Revolutionizing the Magic Mousepad: Why Logitech’s Powerplay 2 is More Affordable—but Not Improved!

I’ve never found a perfect product, but Logitech’s Powerplay Wireless Charging System is pretty close. For over three years, I haven’t had to worry about charging my wireless mouse. It’s so straightforward, it feels like magic. However, many people might find it pricey at $120.

The bright side? Logitech is launching a new version, the Powerplay 2, for $100 in March. It’s just as simple to set up. You plug in the mousepad, attach a magnetic “Charging Coin” to your mouse, and place it on the pad for constant charging.

The catch? It’s only $20 less, and it feels like Logitech cut costs on the mousepad to justify the price drop.

The new mousepad has some upgrades. Logitech claims it’s 15% wider for charging and thinner at just 3.5mm. I’ve noticed that my G502 Lightspeed mouse charges easily, even when resting at any corner of the pad, which wasn’t always true for the original model. My measurements confirm the thickness is as stated.

But, the charging base’s thickness remains the same at 2.7mm. The old mousepad wasn’t much thicker at 4.3mm. You might not even notice the difference. I’ve used the old pad for three years without bothering to ensure my mouse is perfectly placed to charge.

What are the drawbacks with Powerplay 2? The old micro-USB cable has been replaced, but it’s not upgraded to USB-C, and instead, there’s a fixed cable. This makes moving the mousepad off my desk more challenging when I need extra space.

One major change is the absence of a wireless mouse receiver in the Powerplay 2. The original had this handy feature. Now, my mouse needs two USB ports, one for the pad and another for the dongle, making it less convenient for travel and switching devices.

Another change is the removal of the RGB lighting in the Logitech G logo. While I don’t miss it much, the plain black design feels cheaper, and the light provided reassurance that the mousepad was powered up.

I appreciate the new thinner mousepad that looks more durable than the original. However, the original Powerplay offered two mousepads—one hard and one cloth. Now, you only get one.

(Also, the new charging coin from Powerplay 2 doesn’t work with the original pad and vice versa, so no mixing parts.)

I pushed Logitech for more benefits since the original is one of my top picks. Maybe this new version will be cheaper or bundled with discounts after launch. The 15% larger charging area might help for future mice with supercapacitors that require reliable power, but the primary G309 works fine with the original Powerplay, according to my early tests.

Logitech didn’t provide details on future products or sales, but they mentioned retailers might offer bundles after launch.

The original Powerplay is hard to find now, often fetching a premium on sites like eBay. Still, Powerplay 2 looks promising and meets the core needs of users. Let’s hope for bundled deals come Black Friday.

The Powerplay 2 is set to be available on Amazon and Logitech’s website on March 11th.