Over the years, I've been collecting playmats from the best card games, but not because I play Pokemon TCG, Magic The Gathering, or Lorcana.
I do collect cards from all three and have the lack of savings to prove it, but I instead buy playmats exclusively to use them in place of the best mouse pads. Sure, they aren't designed specifically for swinging my mouse around, and they usually aren't big enough for my gaming keyboard and mouse, but their unique art and reliability to go on sale make them a must-buy over mouse pads for me every single time.
The main reason for that is because playmats typically feature art and characters that I actually want to see on my desk.
Grupo Erik and Abystle are some of the biggest brand names behind a lot of officially licensed mouse pads you'll find at online retailers like Amazon. Typically, their mats feature art from Marvel, sports teams, and even Garfield - neither things I particularly want to display on my desk. By going out of my way to browse through and buy playmats instead, I can find gorgeous mats featuring characters from everything from the Final Fantasy game series, Disney films, and even my favorite anime series too.
For example, one of my favorite playmats to use on my desk is the official Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Final Fantasy X mat. The 60cm - 34cm mat features the key art from the Final Fantasy 10 Remaster, where Tidus and Yuna are holding onto one another under the waves, and it always makes my PC gaming space look its absolute best.
In the past, I tried using it for its intended purpose, but the art is so gorgeous that it felt wrong to have it rolled up and put away when not in use. Tidus and Yuna's faces deserve to be center stage and spread out across my desk instead. Besides Final Fantasy 10, I'm also a big fan of Final Fantasy 9, and have been eyeing up the Magic The Gathering Final Fantasy x Universes Beyond Vivi playmat available for $26.98 at Amazon, as it too features art that would look stunning on a desk, as opposed to being hidden under piles of cards. With the popularity of the MTG Final Fantasy cards, the choice is endless.
Over the years, I've also been privy to buying playmats designed for card games like Weiss Schwarz, to get desk representation of my favorite anime from Madoka Magica to Card Capture Sakura - designs I'd struggle to find when browsing through mouse pads instead.
Sure, they at least exist, like the official Cardcaptor Sakura Crystal Feather mouse pad by Abystle for $14.99 at Amazon, but its 7.7"L x 9.25"W sizing is just big enough for my mouse, never mind featuring prominently under my keyboard and my mouse together. Not to mention, Weiss Schwarz has the tendency to collab with anime series and games, like BanG Dream, that are a bit more niche, and unlikely to be picked up by mouse pad brands - even with Razer's growing amount of licensed collaborations.
As a Disney fan, I've also collected a few official Lorcana mats, purely for the art. Most recently, I managed to find the Shimmering Skies Belle playmat for £9.99 at HMV here in the UK (down from its £17.99 MSRP), and it looks stunning when paired with my other Beauty and the Beast collectibles. Low prices and discounts like that are also pretty common with playmats, which is another key reason why I always choose them over mouse pads.
Despite the number of official TCG playmats I own from Pokemon TCG and Lorcana, I've rarely, if ever, bought them at full price. Discounts on playmats, especially after a few new sets of card games have launched, are very common. With discounts aplenty, it can sometimes be cheaper to browse through playmats if you're after a new mouse pad, rather than looking through mats specifically designed with PC gaming in mind.
If you're also a Lorcana or Disney fan, Amazon has a range of playmats discounted while I'm typing these very words. The Ruler of Pride Rock Mufasa Lorcana Playmat is now $15.98 at Amazon (down from $19.99), and the stunning Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Cinderella mat is just $16.63 at Amazon, down from its 19.99 MSRP. I often find Lorcana and Pokemon playmats in the discount bins at my local game shops, which is prime time for me to get a new look for my desk on the cheap.
Cool art and discounts aside, playmats do have the disadvantage of not being designed with gaming in mind. Often or not, they won't have anti-slip bases, which keep them from moving around on your desk. Personally, I've not had an issue with that, but I tend to play more relaxed, cozy games like Stardew Valley at my desk, and leave my hectic hero shooter playing to my PS5 on the sofa.
With playmats, you're also going to be restricted to sizing, as they're designed for playing their respective card game and not much else. A lot of card games have a similar allocation for discard piles and how many cards you have in play at a time, so it can be a one size fits all situation. Whereas mouse pads like the Razer Gigantus line are available in sizes from large to XXL, so you have more freedom of choice. Additionally, browsing through actual mouse pads by gaming brands means you can opt for RGB lighting, like with the Razer Firefly V2 Pro mat available for $9.99 at Amazon, or water resistance, as found in the Razer Strider mat, available now for $49.99 at Amazon, and in a range of colorways too.
If having those features is a must, sticking with mats designed for PC gaming is always going to be your best bet. However, as I need my desk mat to look its absolute best, and to not break the bank, I'll still be sticking with playmats now and in the future.
The new influx of Magic The Gathering Universes Beyond sets, like the upcoming MTG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles release, has just made me more excited over the playmat designs I can soon get my hands on.
- View all Lorcana playmats at Amazon
- View all Grupo Erik desk pads at Amazon
- View all Pokemon playmats at the Pokemon Center
Check out our guides to the best PC headset for gaming, the best PC controller for gaming, and the best gaming keyboards to give your gaming setup the makeover it deserves.
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