Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

So, who here looks at their mouse and feels that just about any surface will be just fine for it.  Be it the table top, a cloth mouse pad, or maybe even yesterday’s newspaper.  We never look at our mouse surface as a necessity or a priority.  I was of the same thought pattern.  I have been using the same Max Payne mouse pad for my gaming exploits that came in the special edition box in 2001.  Yeah, the same mouse pad has been in use in my house for nine years.  It is dingy and dirty, and all around gross, but I never felt the need to get a gaming mouse surface.  I was skeptical when I received the 4HD Gaming Mouse Surface, as it looked like a glorified mouse pad, but when you take your first few trips into gaming with this product, you will realize that it is a most have product for a hardcore PC gamer.

The first thing that you notice about the 4HD Surface is that it is large.  Probably about 33% larger than the standard mouse pad, and a lot more rigid as well.  I had to do a bit of re-arranging to fit the 4HD on my desk.  Once I had the surface installed, I ran my hand across the surface, and it was smooth, with very subtle bumps all over its area.  Comparing to my cloth mouse pad, there was a distinct difference in texture from the touch.

I set my mouse upon the surface and before I even turned on the PC, I watched my mouse glide across the mouse surface with a gentle push.  It was interesting to see how smooth the mouse movements were on the 4HD.  I then turned on the computer and logged in and had to actually turn my mouse sensitivity down a bit, because of the difference in my feedback with movements on the surface.  The mouse definitely moved faster than I was used to, and it was a jarring shock.  This shock to the system continued into my first gaming foray into Left 4 Dead 2.  My mouse movements were fundamentally off, due to the speed of the surface.  After dialing in my mouse settings, I found myself in a comfortable zone, and over time, definitely noticed an improvement in my mouse skills.

After playing through some Team Fortress 2, GTA: Episodes from Liberty City, Dawn of War 2 and Beat Hazard, I was very impressed with the feedback that I had on the gaming surface.  I tried my old mouse pad after using the 4HD and could not adjust to the wholesale difference in my mouse movements.  Once you use a surface like this, you will be hard pressed to go back to your old, dingy mouse pad.

Cleaning off the surface is easy to do with a simple damp cloth, and due to the smooth surface cover, you never have to worry about spills sinking into the fabric of the mouse pad.  I did spill a soda on the 4HD Surface and a simple damp paper towel cleaned off the surface, and then I followed with another towel to dry it off.  I was immediately back to gaming on the surface.

At this point, I have extolled countless praise for the surface, but is it something you need.  For the price of $20, it is a hard sell for a simple mouse pad, especially when you can get a simple mouse pad at Staples for $2.00.  But if you are dedicated to hardcore PC gaming, you would be doing yourself a favor by picking up one of these gaming surfaces.  My wife was not impressed with it, but then again, Facebook games are not for this type of surface.  If you love and dedicate lots of time to hardcore PC titles, you should definitely look at the SteelSeries 4HD Gaming Mouse Surface as an enhancement for your gaming sessions.  The SteelSeries 4HD Gaming Mouse Surface receives 4.5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.