First of all, I'm not an avid contemporary PC gamer -- I occasionally play older games on GoG or Steam because of the nostalgia factor (and the easy/addictive nature of simpler games), but I spend nearly all of my computer time by writing papers, crafting spreadsheets, and designing unnecessary/ugly presentation slides. So this review is based on that type of experience (I am reviewing the Square Sense CTRL version).

Aesthetics: This is the best looking mousepad I have ever owned. At first, I thought it would be too big, but now I think I would have preferred a larger one that covers my whole desk. The Square version is already more than enough room for my mouse usage, so I have dedicated an "important documents" space on the mousepad, and it adds an almost "young executive" type of look (hopefully, that doesn't sound too obnoxious). The stitched border adds a desk pad type of aesthetic, and it looks better than the borderless, infinity pool type of generic mousepads that the overworked IT person places at your office desk during the first week of work (the ones that oftentimes come with a blue fabric top that peels off easily, and if you're lucky, has a wrist rest attached, even though it becomes indented after not-so-ample usage).

Texture: The mousepad surface sort of resembles those overpriced (but still desirable) Moleskine brand notebooks, so I really enjoy the lightly pebbled-like feel. My mouse (I use a Tecknet brand "silent" mouse) slides effortlessly, and it feels better than the more common cloth-like fabric used on many other mousepads. Additionally, I accidentally spilled some crumbs on this mousepad, and they wiped off easily, leaving no visible remnants (compared to my old SteelSeries QcK, medium classic style, which would trap some of my messy habits and cat/dog hair within the cloth-like surface). I'm not sure how this mousepad will fare with liquid, and I prefer not to test that out, despite the product's advertised waterproof feature.

Base: The bottom grip is admittedly not very "sticky," but because of the large square size, the mousepad does not easily move around. I doubt I will have any issues with movement considering my predominately mundane tasks, and I'm not sure what types of computer activities would result in this mousepad's displacement...

Miscellaneous: In the past, I have had mousepads that would stubbornly curl up after unpackaging them, so I would need to place random objects on the corners to keep it flat (or lay them upside-down, or wash them, or iron them). However, this mousepad unfurled and flattened out easily. No dog-ear corner flaps or curling up sides here.

Cost: It's not a fair comparison, but this Roccat is about triple the price of my old SteelSeries QcK. If I compare this to the large stitched edge version of the SteelSeries QcK, the Roccat is still about double the price. However, comparing the other features I mentioned, I think the Roccat still justifies the higher cost.

A very minor complaint is the Roccat logo, which sort of resembles an "edgy" Thundercats design. It's only about a square inch in size, so it's not terribly obtrusive/egregious advertisement, but I put a beer coaster over it anyway. Of course, that is just a personal preference.

The bottom could have more grip to it.

Just updating this review again. I've had this matt for over 4 months now and it has held up great. I originally thought it was a tad overpriced but considering how well this has held up, I think you are getting a great quality pad for your money.

Update 1/27/2022: I have gotten a second one of these pads because of how much I liked the first one. I added an additional image to show it is wide enough for a minimal keyboard and mouse as well. Just a great gaming surface!

UPDATE: 1/2/2021 I have had this pad for several weeks now and just wanted to update the review to say it is holding up very well. Surface is still nice and smooth and I have seen zero pilling.

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This review might be odd at first glance. I mean I only gave this 3 stars yet I'm going to rave about it. First let me talk about the positives then at the end I'll explain why just the 3 stars.

This is an oversized pad. A large square. I have fairly large hands, I have to buy Xl sized gloves, so the first picture in this review should give you a good idea how large this pad is. The stitching on the outer edges is top notch. Super tight and not any stray threads in sight. The material is a great tracking surface. Kind of remind me of a wet suit. The mouse just glides across the pad with very little friction. The surface texture provides just enough tension so things don't overly slide around. The bottom has a rubberized texture and it grips tight to my desktop. Just a great pad!

So why the 3 stars? Price. $30 for a pad? The excellent HyperX pad of the same size is only $19. The also excellent SteelSeries QcK is just $24. So at $30 I just can't recommend this pad. If it ever goes on sale for around the $19 - $24 price point I think it would be a good pickup because the quality is certainly there.

