The AndaSeat Mask 2 gaming desk makes for an excellent addition to smaller gaming rooms. If you've crammed your setup into a corner, then you'll appreciate it's smaller stature. That isn't to say the Mask 2 lacks real estate; it doesn't. Thanks to a selection of space-saving features, AndaSeat's gaming desk offers plenty of room for small to modest-sized gaming rigs. If you have a bigger gaming setup, though, you might want to explore AndaSeat's larger variant, the Eagle 2.
- Gaming desk
- RGB lights
- Convenience features
- Capacitive controls for lights
- Brand: AndaSeat
- Dimensions: 47 x 23 x 29 inches
- Connectivity: USB (powers RGB lights)
- Weight Capacity: 330 lbs
- Height Adjustable: No
- Materials: Plastic, steel, and laminated MDF
- Plenty of room for smaller gaming rigs
- Great for general office use
- RGB lights!
- Sleek, stylish finish
- Anti-skid surface doesn't always prevent skidding
- Might not have enough room for larger gaming rigs
- Optical mice aren't great with the tabletop pattern
The AndaSeat Mask 2 gaming desk is an excellent surface upon which to plant modest gaming rigs. As such, thanks to its smaller stature, it makes a great gaming desk if you struggle for space in your game room.
You can buy the AndaSeat Mask 2 now and (at the time of writing) it is available for $239.99; a huge saving on the $499 MSRP. Want to know more about the AndaSeat Mask 2 gaming desk? Then I'll begin.
Assembling the Desk
No, this isn't some lame joke based around the Ant-Man gaming chair you've probably spotted in the image gallery (I saved all of those lame jokes for my review of the Ant-Man chair). I'm just going to talk about putting the desk together.
The AndaSeat Mask 2 is very easy to put together. Providing, that is, you're not an idiot like me who put the frame together firmly before realizing I'd positioned the cross supports back to front. Idiocy aside, I had no problem assembling the desk.
There aren't too many components to wrangle with; although you may require two people to lift the desktop into place and also to maneuver the desk into position once you've erected it. The only other piece of advice I can offer is to use a cordless screwdriver to assemble it; it will cut the build time down significantly if you're not manually fastening screws into place.
So, building the desk doesn't pose a problem and is a 45-minute job at most. How about the looks department?
Add Style to Your Gaming Room
The Andaseat Mask 2 is a simple yet stylish gaming desk. It doesn't have a huge number of bells and whistles, but it looks pretty cool, nonetheless.
The legs are inverted T-shapes, with silver feet that have rubberized grips, preventing the desk from sliding around smoother floors. The outer face of the legs boast transparent plastic strips. These glow with RGB light when you power the table, and accentuate the etched AndaSeat logo that both plastic strips carry. Both legs also have a headset/headphone hook.
The table is made of MDF (Medium Density Fibre) wood and has a sleek black laminated surface. This surface has a pleasing carbon fiber textured appearance, which looks a bit Mission Impossible, in an understated way. The underside of the desk carries a cup-holder at the left, and toward the back of the underside is the cable tray.
The desk surface is also ergonomic, as it features a cut-out at the center that allows you to bring your mouse and mouse pad within closer reach. If you game for prolonged periods, you'll appreciate that extra inch when you're supporting your elbow with your gaming chair's armrest.
The RGB panels on each leg are a nice touch. They're not overstated, and the light they emit isn't so bright as to have you straining your eyes as you game or work. They add a more subdued ambience to a space, rather than being garish and offensive.
Other than that, there isn't a vast amount to say, appearance-wise. It looks like a gaming desk!
A Simple, Functional, Gaming Desk
The AndaSeat Mask 2 gaming desk isn't without bells and whistles, but it isn't overloaded with features like some gaming desks on the market.
You have the cup-holder, which features a neat cut-out that allows you to place a coffee mug in the holder. This means your morning cup of joe can rest easy, without your clumsy elbows and swipe-y hands sending it tumbling to carpet-staining doom.
As mentioned, both legs carry headset or headphone holders. These comprise a hook with a rubber end, suspending your cans below the desk. As there are two, you can use either as you see fit, or both if you like to use separate headphones for music and gaming.
The cable tray is great. As you can see, it prevents a plethora of disgustingly messy wires from ensnaring my feet like some sort of sentient vine every time I shift position. It also hides them out of view, so my OCD can forget about them while I do my work or have some time with the Atari VCS. As I'm not a PC gamer, I don't have a great deal to plug in below my desk, meaning the cable tidy works perfectly.
One minor issue I have is the table surface itself. AndaSeat says this is anti-skid, but it is so smooth that anything without grips can slide around fairly easily; at least, in my experience. Most peripherals come with anti-skid measures on their bases anyway, so this isn't a massive problem.
Where this lack of anti-skid might cause an issue is if you forget you've got a cup-holder and accidentally place your smooth-bottomed glass of water on the desk surface, only to send it flying at terminal velocity when a nine-year-old 1080 no scopes you on Warzone and you throw your arms around angrily.
Likewise, optical mice don't like the pattern on the surface of the desk. Because the pattern causes light to refract in alternate directions, the mouse cursor will jump around uncontrollably. NOT what you want during competitive play. Thankfully, you can easily resolve this with a mouse mat.
While they are also an aesthetic feature, the extended sections, on either side of the desk, are a godsend if you like your gaming setup to support your body in all the right places. You can rest your elbows on your chair arms and bring your mouse mat and mouse closer to the end of the chair's armrests, extending that support across the full length of your forearm.
Thanks to the cup holder and headset hooks, you can free up a lot of space on top of your desk, meaning a clutter-free experience (or more room to place other gaming devices). This makes the desk functional in a smaller setting and for a less expansive gaming setup.
If you stream, or have other ephemera on your desk that can't go anywhere else when gaming, consider a larger AndaSeat desk. The AndaSeat Eagle 2 gaming desk is a good idea for more expansive gaming rigs, as it is 55 inches wide compared to the Mask 2's 47 inches.
If you're a taller gamer, then the lack of height adjustability might mean the desk becomes uncomfortable for you, particularly if it means you are craning over your keyboard or mouse to play.
Should You Buy the AndaSeat Mask 2 Gaming Desk?
If you are looking for something stylish and simple, with a little extra RGB to add to your current setup, then yes. Especially at the offer price quoted at the time of writing.
The desk is not overbearingly large, so it will suit smaller gaming rooms while providing enough space for small to moderate gaming setups. If you use a desk for console gaming, you're definitely onto a winner with the Mask 2. If you have a massive gaming PC and huge monitor, with a microphone and camera for streaming, and other gaming gubbins like speakers, then you might want to seek the roomier Eagle 2.