BenQ ZOWIR G-SR Black

Product Information

The materials used here are quality, the stitched edging is very well done, the performance is consistent and well-balanced, and the price is good value for money.

Zowie has always made a point out of not adding any unnecessary drivel to their products, and although they have released some rather ‘gamer-y’ mousepads in the past the G-SRwould not look out of place in a more formal setting. The pad has stitched edges and is finished with a small stitched on Zowie logo on the side of the pad. That logo does technically interfere with gameplay if you glide your mouse over it, but if it comes to the point that this becomes a problem ingame then you were probably going to get fragged either way, so this is a non-issue really. The mousepad looks like a relatively large but thin mousepad. It’s not so thin that I’m worried about the mouse digging so deep into it that it starts to scrape the desk, but it looks quite thin. It’s pretty easy to clean with just soap, water, and a cloth, and you should get any dirt and dust off without a hassle. Also, there are no noticeable delicate parts that can be ruined by washing. Cost The Zowie G-SRis a premium large sized pad which offers a very smooth, though very controlled glide with plenty of stopping power.However, unlike that pad, the Zowie G-SR was not as easy to smoothen. I found that there was still some flaring on the sides (see sample image) even after a week of use which included piling up other pads on it to keep it down. When designing this new iteration, ZOWIE also made changes to the durability and humidity resistance. To test this, I made parts of the pad a bit moist with a cloth and found that the glide remained pretty similar. I also did this test with an older G-SR-SE and there I felt like the difference between the moist spots and the dry spots was a lot more pronounced. It’s perhaps not the most scientific of tests, but it should give you an idea. It’s still not perfect at handling humidity, but it does perform better than its predecessors. Now, there’s enough real estate here that the flared sides do not have to get in the way while you’re using the mousepad, but if you’re someone that tends to move the mouse to the edges of the pad when you’re using it, then it will be harder to ignore.

What’s noticeable to me is the consistency of this mousepad. The foam feels the same all throughout the pad, and even though this new material is a little bit softer (which is something that I like) I never got the idea that some parts had more give to them than others. This, in combination with the top texture feeling very consistent as well, makes for a mouse surface that feels extremely well-designed and crafted. The build quality of the Zowie G-SR is pretty solid, so maintenance is something that the manufacturer certainly considered. ZOWIE made a number of promises when they first unveiled the G-SR-SE Rouge, and from what I can tell they’ve delivered on all of them. The surface is smoother, the humidity resistance is better, and the foam is a little bit softer. The pad still feels every bit as consistent as it should be, though, and with its controlling medium glide (by this I mean that it’s pretty much a ‘medium’ pad, but it’s on the slower end of that spectrum) this Rouge offers an interesting glide experience for people who play tactical shooters or who just want a touch more control without losing out on gliding speed. It’s finished with high quality stitched edges so it’s going to be plenty durable as well as extremely comfortable due to the quality of the stitching. You’re going to need to wash itquite often, however, since the accumulation of dust, sweat, and so on affect the glide of the pad in a pretty large way. That’s not a big deal, but it is something to take note of.It needs to be said that the materials and the finishing on the Zowie G-SRare top notch.I’ve been using this pad for the past couple of months and it doesn’t look a day older compared to when I first got it. As mentioned, there have been a few changes to the surface of this new G-SR-SE. If you’re wondering how this feels in comparison to earlier versions, I can be short: it’s a touch faster. Not by a lot, but you do notice it. If you plan to place the pad on an extremely uneven surface, it will be more obvious how thin the mousepad is, and performance will be affected. This price point puts the mousepad just below the average in the market, which is fantastic value for a product of this quality compared to the competition. Verdict