SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pad review

I am a simple man, prone to enjoying the simple pleasures in life such as a nice glide over a quality mouse pad. These new SteelSeries QcK performance mouse pads are tailored to someone like me, from their neoprene base to cleanly stitched edges, densely fibred surfaces, and plain black design.

SteelSeries expressed to me all the stuff that one might expect a company to say—that these are fine-tuned for competitive gaming and feel great thanks to a “specialised blend of materials” that have been meticulously adjusted with the help of pros for performance and comfort. But the thing is, after using these pads for a while, I believe them.

These really are premium mouse pads, and in my opinion are a genuine improvement over the original QcK models. But they’re also significantly more expensive at $40/£40 for Large (490 x 420 mm) or $50/£45 for Extra Large (900 x 400 mm).

There are three versions to consider: Speed, Balance, and Control. They all promise slightly different textures and feels, though let’s start with what’s common to all three versions.

The first thing I noticed was they’re slightly squidgey and stretchy when you hold them, unlike your standard rubber-and-cloth mouse pad. That’s because the base is neoprene foam rather than rubber, which works very well for both stability and cushioning.

Word of warning: Because neoprene is squishy, if you put something heavy on top of the mouse pad it can leave indents in it for a while, just like memory foam. My heavy keyboard’s feet left small indents, for instance, but they came out after a few hours.

The next thing I noticed is the stitching. The main problem with the original QcK mouse pads, in my opinion, was their lack of edge stitching. But on the other hand, many mouse pads’ stitching is uncomfortable. Edge stitching prevents fraying and surface lift-off over time, but it can also dig into your arm or wrist.

Not so with the new QcK performance mats, because these have low-profile stitching which is actually a little less raised than the surface of the pad (which is 3.5 mm thick—thicker than the standard QcK but thinner than the QcK Heavy, of course).

The rest of the design is your standard SteelSeries affair: plain black with the logo on the bottom-right. Lovely. Except there’s also a coloured tag that says ‘QcK’ plus ‘Speed’, ‘Balance’, or ‘Control’ depending on your version. This tag is a fantastic little bit of flair that really suits the overall look, which is otherwise a pretty standard black mouse pad.

Combine the densely packed fibres with the low profile stitching and neoprene base and you have a mouse pad that feels wonderful and possibly worth the high price tag (we’ll get to that later).

Then there’s the pads’ performance, and I’m sold on this front, too—especially the Control version.

One thing to note, though, is that you probably shouldn’t buy into all the hype SteelSeries might spout about them. For instance, the company says the mouse pad “has all but been forgotten or neglected when it comes to pure performance and playstyle for over 20 years.”

That’s definitely an exaggeration. Perhaps you’re not getting a massive performance focus from the big brands, but there’s certainly still a healthy market for it. You have the Esports Tiger EBA that often gets recommended, for instance. Or (one that I always wanted but never got my hands on) an Artisan Raiden—I think it’s the Raiden V2 now, though. And I’d assume pads like the Raiden V2 would be faster than the QcK Performance Speed, too, though I can’t say for sure not having tested the former myself.

There’s also the fact that the whole speed vs control thing has been done before. I know this because I remember absolutely loving the (now seemingly discontinued) Razer Goliathus Control mouse pad, which stood in opposition to the Razer Goliathus speed (the Control actually offered more glide than the Speed, though… go figure).

The SteelSeries QcK Performance pads seem to get the Speed vs Control distinction right, though, and absolutely nail both ends of the spectrum. The Goliathus ones, in my opinion, didn’t do that.

I spent a lot of time reigniting my dampened flame for competitive shooters while testing these mouse pads, and I found myself clicking heads in no time with the QcK Performance Control.

This pad is a little roughly textured (but still has decent glide) and I found it to have much better stopping power than other mouse pads I’ve used, including the one I previously used the most, the Logitech G840. There’s no overshooting with the Control, unlike with the Speed, which I did find myself overshooting on sometimes.

The Speed version has its uses though, primarily for flickshots. It might also be good for smooth tracking, for example using a lightning gun in Quake or an SMG in Apex Legends.

I tried out some tracking gameplay in the Diabotical aim trainer, and strangely found my accuracy results with the Speed to be the worst of the three, but I reckon that’s just because a glide-y mouse pad requires a little more time to get used to. Once you’re used to it, I reckon there’s better potential for tracking gameplay with the Speed than with the Control or Balance.

The Balance version lies between the two, and feels the closest to an ‘ordinary’ mouse pad like the ones from the original QcK line-up. It’s the most familiar.

I spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out what I felt the difference to be between the Balance pad and the original (non-Performance) QcK. I reckon the Balance feels a little smoother than the original, and it’s a little spongier thanks to the neoprene base, which should, I suppose, in theory make it easier to control if you apply a little pressure. Whatever the case, it just feels… better.

If stellar mouse pads didn’t call me so strongly towards competitive shooters like CS2 and quake (or quake-likes), though, I’d probably opt for the Speed version. Heck, I’m tempted to stick with the Speed version even now, despite finding I perform a little worse in distance accuracy or tracking scenarios with Speed rather than control.

That’s because it’s fun. I always used to like really glide-y mouse pads. They might require more practice to perfect your control over stopping that crosshair on enemies, but for smooth movement, flickshots, and desktop use (which shouldn’t be overlooked), the QcK Speed is where it’s at.

So then we come to pricing. At $40 (for Large) I think one of these is worth it provided you’re a competitive FPS gamer. If you’re just doing some casual gaming, a cheaper one such as an original QcK for $15 or a Logitech G240 for $10 will serve you just fine. But for competitive shooters I can wholeheartedly recommend the QcK Performance Control for $40, or the Speed if you play games that require that.

Balance… not so much. I feel you might as well use a cheaper standard mouse pad if that’s what you’re going for. Unless you have money to spare and just want something that looks and feels like it has that extra level of quality.

And that’s all there is to it, really. These pads feel better than any other mainstream pad I’ve used. They even feel more pleasing to pick up and shimmy around on my desk when needed thanks to the interesting neoprene base and stitched edges. The line-up feels like a definite all-round upgrade over the original QcK line-ups. Expensive, but worth it for competitive gaming.