On Our Desk - 10

Steel Series SX Pro-Gaming Mousepad

Manufacturer: SteelSeries
UK Price (as reviewed): £35.50 (inc. Delivery)
US Price (as reviewed): TBC

You might think there isn’t a lot to say about a mouse mat and usually you’d be right, especially since a lot of whether you like a mouse mat or not comes down to personal preference. Cloth, plastic, steel, bare tabletop, sheet of plain paper or even Teflon baking trays – each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages.

As I’ve already said, a lot of the gear in this round-up has been knocking around the office for a little while and I’ve been lucky enough to use this particular piece of kit for a few weeks without someone pinching it off my desk. During that time I’ve experienced the best and worst of this mouse mat as a product and I’ve got to know it quite intimately.


What makes the SX so special is the material it’s made out of and the various little tweaks it’s undergone. It’s mouse-side surface is made from aluminium with an anodized oxide coating which supposedly gives an incredible gliding sensation whilst also making it incredibly light.

The underside of the SX is made of a firmly attached textured rubber mat which prevents it slipping at all – and I really do mean it won’t slip at all. The SX is also quite large and measures 27cm by 32cm to give a diagonal measurement of 40cm. The result of these features is a mouse mat which is large enough for even the lowest of sensitivities and smooth enough that you’d have trouble even picking things up if it weren’t for the rubber underside.

Because the pad is made of metal though it means that you’ll need to consider which mouse you use with it. Mice with nylon or plastic feet will be fine, but those with a high quantity of Teflon or with no feet at all will scratch audibly against the SX, ruining the look and creating increased resistance.

I’ve been through a number of mice personally and I’ve found that both the Microsoft Sidewinder and the Razer Deathadder work fine, with the latter having slightly improved glide.


You’ll also have to bear in mind that the SX may become damaged if you don’t treat it right. While mine survived just fine for a number of weeks and put up with my metal bracelet (I know, I’m a hippy) rubbing on it constantly the SX was finally damaged when I dropped the Flash Survivor GT on it by accident. The result put a dink in the surface which my mouse now occasionally catches on.

That said, there’s no reason that a mat like the SX couldn’t last forever if you even gave it a little respect and the occasional wipe (you dirty buggers). The massive black slab is perfectly styled for those of us who like to have coordinated, all black desktops and I’ve never had a problem with my mouse on it in terms of tracking or response – everything has been perfect.

In fact my single gripe about the SX pad has been that occasionally bits of dirt can collect on its surface and catch under the mouse, grating noisily and rolling under the mouse so that it can’t track properly.

Overall though the SX is an excellent mouse pad and we’d highly recommend it for anyone who needs a new mat but who doesn’t want to cut any corners. You can get away with a sheet of baking paper, a laminated portion of desk or whatever other ghetto solution appeals to you, but when a pad like the SX is on offer, then why would you want to?

• Build Quality
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• 10/10

• Performance
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• 9/10

• Value
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• 8/10

• Overall
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• 9/10

What do these scores mean?