*Disclaimer*
This mousepad was sent out to me by Lethal.gg, but that doesn’t affect my opinions in the review.
UNBOXING
The GhostGlides Masterpiece comes in standard flat packaging with a clear plastic covered wrapped around it inside. The text on the pad is an ironic statement about the constant anime limited releases in the market. It’s a little silly, but I love how the design looks overall. It features below the surface stitching, a soft “micro” pu base, and a nice 500x500mm size – basically all the quality of life features you want.
Info Summary
Packaging: Flat
Surface-Type: Smooth spandex (speed)
Base: Soft Micro-Polyurethane
Dimensions: 500x500x3.5mm
Price: $61
SURFACE PROPERTIES
Friction & Glide
The masterpiece feels faster and hovery out of the box, but settles down in speed after a few days. The only speed pad I have at the moment to compare to is the lgg neptune pro. It seems close in speed to the neptune pro, but ever so slightly slower on wide/large motions. The neptune pro can feel slower on smaller movements because of its higher static friction, which will be more noticeable depending on whether you’re using large or small skates. In contrast, the masterpiece has very low static friction. The glide mostly feels frictionless with rarely any feedback, and the soft base makes it decently easy to stop with by pressing down.
Speed (fastest to slowest): Neptune Pro > Ghostglides Masterpiece > Aqua Control Pro Neon
Feel
Out of the box, the surface is incredibly smooth and has the spandex feel you’d expect. It kinda reminded me of the smoothness of the energon, but stays very cool to the touch while in use. The pad makes a loud zippy sound when swiping your arm/palm around it, which may be a dealbreaker for those who mind. With continued use, I did start noticing a little bit of scratchiness on the palm, which gets a little annoying during long sessions. It seems the area my palm makes the most contact with is a subtle amount rougher than other areas of the pad. I’m pretty sure all pads experience this to some extent, but it’s mainly the contrast in smoothness that makes it apparent on the masterpiece’s surface. The surface kinda attracts dust easily, so it may be the dust rubbing onto my palm that’s causing the problem. It’s easy to swipe off most of the dust, but some very small ones get trapped in. Keep in mind, I have dry hands, so sweatier hands may not notice the rubbing as much.
PERFORMANCE
I feel like there is a small break-in period since the glide felt a bit faster and more hovery out of the box. After a few days, the glide is slightly slower, and it feels like the surface has a little more give, so I can actually push down on the soft base more easily for control. When it comes to performance, the glide’s smoothness and minimal interruption from friction makes me enjoy it for tracking. The pad feels like it disappears while playing, and I only concentrate on what’s on the screen as I reactively make those small continuous motions. When it comes to click-timing, the smoothness combined with its quicker speed kinda throws me off. I can still land quick reactive flicks on this surface, but my overall consistency takes a hit. I’m just so used to having some sort of feedback to rely on. Of course, this is mainly a skill issue, and something I can learn to adjust to with time. Still though, after having the surface develop a slightly rougher spot, I’ve begun to enjoy the surface less cause of the annoying scratchiness on my palm, so it’s unlikely I will put a lot of time on it. In valorant, I didn’t find the lack of surface feedback as jarring since most of the mouse movements in that game are much more minimal and in short bursts, so I can take advantage of the quick microadjustments.
Right now, this is the clothpad I enjoy the glide of most for tracking, but there’s still a few speedpads I have yet to try, so I’m not completely sold on it being the best for me in that regard. If you like the design though and are looking for a smooth speed pad, this may be worth checking out. It’s a great alternative for those who enjoy the energon, but want something faster and smoother.
PROS & CONS
+smooth speed pad w/ clean aesthetic
+below the surface stitching
+nice soft pu base with good stick
+large 500x500mm size
+comes flat packaged
=makes loud zipping sound when rubbing on the arm & palm
-somewhat of a dust magnet
-steep price ($61)
