Mousepads haven’t really gotten any innovation lately. The market is crammed with either a control or speed-oriented mousepads, both varying in different sizes. There have been RGB variants of these cloth or hard-surfaced mousepads. The only type of innovation we’ve seen are a few brands that have wireless charging implementation on their mousepads for their wireless mouse. Logitech, Razer and Corsair’s wireless charging mousepads are all proprietary and are only limited to their respective mice models. This is where Asus steps in with their Balteus Qi Wireless Gaming Mousepad with wireless capability under Qualcomm’s Qi technology.
A Closer Look
Across all of the mousepads we’ve reviewed, the packaging of the ROG Balteus Qi is by far the largest we’ve seen on a mousepad. The front shows a glamour shot of the Balteus Qi with RGB On. Minimal brandings can be seen with only the Aura Sync Logo and Qi logo found on the left part. Moving to the back is an image of the Balteus Qi in another angle with its key features highlighted on the right side.
The first thing you’ll notice upon opening the packaging is the wire for the Balteus Qi is not detachable as shown with a dedicated spot for the cable. There’s also an included type-c to type-a cable for the USB passthrough
A portrait-oriented mousepad is not common mainly because of the niche market it supports particularly the FPS market. The advantage in more height or length is entirely dependent on the user’s preference and ties in with the user’s DPI and desk setup. You’ve got to hand it for Asus for the effort of designing the back parts of their products leaving no sign of compromise in terms of aesthetics and build quality.
RGB Lighting
The RGB lighting of the Balteus Qi is not bright enough for a typical ROG peripheral. It adds a subtle glow around the mousepad but is barely visible with lights on depending on the color being shown. ROG Armoury Crate lets you customize lighting profiles and calibrate the mousepad together with your ROG mouse.
Wireless Charging
The Wireless charging area is located opposite to where the lighting and pass-through module is located. It supports Qi charging and was able to charge BossMac’s P30 Pro.
Instead of hiding the relevant components in the mousepad itself, Asus just placed a module on top that controls the RGB lighting. The DC-in port is for the wireless charger with a separate cable as the cable attached to the mousepad itself is only for the RGB lighting.
Conclusion
Remove the Wireless Charging capability and the ROG Balteus Qi just a mousepad like any other. What makes the Balteus Qi unique in the market, except for the Qi charging, is its vertical orientation that targets a specific niche in the gaming community. While it’s not for everyone, the Balteus Qi is one of those products that you don’t realize you need unless you’ve tried it. The wireless charging capability targets a specific set of power users that has Qi charging compatible devices for them to fully enjoy the Balteus Qi. The Balteus Qi’s main purpose is to reduce desk-clutter by integrating your wireless charger to your mousepad.
A Php 5,500 of for an RGB Mousepad with Qi wireless charging is very expensive for its core feature of being a mousepad. Qi wireless charging is also only available in flagship phone models costing over Php 60,000, therefore, price shouldn’t be an issue for the enthusiast. If you like the 370 mm x 320 mm vertical orientation, then the regular ROG Balteus without wireless charging is also an option at a lesser cost.
Backed with a 1-year warranty, we give the ROG Balteus Qi Gaming Mousepad our Performance Award!