Razer has released its first-ever glass mouse mat for gamers. Billed as a mat that delivers “pure polished precision,” the Razer Atlas offers a micro-etched tempered glass surface with CNC-milled rounded edges, a non-slip rubber base, and quick wipe-down cleaning. This $99 / €119 glass mouse mat isn’t simply an upcycled glass chopping board.
Glass has been an integral part of our daily lives for centuries. Still, in the world of computer peripherals, where ergonomic considerations meant everyone in the noughties had a gel wrist rest, it might be a harder sell. In addition, there has been a definite trend toward hard ‘fast’ mousing surfaces for eSports pros in recent years, but does glass go too far?
(Image credit: Razer)
Razer highlights that its glass mouse mat enhances several gaming performance metrics. For accurate tracking, the Razer Atlas features a black or white surface that has been micro-etched with 2μm texturing for seamless optical sensor feedback. For speed and responsiveness, the ultra-smooth matte surface facilitates “quick swipes and consistent glides,” says Razer. If you tend to wear out your mouse mats, another touted benefit of this tempered glass design is its impeccable durability - and it should be easy to clean after a smudgy, sweaty Cheetos-fueled gaming session.
Making this step away from traditional mouse mats, Razer seems to have not yet found a way to integrate its signature Chroma RGB into the Atlas. Or perhaps it will release the RGB version once the excitement about this first Atlas model has diminished.
Razer includes some curious warnings on its Atlas product pages. Of course, glass can be dangerous, particularly compared to the fabric and foam of a standard mouse mat. However, do we need to be cautioned not to use the Atlas to start fires, as a lens for watching eclipses or solar flares, or to not hit others over the head with it?
(Image credit: Razer)
Razer is asking $99 / €119 for this 450 x 400 x 5 mm (17.72 x 15.75 x 0.19-inch) glass slab. Perhaps this price will be acceptable to some, but others might be tempted to indulge in some DIY Perks style antics, like upcycling a glass chopping board or sandblasting a portion of a glass desk top for a similar result.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
Hahaha.
I am on a bead blasted aluminum mouse pad and once you have tried one you will never go back to any other foam or vinyl plastic junk. It was like $9 and it looks exactly the same after years of use.
I still have both my Icemat and SteelSeries version of the same thing. They've been really good and just require cleaning, but they also cost significantly less money than this and its contemporaries. I was always sad when SteelSeries never bothered with any followups, but the prices on this and pulsar's are absurd.
