SteelSeries made their name with a range of reliable mouse pads in an era where most players used whatever came with their computers – or no mouse pad at all! Their QcK range has endured as a popular option for more than 20 years, but the mouse pad space has seen significant evolution as of late, mirroring similar explosions for the likes of mechanical keyboards and ultra-light mice. Boutique mouse pad firms are now producing a wide range of specialised options for esports aficionados, from low-friction speed pads made from exotic materials to control-focused ‘mud’ pads designed for ultimate precision. That meant it was time for a refresh at SteelSeries HQ, with the Danish firm taking cues from some of the most popular enthusiast brands to produce the QcK Performance lineup that we’re reviewing today.
There are three QcK Performance pads, each with their own feel. Balance is the closest to the traditional QcK formula, while Speed opts for a slicker design that glides better and Control goes the other way with a rougher, stickier surface designed for precision. Each pad is available in Large (49x42cm, $40/£40) and XL (90x40cm, $50/£45) sizes.
All three variants are cloth pads – there are no glass or glass hybrid options just yet – but there are material differences here. The Speed pad uses a nylon blend, the Balance pad has ‘tightly woven’ polyester and nylon and the Control pad adopts ‘high density’ polyester. SteelSeries provided closeups of each material with its review units, and it’s fascinating to see how the extremely fine detail of the speed pad compares to the coarser and increasingly irregular patterns visible in the balance and control pads – something that’s possible to discern on these mouse pads in the flesh, too.
Beyond the three options, there are also some small generational upgrades that differentiate each Performance model from their QcK predecessors. The most obvious is a cloth tag on the top right corner of the mouse, with yellow for control, blue for balance and pink for speed; the reverse is inscribed with SteelSeries’ normal ‘for glory’ catchphrase. I’m a fan of these sorts of design touches, most notably with Wooting’s oversized cloth tag on the side of 60HE rapid trigger keyboard, and it works similarly well here.