On our desk this week - 2

Corepad Eyepad

The Corepad Eyepad is the latest in a line of ultra-huge, cloth gaming surfaces. It has been the result of a collaboration between a gaming team called the Eyeballers and Corepad, purveyor of mousing surfaces to the general public. It's a competitor to the Everglide surface we looked at previously. That article contains a good overview of what this new breed of large, soft mats are all about, so check it out.

Rather than being foam-backed, the Eyepad is just the top cloth surface mounted on a rubberised backing material, to stop it slipping. This makes it incredibly thin - bizarrely so. It takes some getting used to.

It's machine washable, so perfect for LAN parties where coffee or Coke might get spilled over your desk!

A good mousing surface can make or break a player, so it's essential you find one which is good for you. This pad is £15, which is pretty reasonable for the size and the thought that's gone into it. It means that you can buy this to see if it improves your game, without having to break the bank.

In use, the pad feels odd. It feels much the same as any other cloth pad, only with less cushioning for your hand. If you like the cushioning of other 'pro' cloth pads, you will find this strange. However, I actually found that the combination of a solid desk surface and the very thin pad felt comfortable, almost a cross between a soft pad and a hard pad such as a RatPad.

Overall, the Eyepad is a bit of a 'love it or hate it' pad. If you are used to hard pads, you may find this an easier move than the Everglide, because this is a less cushioned mousing experience. If you're all about the softness, you will probably find this a step in the wrong direction. As soft pads go, however, this is a good rendition of the genre.

Name: Corepad Eyepad
Buy it at: Gamerzstuff
Cost: £15
Verdict: £15 is a good price for this surface - give it a whirl and see what you think of it.