Razer Firefly - Worth it?

I have it in my cart and ready for checkout but wanted some thoughts on it before I went ahead and made the purchase. I play games like Ark: Survival Evolved, Skyrim, and looking to get into Overwatch and didn't know if a hard mat will effect game play positively or negatively. I also will most likely be getting the Mamba or the Orochi to match it in the coming months. I also have a gift card that will make it only $22 after tax so I don't know if that means anything to anyone since price is always a factor. Any insight is always appreciated!

 

To be honest, no. I tried it at best buy then returned it. If you want to play overwatch and get all the nice lighting effects- get the chrome keyboard. But the Firefly is just meant to make your setting look cooler with the RGB lights. Good luck and happy spending!

 

Ah, I also forgot to mention I game on a laptop. I don't have the need for the keyboard as awesome as it looks.

 

I would lean towards no. Not because it isn't cool (it is) but because USB slots can be valuable real estate on a laptop, and having one taken up just for your mousepad is a little wasteful, but that's just me. If you don't plan on using it for anything else, and you really like the look of it, go for it, but if you're planning on getting a nice mouse, I'd say go for the mouse first!

As for your other question, I liked my hard-mat Vespula, but it's a matter of preference really. Hard mats are easier to keep clean, IMO, and are much more durable over time than soft mats.

 

--> USB hub

I'd say go for it, the firefly really looks good especially when combined with other chroma devices.
The hard surface might be not as good as a soft mousepad, however if you don't like it you can always put a small golithus on top

 

What problem do you normally see with harder mouse pads? Do they tend to be pess responsive? Or just drag more when playing?

My laptop is the HP Omen 15 and it has 4 USB ports so I personally never have had issues with USB space. I am waiting on getting a nice mouse once I have the $140 to throw down on the Mamba and I can afford $20 ATM. Plus Razer always seems to have nice sales early and mid year so I want to see if I can get lucky.

 

Personally, I disagree with this. Have you ever used a mechanical keyboard? I can't even go back to using a traditional membrane keyboard now, let alone trying to force myself to use a built in laptop keyboard. The clicky key version of the BlackWidow is like using a space age typewriter. I totally recommend it for gaming over a built in laptop keyboard.

Now about the Firefly... my friends just got me one for my birthday on Monday and I am loving it. For starters it looks amazing. Also, I am loving the performance. Some people just have a personal preference and don't like hard mouse pads, but I think it's excellent performance wise and don't mind it being a hard mat. Might actually make gaming on a couch a lot easier having a hard mat over a soft mat.

Let us know if you end up getting it!

 

I'd only get it solely for the lights if i were to get it. However, you'll probably never go wrong with a trusty goliathus

 

I definitely understand what you mean with the keyboard. I got to fiddle with a Blackwidow 2011 and it feels great to play with. Thankfully mine isn't too bad. I also have a small desk so trying to have a keyboard with my laptop would be a bit difficult to work with, so unfortunately it's not a choice for me ATM. I ended up taking the plunge and getting it (Mainly because I love the color options and my laptop has custom color lighting so it will work very well)! I will let you all know in a couple days when I get it, how I like it! Thank you all so much for taking the time to give your insight.

I was getting quite a few recommending that mouse pad and for it's price your really can't go wrong. I am just such a sucker for the color options that the firefly gives. I'm hoping I can sync everything up so my lighting can match up!

 

It will cost you an extra USB slot... if you are short of these USB slots, probably not. If you're talking about money... well, LEDs are less than a dollar per string nowadays... the sale price is... urmm..

 

It is for the looks and a hard gaming pad. I bought it for the looks and my mouse pad was peeling from being too old.

 

From the reviews I have seen, the firefly has a slippery surface. Which is a big problem for me. I didn't like the speed mat and had to get the control. I don't think it's really worth it for just the lights.

 

Soft mouspads are in general better for the mousefeet, as they will last longer
Also in my opinion I prefer controlled movement over speed, and the hard surfaces are pretty slippery compaired to lets say the goliathus control

 

I have the firefly and just got the orchi, I'd say it doesn't increase your gaming massively, but it does feel smoother to play, and after using the orchi, i'd say get the mamba or mamba TE instead

 

Well for that price defenetiveley not.. i have also one and well it's nice but from quality and especially options you have for this it could cost 30€

the surface is .... naaaah.. good but hard mouse mats will ever got problems.
and the dimsnsions well i cant complain about it
Would be really nice when the Firefly would be in 3 different sizes (but....)

Yep and the options for customization are ... .weak. There are since the release last year only a few ... It has defenetive more potential.

 

if you want a profesional mouse pad with nice light effects i should buy it!!

 

It's more of a vanity item. Though the mouse pad itself is nice, you have to pay a premium for the chroma effect.

 

I understand what you mean. $60 for a mouse pad is a bit much but I have a gift card that brings the price down to $20 with free shipping. What are your thoughts on that price point, or is it still a no?

I am glad you think so! I did buy it and it should be coming in tomorrow. I will be posting an update on my thoughts and photos when I receive it.

The $60 asking price or the $20 I would be paying? I agree on the thought that they should offer more sizes to fit different needs but perhaps that is something that will happen down the road? After all, Razer is pretty good at listening to it's customers. I am hoping that since it is a hard mat, it will last a while since my soft pads always seem to fray. (Been using my MTG play mat as a temp fix XD)

 

If money is not a factor, well, invicta will be a better choice

 

It seems like you already made a choice, but I'll just leave this here for the sake of sharing information. So like with most things, there are pros/cons for soft and hard mats.

Soft Mat (Cloth)

• Comfortable
• Easy to roll up and travel with
• Usually less expensive than hard mats
• Fabric absorbs dirt and sweat over time. Think about it like this - what would your clothes be like if you used them everyday and rarely ever washed them?

Hard Mat (Plastic/Aluminum)

• More Durable
• Easy maintenance - wipe clean
• Less friction for smoother and faster mouse glide
• Said to provide more precise tracking for laser sensors
• May be less comfortable due to the lack of foam cushioning
• Has somewhat of an abrasive surface so it wears mouse feet quicker

For you specifically, the Kabuto is usually paired with the Orochi. The Firefly would go nicely with the Mamba. I will say that the Firefly is a poor choice for travel. However, if it's only $20 then there's absolutely no reason not to get it. If I were in your situation I'd probably grab the Firefly and a soft mat for travel.

Either way, enjoy your new mat!