ADATA XPG’s commitment to the gaming peripheral division is remarkable. Just after we reviewed their CORE REACTOR power supply and SUMMONER mechanical gaming keyboard, as the title suggests, the next product they have in store for us is a gaming mousepad with RGB.
Unboxing
The size of the box shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the name of the product with “XL” suffix pretty much tells us that the product will be a desk mat style mousepad.
What comes in the box:
- ADATA XPG BATTLEGROUND XL PRIME RGB Gaming Mousepad
- USB Cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B)
- Product documentation
- Sticker
User Experience
The BATTLEGROUND XL PRIME covers a 900mm by 420mm area, by all means, is more than enough for any desktop setup. Even those who are using the smallest IKEA LINNMON table at 1000mm x 600mm will still have space for the monitor stand. With that said, this desk mat style mousepad is my personal favourite as it looks cleaner and tidier for the setup.
What makes the BATTLEGROUND XL PRIME so special is the use of the CORDURA ultra-durable fabric as the mousepad surface. If you don’t know about CORDURA, it is basically a collection of fabric technologies developed by DuPont back in 1929 for military use. The technology is then used in a wide array of commercial products including luggage, backpacks, trousers, and performance apparel.
One might think that the mousepad is durable by simply using a rough fabric material but it was surprisingly comfortable to use. The uniform weaving pattern provides a consistent mouse tracking hence leads to better performance and experience in-game.
Under the CORDURA fabric is the 4mm dense foam which both softens the mousepad as well as keeping the mousepad in place.
If you’re not a fan of RGB, you may choose to leave aside the detachable USB cable. The cable is sleeved but unfortunately, XPG still employs USB Micro-B connector for this mousepad. As for the lighting options, there is a couple of colour presets built into the controller:
- White
- Blue
- Cyan
- Green
- Yellow
- Red
- Purple
- Colour cycle (breathing)
Long press the button on the controller will turn off the RGB.
Even though the mousepad doesn’t require to have any software installed in your computer to work, personally I would still prefer to see more customisation in terms of the colour choices and lighting modes.
Final Words
Love it or not, the gaming peripheral industry’s RGB craze has no sign of slowing down despite all the critics pointing out the irrelevancy of lighting and actual gaming performance. Mousepads with integrated RGB lighting will continue to fly off the shelf as long as the customers continue to purchase them. Then again, that doesn’t stop companies from actually releasing a good product together with all the blings. For example, the BATTLEGROUND XL PRIME as the derivation from the standard non-RGB BATTLEGROUND XL.
Wrapping up our review, at the price of RM230, the pricing falls side by side with the Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma which has somehow identical design except for the fact that XPG has opted for a much higher quality CORDURA fabric. We have seen many regular fabric mousepads wearing out due to heavy usage, at the same price, we believe the XPG’s BATTLEGROUND XL series mousepad is a worthy investment for those who game a lot.
Pros:
- Good build quality
- Smooth mouse gliding surface
- Easy to clean
- Detachable USB cable
Cons:
- Need more lighting options
- Pricey
