SteelSeries Qck Review
Total Rating: 
(3.8 / 5.0)
Value: 
Low-sensitivity performance:
High-sensitivity performance: 
Durability: 
Recommendation: The SteelSeries Qck mouse pads are perfect for those who want a simple soft-surface mouse pad. It’s hard to find a larger pad than the Qck Heavy, which works great for low-sensitivity gamers, and the Qck Mini is great for laptops.
Standard retail: $24.99 for Qck Heavy
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Standard retail: $14.99 for Qck+
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Standard retail: $9.99 for Qck
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Standard retail: $6.99 for Qck Mini
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Specifications:
- Material: Cloth
- Qck Heavy: 17.7 x 15.7 x .23 in. (450 x 400 x 6 mm)
Qck Qck+: 17.7 x 15.7 x .08 in. (450 x 400 x 2 mm)
Qck Standard: 12.6 x 11.2 x .08 in. (320 x 270 x 2 mm)
Qck Mini: 9.8 x 8.3 x .08 in. (250 x 210 x 2 mm) - Works with: All mice, recommended for optical
- Glide: Smooth
What we liked:
- Affordable
- Above-average quality for a cloth pad
- Multiple sizes, including the massive Qck Heavy
- Qck Heavy and Qck+ works great for low-sensitivity users
What we disliked:
- Tracking is not ideal with high mouse DPI settings (high sensitivity)
- Shows dirt, as hard to clean as any cloth pad
“The SteelSeries QcK line of mouse pads are made of high quality cloth material, providing a precise and consistent glide. All mouse pads feature a specially designed non-slip rubber base which prevents the pads from sliding, no matter what surface the mouse pad is placed on.”
Well, folks, there’s not too much to say here. We’re assuming most of you have used a cloth pad with rubber underneath it at some point in your lives. If you buy a pre-assembled computer, it probably came with one, and you seem to pick them up all over the place.
There isn’t anything unexpected about the Steelseries Qck mouse pads in terms of material. If you’ve used multiple cloth pads, you know that they’re not the same. While this is definitely on the higher end of quality, it’s nothing to write home about. Then again, neither is anything – who writes home?
Tracking on the pads is great at low settings, but isn’t the best with high-sensitivity mice. First, we used the Logitech MX518 – an old-school mouse, but still a favorite among buyers. At 1800 DPI with the optical mouse, there were no problems to speak of. We next used the Logitech G9x on the pad, and we can tell you this is not a mouse pad for a high DPI mouse. Over 4000 DPI the cursor movement just didn’t feel right. You might not even notice it if you’re not playing shooters, though. If you have a G9x or similar, though, you’re probably eyeing the Qck Heavy or Qck+, and you probably already know you’ll be playing on low sensitivity.
The QcK and Qck+ are awesome low-sensitivity pads, and are comparable to the Razer Goliathus pads (which took the place of the Razer Mantis). The Razer Goliathus, which is available in either Speed and a Control versions, and Steelseries Qck pads are the two main choices for low-sensitivity cloth pad users, so let’s look at the differences. The largest Qck pads are about 2 inches taller (length, not depth), and the Heavy is 50% thicker than the Goliathus pads, providing a more padded feel. The Qck’s surface offers a balance of rough and smooth, falling somewhere in between the Goliathus Speed and Goliathus Control in terms of texture. The edge of the cloth on the Steelseries Qck line is constructed better than Razer’s, meaning it is less likely to fray or peel over time.
Note that we gave the Qck pads in this review an overall rating based on all uses, and they aren’t ideal for high-sensitivity (twitch) gaming. The “low-sensitivity performance rating” would be higher for the Qck Heavy and Qck+.
I would recommend the standard sized Qck to anyone who is on a budget and will use it casually. I would also recommend the Qck+ and Heavy to low-sensitivity gamers who like soft pads and want tons of room. At low sensitivity levels the tracking works fine, so a serious low-sensitivity gamer will have no problems. Please measure your desk, because the larger pads are just massive.
The Qck Mini is also a great option for laptops. If you hate that stupid trackpad as much as I do, you can get a small optical mouse and a Qck Mini to carry around. All versions of the Qck are made of the same material, and differ only in size. Durability is a little bit better than your standard cloth pad. It will last for a year or two of solid gaming or designing, depending on your tolerance for fraying and wear, and then require replacement. For the average computer user, Qck pads will last maybe three years before looking ragged.
If you’re looking for something soft, but with higher performance tracking for laser mice, I would suggest looking at the Steelseries 5L. All pads, hard and soft, can be viewed and compared at the mouse pad review main page.
On Amazon:
Qck Heavy
Qck+
Qck Standard
Qck Mini
