Elgato's green screen mouse pad is actually a cool idea

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Hmmm, using your mousepad as a green screen? Where have we seen this before?

Elgato greenscreen mouse pad
(Image credit: Elgato)

Elgato announced a handful of streaming products on Thursday, like acoustic foam paneling, an LED light strip, and a green screen mousepad. It's slowly becoming apparent that Elgato is trying to supply every aspect of the streaming ecosystem. But hold up—a green screen mousepad?

It might sound ridiculous, but I'm really into the idea of the $30 XL Chroma Key Pad. It makes sense for anyone who streams using overhead shots to show off their keyboard and mouse skills as they play Call of Duty, or to open rare packs of Pokemon cards in front of thousands of people. 

Non-streamers might think a green screen mousepad is a bit odd, but being able to key out your mousepad makes your shots less cluttered and gives you more screen real estate. That gives you more leeway to be creative with the layout. 

The 37-inch wide mouse pad uses a smooth glide polyester surface, common in most oversized pads. I'm hoping this thing is reversible, so you can switch over to a nondescript black when you're not broadcasting. Bright green is a lot to take in all the time, y'know?

Of course, there are other uses for a green screen mousepad. Like, say, showing off your pets and turning them into the Next Big Thing. I look forward to seeing how many people start lining the bottom of a pet's play area and spam their IRL stream with floating ferrets. Or drape the thing over a chair and do what I did with my dog, Sonny. 

I'm not saying Sonny and I came up with the idea first, but come on, Elgato. If you need a mascot, you know who to call.

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Jorge Jimenez
Jorge Jimenez
Hardware writer, Human Pop-Tart

Jorge is a hardware writer from the enchanted lands of New Jersey. When he's not filling the office with the smell of Pop-Tarts, he's reviewing all sorts of gaming hardware, from laptops with the latest mobile GPUs to gaming chairs with built-in back massagers. He's been covering games and tech for over ten years and has written for Dualshockers, WCCFtech, Tom's Guide, and a bunch of other places on the world wide web.