SteelSeries 4HD Gaming Mouse Pad
As the PC gaming market expands, peripherals are becoming an essential part of any gamers' inventory all around the world. The most typical among all gear: the mice. For those slightly more serious, a good gaming surface is the best upgrade for any mice. Benchmark Reviews takes a look at the SteelSeries 4HD hard surface gaming mat to see how well it performs when used with gaming mice.
On first look the SteelSeries 4HD mouse pad is fairly representative of a "normal" mouse pad. The HD series gaming surface includes the 4HD and the 9HD, the only difference being size. The HD series uses hard plastic as the surface material along with heat treatment to achieve a semi-rough surface. The resulting surface has numerous "micro-lumps" that act as tracking points, allowing sensors to accurately map location and movement. Theoretically this mouse pad should enhance tracking ability for all mice. How well the SteelSeries 4HD fairs in real life is still to be seen.
About SteelSeries, Denmark
SteelSeries may be new to some people since it's a Europe-based company. Their size and product line is comparable to Razer. SteelSeries prides in high quality products.
What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge.
Fast-forward to today, and they've come a long way since their first glass mousepad. They have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming.
SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do they focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd. SteelSeries lets the community decide whether or not they are worthy. Their goal is to make the best products possible and give gamers that competitive edge. SteelSeries does their best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities.
SteelSeries 4HD Feature
- HD surface offers superior tracking
- Finely textured plastic composition
- Steady glide, medium friction
SteelSeries 4HD is a hard plastic composition specifically engineered for professional gamers who demand extremely consistent precision, accuracy and stability. The finely textured surface consists of tens of thousands of light reflecting microscopic points, optimized to enhance the tracking capabilities of next-generation gaming mice.
Thanks to the sophisticated tracking capabilities of the surface, the user is capable of performing exceptionally precise mouse operations, both in terms of minimal movements as well as high velocity "slingshots".
SteelSeries 4HD Specifications
SteelSeries 4HD Closer Look
The SteelSeries 4HD packaging is simple and the mouse pad comes with no manuals or bonuses. The 4HD is made of plastic, so any fold would kill it. Delivery came via a box to protect the mousepad,
Basic instructions and product details are printed in the back. It should be noted that many SteelSeries products are tested by professional gamers including members of SK and Fnatic, famous European teams. SteelSeries actively sponsors competitions all around the world, even supporting relatively small University gaming competitions.
Once ripped out of the packaging, the SteelSeries 4HD looks pretty promising. The texture feels quite nice and the mini logos work pretty well to give a nice visual effect.
First impressions of the 4HD are quite positive. It is very easy to clean the 4HD since it's plastic. Its size perfectly matches a fifteen inch laptop and can be easily carried around.
SteelSeries 4HD Material
Taking a closer look at the 4HD surface, the rough surface texture is visible and each bump acts as a tracking point for sensors on a mouse. Today's gaming mice mainly use laser and optical sensors to detect changes on the surface to calculate movement, essentially mapping the surface. The more fine grained the surface, the better the tracking.
On the flip side a layer of rubber is applied to increase the grip which helps avoid shifting and movement of the SteelSeries 4HD even under intense mouse movement.
After inspecting the 4HD, it seems like SteelSeries did a good job putting this gaming surface together. There aren't any noticeable flaws with the 4HD. Next we will put the SteelSeries 4HD to use and see how it performs.
Testing & Results
Testing Methodology and System
Games tested include:
- Warcraft III, the Frozen Throne
- Crysis Warhead
- Counter Strike 1.6
- Several online MMORPGs
I used the SteelSeries 4HD for 1 weeks as my primary mouse pad for both work and entertainment. Gaming mice I used include Microsoft SideWinder, Razer DiamondBack, Razer Orochi, and SteelSeries Kinzu. DPI settings are usually around 1600.
Results
Overall experience with the SteelSeries 4HD was great. Tracking is accurate and never had sporadic jumps. The HD surface offers much better experience in terms of tracking. On a wooden surface, most mice will fail to work when raised a couple millimeters off the surface. However when placed above the 4HD, the mouse can be lifted several millimeters and would still track accurately. The bumpy cool surface allows comfortable resting of the palm. Many other hard surface mouse pads can cause sweat accumulation when the surface texture is too smoothe.
