Weekend Warrior: A mini review of Razer’s Gigantic new mouse mat

Sometimes something unusual gets offered to us on review and a couple of weeks ago that happened. I never thought in my time at Ausdroid I’d review a mouse mat, yet here we are…

Over time like the associated peripherals, mouse mats have become more integral to our daily interactions with computers. If you’re a gamer, depending on what games you prefer the space you need to move your mouse around varies. Razer recognised this and have delivered a range of sizes — with associated pricing — for the Gigantus V2 and even some options to customise it.

• M (360 x 275 x 3mm) for $19.90
• L (450 x 400 x 3mm) for $28.90
• XXL (940 x 410 x 4mm) for $55.90
• 3XL (1,200 x 550 x 4mm) for $92.90

So what is the Gigantus V2?

The short version is: It’s a mouse mat, but it’s a very good quality one. One of the things that really annoys me with cheap mouse mats is the materials used don’t last, which can affect the usability of your other hardware. The Gigantus V2 is a rubberised base with a matte black stitched top. I specify the stitched top because that too makes a difference to the outcome.

The really tight material top gives your mouse a far better face for accurate tracking, but for those who are after the ultimate speed of response, the rubberised base does flex a little which reduces speed very slightly. Changing from the Razer Sphex which is a hard plastic style mousemat designed for speed alone, this was something I definitely noticed.

The rubberised back also provides some padding and comfort if you’re using your computer for extended periods of time. In my case, it was sitting under my keyboard and monitor stands which also softened the feel of the keyboard slightly making longer periods at the keyboard a lot comfier.

I have some minor concerns about the longevity of the edges of the Gigantus though. While they are sealed quite well, I’m not convinced that without some form of stitching around the edges that it won’t fray or separate from the base over time. Whether these will hold up to the long term use and abuse that a gamer will inflict on it will be seen in months, potentially years from now.

How was the general experience?

As already mentioned, there are a few areas that are a bit different with this versus a normal mousemat. The biggest — pardon the pun — is the physical size, it goes beyond somewhere to place your mouse and creates a bit os a workspace feeling. I found myself avoiding putting other items on the Giguantus other than my keyboard and mouse, it was an unusual way to tidy my desk but it worked.

The comfort that a nicely padded mousemat has to offer is lovely, it really is very smooth on the wrist as well as extending that softer, padded touch to your keyboard. But where I found it exceptionally good was the accuracy of tracking through the tight stitching on top of the pad.

Over-riding long periods, potentially years, of muscle memory is not an easy thing to do. The adjustment from other styles of mousemat may take a little while. In the end though, if you’re after a comfortable feeling to your mouse and keyboard then this could be the final piece of your PC puzzle.

Should you buy one?

I’ll come out and say it straight away if you’re a hardcore gamer this is not for you! The comfort is great, but the loss of tracking speed with the flexibility of the base foam will annoy hardcore gamers, a lot.

The Gigantus V2 will be a really solid investment for users who:

• Are casual gamers
• Work from home
• Want to have a clean workspace free from distraction and clutter

This is a hybrid between productivity and gaming and for that it works really well. For reference on the scale, the review unit we have is the XXL. For users who are looking for something to bridge the gap between work and play, this is more than a mouse mat – it’s a workspace and despite some loss of speed for gaming, I’m seriously thinking about getting one as a permanent solution.