The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), one of the biggest gaming industry conferences, is currently undergoing and while companies like Microsoft and Sony have been announcing new games and consoles, Logitech announced a wireless charging mousepad that took them four years of research and development to create, and it’s called Powerplay.
Charging wireless mice on a mouse pad
Wireless mice were never really a thing for gamers, as batteries can be unreliable, and no one wants to lose a game because the mouse ran out of battery. Now, with Logitech’s Powerplay wireless mousepad, gamers can finally adopt wireless mice. The charging mousepad will be available in August and will cost $99.99.
As the company puts it:
Our experience is that batteries only die when you’re right in the middle of a raid or something, and nobody wants to stop gaming to charge. At Logitech G, if we can’t find an existing technology that does what we want, we figure out how to make something that does
To go along with it, Logitech created two wireless mice, the Logitech G703 and the G903, which will be available for $99.99, and $149.99 respectively. Powerplay’s system uses Logitech’s proprietary Lightspeed technology, which is said to create a signal strength 16 times higher than that of its competition.
The mousepad essentially creates an energy field that wirelessly charges the mouse, without interfering with it – hence, gamers can still move it around as much as they need to without worrying about whether or not it’s changing. Users will even be able to choose between a hard or a cloth surface, depending on their preferences.
Right now, the system only supports Windows, as Mac compatibility is still in the making. Moreover, some technology enthusiasts are skeptic, as the idea of wireless charging not interfering with the communication between the mouse and the PC seems to be too good to be true.
Corsair, through its Concept Zeus, is developing something very similar, although it is still at an early stage. Through Qi standard technology, Corsair’s mousepad will be able to charge gaming mice, Qi-enabled smartphones, and will even include a micro USB charging dongle to add to its versatility.
Here’s a video of Corsair’s Concept Zeus:
Desktop usage is declining
According to comScore, desktop usage is declining throughout the general population. According to the report, in the millennial age group one-fifth of users don’t even use a desktop PC at all. In fact, nearly all millennials (97%) considered themselves mobile users, whether they only used mobile devices or not.
This may be the reason why companies are investing in the development of wireless charging mousepads and mice, while gearing them towards gamers. The increase in mobile device usage, as well as the gaming industry boom, have given companies the freedom to develop new technology for gamers, while barely worrying about whether or not there’s a market for it.
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