Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
If you’ve ever made the argument that you can never have enough mouse space, SteelSeries was listening. The group has already expanded mousetracking areas with the QcK series of extra large gaming mousepads in the past. That said, they’ve recently expanded the QcK line-up with a series of mats that go well beyond your normal mouse space. These new mats are meant to offer coverage to your whole desk area with regular and colorized RGB options to match. We recently got our hands on a SteelSeries QcK Prism 3XL, so let’s do it. Let’s talk about the desk-spanning mousepad to end all mousepads.
The QcKs new lineup consists of the both regular and Prism (the powered RGB color edition) versions of 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL mats. Where, in both versions, the medium offers 320mm x 270mm coverage (a normal mousepad size) and the XL offers 900mm x 300mm coverage, the 3XL starts at 1220mm x 590mm. From there, the 4XL gives you extra depth at 1220mm x 762mm and the 5XL is just a monster at 1600mm xx 800mm. So yeah, every one of these new mats is meant to cover pretty much an entire working space and you plan accordingly if you want to harness one of these.
I will say I wish there was an in-between on the XL and the 3XL (perhaps some kind of… 2XL design…). I have a pretty big desk space and, even so, I was barely able to make sure the 3XL fit my area appropriately. I’m sure I’m not the only one that would like to cover a desk space without having to orient it just so that it doesn’t run over the edge of my surface space. Also, in the case of the Prism, it has RGB lining on the edge, so it’s not really like you can trim the mat to fit your space better. Be mindful.
That said, the mousepad feels very sleek in its quality. The surface is a micro-woven cloth that is built specifically to cater to both low and high DPI use. I sit somewhere in the middle on my default mouse settings, but there’s no denying the QcK Prism 3XL has a near effortless glide to it. And with all the space in the world, there’s practically no chance of sliding off the pad as I’m making frantic movements in various games. What’s more, the mat stays planted well. The bottom has a good nonslip surface on it and you’d really, really have to try to get it to move or jerk with how easily your mouse should be gliding over the top. In short, it stays put, your mouse will run smooth, and you’ll have a broad horizon with which to work, which is everything I could want out of it for performance’s sake.
Going back to RGB, the Prism models of the QcK mats feature two-zone RGB lining across the edge of the full mat. It’s pretty good and lights up the play space nicely with no dullness at any given section of the mat. You can even go into the SteelSeries Engine 3 customization software and play around with colors and effects on your mat. Honestly, there are less options than I would have liked here. The two-zone differentiation is neat, but a flowing color running around the RGB lining might have been even better. Nonetheless, SteelSeries does a pretty good job with their RGB riggings and the QcK Prism 3XL is no exception.
Of course, while the RGB is cool, I would once again bring up that there’s no way you’re doing any trimming to fit this pad to your space and keeping that feature functional. In that case, if such is a concern for you, I’d perhaps consider going with the non-RGB options of the QcK. They feature the same material and smooth gliding functionality I mentioned in the sections above - just no RGB to worry about.
I can think of little reason I would want to remove the QcK Prism from my desk now that it’s there, and it’s not just because now all of my equipment and knickknacks are happily organized on it after quite a bit of desk rearrangement. The mousepad offers an absolutely huge play area that ensures you’ll never be off the pad with your mouse. The material is excellent, keeps it in place on the bottom and gives it perfect glide on top, and the RGB, while a little limited in customization, is still pretty good for providing a more colorful workspace. If you never want to worry about the play space of your mouse again, the QcK or QcK Prism 3XL and up should provide everything you need.
This feature is based on a sample model supplied by the manufacterer. Both RGB and non-RGB versions are available now, starting at $49.99 for the QcK 3XL and $99.99 for the QcK Prism 3XL.