This mouse pad is as smooth as black ice
For years, I’ve been opting for desk mats that fit my keyboard and mouse. Asus hopes to convert me to a mouse pad with the ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition.
I feel dizzy watching my mouse spin. It glides so effortlessly on the ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition that 1080s are the rule rather than the exception. This mouse pad has proved to me that you can, in fact, have too little friction.
Quality finish
The Hone Ace comes packaged in a long cardboard box. Inside is the mouse pad and a ROG-branded sticker. Because the pad is tightly rolled up and held in place by plastic, it doesn’t immediately lie completely flat on my desk after I unpack it.
Measuring 508 × 420 millimetres, the mat is quite large, so it peeling away slightly on the left and right doesn’t bother me. Besides, if experience is anything to go by, it’ll flatten out completely within a few weeks. At least my desk pads always do. My keyboard looks kind of naked lying directly on my desk without a mat.
The Hone Ace is 3 millimetres thick. This is supposed to make the mouse pad soft, though I find it rather hard. Not unpleasant, mind you. But harder than I’m used to from my equally thick or one-millimetre-thicker desk mats.
Source: Kevin Hofer
On the top left of the anthracite-coloured pad is ROG’s logo, while Aim Lab’s occupies the top right. This mat is a collaboration between Asus gaming brand ROG and the aim trainer Aim Lab. The ruler at the bottom is conspicuous. An Aim Lab logo is also emblazoned in black in the centre and spans the entire mouse pad. The stitching around the Hone Ace is turquoise. It’s quite flat, so it doesn’t bother me when gaming.
The Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition is covered in very fine mesh (set slider to the right). Here it is compared with a desk pad, with a larger mesh (set slider to the left). Both images are 2x magnified.Image: Kevin HoferOverall, the build quality of the mouse pad is excellent. The surface feels nice and slippery, and the mesh is very fine. According to the manufacturer, it’s a «hybrid cloth surface» – that is, a mix of different textiles. Asus doesn’t provide more detailed information. A special nano-coating is supposed to protect the pad against water, oil and dirt, while the rubberised back ensures it stays put on your desk. Only the seam is a touch unsightly in a few places.
Source: Kevin Hofer
A ruler to rule them all
The Hone Ace’s most striking and unique feature? The ruler. This, together with the in-game Aim Lab X ROG 360 task, is supposed to help you sharpen your aiming skills. The markings on the mat show you how far your hand and forearm travel when aiming with the crosshairs on screen. This can supposedly turn you into a human aimbot, that is an impeccable shooter.
Source: Kevin Hofer
I trained with it for a few hours and did get a better feel for my mouse movements in the process. But I haven’t really become any better at my games – that’s (hopefully) still to come. So far, I find the ruler to be a nice feature that I don’t actually need. I could also just put a ruler on the mouse pad. Although it’d probably slip right off the Hone Ace at the slightest touch; that’s how little friction the pad offers.
Like black ice
The surface of the Hone Ace not only feels slippery; it is slippery. This is something I learn while getting used to the pad. Initially, I often find myself sliding the mouse way too far. My desk mats offer significantly more friction. On this mouse pad, moving my mouse takes way less effort than I’m used to. I almost don’t feel the mouse anymore. And that’s precisely my issue with too little friction: I no longer get any feedback from the mouse. Yes, I know I’m moving something, but I can’t tell what. It’s like playing a racing game on a no-feedback steering wheel and pedals; something’s frankly missing.
I’m sticking with my desk pads
If barely any friction when gaming is what you’re after, the Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition is a good choice. The mouse pad offers a quality finish as well as its unique ruler, which you can use to improve your aiming skills. But it really is just a gimmick.
That’s why I recommend thinking long and hard before spending nearly 50 francs (as of 21 Feb. 2023) on a piece of fabric. As far as I’m concerned, the mouse pad is too expensive and too slippery. I need more feedback when gaming. That’s why I’ll be sticking to my desk mats. And they tend to cost just half as much.
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Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
