When most of us hear the word mouse pad mentioned the biggest majority of us don’t think of nothing any different outside the standard size of 5 or 6 inches squared that has been around since the beginning of their existence. That’s right, just the simple mouse pad only now some have pictures, some are made of different types of materials and even have parts that move, and some are still just plain of course. Most people who only use a computer on occasion or whose job doesn’t require the use of computer the mouse pad doesn’t really matter at all as long as the ball of the mouse moves as it should to let us complete whatever function we need at that time of use. Now that viewpoint as I mentioned is only for a select group and definitely not for gamer of today on the PC who the mouse pad can mean the difference between a sweet game or a blowout not to mention preventing alot of frustration during play.
Yes I can definitely say that gaming today whether on a console or PC has continually kept producers and developers on their toes keeping the products and accessories at the top of the line in standards and variety. That’s why with mouse pads as simple as they may seem has also had to grow and change to keep us with the needs of the PC gamer to help keep gaming at its best. The main function of the mouse pad as we all know is for function and control of the mouse and the better the control the better the accuracy and precision of the task not to mention time saving also. When you mention control, accuracy and precision and time to a gamer you will find that they are all included in the main components of gaming so products to help maintain those is a must for the progamer. I remember playing many years back on the PC and using my standard size mouse of course and during play I kept running my mouse off the pad resulting in getting killed or not being able to land or take off as needed (in flight similulator). Other games I played had the same results and the accuracy really sucked overall but at the time I didn’t realize how bad it really was because almost everyone else had the same problems too. I kept trying to change the sensitivity to the mouse over and over but really that only helped with specific problems not just the entire operation of the mouse with the pad but hey! at least things are better now and some of you guys never had to experience it at all.
Today the universal mouse pad still exist but the gamer of today or the progamer now has many choices in size, style, fabric, and price. After using many different (and I won’t mention other brands) we here at Joystick Radio found that the SteelSeries can provide pretty much whatever you need in the area of mouse pads whether you want thick or thin, big or small and still get professional results with their use. SteelSeries offers mouse pads made from a variety of materials producing unique durable surfaces at reasonable pricing for the progamer who demands quality. The mouse pad we use for our PC gaming is the SteelSeries QCK heavy progaming mouse pad. The mouse pad is made of very high quality cloth which provides a precise and consistent glide along with also being extremely durable and well made. The QCK heavy is made a little thicker for any surfaces with might be a little uneven or bumpy so the pad absorbs the difference (to an extent of course) so your accuracy is still on the nose. The actual size of the QCK heavy is 17.7 x 15.7 x 0.2 in. which is plenty space for the roaming gamer and as I mentioned the extra thickness is nice for uneven surfaces and I found it also nice for the tired wrist to take a rest on instead of on the edge of the hard desk for those long hours of play. We also found that no matter which SteelSeries you choose they all has the same great rubber back grip no matter what surface they are placed on whether wood, glass, steel etc. We also tested the QCK with a variety of mouse’s ranging from the older rolling ball mechanism mouse to the new laser controlled mouse and the results were as expected each showing no pauses or skipping that we noticed.
To sum things up I can’t say that SteelSeries is the best on the market, but that’s only because we haven’t tried all that’s out on the market and don’t intend to try them all because the SteelSeries met all our requirements so why try anymore. SteelSeries products function at the top-of-the line quality in which I give excellent recommendation especially for the QCK heavy which works very well with all our gaming needs and let me tell you that’s alot which in return means alot when it comes to durability. SteelSeries produces several mouse pads ranging from small to XXL so please be sure to measure area for correct fit because some of these mouse pads are so large they can actually take up more space than you have to spare. I also would like to add that SteelSeries has been producing since 2001 a great variety of peripherals and accessories to help assist in meeting the needs of gamers of today on all levels so check out this site for additional information see: www.steelseries.com. Also for those possibly looking for a change in a mouse that they might be using please check back with our site shortly for the complete review on the SteelSeries Ikari Laser mouse. 
