Our Verdict
Providing three decisions of floor, the SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary makes it simple to tailor the motion really feel to your mouse. Whether or not you are after peak velocity or very good stopping energy, there is a selection for you at an inexpensive value.
- Welcome selection of floor
- High quality building
- Affordable costs
- Much less grippy backing than another choices
- No smaller sizes accessible
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency lineup is a brand new mousepad vary that is available in two sizes and three totally different floor sorts: Velocity, Steadiness, and Management. Every is pitched as splendid for barely totally different gaming kinds, letting you maximize the fluidity of your mousing, or deal with a slower, extra managed motion fashion.
With SteelSeries no stranger to creating a few of the greatest gaming mouse choices in addition to producing a few of the greatest gaming mousepad choices, it has loads of pedigree within the house. Does that make the SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary a necessary improve for many players? Doubtlessly.
Why you may belief our recommendation ✔ At , our specialists spend hours testing {hardware} and reviewing video games and VPNs. We share trustworthy, unbiased opinions that can assist you purchase one of the best. Discover out how we take a look at.
Specs
| SteelSeries QcK Efficiency specs | |
| Dimensions | L (500 x 420mm), XL (900 x 400mm) |
| Floor/Velocity | Velocity (quick), Steadiness (medium), Management (sluggish) |
| Thickness | 3.5mm |
Design and options
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary is offered in two sizes: L and XL. The big model that we’re testing is a traditional mousepad – versus a desk mat mousepad that goes underneath your keyboard – however a very enormous one measuring 500 x 420mm. In the meantime, the XL has a desk mat fashion, with the world measuring 900 x 400mm.
Personally, I discover the scale of this massive pad far too huge. I’m a convert to the desk pad fashion of mousepad because it provides you a lot freedom of the place to put your mouse and keyboard. This huge mousepad, although, requires you to have an enormous quantity of fully clear house to the facet of your keyboard, plus it’s excessively deep. I ended up largely utilizing it in a portrait orientation with 1 / 4 of the mat simply hanging off the entrance fringe of my desk.
That stated, this dimension of pad is in style and SteelSeries says that these two sizes are its largest sellers, so every to their very own. I’d simply have most well-liked there to be a barely smaller choice as a essential various to the desk pad XL choice.
The pad is 3.5mm thick, which is pretty typical for a high quality smooth mousepad with a foam backing and cloth prime. This gives an inexpensive steadiness between being low profile sufficient to not rise awkwardly above your desk, whereas nonetheless being thick sufficient to have some cushioning and weight, to the purpose the place it sits flat.
That stated, I discovered the froth backing to be barely much less dense than on some pads, and it doesn’t have a textured, grippy underside floor that may help grip on rougher surfaces. I calculated the burden of the QcK Efficiency to be round 0.12g/cm², which compares to 0.24g/cm² for the Corsair MM350 Professional and 0.2g/cm² for an additional mousepad I needed to hand. Each these pads are barely thicker, at 4mm, so I’d count on them to be a bit heavier, however the distinction is the truth is enormous.
In the meantime, these different pads even have a textured grippy underside proven within the picture under (QcK efficiency on prime, Corsair under), fairly than the plain foam of the QcK Efficiency, which feels harder and will grip barely uneven surfaces higher.
That stated, the QcK Efficiency does nonetheless have sufficient density to sit down flat, and its foam backing is definitely significantly grippier than the opposite two pads I needed to hand, when positioned on a really clean floor similar to you discover on one of the best gaming desks. Nevertheless, I can envisage a future situation the place a little bit of mud and desk grime getting underneath the mat might trigger the QcK Efficiency to lose that preliminary grip in your desk faster than these different denser, grippier-texture mats. Akin to how slick tyres on race automobiles don’t work effectively on gravel or within the rain.
When it comes to different essential options, the QcK Efficiency comes with a stitched edge, which I’ve usually discovered does enhance the time it takes for the sides of a mousepad to begin to fray or degrade, in comparison with an unstitched edge.
In any other case, the principle function right here is that this mousepad is offered in three totally different floor textures. Velocity does what it says, offering as clean a gliding floor as doable. Management, alternatively, has a way more textured floor that gives a little bit of grip in your mouse for slower motion and quicker stopping. Steadiness then sits within the center, with a little bit of texture however not fairly as a lot because the Management pad.
The concept is that Velocity is for players wanting completely uninhibited quick motion – splendid for fast-paced and movement-oriented aggressive video games, similar to Apex Legends and Fortnite. In the meantime, Management is probably most well-liked by people who need a little bit bit much less of a jittery, your-hand-could-slide-anywhere really feel, which is meant to be good for precision shooters similar to Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. It’s additionally envisaged that this may be helpful for exact desktop work similar to tracing objects in picture enhancing apps. Steadiness then sits within the center, seeking to supply one of the best of each worlds.
Efficiency
When it comes to general efficiency, all three variations of the QcK Efficiency really feel excellent. They’re snug, clean, and have correct mouse monitoring; they nail the fundamentals of a mousepad.
