QPAD is a reputation that may ring a distant bell for anybody who lived by means of the early days of LAN events, material mousepads and the wild west of pre-esports PC gaming. Within the Nineties and early 2000s, QPAD was the European gaming gear firm. And now, after years of near-silence, they’re formally again.
The corporate introduced at present that it’s returning to the gaming market with a freshly rebuilt {hardware} lineup and an unique UK retail partnership with Currys. It’s a full relaunch fairly than a easy product refresh, spearheaded by two main trade veterans, together with Baron Lee, CPO, former HyperX product architect. Based on Lee, the purpose is: “…bringing cutting-edge applied sciences and design developments to market forward of the curve. We ship know-how that excites, significant innovation that makes an actual distinction to how folks play and create, and efficiency that lasts.”
For anybody unfamiliar with the identify, QPAD’s legacy is surprisingly weighty. Based within the early 90s by Christer Körnbäck, the model grew from a hobbyist effort into one in all Europe’s first specialised gaming gear corporations. They have been forward of the curve on a number of fronts: the world’s first pro-grade laser gaming mouse (the 5K) in 2009, the world’s first USB mechanical keyboard with full N-Key Rollover (the MK-85) in 2011, and a headset – the QH-90 – whose design would later evolve into the massively widespread HyperX Cloud. Not a nasty monitor document, eh?
Then issues went quiet. Not lifeless – simply quiet sufficient that the world of peripherals kind of moved on with out them. By means of the mid-2010s and early 2020s they continued to place out gear. These have been stable, well-made units, however they didn’t break floor in the best way the model as soon as had. In a market dominated by Razer, Logitech G, SteelSeries and later HyperX, QPAD merely pale into the background.
The {hardware} they’re relaunching with contains the necessities: keyboards, mice, microphones and mousepads. The pitch may be very clear—Nordic minimalism, high-performance internals, lifestyle-friendly designs and pricing that isn’t making an attempt to compete with the likes of £200 flagship boards or £150 wi-fi mice.
Right here’s a couple of of what this relaunch lineup contains:
“QPAD Loop TKL Mannequin 3 Gasket Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Compact mechanical keyboard with wi-fi connectivity and precision-engineered switches for easy efficiency.
QPAD Omnibeam Stream RGB Professional Microphone – Studio-grade condenser microphone with dynamic RGB lighting, preferrred for streaming, podcasting, and gaming.
QPAD Mark Mannequin 5 Wi-fi Optical Gaming Mouse – Ultralight 55g wi-fi mouse that includes a high-performance sensor, show display screen, and USB dongle connectivity.
QPAD Glass Superglide Mouse Mat – a glossy, sturdy floor designed for pace, precision, and aesthetics that complement any setup.”
QPAD says the relaunch is only the start, with extra merchandise deliberate because the model expands globally all through 2026. Whether or not they can regain the fame they as soon as held is one thing time—and critiques—will resolve. However it’s good to see them making an attempt to make a comeback. If the brand new {hardware} delivers on the combo of innovation, worth and clear Scandinavian styling that QPAD is promising, they could simply carve themselves a recent spot in a really crowded market.
