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The idea that you could have a mouse pad that keeps your wireless mouse charged is one that’s kept my interest ever since the launch of the first Logitech G PowerPlay wireless charging station way back in 2017. Unfortunately though, even all these years later with the release of this new version, it still seems more like concept work than actual ‘ready for the shelf at a reasonable price’ technology.
And that’s coming from someone who was pretty impressed by the first one and used it for a long time. The problem, though, is there’s a difference between enjoying something and thinking it’s worth the price. Pricing was the main problem with the first version and things unfortunately haven’t gotten any better on that front, despite a nominal $20 cut.
Before we get into that, let’s go over what the Logitech G PowerPlay 2 mouse pad—sorry, ‘wireless charging station’—actually is. Just like the first version, it comes with a charging base which is attached to the control module and cable, a pad to sit on top of that base, and a small charging puck to replace the one in the bottom of your compatible Logitech mouse.
A mouse that can take the charging puck can then sit on the plugged-in PowerPlay which will keep it charged up while you’re gaming, working, or idling—as long as the mouse is on (or slightly above) the mouse pad, it’s charging. This is all thanks to a “low-frequency electromagnetic field” that the charging puck captures, similar to the wireless charging we’re all used to.
Here are the mice that Logitech lists as compatible with the new charging station:
- Logitech G309
- Logitech G502 X Plus
- Logitech G502 X Lightspeed
- Logitech G502 Lightspeed
- Logitech G703
- Logitech G903
- Logitech G Pro Wireless
- Logitech G Pro X Superlight
- Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2
- Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Dex
Logitech is pitching this new version as an improvement over the first: it’s thinner, has a larger charging area, and costs $20 less at $100 MSRP. But that’s just one very skewed side of the picture.
PowerPlay 2 specs
The other side is that it’s thinner because the mouse pad is flimsier, it doesn’t include a hard pad, and it lacks a wireless receiver. This last one is what gets me the most, I think. One of the great things about the first PowerPlay was that you could plug in the mouse pad and do away with your 2.4 GHz dongle, as the pad itself acted as the receiver.
Not so with the new PowerPlay. Now, you’re expected to connect the PowerPlay 2 plus the 2.4 GHz receiver that should have come with your Logitech mouse.
Apart from the inconvenience of having to fill up an extra USB port on my PC, the main reason this is annoying is because it makes the seeming price cut for the new version ring hollow. Of course, a product should be cheaper than its predecessor when it simply doesn’t include anywhere near as much as the first did.
I remember opening the first version and being pleasantly surprised by having two mousepads, and these being actual quality pads—the G440 hard pad, and something very akin to the G240 cloth pad. Opening the new version, I was unpleasantly surprised by the inclusion of just a single flimsy cloth pad.
And the original launched for $100 just like this new one, but then had its price hiked up to $120 later on. And let’s definitely not mention the fact that the original was retailing on sale for well under $100 in late 2024. Just before it was discontinued and replaced by this new one, that is.
All of this might be understandable if there were solid upgrades here, but as I’ve already explained, there are actually cutbacks. A larger charging area is about all we get for a definite upgrade, and I never noticed a problem with the original one’s charging area during the many months I used it.
Thinness, you say? Well, since when was it a good thing that a mouse pad is incredibly thin? My time spent with the new SteelSeries QcK Performance mouse pads reminds me of this because one of the benefits of them is that they’re thicker than the original QcK series (barring, of course, the ultra-thick QcK Heavy).
If a mouse pad is too thin, you don’t get good cushioning or stopping power and it’s actually less comfortable. I’m not saying the new PowerPlay is uncomfortable—it’s not—but the original was just fine the way it was. It hasn’t been improved at all by being thinner, in my opinion.
Credit where credit’s due, though, the surface of the new pad is a little slicker and smoother than the original. It’s decent, but nothing you couldn’t get from a number of other much cheaper pads that lack these PowerPlay charging capabilities. If you’re getting one of these you’re really not getting it for the feel, but rest assured the feel is pleasant.
And it does certainly do its intended job: it charges your mouse without you having to ever remove it from your mouse pad. It’s kept my mouse at 99% for the past few days of use, so I can say it does its job as intended. It even keeps charging when lifted slightly—but only slightly—above the mouse pad.
On the other hand, it’s small. The new version has retained the same dimensions as the original at 344 x 284 mm. That’s okay for some people, but it’s smaller than a usual large or XL mouse pad. If you’re a low-sensitivity Counter-Strike gamer, for example, you’ll almost certainly want a bigger pad.
I should also mention that these are the actual measurements that I’ve confirmed multiple times over with an actual tape measure. The reason I say this is that the specs listed on Logitech’s site say it’s 344 x 340 mm, which by my measurements are incorrect even if you include the control module on the top left (and why would you do that?). The measurements with the control module are 344 x 322 mm, approximately. Go figure.
That’s all the 1st vs 2nd Gen stuff out the way, but even just taking the new PowerPlay 2 on its own merits, it’s a pretty weak value proposition.
Although this is obviously very subjective, I think $100 is far too expensive for the convenience of having your mouse charging all the time, especially given the battery life on mice seems to be getting better each year. (And God forbid you ever change to a non-Logitech mouse. You’ll end up with the functional equivalent of a $100 bang-average mouse pad with no usable charging capabilities).
Buy if…
✅ You hate manually charging your mouse: If you can’t stand plugging your mouse in, then sure, go for it.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You’re fine plugging your mouse in: Not having to plug your mouse in is the only real benefit to this pad, and if you’re fine doing that then you might as well save your money.
There’s no competition in the charging mousepad space, though—such would require gaming mice to build in universal wireless charging—so Logitech can charge what it wants, really. But equally, we’re free to decide whether that price is reasonable or not, especially compared to its predecessor.
I’d pay $60 for the convenience the PowerPlay provides, maybe. Though even that would be up for debate now the receiver’s been removed.
I don’t feel alone in this judgment, either. I checked around PC Gamer’s hardware team and none of us care too much about having our gaming mice charged hassle-free. Certainly not enough to spend $100 on the convenience. I’m sure some people will care that much—and more power to them, literally, I’m not judging—but I just don’t see it, myself.
To be honest, I wish I could score this lower than I have just for the fact that Logitech’s removed the better original one from the market, replaced it with this one, and putting it out there as the ultimate version. But I need to consider the PowerPlay 2 on its own merits, and on this front, it’s a bit better than a score in the 30s.
I’m genuinely excited by the prospect of putting the new PowerPlay on my shelf and getting a real mouse pad back on my desk, and if that doesn’t say it all then I don’t know what does.
If never having to plug in your mouse to charge is really that important to you, and you have a compatible Logitech mouse, then go for it. The new Logitech PowerPlay is the only game in town, it’s just not a very appealing one.
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Kurt Indovina
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