The distinction in really feel between the three surfaces is instantly apparent although. Velocity feels very slippery to the contact and to your mouse, whereas Management has a distinctly tough really feel. Steadiness feels nearer to the smoothness of Velocity however with only a contact extra texture.
This distinction is instantly noticeable within the change in friction between the surfaces and your mouse too. SteelSeries has made a little bit video demonstrating the velocity variance that you could see under, and that is totally mirrored in how your mouse feels on the surfaces.
The web impact of those variations is pretty refined. All three supply an identical general accuracy – the feel doesn’t make a distinction to the optical monitoring capability, simply the texture of the floor – however Management does really feel prefer it has an additional little little bit of resistance in opposition to your actions, notably when beginning and stopping your motion, which may also help to counteract your hand’s twitches.
When tracing traces in Photoshop, I discovered Management made it only a contact simpler to maintain tight to the road. In distinction, Velocity gives far much less softening of your actions, accounting for each slight twitch of your hand and fingers. In follow, I discovered this meant that I did certainly waver forwards and backwards extra whereas tracing traces. It’s a refined distinction, and simply reducing your DPI, going slower, and taking breaks all make extra of a distinction, however the slight change was perceptible, as demonstrated within the picture under.
This picture exhibits Management (yellow), Steadiness (blue), and Velocity (pink) pads getting used to hint the define of a head, with 4 runs of every. The yellow traces are usually barely extra tightly packed and extra correct, whereas the pink traces waver a little bit extra, with once more the blue traces of the Steadiness pad sitting someplace in-between, although nearer to the decrease accuracy of the Velocity pad.
As for gaming, I examined every mousepad in Kovaak’s purpose coach, performing six runs with every pad, unfold throughout two days, swapping every pad in between every run, to attempt to even out any pure enchancment from follow or decline from eye pressure.
The outcomes had been stunning, with the Velocity pad constantly popping out on prime for general rating and accuracy, although adopted intently by Steadiness. The Management pad I discovered carried out worse, with a markedly decrease common rating and accuracy. In fact, this isn’t a scientific take a look at, however it does provide you with an concept of the variations.
| SteelSeries QcK Efficiency – Kovaak’s | Velocity | Steadiness | Management |
| Rating | 2,846 | 2,804 | 2,607 |
| Accuracy | 57.8% | 57.1% | 54.7% |
A minimum of part of the rationale for this decrease Management rating appeared to be that the flick shot assessments in Kovaak’s, the place you snap to randomly showing targets, felt just a bit slower and required extra effort on the Management pad than the Velocity pad. The excessive efficiency of the Steadiness pad once more mirrored the way it feels and performs extra on par with the Velocity pad than the Management pad.
On the whole gaming, these refined variations weren’t borne out in my scores, given there are such a lot of different variables to aggressive video games. Nevertheless, I did really feel a specific amount extra of a way of precision and clean circulate utilizing the Management pad in sure video games.
In Counter Strike 2, I discovered this wasn’t essentially helpful for flick photographs, however I discovered it simpler to exactly monitor purpose factors whereas peaking or transferring slowly, utilizing the Management pad. Taking split-second sniper photographs when protecting slim openings felt a little bit steadier too. When simply the merest flinch can knock off your purpose, the marginally greater resistance of the Management pad made it a little bit simpler to make sure I didn’t nudge the mouse when hitting the fireplace button.
For titles similar to Apex Legends, although, the place velocity is the whole lot, the additional resistance of the Management pad did certainly really feel prefer it impacted my velocity, not least as a result of the grippy floor barely catches on garments. Even in case you’re sporting a clean gaming sleeve, it nonetheless clings greater than a smoother pad.
Worth
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency mousepads have a premium value for his or her sizes, with them being round $10 costlier than extra typical pad choices. This isn’t an excessive amount of of a priority in and of itself, however the barely lighter foam weight is a bit disappointing contemplating the additional price. The L model is priced at $39.99 whereas the XL mat prices $49.99.
Verdict
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency mousepad lineup is an attention-grabbing addition to the world of mousing surfaces. Having a really clear selection of surfaces matched to a constant set of sizes and different options from a big-name producer makes it simple to select your peripheral poison. I might undoubtedly see some players getting a number of surfaces and swapping them relying on which sport they’re enjoying.
On steadiness, the Velocity floor that’s most like most different mousepads remains to be more likely to have the broadest enchantment, and is the one I’d decide for many each day use. That’s as a result of, in the case of wanting extra accuracy, merely dropping to a decrease DPI is much extra impactful than the additional sense of management with the Management floor.
Nonetheless, in case you’re craving a mousepad that gives just a bit extra resistance and helps your mousing maneuvers really feel extra planted and regular, then the Management or Steadiness pads are there as inexpensive choices to strive.
Having chosen the right pad to your wants, why not try different methods to revolutionize your mousing by switching to a wi-fi gaming mouse? Our greatest wi-fi gaming mouse information has a spread of choices for all budgets.
