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Logitech makes some of the best wireless gaming mice on the market, but despite significant improvements to battery life technology, charging them can still be a pain.
This is where Logitech’s G PowerPlay charging system comes in: a mouse mat that charges your compatible wireless mouse without you having to lift a finger.
Logitech’s PowerPlay mouse pad is expensive, but for the price you get a quality-of-life improvement that’s constantly appreciated. No more rushing to charge your mouse as it hits 1% battery mid-game, and no more rooting around for your charging cable. Just leave your mouse and let PowerPlay handle everything for you.
The concept is simple, but the devil is in the details, and these details don’t disappoint.
Let’s take a look at exactly what you’re getting with the PowerPlay pad, and whether it’s worth such an admittedly steep price.
What is Logitech’s G PowerPlay Charging System?
Logitech’s G PowerPlay charging system plugs into your PC via USB for use as a mouse pad, wireless connectivity dongle, and wireless charging station all at once. A charging surface sits underneath a mouse pad and generates an electromagnetic field that reaches above this mouse pad to charge the mouse on top.
Once the system is plugged in, your compatible mouse with a PowerPlay puck will connect wirelessly and charge whenever it’s on top of the mat.
PowerPlay uses Logitech’s LIGHTSPEED technology, which it defines as an “end-to-end wireless solution that delivers low-latency and reliable performance”. This bold claim certainly bore out in my testing of previous LIGHTSPEED connection products like Logitech’s G Pro X Superlight and G502 Lightspeed mice, and its G435 Lightspeed headset.
What this means for PowerPlay is that you don’t need to use your Logitech USB dongle any more for your LIGHTSPEED mouse to wirelessly connect. Instead, a LIGHTSPEED mouse should automatically connect to the mouse pad system itself. And if the G PowerPlay puck is slotted into your mouse, it will charge while it sits on top of the pad.
Logitech PowerPlay Compatible Mice
Logitech’s PowerPlay is currently compatible with these mice:
- Logitech G703 Lightspeed
- Logitech G903 Lightspeed
- Logitech G502 Lightspeed
- Logitech G Pro Wireless
- Logitech G Pro X Superlight
This is quite a range. Logitech’s G Pro Wireless is often said to be the best gaming mouse on the market, and in my opinion the G Pro X Superlight is the best mouse for competitive gaming. The G502 Lightspeed is also one of the most versatile mice on the market, so there are great options for every kind of gamer on this list.
Tech Specs
| Dimensions | 321mm (L) x 344mm (W) x 43mm (D) |
| Thickness | 2mm (charging surface), 2mm (mouse pad) |
| Cable length | 6ft |
| Mouse pads | Altered Logitech G440 (hard) and G240 (soft) |
| Connection | USB |
| Compatibility | Windows, MacOS |
| G Hub compatible | Yes |
| RGB | Yes (Logitech G Logo) |
The G PowerPlay charging system connects to your PC via a 6ft standard USB cable, and it then connects to your mouse to charge it wirelessly – think of it like a giant dongle and charging station.
It’s thin at 4mm total, but its connecting hub at the top left is a little thicker, so make sure you take this into account if you’re considering buying it – you’ll likely need to leave room for the hub itself. Its two included mouse pads are the G440 and G240, altered slightly to work well with the charging station.
Performance
Logitech’s G PowerPlay charging system works flawlessly. Simply plug it in, use Logitech’s G Hub software to install any updates, slot the PowerPlay puck into your mouse, and you’re good to go.
It registered my mouse (Logitech G Pro X Superlight) instantly and started charging it right away. As with all LIGHTSPEED products, there was no noticeable latency, and no connection issues whatsoever. And without the PowerPlay puck installed, although it obviously doesn’t charge, it still maintains flawless connectivity.
It charged my Superlight from 13% battery to 90% in about four hours. But remember, charging speed doesn’t really matter with the PowerPlay, since the idea is that you never have to ‘put it on’ or ‘take it off’ charge – just leave it on the mouse pad and it will always be fine. It keeps my mouse consistently between 80% and 90% charge.
One cool feature that I didn’t previously know about is that the PowerPlay’s RGB logo automatically syncs to in-game events in certain games, thanks to the G Hub Software. For example, in CSGO I noticed that whenever I died the logo would turn red.
Comfort
You’re not getting anything revolutionary with the PowerPlay system’s comfort, at least as far as its included mouse pads are concerned. But you don’t need revolutionary comfort, rather just something that is known to work, and that’s what you get with its altered G440 and G240 pads. The charging pad underneath is unnoticeable, so comfort comes down to the mouse pads themselves.
The G440 was already my go-to hard pad of choice, and it’s great for game like Quake Live, Diabotical, or Apex Legends, where constant crosshair target tracking is important. The cloth G240 mouse pad is a smaller version of the G640, which was already my go-to soft pad of choice and is better for games that need more control like CSGO.
The only downside to these pads is their size. This is especially noticeable if you like to play on low sensitivities with a cloth pad in games like CSGO. If you play on medium-to-low sensitivity the mats will probably be big enough, but if you’re an ultra-low sens player they might be too small for you.
The main comfort improvement, however, is that you never have to worry about charging your compatible mouse again. You don’t even have to check its battery level once you’ve initially made sure it’s working correctly in the G Hub software.
The only downside is that the PowerPlay puck can add a few grams to your mouse’s weight. I want my mouse to be as light as possible while playing some games, so this was a concern. It wasn’t too much of an issue, though, because I simply swap out the puck whenever I play those games – you don’t need the puck installed to connect wirelessly, only to charge it.
Verdict: Worth the Cost if you Love Wireless
Logitech’s G Pro PowerPlay does exactly what it says on the box, and it does it flawlessly. Using it means you never again have to worry about charging your compatible wireless mouse. And you never have to worry about dodgy wireless connectivity, because LIGHTSPEED technology feels just as good as wired technology.
The question is: is it worth the money? PowerPlay currently retails for $119.99 (£109.99), which is steep. After all, you could buy a G240 or G440 and a wireless charging station for less. But the whole point is that you can combine these two things and never have to think about charging your mouse again.
If, like me, you can never see yourself going back to a wired mouse, then Logitech’s G PowerPlay is probably worth the money. It’s not a product that gives you an immediate feeling of dramatic improvement. Instead, it gives the sense of a constant, background quality-of-life improvement, which is worth the money, in my opinion.
Unless you’re an ultra-low sensitivity gamer, of course. But if you’re an ultra-low sensitivity gamer, you likely knew you didn’t want a PowerPlay from the moment you saw it.
