These days, gamers use all sorts of advanced computer peripherals to improve their gaming performance, especially for competitive games like Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), Real-Time Strategy (RTS), and First-Person Shooter (FPS) games.
However, it isn't always easy to pick the right computer peripherals, especially since there are so many options to choose from. You can easily get confused by all the options and their unending features, most of which are just marketing gimmicks.
Let's pull back the curtains on gaming mouse pads to help you better understand the basics of this computer peripheral and guide you in choosing the best one for yourself.
Your Guide to Choosing the Best Gaming Mouse Pads
When choosing the best gaming mouse pads, here are the basic things to consider.
Surface Texture
Surface texture is the core of any gaming mouse pad as it is the most useful part, that helps improve your gaming performance. There are two main types of surface textures.
Hard Plastic
These are hard gaming mouse pads made from plastic, wood, or lightweight aluminum. They have a flat and smooth surface designed for excellent mouse glide. Typically, hard plastic offers swift mouse movements, which is great for gamers that prefer speed over accuracy.
They offer ideal performance for fast-paced games like MOBA and RTS games, where speed is prioritized over accuracy. However, the tough surface of hard plastic gaming mouse pads can deteriorate the feet of your gaming mouse over time, which is not ideal.
Soft Fabric
These are soft gaming mouse pads made from a fabric blend. They are designed to offer good gliding ability and stopping power. However, their key benefit is that they offer accuracy over speed.
This makes them ideal for FPS games, where competitive gamers want accuracy in gaming over speed.
Their soft design also means that they are foldable, making them very portable. Unlike hard plastic gaming mouse pads, soft fabric variants are easy on your gaming mouse's feet and do not deteriorate them as easily over time.
Size
The size of your gaming mouse pad is the next important factor to consider, and it depends on how much space you have on your desk and what your typical mouse sensitivity (DPI) is. Usually, hard gaming mouse pads come in small to medium sizes because MOBA and RTS gamers prefer higher mouse DPI settings to make quick and fast movements without moving the mouse too much.
On the other hand, soft fabric gaming mouse pads are typically sold in all sizes, but the popular size choices are large or extended. This is because FPS gamers usually play with lower DPI settings for more accuracy, which means they need more mouse pad surface to move around without running out of space.
Your choice of size will depend on your preference for mouse DPI settings. If you play competitive RTS or MOBA games, where speed is a priority, you can make use of small to mid-sized mouse pads. If you play competitive FPS games where you want accuracy, a large or extended mouse pad will be better for you.
Edges
The edges of your gaming mouse pad may not seem important, but they are. Rough edges can lead to mouse cord resistance while gaming and also cause cord abrasions over time. Most high-end hard plastic mouse pads come with an edgeless design to overcome these issues.
In contrast, soft fabric mouse pads use high-quality stitched edges to avoid cord resistance and abrasions. These stitched edges also prevent the fabric from fraying over time. Always opt for high-quality stitched edges, like ones found on our Thasis gaming mouse pad.
Thickness
All gaming mouse pads come with a rubber base to ensure that the pad does not slip away from the desk when the mouse moves on top of it. However, the thickness of this rubber base is another important factor to consider.
Hard plastic gaming mouse pads come with thinner designs for ease of use, whereas soft fabric gaming mouse pads are usually thicker to prevent the contours of your desk surface from interfering with the pad's smooth surface.
Thicker mouse pads also mean more comfort for your wrists. However, excess thickness means more weight and less flexibility in soft gaming mouse pads. Make sure you opt for an ideal thickness between 3mm and 5mm.
Extra Features
The extra features of gaming mouse pads are the least important things to consider. However, you shouldn't disregard them either. They add style and convenience to the mouse pad but are mostly included as marketing gimmicks.
Things like RGB lighting, USB pass-through, and wireless charging are among some extra features to consider, but do not let them dictate your choice of gaming mouse pad.
Conclusion
By now, you should have a good understanding of the basics of gaming mouse pads to help you make the right choice that suits your gaming preferences and style. Just make sure to consider the mentioned things, and you should have no trouble choosing the best gaming mouse pad for yourself.
