Page 3 - Subjective Performance Tests
The testing of mousepads is subjective in nature. Therefore, I used the APH Networks standard mousepad testing procedure which included both the trace test and game test. Specifically, the trace test was performed by using Microsoft Paint, and the game test was based on Counter-Strike 1.6. The mouse I used for the tests was my daily mouse, the GAMDIAS Zeus P1. During the tests, the ROCCAT Sense AIMO XXL was compared against the Gigabyte AORUS AMP500 I reviewed back in 2019. The comparison was not meant to determine which mousepad is better, as these two products are different in terms of design and material used. The comparison is done with the purpose of forming an impression towards this product qualitatively, and the impression should truly reflect the actual performance of the test subject. Specifically, the test was based on the following four aspects:
Glide - For quick and effortless mouse movements across the mousing surface.
Control - For precise and accurate cursor/crosshair handling.
Grip - The mousepad's ability to stay in the same position on the desk without undesirably relocating itself.
Noise - Will this mousepad generate noise when the mouse is being used?
Thanks to the ROCCAT Sense AIMO XXL's flexible cloth-based surface, this mousepad struck an excellent balance between offering glide and control during the tests in my opinion. Although the Sense AIMO XXL is essentially a soft surface mousepad, its padding material made it feel semi-hard to reduce unnecessary drag. At the same time, the control was precise, since the resistance was consistent. I was happy with the results of the Paint test, since I could draw some clean lines with sharp corners on Sense AIMO XXL without any issues. For the Counter-Strike 1.6 tests, I was satisfied with fast cursor moving speed and precise aiming without tracking inconsistencies. Overall, I felt this product was a typical cloth-based soft surface one, as it was a pleasant experience to put my hands on. Compared to the other soft surface mousepad I reviewed, the AORUS AMP500, the Sense AIMO XXL was even more comfortable.
For the grip performance evaluation, I cleaned off my table before putting the ROCCAT Sense AIMO XXL on it. On top of a smooth surface, I found it was impossible to move the mousepad by intentionally rubbing my wrist on the cloth surface, especially with my left palm resting on it. The rubberized base did a really good job making sure the mousepad was not moving anywhere during intense use. As for the noise performance, the Sense AIMO XXL was actually quieter than the AORUS AMP500. I think that was because the Sense AIMO XXL had a flexible cloth-based front surface, while AORUS AMP500 had a slightly harder surface. On the other hand, the Sense AIMO XXL had a thickness of 3.5mm, while the AORUS AMP500 only had 1.8mm in thickness. This thicker material helped with noise dampening.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
