Introduction

The last time I used a mouse pad was well over 1 year ago. Since upgrading to an optical mouse I haven’t had the need to be restricted by a mouse pad and I know I’m not alone on this aspect. However when you want very precise and accurate movement a good mouse pad supposedly can do wonders. We shall see as today we bring to you one of the most popular gaming mouse pads from SteelSeries, the S&S. The S&S name came about since this mouse pad has been developed by SteelSeries in collaboration with the legendary SK Gaming Counter-Strike team.  

The SteelSeries S&S comes in a cardboard box protected by a thin plastic wrap. The box highlights the features and gives a brief description of the mouse pad.

First thing you see upon opening the box is the small black pouch in which the S&S mouse pad is kept. The pouch is made of nylon material and has a SteelSeries Logo on the bottom left. This is a really awesome addition to take to your next LAN party.

The pouch also has a rear compartment for you to put your mouse or any CD’s in there. 

Inside the pouch you find the SteelSeries S&S along with a small specifications manual and a re-sealable bag with pad surfers. (Also known as Mouse Glides)

Taking the SteelSeries S&S out of the pouch you realize how big this mouse pad really is. It’s undoubtedly one of the biggest mouse pads I have ever used spanning at a dimension of 320mm*270mm (12.6 x 10.6in) it has enough real-estate for any kind of situation.  Another plus factor is the S&S only 2mm thick making is virtually invisible to the feel. Once you place the pad on the table you would hardly feel there’s anything there. Irrespective of how thin it is the SteelSeries S&S is very strong and rigid due to the textured hard plastic material it’s built on.

Looking at the rear of the S&S mouse pad reveals a roughened out surface which surprisingly sticks to most surfaces like glue. I’m not sure of the material used here, but whatever it is, it’s simply awesome as you can be guaranteed the mouse pad will not budge even in a high adrenalin rush game sequence.

Before you go about using the S&S mouse pad ensure you have attached the Pad Surfers onto the feet of your mouse to get the best experience out of the pad. The pad surfers are cut exactly to the shape of the feet of your mouse so it’s just a matter of sticking them on. It’s best that you clean the surface with some rubbing alcohol before sticking the pad surfers.

Testing and Conclusion:

The texture of the SteelSeries S&S is extremely refined and smooth yet rough enough to give you optimum control of your mouse. This is the first time I have used a product from SteelSeries and so far I’m impressed with what’s on offer. To do some real life testing we started playing some games as well as some graphics editing through photoshop. Both these scenarios test different aspects of the mouse pad. Games require quick responses and photo editing requires very precise and accurate movement. After using the S&S for a few weeks now we can clearly say gamers will truly appreciate this mouse pad. It’s very responsive, is big enough for any kind of game play and your mouse glides through the pad extremely well.

However one of the main factors going against the SteelSeries S&S is its price. At a cost of US$39.95 this definitely isn’t cheap. As such the S&S isn’t for everyone and SteelSeries offers most of their products to only serious gamers out there. The S&S is for people looking at absolutely no compromise and want the best out of their gaming experience, which is why so much R&D has gone into the development of this product. It has been designed by professional gamers for gamers out there, so if you don’t fall into this category we wouldn’t recommend going for such an expensive mouse pad. If you’re an avid gamer however by all means check this mouse pad out, you won’t regret it; it’s really well built and has a reputable gaming company backing it up. All in all, the SteelSeries S&S gaming mouse pad does its job and if its hefty price tag isn’t a turn off then you will truly enjoy the benefits it offers.