ASUS has added a new mouse pad to their Republic of Gamers line of products - the ASUS Whetstone. Quite an inspired naming, since whetstones are used for sharpening cutting tools and weapons, and another recently launched ROG product - the ASUS Sica which bears the name of a sharp weapon! We've used the Whetstone to "sharpen our gaming weapons" for a while and now we're ready to share our conclusions. Read this review to learn whether or not this mouse pad is good for you.

Unboxing The ASUS Whetstone

Since the Whetstone is part of the Republic of Gamers brand, the packaging is also a specific one to it. A red and black box with a square cut-out through, in which you can see and feel the actual mousepad without getting it out of the box.

Once you remove the ROG-branded box, you find the mousepad enclosed in a black box.

Hardware Specifications

The Whetstone is a medium sized mousepad, measuring 320 x 270 x 2mm (12.5 x 10.6 x 0.07 inches) and weighing 220g. That's the equivalent of 7.76 ounces, for our friends who use the imperial system :). The box also shows some key features of the mousepad, such as:

• Durable silicone-fabric build with Mayan-inspired markings and a laser-cut Republic of Gamers logo
• Washable, odorless and easy to clean materials
• Portable, rollable design that's easy to carry around and stays firm and flat when laid out

You can find the full list of specifications here: ASUS ROG Whetstone - Specifications.

Using The ASUS Whetstone

We've used the Whetstone for a couple of weeks with multiple gaming and non-gaming mice, including the ASUS Sica. All mice worked great on the Whetstone, the gliding was smooth and we encountered no tracking problems regardless of what mouse we used.

Among the other mice that we've used on the Whetstone we can mention the Razer DeathAdder 2013, the Tt eSPORTS BLACK, the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort. and the Microsoft Explorer Touch. All of them worked perfectly on the Whetstone without any tracking issues. The biggest advantage of the Whetstone, from our point of view, is the fact that ASUS chose a silicone-based material to build it, which makes it a lot more durable than cloth mouse pads that often wear off in time. We also liked the texture on the pad, which ASUS says it's Mayan-inspired. The ROG logo is also a nice touch, which will definitely make the pad stand out during a LAN party.

The ASUS Whetstone was also very easy to clean, the water-resistant coating making the process quite painless. We just washed the mousepad, wiped it with a dry cloth and it was clean in no time. Given the adhesion level offered by the red silicone base, it won't slip out of control and you won't feel the need to be extra careful with the mouse pad when doing sudden moves in the games that you play.

The one thing that the Whetstone lacks and we would have liked to see it here is an attached wrist rest. However, this might have been a limitation for the portability and foldability of the pad, so we don't consider it a major downside.

Verdict

The Republic of Gamers brand has once again managed to offer a quality product that will be appreciated by many of their customers. The Whetstone is a great all around mouse pad with good adherence and precision levels for many different types of mice. We recommend it to fans of the ROG brand that are on the lookout for an easy to carry mouse pad for their LAN parties. Also, non-gamers will appreciate this mousepad for its durability and precision.