Ever since SteelSeries's Icemat in 2001, which was the first commercially sold glass mouse pad, glass as a material has become increasingly popular within the gaming mouse space, with the SkyPAD in particular having garnered attention in recent years. In that sense, the Razer Atlas is hardly unique, though it does do some things differently than other glass pads. For one, Razer has placed special emphasis on ensuring that optical sensors are able to track as well as possible, as glass lacks the sort of texture an ICS (image correlation sensor) requires to function properly. To that end, the surface of the Atlas has been micro-etched, which is further complemented by a thickness of 5 mm. Of course, Razer advertises the ability of their latest sensor, the Focus Pro 30K, to track particularly well on glass in conjunction with the Atlas, but in my testing, the Atlas works virtually just as well with other currently widely used sensors. The texture doesn't really affect the glide, which still provides the incredibly low levels of dynamic and static friction expected of this type of surface. In addition, Razer claims that the surface has been treated specifically for quieter mouse movement, though I'm not sure how this could be achieved. Ironically enough, I've found Razer's own DeathAdder V3 to be the loudest during use, though this may simply be due to the feet not being worn in yet, as other mice with more worn down feet elicited much lower and more pleasant noise levels. In any case, moving a mouse on a hard surface will always be noisier than on a soft surface, and this continues to be the case on the Atlas.

Of course, the Atlas isn't made of regular but rather tempered glass, and the edges have been rounded using CNC-milling. Build quality on my unit is essentially flawless: The surface is perfectly smooth, the edge rounding is spotless, and the rubber base is rock solid. Furthermore, and unlike most competitors such as the SkyPAD, the surface of the Atlas has been coated. More specifically, an oleophobic coating is used, which is also found on phone or tablet displays, and which rejects (or, more strictly speaking, does not attract) oils, such as the ones left by one's fingers. The main benefit of an oleophobic coating is easier maintenance, as any oils will bead up, allowing the user to wipe everything off with a damp cloth without many if any smudges remaining. Of course, this coating will eventually wear off, which is why one could argue that leaving it uncoated to begin with may have been preferable. In my book, this argument only holds if we assume that the coating has an effect on glide and therefore consistency, but this is largely unproven. Accordingly, I consider the oleophobic coating a net benefit, and re-applying a new layer once it has worn off is always an option. In general, as long as PTFE mouse feet are used, the surface itself will not wear, though wear on the feet is increased instead. The reverse is true on cloth pads, where the pad does wear, but wear on the feet is reduced as well.

Overall, the Atlas isn't groundbreaking, but executed on such a high level that it stands out on that merit. Furthermore, the Atlas is priced roughly the same as its main competitor, the slightly larger SkyPAD 3.0 XL, so even from a value standpoint, the Atlas isn't out of line. Of course, taken on its own, $99.99 for a mouse pad can be seen as steep, especially when generic cloth pads are available for as little as $20, but those don't last forever, whereas the Atlas likely will. Accordingly, the Razer Atlas earns our Recommended award.