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 pace or very good stopping energy, there is a alternative for you at an inexpensive worth.
- Welcome alternative of floor
- High quality building
- Affordable costs
- Much less grippy backing than another choices
- No smaller sizes out there
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency lineup is a brand new mousepad vary that is available in two sizes and three completely different floor varieties: Velocity, Steadiness, and Management. Every is pitched as preferrred for barely completely different gaming types, letting you maximize the fluidity of your mousing, or concentrate on a slower, extra managed motion model.
With SteelSeries no stranger to creating a number of the greatest gaming mouse choices in addition to producing a number of the greatest gaming mousepad choices, it has loads of pedigree within the house. Does that make the SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary a vital improve for many players? Doubtlessly.
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Specs
| SteelSeries QcK Efficiency specs | |
| Dimensions | L (500 x 420mm), XL (900 x 400mm) |
| Floor/Velocity | Velocity (quick), Steadiness (medium), Management (gradual) |
| Thickness | 3.5mm |
Design and options
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency vary is on the market in two sizes: L and XL. The big model that we’re testing is a traditional mousepad – versus a desk mat mousepad that goes below your keyboard – however a very large one measuring 500 x 420mm. In the meantime, the XL has a desk mat model, with the world measuring 900 x 400mm.
Personally, I discover the size of this huge pad far too large. I’m a convert to the desk pad model 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 utterly clear house to the aspect of your keyboard, plus it’s excessively deep. I ended up principally utilizing it in a portrait orientation with 1 / 4 of the mat simply hanging off the entrance fringe of my desk.
That mentioned, this dimension of pad is fashionable and SteelSeries says that these two sizes are its largest sellers, so every to their very own. I’d simply have most popular there to be a barely smaller possibility as a primary various to the desk pad XL possibility.
The pad is 3.5mm thick, which is pretty typical for a high quality delicate mousepad with a foam backing and cloth high. This gives an inexpensive stability 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 mentioned, 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 anticipate them to be a bit heavier, however the distinction is in actual fact large.
In the meantime, these different pads even have a textured grippy underside proven within the picture beneath (QcK efficiency on high, Corsair beneath), fairly than the plain foam of the QcK Efficiency, which feels harder and will grip barely uneven surfaces higher.
That mentioned, the QcK Efficiency does nonetheless have sufficient density to take a seat 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 reminiscent of you discover on the perfect gaming desks. Nevertheless, I can envisage a future situation the place a little bit of mud and desk grime getting below the mat may 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 vehicles don’t work effectively on gravel or within the rain.
When it comes to different primary 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 primary characteristic right here is that this mousepad is on the market in three completely different floor textures. Velocity does what it says, offering as clean a gliding floor as attainable. Management, then again, has a way more textured floor that gives a little bit of grip in your mouse for slower motion and sooner 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 – preferrred for fast-paced and movement-oriented aggressive video games, reminiscent of Apex Legends and Fortnite. In the meantime, Management is probably most popular by people who need a bit bit much less of a jittery, your-hand-could-slide-anywhere really feel, which is meant to be good for precision shooters reminiscent of Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. It’s additionally envisaged that this is able to be helpful for exact desktop work reminiscent of tracing objects in picture modifying apps. Steadiness then sits within the center, trying to supply the perfect of each worlds.
Efficiency
When it comes to total 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 straight away 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 straight away noticeable within the change in friction between the surfaces and your mouse too. SteelSeries has made a bit video demonstrating the pace variance you can see beneath, and that is fully mirrored in how your mouse feels on the surfaces.
The online impact of those variations is pretty refined. All three supply equivalent total accuracy – the feel doesn’t make a distinction to the optical monitoring means, simply the texture of the floor – however Management does really feel prefer it has an additional little little bit of resistance towards your actions, significantly when beginning and stopping your motion, which may also help to counteract your hand’s twitches.
When tracing strains 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 backwards and forwards extra whereas tracing strains. It’s a refined distinction, and simply decreasing your DPI, going slower, and taking breaks all make extra of a distinction, however the slight change was perceptible, as demonstrated within the picture beneath.
This picture reveals Management (yellow), Steadiness (blue), and Velocity (purple) pads getting used to hint the define of a head, with 4 runs of every. The yellow strains are usually barely extra tightly packed and extra correct, whereas the purple strains waver a bit extra, with once more the blue strains 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 high for total rating and accuracy, although adopted carefully 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, but it surely does offer you an thought 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% |
At the least part of the rationale for this decrease Management rating gave the impression to be that the flick shot exams 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.
Typically 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 certain quantity extra of a way of precision and clean move 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 shifting slowly, utilizing the Management pad. Taking split-second sniper photographs when overlaying slender openings felt a bit steadier too. When simply the merest flinch can knock off your purpose, the marginally increased resistance of the Management pad made it a bit simpler to make sure I didn’t nudge the mouse when hitting the fireplace button.
For titles reminiscent of Apex Legends, although, the place pace is every part, the additional resistance of the Management pad did certainly really feel prefer it impacted my pace, not least as a result of the grippy floor barely catches on garments. Even in the event you’re sporting a clean gaming sleeve, it nonetheless clings greater than a smoother pad.
Value
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency mousepads have a premium worth for his or her sizes, with them being round $10 dearer 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 value. The L model is priced at $39.99 whereas the XL mat prices $49.99.
Verdict
The SteelSeries QcK Efficiency mousepad lineup is an fascinating addition to the world of mousing surfaces. Having a really clear alternative 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 may positively see some players getting a number of surfaces and swapping them relying on which sport they’re taking part in.
On stability, the Velocity floor that’s most like most different mousepads continues to be prone to have the broadest attraction, and is the one I’d decide for many every day use. That’s as a result of, with regards to 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 the event you’re craving a mousepad that provides 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 reasonably priced choices to strive.
Having chosen the proper 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.
