. I didn’t have to exert as much work on the mouse to move it due tothe smooth surface, which made for a more comfortable and accurategaming experience.

Warranty & Support

Our Recommendation

Pros

• Size
• Reasonable price
• Smooth surface
• Can be rolled, bent, twisted, etc. without being damaged

Cons

• A lot of desk real estate is required (though this can be rectified by purchasing a smaller model)
• Cloth is harder to clean than plastic (don't spill your soda on it!)
• Cloth degrades faster than plastic