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 Anyway, the Zowie G-SR is also 470mm wide and 390mm long. The result of those dimensions is a more “square” shape compared to other mousepads, but I think I prefer mousepads that are more horizontal than vertical. 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.

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. 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. 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. CostThe build quality of the Zowie G-SR is pretty solid, so maintenance is something that the manufacturer certainly considered. 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. The mousepad’s stopping power is still remarkable despite its speed, so it’s still a solid option if you tend to overshoot your targets while gaming and need more control. In-game To me, it feels like there’s a bit less static friction, which could make sense given the fact that the surface is now smoother. You can definitely also feel this when you’re just gliding your hand across the mousepad, but it’s still not the smoothest material out there. I know that some people had complaints about the G-SR-SE’s surface irritating their skin after some time, and while I of course can’t speak for everyone I do believe that this change is going to make the pad feel a lot more tolerable to a lot of people out there. 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. With great balance comes great, consistent in-game performance, and that’s the case here with the Zowie G-SR.

Specifications

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. The Zowie G-SRis a relatively thin and large sized mousepad. It’s a lot wider than it is ‘high’ so the G-SR(as a logical consequence) is more rectangular than some other mousepads out there. That’s neither positive nor is it negative, but it’s an observation. There’s plenty of room for low sens gamers in all directions though, and if you don’t need all thisreal estate you can go for the Zowie P-SR which is the same pad in a smaller form factor.