Our Verdict
A stylish and practical addition to any PC gaming setup, the SteelSeries QcK Prism XL is the ultimate gaming surface, giving you everything you need and much more.
- Incredibly smooth woven surface
- Strong grip to desktop
- RGB implementation is more than a gimmick
- Power connection can be disruptive
When it comes to choosing my gaming surface, I must confess I typically choose anything that means I don’t have to play directly on my desktop, but the SteelSeries QcK Prism has shown me that I’ve been missing out. This XL RGB surface is more than just a pretty addition to my desktop, it’s improved every aspect of how I interact with my mouse and keyboard.
My time with the SteelSeries QcK Prism XL has shown me that it’s one of the best gaming mouse pads you can buy right now. It’s easy to overlook how a mouse pad might integrate with your current setup, but SteelSeries knows exactly how to pack its product full of useful features.
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I tested the QcK Prism XL which is 900mm wide, 300mm deep, and just 4mm thick. This is all the more impressive given the RGB lighting around the edge.
On the quality of the fabric, the SteelSeries QcK Prism uses a micro woven cloth that feels impossibly smooth to the touch. This aids the longevity of your gaming mouse, as its contact pads will barely wear when gliding across the surface.
I was concerned that the deep black color would mean having a keyboard on it may leave imprints or white friction marks. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with flat or kickstand keyboards. Instead, the cloth fabric creates a decent resistance and your keyboard shouldn’t move at all during natural typing or gameplay.
As for the desktop grip, SteelSeries has implemented what it calls a “never-slip base” and I agree with the concept up to a certain point. Moving the QcK Prism is hard, except where the USB connection is in the top left-hand corner. This little area is raised as it’s where the magic happens to make the Prism light up and create whatever effects you have in place.
It’s not something you’ll pay attention to after a few weeks, but I couldn’t help but notice it whenever I would shift a peripheral to the left-hand side of the mouse pad, and it lifts slightly before tapping back down on my desk.
On the lighting, SteelSeries has given the QcK Prism full access to its namesake Prism software within the SteelSeries GG engine. This means you can sync all your SteelSeries RGB devices (provided they are compatible) to run through the same color scheme or effect.
Better still, you can also run the QcK Prism through an audio visualizer, have it flash for Discord notifications, or even have it respond to in-game actions such as losing health and switching the lights from green to red.
Verdict
I shouldn’t be surprised by the quality of SteelSeries products, but I’m genuinely blown away by how much practical value the QcK Prism managed to add to the humble mouse pad.
More than just a surface, the QcK Prism XL has made me take more pride in my desktop setup and offered my peripherals a much more suitable solution to sit on.