TteSPORTS Draconem RGB Cloth Edition Mouse Pad Review

RGB is an additive colour model in which red, green, and blue light is added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colours – definition courtesy of Wikipedia. The colourful glory that is RGB has stolen the hearts of most PC gamers, leading to RGB mousepads, because why not? Approaching this new idea is TteSPORTS with the Draconem RGB Cloth Edition Mousepad, the first product to bring RGB colour to the Draconem family. Let’s see if it’s worth the price.

Beginning with the packaging, it’s a simple and sturdy box which as always displays all the fundamentals in TteSPORTS red and black. Unboxing is as easy as sliding the plastic mould out, revealing the mat comfortably lying under a styrofoam sheet. Besides the warranty, quick start guide and two stickers, no other accessories come in the package. The package will definitely withstand any mishaps and bumps from orders. 

Taking out the mat out of its mould gives way to some more information. A light weight of 360 grams will make it practically negligible in any carry case, thanks to a thickness of just 4mm. The mat, although a cloth edition, cannot be rolled up and has a reasonable amount of flex. Connectivity is granted by a rubbery cable sticking out from the control panel and a gold plated connection. Face up, the mat maps 355 by 255 mm, an average to small size.  Apart from area are the aesthetics given by a black colour contrasted by a white TteSPORTS dragon and headed by the control panel with a couple of physical buttons. So how does it perform with a mouse on it?

Well, the “specially optimised surface with textured weave for superior tracking” stays true to its description. Using an optical or a laser mouse was a pleasure.  The mat stood indifferent to anything thrown at it, thanks to a rubberised bottom which is commendably easy to clean as it doesn’t stick to the point of fluidity.  Mice slid effortlessly on the surface, providing accuracy and precision as stated. However, there are a few gripes to mention regarding user experience. Firstly, the border of the top cloth face is extremely rugged and creates a terribly unpleasant grazing effect against any moving skin in contact. Another detail which TteSPORTS may have missed is the fact that a wired mouse will tend to have its wire come in contact with the control panel which may prove annoying in tense gaming situations. This may be avoided by using a mouse bungee or going wireless of course.  In general, it’s a great experience.

Finally, we can get down to the main selling point of the product, being the RGB lighting effects. As expected, all 16.8 million colours are at your fingertips along with the effects given by TteSPORTS’ software. The “command centre” is available as a download from the product page. After a while, perhaps too much time, the software was tediously setup and we were ready to play around. A satisfactory brightness and lovely vibrancy is achieved by the mat and all colours seem to be well-defined. As mentioned earlier, if a static colour bores you, TteSPORTS has you covered with some effects. These include wave, spectrum and pulse; pretty orthodox and standard.  Speed and colour brightness are freely changed.  At over 50% brightness, any colour illuminates the white brand logo which was certainly designed specifically for that; nice touch. The only thing we could take away from the lighting is that it cannot be synced with any mouse, even of the same brand. Also, the wave effect seems a bit mechanical if one focuses on it, but it’s forgivable. To round off lighting, no internal memory means that all three profiles are saved on the PC which is definitely not as sweet.

The last thing to discuss in this review is the control panel at the head with its physical buttons. Power and effect may be toggle from here. The power button is rather self-explanatory,  but the effect button is different in mechanism. Holding it down allows the user to dance through the effects including static, but no colour may be set except red from here. It’s a great way to use up the extra space for more functionality.

To conclude, the Draconem RGB Cloth Edition Mouse Pad is a product to look out for; packing superb lighting, fine quality and professional performance with an amazing price tag of €50. RGB  mousepads are still new to the market, with most brands like Razer and Corsair giving it a go at higher prices. This product is aimed at conscious, budget gamers who want to give their mousepad some life without having to spend a pretty penny.

Who it’s for:

• Budget PC gamers
• RGB enthusiasts

Who it’s not for:

• Those with a higher budget
• Those who’d like to sync colour effects with the rest of their setup.

If you're interested, check out the product page: http://www.ttesports.com/productPage.aspx?p=269&g=ftr

Also, those who've been taking note have realised that we've created quite a lot of TteSPORTS product reviews lately. This is because we've had access to such a great amount of products, only a couple more are left.