REVIEW:
We have entered the age of wireless power, and PC peripheral engineers are among the first to use this technology for consumer products. Logitech’s new Powerplay Wireless Charging System is a mousepad that you plug into your computer that creates a magnetic field of electric energy that enables you to have a wireless mouse that is always charging. It is available now for $100.
I’ve spent a lot of time using a Powerplay with the Logitech G903 gaming mouse, and I love how well it works.
What you’ll like
No more wires
I have never plugged the G903 mouse from Logitech into my computer.
Powerplay uses electromagnetic resonance to build a large energy field on your desktop. This field is powerful enough to charge your mouse even while you are using and moving it. This means that your mouse is getting power when you leave it on the Powerplay, but it’s also getting continuous energy while you are working and playing.
At the same time, the Powerplay base that holds the mouse pad has Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless radio chips in it. This gives you a strong wireless connection right next to your mouse. I’ve had no noticeable latency, lag, or signal degradation in my time with the Powerplay and the G903, and I think that’s why.
I hate the feeling of a mouse cable getting caught on something during gameplay. That sensation is like nails on chalkboard to me. I’m just glad that I can drop the cord without having to worry about any other negative side effects.
No more thinking about batteries
The G903 has a battery in it, but I’ve never thought about it. I really like the Razer Lancehead wireless mouse — that’s a great mouse with an awesome wireless radio, but it sucked having to plug it in every couple of days. I had a USB port on my PC reserved for its special cable, which turned it into a wired mouse.
But you never have to think about or deal with any of that with Powerplay. The battery is always full and ready to go, and that’s empowering … if you can forgive the pun.
What you won’t like
Mouse pad isn’t quite as large as I like
I like large mouse pads and small keyboards. The Powerplay mouse pad isn’t quite large enough. It is slightly larger than a standard mouse pad, but I would prefer something bigger to support lower CPI mouse settings. I’m making this work, and I’m no pro, so the size of my mouse surface isn’t going to make or break anything. But still, I hope Logitech provides a way to upgrade the size without having to buy an entirely new Powerplay.
Conclusion
I hate cables, so wireless charging is very exciting to me. Electromagnetic resonance is not new. It’s a concept that researchers have explored for a century. But it is only in the last couple of years that companies have started figuring out how to implement it into products like a mouse. And it’s here now, and it’s working. If you also hate cables, then this is a great mouse system for you.
The Logitech G903 and Powerplay charging system is available now in a bundle for $250. Logitech provided a sample unit for the purpose of this review.
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