If you aim to compete with the best players in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), then you need to take any opportunity you can to give yourself an edge. Often that can come from the right equipment. Professional gamers in the esports scene can be exacting in their equipment standards as familiarity and feel can make a crucial difference during a match.
Those big-ticket items such as your keyboard and mouse can make a massive difference in gameplay because they are directly involved with your in-game actions. However, there are other components worth considering when playing your best on PC FPS games like CS:GO.
Consider the simple mousepad. The mousepad is one component worth looking at when building your equipment list for CS:GO, whether or not you’re playing professionally.
What are the best mousepads for CS:GO, and what makes for a great mousepad? We’ve ranked the most used mousepads by top CS: GO players.
We may not consider many more minor things when we consider our gaming performance. For games that need fast reflexes, such as CS:GO and other fast-paced FPS titles, one thing to consider is the importance of a good mousepad.Mousepads have several critical contributions to gaming performance we might take for granted. While a mouse can function without a mousepad, there comes the risk of damaging your desk surface.
While a desk surface might seem smooth enough, you’ll notice a difference in the glide and performance with the proper mousepad to use with a performance mouse. That comes from precision engineering to work with the laser found in most competitive gaming mice. The surface is designed specifically for the mouse’s functions. There are a few things to consider when searching for the right mousepad. First is the size of the mousepad. Your movements and the amount of space around your gaming rig influence this, but buying something you are comfortable with is critical. Most manufacturers offer different sizes of mousepads.
Secondly, the surface of the mousepad is vital because you’ll need to decide between cloth and plastic, which may have differing effects on performance. We suggest a cloth-based surface because it gives a fair amount of resistance without disrupting mouse movement too much. Another consideration could be portability, especially if you are serious about esports and keeping your equipment with you and ready to go. Having a mousepad that you can take anywhere you need to game can help. Portability is one of the many ways you can create the most optimal gameplay environment possible.
What are the best mousepads for CS:GO with those considerations in mind?
Through gameplay experience and research, we’ve narrowed the list of the best mousepads for CS:GO and ranked them. Which mousepad is the top choice for CS:GO players? While we’ve done our testing, but we also want to reflect what mousepads gamers use. So, we have ranked these mousepads by what the most used brands are and on what top CS: GO players use.
The ZOWIE G-SR Gaming Mousepad For Esports is a fantastic choice for a professional gaming mousepad, particularly for FPS games like CS:GO, where quick reaction times are essential.
The mousepad features a cloth surface with stitched edges and a 100% flat soft rubber base. The mousepad is 470 x 390 mm ± 10 mm/ 18.5 x 15.3 inches ± 0.4 inches in the standard size. However, a smaller version is also available for your needs when space is at a premium at 345 x 305 mm ± 10 mm / 13.5 x 12 inches ±0.4 inches.
The cloth fabric provides just enough friction to ensure your mouse can glide effortlessly over the surface, making sure you’re in control. The ZOWIE G-SR offers a low friction variation for even less friction. The low friction form provides a combination of cloth and plastic surfacing and is liquid-resistant.
The ZOWIE G-SR mousepad also comes in black and color cloth varieties so that you can match your mousepad to your gaming set-up. Not only will you play well, but you’ll look good doing it, too.
No matter what version you choose, you have a quality mousepad. The ZOWIE G-SR is just the mousepad you need for CS:GO for any gamer. The ZOWIE G-SR mousepad will run you $29.99.
Part of Logitech’s G-Series, the Logitech G640 is a performance mousepad great for gamers. It makes for a solid choice for CS:GO gamers for a couple of reasons.
First, there is the size. At 400 mm x 460 mm x 3 mm / 15.75 in x 18.11 in with a 0.12 in profile, the mousepad not only gives you the room you need for your mouse movement, but it also doesn’t feel as bulky as some other mousepad despite the surface area. It also is designed for rolling up for easy transportation, so your mousepad does not warp from transport.
The cloth surface is textured for moderate friction. Low-DPI settings benefit from this, as the seamless clean and consistent surface textures ensure top performance during gameplay. The Logitech G640 is also compatible with Logitech G sensors, so if used with a Logitech G mouse you get an extra edge in performance.
The Logitech G650 comes in three styles and retails for $39.99 regularly.
Unlike the standard SteelSeries QcK series, the SteelSeries QcK Heavy is designed for those of us who want a little bulk with our mousepads. Offered at multiple dimensions, the thing that sets this mousepad apart is a 4 mm / 0.15 to 6mm / 0.23 in profile, thicker than most mousepads on this list. This mousepad has heft.
The extra-thick base is non-slip and eliminates unnecessary movement of the mousepad, which can be very helpful in particularly frantic CS:GO matches. The mousepad has a woven cloth surface that has been optimized for low and high tracking. The mousepad is even washable.
It’s also fairly inexpensive, coming in at $14.99 for the smaller size of 320 mm x 270 mm x 6 mm / 12.5 in x 10.6 in x 0.23 in. The pad is black cloth, so while it isn’t available in any flashy options, the minimal color look should still fit with most gaming rigs.
The SteelSeries QcK represents the budget option of our top CS:GO mousepad selection. Like the SteelSeries QcK Heavy, the materials are excellent, and the cloth surface makes gaming performance stronger. However, this version does not have the heft of the prior, so that that mousepad movement could be more of a concern.
However, what sets the SteelSeries QcK apart from the other mousepads on this list is the range of sizes that you can work with. The SteelSeries QcK carries pads across six sizes, ranging from small to 5XL. This means that whatever your space situation is, SteelSeries offers a mousepad to work within those considerations.
The smallest size, at 9.5 in x 8.2 in x 0.07 in / 250 mm x 210 mm x 2mm, comes in at $7.99, making that mousepad the most budget-friendly option on our list.
While there are multiple options for mousepads to give you the competitive edge on CS:GO, only one can be the best. Thanks to plenty of hours playing CS:GO and first-hand experience, we can safely say that your most substantial bet for maximizing your competitive edge goes to the ZOWIE G-SR.
This mousepad has the suitable material, proportions, and feel to stand up to some of the toughest CS:GO competition you can imagine. While the Logitech and SteelSeries mousepads are quality, the ZOWIE G-SR stands above them. The ZOWIE G-SR offers the most consistent and effective increase to our gameplay across several tests between the dimensions, quality, and options.
Most of it comes from the quality of the cloth surface and the stitching, resulting in a smooth glide for hours of gaming. So, as far as the best mousepad for CS:GO, our pitch is that you couldn’t do better than the ZOWIE G-SR, one of the most used mousepads by gamers.
Click here for a list of CS:GO Pro Gamer’s and their Mousepads.