Razer Scarab BF3 CE Mouse Mat Review

by 

Ben Biggs at Total Gaming PC

What we think about a £35 mouse mat.

Details
Price: £34.99

Verdict:
Its credentials aren’t doubt, but that’s a lot of money for a simple mouse mat. 6/10

Tech Specs:
Size: 350mm x 250mm x 3mm
Weight: 229 Grams
Features: Fractal 2.o surface coating, improved rubber base, reinforced carry case

The role of the mouse mat, once upon a time, was to provide traction for a ball mouse usually lacking on the hard polished surfaces computers sit on. With the advent of the laser mouse and the increasingly accurate technology behind it, the purpose of the mouse mat becomes less clear. But for some reason, we still like that designated space for our peripheral of choice and if it can marginally improve our game, all the better.

Still, we doubt there’s nearly £35 worth of game improvement in the Razer Scarab for the average gamer. It’s a large, robust mouse mat with a solid rubber foundation that firmly grips your desktop, and a crystalline surface coating called Fractal 2.0 that helps a laser mouse identify its position faster. In theory, this should improve your game, but you’ll probably only notice the difference if you’re playing particularly twitchy real-time strategy or first-person shooter titles at extremely competitive levels – like Battlefield 3, for example.

This Battlefield 3 Collector’s Edition of the Razer Scarab comes with a reinforced carry case (a questionable extra) and also a code to unlock the exclusive Razer Serpent dog tags in BF3. But… the price. We’ve no doubt there are Battlefield nuts and competitive gamers who want to leave nothing to chance, willing to spend this kind of money on a fancy rubber mat with a few special features. But in the gaming peripheral hierarchy, mouse mats rank near the bottom and for that price, you can buy a basic but very servicable gaming mouse. We just can’t see where the money is being spent.