There are plenty of things to consider when setting up your rig. What kind of speakers should I get? Should I use headphones instead? How many monitors are too many? What is the optimum sensitivity for my mouse? Should I get a new computer chair? However, there is one thing that people seem to overlook when considering their rig, and it’s a pretty important piece of equipment. A mouse pad. With the advent of optical mice, mouse pads have become less critical to everyday use, but there are many advantages to still using a mouse pad. It is far from being an obsolete foam square. It would be a shame to get bodied in a first-person shooter just because you neglected the surface that your expensive gaming mouse with RGB LEDs and thirteen buttons is tracking across.

It is true that a modern optical mouse doesn’t require a pad to track correctly. The technology has come a long way from the ancient and elusive analog trackball mouse, and the newest ones are leaps and bounds over the tech used in them even ten years ago, but a mouse pad is still key to your gaming rig. Your gaming room setup is not complete without one, and I’ll be happy to explain why.

Firstly, a mouse pad is going to protect your work and gaming surfaces. The friction of the mouse feet will eventually damage your desk. Imagine the stress of one hundred games of Fortnite straight to your desktop. Imagine paying good money for your gaming desk, and then scratching it up. Not only will those scratches negatively affect your gaming experience, but it’ll also ruin the aesthetic that you’ve cultivated for your gaming space. Not only are you wearing down your desk, but you’re also wearing down the mouse’s feet prematurely. You don’t want to get foiled mid 360 no scope headshot by extra friction slowing down your mouse.

Another good reason to remember grabbing a mouse pad is the style of your game room. If you’ve got a theme started, it would be good to have a striking mouse pad to tie it all together. Say you’ve got a monochromatic thing going on, with zebra stripes and matching game chair, why not snag the large white gaming mouse pad? There are tons of ways to accentuate your gaming space, and a mouse pad is an inexpensive way to do that.

It’s not all about accessorizing and keeping your desk nice. A mouse pad will provide more consistent tracking, and better mouse glide to keep you from getting hung up and missing your shots. It also provides a surface area that you can memorize to keep you from flying off your desk in a fit of panic when getting ambushed around a corner. It would be hilarious, but probably not good for your K/D ratio. Another advantage to large mouse pads is providing a non-slip surface for your keyboard to keep both your mouse protected and keep your keyboard under your fingers where it belongs.

Remember, a mouse pad isn’t archaic and unimportant. It’s a great way to extend the longevity of your mouse, protect your desk and keyboard and prevent bad mouse tracking. It’s also a great way to accent the style of your gaming rig. Don’t neglect the mouse pad, and always remember to clear your corners when entering a room. If that White Large mousepad sounded exciting you can snag it at Board’s website. We have a good selection of high-quality mousepads for sale that will complement your gaming setup, and keep you on your A-game.