| SteelSeries NP+ Rough Gaming Surface Mouse Pad |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Input Devices | |
| Written by Joey Peng | |
| Friday, 07 May 2010 | |
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SteelSeries NP+ Final Thoughts
A mouse pad is like clothes, different people prefer different materials and textures. Many debate whether hard or soft gaming surfaces are better, in the end its all about comfort and personal preference.
In general, hard surfaces allow for finer and smaller bumps and has very little friction, together this leads to the feeling of higher sensitivity since it puts the control of the mouse completely in the hands of the user. This usually suits people with steady hands or when pin-point accuracy is not needed. Working with image or video editing may prove difficult on a hard surface unless the sensitivity of the mouse is turned very low. Soft (cloth-based) surfaces have a lot more friction and it will feel much easier to "stop" the mouse. As a result, short distance movement becomes a lot easier to control. There are numerous materials for both hard and soft gaming surfaces, each type can have a different texture and feel. Attempting to find the "perfect" mouse pad may prove very difficult. Short of purchasing a bunch of mouse pads, the best way to determine your preferences is by testing on a fine wooden surface and a piece of paper. If you prefer the wooden surface, you should probably take your chances with a smoothe surface mouse pad, and if paper go for rough surfaces. The SteelSeries NP+ is a soft, rough surfaced mousepad. This type of surface generates large amounts of friction for accurate control, and the textured surface allows fine tracking at high sensitivity. The NP+ is classified more as a mousepad for control.
SteelSeries NP+ ConclusionThe SteelSeries NP+ is truly a wonderful gaming surface and offers exceptional control. It does exactly what it claims to be able to do, including high grip and liquid resistance, all thanks to the magic of compressed fiber. The SteelSeries NP+ performs much better than standard clothe-based soft surfaces, and even at high sensitivities the mouse stays easy to control. While you won't feel the speed like on a hard gaming surfaces, the NP+ will give you all the accuracy you need for precision. The mat is heavy, coupled with the rubber bottom, it grips onto the desk and will never shift in position. The design may be a little dull, but in no way does it look bad. While some may be confused at what the NP+ is on first glance, the high quality look and feel will make sure they know it's a piece of high end equipment. The SteelSeries NP+ is constructed very well, the fusing together of the layers was done well and even the logo seems to be pasted on tight enough for some gentil cleaning. The surface and thickness is uniform and should offer a great tracking experience. Out of all the XXL gaming surfaces out there, the NP+ is one of the largest. There are a couple that come at even more ridculous sizes, up to a meter wide, but the NP+ is roughly the largest square-shaped mousepad, which makes more sense usability-wise. The SteelSeries NP+ is available for $24.99 at NewEgg, and that's a fairly reasonable price for a high quality XXL size gaming mat as the standard mouse pads tend to cost around $25. However the performance is excellent and given the limited options out there for XXL rough surface gaming mats, this just might be one of the best. Pros:
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Comments
Have you even tried to peel it off? It doesn't wear down... It's painted well and feels high quality.
"Looks a little plain"
......
Yes, because mice work best on PLAIN SURFACES!