BenQ ZOWIR G-SR Black

Product Information

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. As I type this out, it's 68% humidity on an early afternoon after a night of rain. There's some resistance, but I'm incredibly impressed with how well this pad is doing. Comparing this to the Deep Blue G-SR-SE, the difference is staggering. The Rouge does way better in humidity, and I'm glad! It means that another well-priced option exists for more people living in... suboptimal weather conditions. At 50% humidity or lower, this pad really seems to shine as well.

Plenty of professionals use a special customized version of a certain pad with a team logo or gamer tag on the surface, but those pads are essentially all the same when it comes to the overall specifications and performance, so we added those to the count of their unbranded/non-customized versions. These special colorways and personal editions usually have the logos and names added to the pad by sublimation, so the glide isn’t affected at all. Logitech G640 Lastly there’s also the fact that a gaming mousepad is generally better for the long term health of your mouse. If you’ve got yourself a shiny new gaming mouseyou don’t want to be sanding down the feet of your mouse by sliding it around on a wooden desk or a plastic cutting board you’ve found in the kitchen, for example. There isn't stitched edging. In the 3 weeks or so I've been using the pad, I've noticed that there seems to be some very light fraying, but the pad itself does not seem to be coming apart; I did try to pull on it a bit and the string that was already fraying did start to unwrap, but it seems that if you don't intentionally try to mess with the edges, you'll have no issues. Just something I have to point out nonetheless. Definitely one of the more reliable unstitched pads. The question is, of course, whether or not the pad lives up to the hype & marketing. Spoiler alert, it definitely does.The Razer original Razer Gigantus was pretty much a control pad, but with the V2 Razer tried to make it more like the G-SR-SEs of this world. That pad started getting really popular at a certain point and this is Razer’s own take on that type of glide. What you get is a medium speed mousepad with a decent amount of static friction and a lower amount of dynamic friction to allow for easier gliding. With an impressive consistency and all the features of an extremely decent gaming mousepad, this one is a logical inclusion in the top 5 of the most used mousepads.

ZOWIE made a number of promises when they first unveiled the G-SR-SE Rouge, and from what I can tell they’ve delivered on all of them. The surface is smoother, the humidity resistance is better, and the foam is a little bit softer. The pad still feels every bit as consistent as it should be, though, and with its controlling medium glide (by this I mean that it’s pretty much a ‘medium’ pad, but it’s on the slower end of that spectrum) this Rouge offers an interesting glide experience for people who play tactical shooters or who just want a touch more control without losing out on gliding speed.Increased humidity resistance when compared to earlier versions, though it’s still not flawless at handling oils and sweat The humidity resistance of a mousepad greatly depends on your personal circumstances, of course. If you live in a humid climate andyou get sweaty palms you will be more susceptible to humidity issues, but ZOWIE’s promises of handling this issue have been fulfilled if you ask me. ZOWIE G-SR-SE Rouge Review – Conclusion

Mousepads are an often overlooked piece of gaming equipment. They’re not necessarily themost important piece of equipment, but a decent pad will definitely improve your gaming experience and performance. ZOWIE’s G-SR-SE mousepad has long been a favorite of professional gamers, but it can’t be denied that the pad had some issues in the past. The durability, for example, wasn’t all that, and the G-SR-SE also suffered from humidity issues, leading to an inconsistent feeling pad at times. Not the smoothest surface I've ever felt, but also one of the better surfaces on cloth pads. Shouldn't mess with your skin. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of cloth pads have XY variance, and the G-SR-SE Rouge is no different. However, it's definitely minimal on this one, so if you have to turn your mousepad for whatever reason, it should be no problem. I live in an area of the US with VERY inconsistent weather, and I can confirm: Zowie delivers on the humidity improvements. Of course, really bad humidity still debilitates this pad, but to that, I say two things. One, it's a cloth pad, so some level of humidity debilitation will always exist. Two, Zowie claimed the humidity resistance would get better, not go away.It needs to be said that the materials and the finishing on the Zowie G-SRare top notch.I’ve been using this pad for the past couple of months and it doesn’t look a day older compared to when I first got it. Both pads have a glide that’s extremely similar, but the G-SR II is noticeably better at handling humidity and has increased durability over the G-SR I. If you’re considering a G-SR mousepad, I would always recommend the G-SR II over the G-SR I. Conclusion 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. 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