BenQ ZOWIE G-SR-SE Rouge Gaming Mouse Pad for Esports

Product Information

What’s noticeable to me is the consistency of this mousepad. The foam feels the same all throughout the pad, and even though this new material is a little bit softer (which is something that I like) I never got the idea that some parts had more give to them than others. This, in combination with the top texture feeling very consistent as well, makes for a mouse surface that feels extremely well-designed and crafted.

The G-SR II is a pad that’s focused on control. As such, there’s a high amount of static and dynamic friction present here, but it’s not the absolute slowest pad I’ve ever used. Both in my testing (see our article on how we test mousepads) and when gaming with it, I initially found it to be a touch faster when it comes to dynamic friction than other dedicated control pads like the Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro and the original G-SR (though I don’t have any tests for that one as I don’t have a fresh G-SR lying around). The static friction feels more or less on par with those other pads. I should mention that there are games that actually need you to use faster mousepads for best results, so there are situations where balance is not the absolute best option. People often think that all cloth mousepads have the exact same glide, but that’s a common misconception. The Zowie G-SR is living proof of that. When compared to (most) other cloth gaming mousepads this one offers a very controlling glide with a pretty large amount of surface friction. This won’t please everyone (then again, no product does) but it is a great option for people who have a tendency to use large, aggressive swipes or for gamers who often find themselves overshooting their target. A gaming mousepad can be compared to the tires of a race car if you’re asking us. You can have the fastest car on the circuit with the best driver behind the wheel, but if you slap a pair of old and worn out tires underneath the car you won’t be seeing a lot of wins. The mousepad is a piece of kit that’s often ignored by the more casual gaming audience, but that really shouldn’t be the case. There are many different pads out there, all with different specifications and characteristics, so it’s definitely a good idea to find one that matches your preferences and playing style. You’ll not only increase your personal playing comfort but you’ll also increase your performance.

Pro Lists

This price point puts the mousepad just below the average in the market, which is fantastic value for a product of this quality compared to the competition. Verdict Pretty much the main reasons for making a new G-SR version were the durability and humidity resistance concerns that plagued the original. Sadly I can’t really say a lot of useful things about the durability in this G-SR II review due to the simple fact that I don’t spend months or even years with the products that I review. I did spend a number of weeks with the G-SR II during a particularly warm and humid summer though, and aside from the aforementioned slowdown that occurred after a couple of days, I didn’t notice any big changes to the overall glide and characteristics. However, it is the most consistent option for someone that plays a wide variety of games and wouldn’t want to be switching mousepads all the time. Maintenance The foam that the pad is made out of is pressed together very tightly, so there’s almost no bubbling.This doesn’t mean much if you’re playing on a perfectly smooth surface, but once you get to a slightly rougher surface you’ll find that the G-SR-SE handles that a lot better than pads of a similar size. It won’t cover up any major imperfections but it’s definitely good enough to use on most desks that you’d see at LAN parties and the likes, doubly so because the pad lays flat almost straight out of the box.

To me, it feels like there’s a bit less static friction, which could make sense given the fact that the surface is now smoother. You can definitely also feel this when you’re just gliding your hand across the mousepad, but it’s still not the smoothest material out there. I know that some people had complaints about the G-SR-SE’s surface irritating their skin after some time, and while I of course can’t speak for everyone I do believe that this change is going to make the pad feel a lot more tolerable to a lot of people out there.

You Might Also Like

The pad feels nice and smooth here, and it has stitched edges which I’m a big fan of. The stitched edging is also very well done and not just there for the sake of it, so cookie points for that, Zowie. A logical alternative to this pad would be the original ZOWIE G-SR, which I feel is just a bit slower than this one but offers around the same glide experience overall. Other contenders are the recently released Endgame Gear EM-C and the Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro. ZOWIE G-SR II vs Saturn Pro The top of the pad, as you can see, has the manufacturer’s logo on top of it. This is a zoomed-in picture, so it’s not as large as it appears to be. It’s actually relatively small.