It finally happened. Nearly a decade after we saw the inevitable addition of RGB lighting to the edges of mouse pads, Razer has finally done the only logical next step and made a mouse mat that’s one big expanse of RGB-lit goodness. The Razer Firefly V2 Pro has just been announced as the first of its kind and offers gamers a hard mousing surface and dazzling light show in one.
Arriving as easily one of the most expensive ever contenders for a spot on our list of the best mouse pads, the Razer Firefly V2 Pro is sure to divide opinion but certainly stands out from the crowd.
So what does Razer’s latest mat actually offer then? Well, the mousing surface is a 360 x 278mm slab of “micro-textured” plastic, which makes this a regular medium sized mouse mat by modern gaming standards. As such, fans of extra wide mats that go under your keyboard or XXXL mats that cover your whole desk will have to look elsewhere.
A follow-up to the original Firefly V2, which offered RGB around the edges of its hard mouse pad surface, the V2 Pro incorporates 15 RGB zones that shine through the transparent surface of the mat. This raises some concerns about the possibility that light from the mat could interfere with your mouse sensor but we’re sure Razer has thought of this and it won’t be an issue.
For all that the lighting is easy to find amusingly over the top, we can’t deny it looks impressive based on Razer’s provided images. With it supporting Razer’s Chroma software it will also be able to fall in line with any RGB reactions/patterns you’ve set up on your system.
Aside from the lights, the Firefly V2 Pro also offers a USB 2.0 port which makes for a convenient spot to plug in your mouse cable or wireless adapter. The mat also connects to your PC via a USB-C port. However, the pad doesn’t offer any sort of integrated wireless mouse charging like the Razer Firefly HyperFlux or Logitech PowerPlay mats.
It’s this lack of practical features that will no doubt make many potential buyers all the more unsure about a purchase given the very high price of this mat. It’s a cool $99, making it double the price of the previous Firefly and seven or eight times more expensive than similar-size basic soft mouse mats.
A review sample of the product is winging its way to us as we type so we’ll report back with a full review to see just whether it could ever be worth spending $99 on a mouse pad. But in the meantime, you can find out how to prolong the life of your current choice by reading our how to clean a mouse pad guide.