The mouse pad measures about 17.5X17.5 inches. It has a very professional feel to it. The finish is vulcanized (a chemical process used to reinforce rubber products). As you can see in my photos, you can easily fit a 13.3 inch laptop on this mat and use your mouse. It lay almost 100% flat which is what you want in a mouse pad. The glide of the mouse felt a little friction, but it performed within tolerable levels. I like the little lion emblem. I tried some simple pc games like diablo 2 and I found the mouse to be very responsive when on this mat. Overall, it is good, not great. The size is a little awkward at 17.5X17.5. It also attracts lint and other debris from the air and when I took it out for the first time I needed to run a lint roller over it. Finally, it does not really conform to a long table's dimensions. 4 out of 5 stars for me. I think it will catch someone's eye for sure.

Being the big time shootem up gamer that I am I hate when your in the middle of a shoot out and you are trying to turn around and aim then "CLINK" you run into the side of your keyboard and your dead! This pad gives me unlimited freedom and has brought my rate of getting killed way down. The other good thing is this thing does not slide. If you are a gamer like me you know what I am talking about. Dang mouse pad starts falling off your desk and you have to keep adjusting it. The only think I could think of that would make this pad better is if it was a tad shorter and a bit longer. They do offer a long version that fits your keyboard as well. But the fact that the pad is supper big is no problem at all. I am deff gonna get the other version for my other rig. But as far as getting a good bang for your buck this pad is by far one of the best I have ever used. The stitching is very good around the edges so not stray strings tickling your wrist making you freak out you have a spider crawling on you or anything like that and the vulcanized control material is a big plus in my book. It gives you a nice smooth flow.

No mater what style pad you buy it will last a long time even for the intense gamers that like to throw things "you know who you are". And if out of anger you happen to accidently spill your drink well you can simply wipe it up and not be left with a soggy gaming pad! So from one gamer to another you will not be disappointed and this pad will make a great addition to any rig.

I already was using a Razer brand mat, so it was hard for me to finally use this one, so I took it to my office and decided to use it there.

After 4 months of use, it's cushion held up and continued to provide a nice place for me use the mouse and place my sweating drinks.

If you're looking for a pad that is a solid square, not rectangular, this one will definitely do the job!

This mouse gaming mat is a great value for your money it comes in different sizes . It’s meant to use as a gaming control pad for your mouse movements for better stability and control while you play your games . Its stain and water resistance. I received the bigger one and used it for my office desk instead . It fit so well it’s very soft and comfortable and easy to maneuver my mouse over the mat because it’s large and slides easily and I have a lot of space to move freely without having to worry about a small mouse pad . It also has helped me to navigate my mouse without moving the mat and gives me better mouse control to work faster not having to lift my mouse like on other mouse pads that are small . It’s cosmetically looks good . I’m very satisfied got compliments from my coworkers . Overall its a game changer using a bigger mat in my office worked out just fine great and I’m happy and working more efficiently 👍. I highly recommend this product .

I needed a mousepad for work, and decided I wanted something larger than I had (I do design work and have a large mousing area). So I ordered the CTRL version.

Overall the pad has a nice premium feel, and good tactile response. The vulcanized surface gives nice precise control, which would probably translate well into gaming although maybe not for twitch games as much.

The pad was a bit larger than I was expecting, but the construction and stitching are top notch. I will probably order the rectangular version to replace the corsair keyboard/mouse pad I've had so long on my gaming rig. I like the feel of it that much.

The surface of the pad itself is fine however, the rubber base is absolutely horrendous. Not only does it move constantly, but it also does not lay flat at all. Out of the box it came with 2 large creases in the center of the pad that after 3 days of laying under some heavy books haven't flattened out at all. The pad also claims to be spill proof which is only half true. Liquid still sinks into the pad, just in smaller amounts then what you would get with a regular cloth mousepad.

was great for games the actually mouse pad is brilliant but no slip rubber ain’t quite true. It slides around on my desk even with the slightest bit of force. In all great but not “non slip rubber”

滑走に突っかかりが無く非常に癖のないマウスパッドで気に入っている。

欠点は裏面の滑り止めが弱く両面テープで固定するなどの対策が必要なこと

Mousepad ist groß und sieht schick aus. Die Textur ist (im Vergleich zur Roccat Taito) sehr rau, der Rand ist auch ziemlich hart.

CTRLと書いてあったので購入。表面も粗くかかれているがツルッツルで滑るし厚みが若干足らない。ステッチ加工は施されているが表面素肌だとくそ痛いのでアームスリーブを着用推奨。roccat製品だからやっぱりハイセンシになる