The bottom grip also holds on tightly to the desk. Even intentional pushes during gaming won't nudge the 4HD. Size happens to be perfect for me but for those preferring low sensitivity and larger movement area, the 9HD (larger version of 4HD) would be a better choice. A note to detail here, the logo is only applied as color and tracking works just as great as any other area in that corner.
The performance is solid and the only minor flaw I can find is the bottom-right corner is a little rough and it seems like the cut wasn't made perfectly.
Gaming Surface Final Thoughts
A mouse pad is like clothes, different people prefer different materials and textures. Many debate whether hard or soft, smooth or rough gaming surfaces are better, in the end its all about comfort and personal preference.
In general, rough surfaces allow for finer and smaller bumps that have very little friction, this leads to the feeling of higher sensitivity since it puts the control of the mouse completely in the hands of the user. This usually suits people with steady hands more. Working with image or video editing may prove difficult on a hard surface unless the sensitivity of the mouse is turned very low.
Soft (cloth-based) surfaces have a lot more friction and it will feel much easier to "stop" the mouse. As a result, rapid short distance movement at high sensitivity becomes a lot easie to control.
There are numerous materials for both hard and soft gaming surfaces, each type can have a different texture and feel. Attempting to find the "perfect" mouse pad may prove very difficult. Short of purchasing a bunch of mouse pads, the best way to determine your preferences is by testing on a fine wooden surface and a piece of paper. If you prefer the wooden surface, you should probably take your chances with a smoothe surface mouse pad, and if paper go for rough surfaces.
The SteelSeries 4HD is a hard, rough surface mouse pad. This results in fine tracking with limited friction, suitable for those that enjoy high-sensitivity tracking and speed.
SteelSeries 4HD Conclusion
The SteelSeries 4HD performs very well and tracking seems accurate and stable. The anti-slide bottom offers excellent gripping. This mousepad is capable of being used for hardcore competitive gameplay.
The appearance of the of 4HD is quite decent. The background makes it stand out a little as opposed to the more common one-color plain design. It isn't as flashy and eye-catching as some other ones on the market, but then again SteelSeries is known for their minimalistic black designs.
Construction was the only thing the 4HD had fault in as it was a little rough around the edges, and the curvature cut at the bottom didn't seem to line up perfectly. But this wasn't that noticeable and did not affect its performance.
Being a mouse pad the 4HD only did so much in terms of functionality. Frequent travellers will be happy as the 4HD is the perfect size for carrying together with a laptop. Not much else can be done with mousepads, but may I suggest here for manufactures that bonuses like lighting or customizable backgrounds may prove to be a big winner, as it is important to realize that the population these products are built for love this kind of visual effects. A little bit of creativity may be able to start a whole new fashion for mousepads. Razer is, in this sense, already ahead with their new mousepad featuring ambient glow.
The SteelSeries 4HD currently retails at NewEgg for $20.99. That's a reasonable price considering most low-end gaming surfaces start at $10 and high end ones reaching $50. From daily use I can tell that the 4HD is close to being flawless and a good gaming surface. However I feel that being a plastic-based mouse pad, it's still not that exceptional, and the 4HD could be slightly cheaper.
For some people $20 for a mousepad may not make much sense. As a serious gamer, a high quality gaming surface matters a lot, but only when the mouse is good enough to demand such a surface. I would say that if you own a gaming mice at least $40 then the hop on board. There are quite a few $15-$30 mats from several manufacturers that I would suggest checking out before making a commitment to buy the SteelSeries 4HD. For over $20 I would be looking for something just a little more special about the 4HD.
Pros:
+ Very good tracking surface
+ Bottom grip is strong
+ Easy to clean
Cons:
- A tiny bit rough around the edges
- Slightly expensive
Ratings:
-
Performance: 9.00
-
Appearance: 9.00
-
Construction: 8.75
-
Functionality: 8.75
- Value: 8.50
Final Score: 8.80 out of 10.
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