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Do Mousepads make a difference in gaming? [ANSWERED]

    ✅ Fact Checked
    Updated on October 6, 2022
    John Chad, Bachelor Computer Science Degree & Computer Engineering.
    Written by
    John Chad, Bachelor Degree in Computer Science & Computer Engineering.
    Russel Collins
    Fact Checked by
    Russel Collins
    John is a certified IT & Computer Engineer with a Bachelors Degree. He has worked for a International Insurance Company in the IT department before deciding to become a full time blogger to help his readers. Holds a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from Stanford University.

    This is a common question, and honestly, if buying a better or bigger mouse pad is worth it or not depends on what you intend to use it for, we will cover the major differences between a cheap and an expensive mousepad and why they’re better, especially for gamers.

    Why Mousepads are important

    The first thing that’s usually brought up when talking about these things is glide performance as well as tracking accuracy. A good surface offers frictionless movement so your cursor responds instantly without having any kind of delay associated with it, which is crucial in fast-paced games. If you’re a gamer and you are looking to compete, having pinpoint accuracy is probably important for you, and a good surface will help you achieve that.

    Another thing to mention is comfort, and while it’s not directly related to performance or tracking, having a comfortable mousepad can make the difference between an enjoyable gaming session and one where your arm starts hurting after playing for just half an hour because of how much effort you have to put into moving the cursor around. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that manufacturers advertise too often so finding out which one works best for your hand size might take some digging through user reviews before buying anything (which we recommend if possible).

    Are bigger pads better than small ones?

    This is a question that doesn’t really have a definitive answer, as it depends on personal preferences. Generally speaking, though, large mousepads tend to be more comfortable because they offer more space for your hand to move around and don’t require you to constantly reposition the device so you can reach all of the buttons comfortably. On the other hand, small pads are often cheaper and take up less space on your desk, which might be important if you’re limited in terms of how much room you have.

    If you play FPS games, most people use low sensitivity for pinpoint accuracy and that’s where bigger pads really help a lot since you’ll need to move your mouse a lot more for flicks / 180º turns.

    The brands aren’t too important as long as it has a good fabric and has enough size that fits your needs as explained above, however, for a large mousepad we usually recommend SteelSeries QCK+ or perhaps one of the Razer large options if you like RGB, albeit Razer products are generally overpriced.

    If you’re just going for a regular sized one then almost any other brand should do the trick, just avoid the really cheap ones as they tend to wear out quickly and offer a poor experience.

    Do Mousepads make a difference in gaming?

    In conclusion, they are important for competitive gamers who want better glide performance and pinpoint accuracy as well as those looking for increased comfort during long gaming sessions. Do some research on which one would be best suited for your needs before making a purchase – you won’t regret it!

    If you’re into FPS games, such as Warzone, Valorant, CS GO, Fortnite, etc… Then a large mousepad is recommended since you generally play with a low sensibility to improve your accuracy, as such, there are a few that will be perfect for most people, we will list them below, however, our favorite has to be the SteelSeries QCK+. It’s big, it’s smooth & it is perfect. From all the ones we’ve tested, it is no doubt the one that we felt to be the best.

    Our recommended list:

    • SteelSeries QCK+
    • Razer Goliathus Extended (Not too tall but very wide)
    • Razer Gigantus

    If you have any questions feel free to leave them below in the comments & we will answer them as soon as possible!