How to Choose a Mousepad Depending on the Game You Play
Although mousepads are generally considered universal tools for all games, in reality when you start studying the subject a bit deeper, you will realize that the mousepad market, as with most other products, thrives on specialization.
Mousepads are made with different materials, which have different speeds, and durability therefore you need to understand what kind of mousepad you need to purchase to get better in your game of choice.
Your experience with a certain mousepad will also vary depending on your mouse and grip style but the general ideas we will share with you will hold true in most cases and will help you improve your aim.
Control Mousepads
Most slow mousepads are cloth pads that use their fabric and their texture to produce static and dynamic friction that will aid you in stopping your mouse (Odin Eclipse, SteelSeries QCK, Zowie GSR). These mousepads are great for slow-paced FPS games like CS:GO or Valorant where a single bullet can change the outcome of the round and precision is key.
The slowness of the mousepad also aids with flicking and switching targets allowing for more stability during your movements. A slow/control mousepad is not exactly fit for faster-paced games where a lot of tracking is required because the constant friction will tire your hand out quickly and make it hard to stay on target.
It is definitely possible to still play fast-paced tracking games with a control pad, it is simply not optimal.
Medium Speed Mousepads
A mousepad that has a medium glide is basically the best of both worlds and its surface has both stopping power while the initial friction is low enough to where you can smoothly track targets. These mousepads feel slow and smooth when needed but are also a lot faster than control pads (Corsair MM350, Artisan Zero, Artisan Hayate Otsu).
If you play faster-paced games (Apex Legends, Overwatch) where you need to track and flick then getting a medium-speed mousepad might be a great choice for you. These mousepads will require you to have a bit more mouse control since they might feel a bit more slippery at the start compared to a control pad.
In this category of mousepads, you might also find hybrid pads (not made purely out of cloth ex: Odin Infinity) which have higher durability and resistance to outside factors like humidity so it might be worth looking into this segment of the market.
For most people that do not exclusively play tactical shooters, I would recommend they look for a medium-speed pad since it will allow them to both track and flick precisely.
Fast Mousepads
When it comes to fast mousepads the very first thing you need to know is that you need to have a lot of mouse control to use one properly. The surfaces of these pads are extremely fast and if you cannot control your mouse correctly you will most likely be all over the place (Artisan Hien, EGG MPC450, SkyPad 3.0).
Because of this specialized surface playing tactical shooters will be hard on a fast pad since you can over-flick easily. Tracking on the other hand is very easy (with good enough mouse control) since the surface has almost no friction at all, which means you can adjust to your target’s movements with no issues.
Playing games like Apex Legends, Overwatch, Quake Champions, Diabotical, etc will be a fun experience on a fast pad since these games place a heavy emphasis on good tracking. As with control pads in fast-paced games, you can also play tac-shooters with a fast pad, but you will need to use a lower sensitivity to adjust for the slippery surface.
The surfaces and materials are the most exotic in this category since you will find hybrid pads, Cordura pads, tempered glass pads, ceramic pads, etc. Fast mousepads are usually the most durable with cases like the glass/ceramic pads being basically unkillable since they do not lose their glide at all with time.
Conclusions
If you play a tactical shooter or some other form of a slow-paced game where the main aiming style is flicking or switching – get a control pad (slow to very slow with high surface friction – has low durability).
If you want to play both tac-shooters and faster-paced tracking games then you should get a medium-speed pad that can do both (medium to medium-fast surfaces with decent durability to boot).
If on the other hand, you do not play any tac-shooters or slow-paced games and also have good mouse control, buying a fast pad might be the play for you (extremely good durability, in certain cases borderline unkillable).