after using glass mousepads for 4 years, no matter what pad i tried, i felt like i couldn't use cloth comfortably anymore. but the key83 mid is so good that it might be the exception to that rule.

if you just want to watch this like a review, watch from 3:18

discord (it's for my aim podcast but i don't have a personal one): discord.gg/qAhv6tT4Au
twitter: x.com/pinguefied/

I'll probably dip my toes back into glass every now and then, especially for tracking heavy games, but this thing really is the perfect middle ground for me, I want to keep getting better with it ^^ i need the square version tho

i also think that if you are a hardcore arm aimer on glass, the small amount of directional tug you get from sleeves on this will prolly be a dealbreaker. you would likely have to get the procision or another thicker sleeve to avoid this.

Sleeves I've tested that are good:
CW-X Arm Cover: www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B07T1BH1PM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_…
Polyester Shein Sleeve: au.shein.com/Solid-Fingerless-Gloves-Wedding-p-102…
it seems the compatibility of this sleeve depends on if you use the one meant for the right or left arm too, try both if you end up getting this one. you do need to rotate the pad for this sleeve though (inside out it's okay, bit slower than the cw-x/eadali) so get the key83 in square size unless you're okay with minimized horizontal space.
Another Shein Sleeve I tried afterwards:
au.shein.com/au/Solid-Fingerless-Gloves-Halloween-…
this one has been really impressing me. it covers more of the palm, which may not be desirable, but the glide on the arm is rly smooth and the material is much more breathable than most sleeves. the glide feels like the best balance of quickness and directional consistency of the bunch. requires pad rotation though, doesn't work inside out. pls do not question why i bought these particular sleeves it's just for fps games,,,,
Procision (Matty) Sleeve: www.amazon.com.au/Prosicion-Gaming-Arm-Sleeve-Prof…

Sleeves uNleashed_jp recommends:
Kibu Sleeve: kibushop.com/products/kibu-gear-%E4%B8%A1%E9%9D%A2…
EADALI Sleeve: www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Absorbent-Quick-Drying-Anti-…
I have tried it now: it's very similar the cw-x sleeve but slightly looser. longest "gaming" sleeve in my collection too. I found the elastic band a bit tight around the bicep too.

this is probably the fastest sleeve of the bunch and is pretty good at directional consistency. you can definitely feel a bit of a tug on certain arm driven movements but for the most part, it's very smooth and quick. I still don't really like it better than the Shein sleeve tho, I don't really want that much speed and the tug does occasionally affect aim.

at the perfect pad angle and within a certain arm range of motion, it does provide the most glass-adjacent aiming experience though.

it's actually awesome on the shidenkai. makes that pad very usable for me!! don't understand how people use this thing on the zero though, was terrible there :(

thank you to ‪@ViscoseOCE‬ for letting me borrow the pad prior to its release and for everything else you do c:

0:00 Intro
1:00 Why can't I use cloth pads anymore?
3:18 What makes the key83 different from every other cloth pad?
5:27 Sleeve Compatibility.
6:43 How much does the friction change under pressure?
7:13 How did my aim translate from glass?
7:54 Texture
8:25 Quality of life benefits coming from glass
8:50 Speed/Friction Balance
9:30 The perfect middle ground between cloth and glass.
10:16 Does the base of the Mid stick?
10:30 What about the Key83 Soft?
10:59 Skate Compatibility
11:12 Who is this pad for?