When it comes to gaming peripherals, I am a fan of well-made gimmicks. The market is saturated with excellent gamer accessories, so many products disappear into the crowd if they don't have standout features. Some gimmicks are just there for the headlines, like the obnoxiously ugly mouse (opens in new tab), but more often than not there is a solid idea hidden in there. The only unfortunate thing is that sometimes the ridiculous ideas survive, while the good ones are lost in the passage of time.

One loss that makes me question humanity is the wireless mouse charging pad. Mouse pads (open in new tab) have existed since we needed balls rolling around on them and have survived thanks to providing a smooth, sure surface we can trust. Not so long ago, genius gaming peripheral innovators realized they could stick RGB lights on such things, and some even went the extra mile to add charging capabilities.

The dangerous nature of gimmicks makes it more pleasing when one of these little touches stands out and actually feels like an improvement over the standard form. Wireless mouse charging pads are a prime example of this, a great way to keep mouse weight down and battery levels up; why is it that RGB-lit mouse mats are still rampant, but none of them can charge my mouse?

As wireless mouse technology makes functional delays a thing of the past, I am enamored with cable-free cursor controllers. I like not having to drag cables around or worry about where to put them on my desk or what I might knock over. The only thing I don't like about wireless mice is that they have to be recharged. However, companies don't seem to be willing to come out with new wireless mouse and charging mat solutions.

So I'm still using the Razer Mamba and Firefly Hyperflux (open in new tab) combo that I bought a long time ago; the Firefly is a wired RGB-lit mouse pad that provides power while using a wireless Mamba mouse . This means that the mouse must always be used on the pad, and you can't leave the mouse off the pad for very long, but it still feels very natural to me, and I have a mouse that doesn't need to be recharged.

At the time, this design made it one of the lightest wireless mice available, weighing in at about 90 grams; in 2023, Razer just introduced the new 49 gram Viper Mini (opens in new tab), which is the company's lightest to date. Currently, the full-size Wireless King (opens in new tab) is closer to the 60g mark, and while I have enjoyed the lightness of some of them, I have yet to switch my daily cursor pushes thanks to the convenience of an always-ready mouse.

Razer was not the only company that once dipped its toe into the charging pad game. I remember drooling over the PowerPlay (opens in new tab) mat for Logitech's G-series gaming mouse, which was released around the same time. You can still get them today, but for me they cost A$230 (expensive) and without a compatible mouse. At the time, I believed the future would be full of excellent mousepad/wireless mouse combinations, but all I've heard in the last few years is crickets chirping.

HyperX has half-filled me, at least for a little while, with QI wireless charging (opens in new tab) on branded peripherals like the Pulsefire Dart (opens in new tab) Pulsefire with QI wireless charging (opens tab) Some peripherals like the Dart (open tab). Also, you no longer need cables to charge devices that are wireless for a reason.

To make matters worse, it seems like every brand wants to come out with its own mouse mat these days. These desk covers are usually made of the same rubbery material throughout, with little distinction or even usefulness. If you are willing to go to the effort of making that damned thing and wiring it to light up, why not make it work as a power source for my myriad wireless devices?