White mousepads can mess with older optical sensors in bright light.

Yes, especially with older sensors.

Older optical sensors (think early 2000s or budget mice) track by taking micro-photos of the surface. A white pad reflects ambient light back into the sensor, confusing it. Bright overhead light or a desk lamp pointed at the mouse turns the pad into a strobe light for the sensor. Result: cursor jitter, random jumps, or the pointer just stops moving.

Newer sensors (like those in most gaming mice after 2015) handle this much better — they use infrared or have better rejection. But if your mouse is old enough to be using a red LED under the lens, you’re in the danger zone.

The fix is simple: swap to a dark or black cloth mousepad, or throw a sheet of paper under the mouse until you find a better pad. A black pad doesn’t reflect as much, and the sensor gets a cleaner image.

This is not where you save ten bucks on a mousepad.