Introduction
Glass pads are on the rise. They are no longer exclusively made by niche, boutique brands, and most manufacturers are now offering their own glass mousepads. With their NOD, X-Raypad is entering the ring, and in our full X-Raypad NOD review, you’ll find out if this pad is worth it in an ever-growing sea of alternatives. Read on to find out!
At A Glance
X-Raypad NOD CR-X1
The X-Raypad NOD CR-X1 is an interesting first attempt at a glass pad, but it’s not a perfect one.
Pros
- Good finishing
- Very comfy due to the 2mm thickness
- Tons of extras in the box
Cons
- Glide changes after a couple of weeks and makes the pad faster
- Design is not neutral at all and won’t be to everyone’s tastes
| Height | 49 |
|---|
| Length | 42 |
|---|
| Thickness | 2 |
|---|
| Stitched edges | No |
|---|
| Material | Glass |
|---|
| Overall Glide | Speed |
|---|
| Foam Firmness | N/A |
|---|
| Static Friction | Very Low |
|---|
| Glide Difference X/Y | 4 |
|---|
| Dynamic Friction | Low |
|---|
First Impressions
Before we get into this review, I should say that I’m not super knowledgeable on glass pads. I’ve tested and reviewed quite a few, but I would not call myself an expert at all. So keep that in mind when reading this review.
On to the pad itself then, and there are two things that catch the eye: the thickness (or rather, the lack thereof) and the artwork. The thickness of just 2mm is subjectively quite amazing, and it’s great to see that brands are now able to make thin glass mousepads, as that really helps with the overall comfort levels.
The artwork is another matter. That’s completely subjective, of course, but I really do not like this. I am not an anime fan, and even if I were, I would not want to have busy anime artwork with a typical anime girl on my desk. I do think there are ways to make cool anime-styled pads without resorting to that completely played-out ‘posing girl design’ (some VAXEE PA designs prove this) but it seems like there’s a huge market for this in the glass pad space, since I see a ton of similar-looking glass pads. So, who am I to complain?
Lastly, I should note that there are two versions of the NOD out right now. There’s the CR-X1 version (which is a control pad) and then also the SP-X1 version (which is speed-focused). I spent most of my time with the CR-X1 version, so that’s what this review will be about.
Box Extras
Something that’s really nice and deserves an extra mention is how many extras you get in the box. You get a cloth for cleaning the pad, a gaming sleeve, two sets of dot skates, a metal artwork plate, and a plastic art piece. I don’t like the look of the included art (since it’s based on the anime girl) but this is a generous package. You really feel as if you’re unboxing a super premium product here, and given the prices that glass pads go for, other manufacturers should take note.
Finish and Overall Quality
The NOD, like most glass pads, does not come cheap. With an MSRP of $104.95, it’s a lot more expensive than pretty much all cloth pads. At that price, you expect stellar finishing, and that’s on display here.
There are no sharp edges, the surface feels consistent when you run your fingers over it, and the pad is also completely flat.
What I love is how thin it is. The first generations of glass pads were pretty much all on the thicker side, and they really started to annoy me after a couple of hours of gaming. These thinner pads (Razer also have one with the Atlas Pro) pretty much eliminate that issue entirely, and I suspect this will remove a big hurdle for a lot of gamers who were wanting to try out a glass pad and got held back by comfort issues.
Performance
Glide
I tested the CR-X1 version, which is the control edition. X-Raypad states in their marketing that this is pretty much the same as a cloth control pad, but that’s not true at all. Dedicated cloth control pads are much, much slower.
Still though, for being a glass pad, the X-Raypad NOD (CR-X1 version) is very restrained. It’s the slowest glass pad I’ve tested to date, and as a control-oriented cloth pad enjoyer (my current main is the ZOWIE G-SR-SE), I can’t say that I had any huge transition issues when going from my regular setup to using the NOD.
But make no mistake: the NOD feels faster than even medium-speed cloth pads. A small muscle twitch when holding an angle, for example, is enough to move the mouse. And, compared to cloth pads, there’s pretty much nothing for your mouse to ‘grip onto’ when you’re making micro-movements when aiming.
I don’t really love that type of experience. A pad shouldn’t be wildly inconsistent, but I am not a fan of the unforgiving nature of hard surfaces either, where each hand or finger move, no matter how small or soft, gets picked up on by the pad. If you are, though, and you want a pad that doesn’t make you feel as if you’re gliding across a skate rink with worn sneakers on, the NOD has an interesting surface. It’ll allow you to have that ‘your hands do all the work’ feeling without going off the rails in terms of speed.
Surface Consistency
One thing that I did note is that the surface does not seem to be very durable. X-Raypad states that the CR version isn’t coated, so this must have something to do with the way the surface is finished, but I could clearly feel a difference between the busier sections of the pad and the less-traveled ones after a week or three. The worn-down sections were slightly faster and didn’t have as much ‘drawback’ as the least-worn sections.
Whether this is an issue depends on your preferences. If you’re absolutely in love with the exact way the surface feels when it comes out of the box, you’ll be pretty annoyed by the fact that it speeds up quite a bit after just a few weeks. But even in its ‘worn down’ state, the NOD still offers quite a fair bit of control (compared to other glass pads) so the core experience does not get lost, it just speeds up a little bit.
Still, a pad that changes glide that quickly is not something you want to see, so X-Raypad has some improving to do on this front.
Base
The X-Raypad NOD has this largely-textured sticky base to it, and stick it does. Once you place it down on a nice, flat surface, the pad is going absolutely nowhere. The base is even so sticky that you’ll often find hairs and other household debris stuck to it, so I wouldn’t recommend storing this pad in dusty places if you plan on switching it out with other pads.
Everyday Usage
X-Raypad states that the NOD is a quiet pad, and while it’s perhaps not as loud as some other glass pads, it’s still quite noisy compared to cloth. So if you share your gaming space with others, prepare to get some comments on this, especially if you’re an aggressive swiper.
Other than that, the NOD suffers from the same issues as other glass pads: they’re a lot more difficult to transport, and liquids pool up on the surface, so if you’re a sweaty gamer, you’ll have to wipe your pad quite often. I had did not have any other issues using the NOD in my day-to-day life.
Alternatives
I have not tested very many glass pads, but it’s worth comparing the NOD to that other recently released and very thin glass pad, the Razer Atlas Pro.
X-Raypad NOD vs Razer Atlas Pro
Out of the box, the X-Raypad NOD is slower than the Atlas Pro. Even when the NOD is ‘broken in’, it remains just a bit slower than Razer’s pad, so if you’re looking for a glass pad that gives a high degree of control, I would go for the X-Raypad.
The Atlas Pro does feel a little bit more premium, however. The finishing feels slightly better on the Razer (though not by much) and the surface feels more consistent and doesn’t change after a couple of weeks.
See our Razer Atlas Pro review
Conclusion
The X-Raypad NOD CR-X1 is an interesting first attempt at a glass pad, but it’s not a perfect one. The surface out of the box feels extremely interesting and unique, for instance, but it speeds up a bit after extended usage, which then brings the pad more in line with other offerings.
The thickness of 2mm makes a huge difference, but X-Raypad isn’t the first brand to bring 2mm glass pads to the market, so that’s not a unique selling proposition either.
In essence, it’s a well-done control glass pad, but nothing more than that. If you like the anime styling and the glide that it offers, you can’t really go wrong with this, but if you don’t necessarily love the art, there are other options out there.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
