Peripherals - Page 15

Razer has released its latest high-end mechanical keyboard in the form of the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, which it describes as "a full blown battlestation" for gamers. Of course, that could read like marketing speak to drum up interest in a clicky-clack bit of gear, but the Razer BlackWidow V4 has several impressive features. This is good because it retails for USD 229.99 and AUD 399.95.

As per the headline, it's introducing something called the 'Command Dial,' which sits in the top left corner of the keyboard, and it's a context-sensitive dial with 8 default modes and countless more custom ones where you can map and change what the clockwise and counter-clockwise action ends up doing. For content creators and editors, it can be a jog wheel or simply a way to scroll through sites and docs. The cool thing is that each mode can toggle with a click that changes the Command Dial's corresponding backlight.

The other significant feature of the new BlackWidow is the addition of five dedicated macro keys that can be pre-programmed or programmed on-the-fly. There are also three additional macro keys on the edge of the keyboard bringing the total to eight. In terms of hardware, the keyboard features the latest generation of Razer's mechanical switches with either Green Clicky or Yellow Linear, rated for up to 100 million keystrokes.

Corsair has introduced new software for those with a taste for RGB lighting called iCUE Murals Lighting. It uses what's happening on the screen to create immersive lighting for your desktop, peripherals, and any RGB-powered lights in the room - in an easy-to-use interface. Corsair has partnered with Philips Hue and Nanoleaf, so you'll have direct control over wall panels, smart light bulbs, and more from within the powerful iCUE software.

A fully decked-out example of the interface showcases everything from a keyboard to a mouse, desk mat, RGB lighting strips, Nanoleaf panels, and more, all arranged by the user to allow for easy and deep customization.

Combining all RGB lights within a single interface and powerful tools within the new Murals interface is undoubtedly impressive and a definite way to unify and get creative in a single space. It's fully interactive, and you can upload any image, GIF, or video to Murals and then intuitively place your RGB devices and lights over sections on-screen to create a new lighting setup. Some of the results in the images provided by Corsair look very impressive.

This new DROP collaboration with The Lord of the Rings is what dreams are made of if you're a fan of the Tolkien books - and Peter Jackson-directed movies. Maybe even the new Amazon series, though I haven't seen that yet. What you've got here is a collection of premium mechanical keyboards decked out with custom keycaps in Middle-Earth languages. Plus, some artisan wrist rests and even some funky artisan keycaps that look fantastic.

The mechanical keyboards come in Dwarvish, Elvish, and evil Black Speech styles. The latter is a brand-new entry into the collection, with the keycaps featuring Black Speech characters instead of English lettering. Which we assume would make it dangerous to talk and type at the same time. Not to mention having the piercing Eye of Sauron sitting there all menacing above the arrow keys.

The Dwarvish and Elvish keyboards also feature keycaps written in their respective Middle-Earth languages, giving all three keyboards the look and feel of gaming peripherals that Frodo, Gimli, and Aragorn might use if PC gaming was a thing in Middle-Earth. The TKL designs are impressive, too, with Holy Panda X Switches, ENTR baseboards, and Drop Phantom Stabilizers. The keycaps themselves are also being offered as separate sets.

A Razer mouse with a price point that's more "mid-range GPU" than a "gaming mouse"? Introducing the Razer Viper Mini Signature Edition, an ultra high-end lightweight gaming mouse from Razer that weighs in at an incredible 49 grams. With a release date of February 11 and a price point of USD 279.99, it's undoubtedly the most expensive gaming mouse we've seen, and that's due to its "ultra-durable magnesium alloy exoskeleton."

Razer notes that not only does the use of high-end materials mean that it was able to achieve a 49-gram weight for the Razer Viper Mini Signature Edition, but it's also durable with an "exceptional weight-to-strength ratio." Each unit has undergone rigorous inspection to ensure it's of the highest quality.

Under the hood, it also uses Razer's best tech, the Razer Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor, Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3, and HyperPolling Wireless with 4000 Hz wireless polling rates. And as a wireless mouse, it can also fully charge in under 90 minutes with 60 hours of battery life.

Gaming concepts are always fun; they take something known and add all manner of RGB-lit bells and whistles, and Razer's Project Carol is no different. It's a head cushion for a gaming chair sporting a well-worn physical design, but inbuilt speakers, haptics, and wireless audio streaming add a new layer.

Project Carol's "near-field surround sound" isn't simply two speakers but actual surround speakers that will benefit from a complete setup. So instead of running cables and finding a spot to set up rear speakers for true 5.1 or 7.1 surround, Project Carol's wireless head-cushion audio will provide that extra surround sound immersion similar to a traditional home theatre setup.

The audio is streamed wirelessly over a 2.4 GHz connection, battery life supports 8 hours of streaming, and a single USB-C link handles charging.

Google Japan has announced a new type of keyboard, but instead of keeping the traditional format, the arm of the largest search engine in the world has opted for something a little different.

Introducing the Gboard Bar, a 65-inch long bar that features every key on a typical keyboard but in a straight line. According to the above video, the design is meant to be "extremely simple" that is also meant to save on desk space. Additionally, Google Japan said that due to the small width of the Gboard, users will be able to have piles of documents and papers on their desks and not have to worry about the Bar taking up too much space.

Furthermore, Google's official specifications sheet states that the Bar is "wide enough for a cat to walk across" and that its height is at a "comfortable thickness". Adding to the array of features, Google Japan states that two people are able to use the Gboard Bar at the same time, allowing users to pair up and tackle programming tasks together. Here's where things take a turn, Google Japan has also equipped the Gboard Bar with a bug-removing stick which allows users to take advantage of its long shape.

Vertagear has just unveiled its latest Vertagear 800 Series gaming chair, celebrating its 7th anniversary in style with the special launch of its new gaming chair.

The new Vertagear 800 Series gaming chair is a "bold step towards a revolutionary future of ergonomics as it aims to tackle core health and comfort-related issues plaguing the industry-standard gaming chair". Vertagear has been developing the new gaming chair since 2019, with "countless man hours poured into research and testing".

Add in the new herbs and spices in the way of Vertagear's patent-pending ContourMax and VertaAir Seat, and promises to "tailor itself to each individual's specific needs to maximize comfort and healthy posture".

Logitech has launched a new ergonomic mouse to add to its line-up, introducing the Lift, a vertical mouse for people with small hands.

The Lift is a small wireless mouse that comes in at an affordable price of $69.99 and is available now, coming in a range of different color variations and left/right-hand options. So, what makes the Lift different? Instead of a traditional mouse design, the Lift features a 57-degree angle that shapes the user's hand to be in a similar position to a handshake.

It seems that the Lift is a smaller version of the MX Vertical that comes in at a price of $99.99. The Lift features all of the same functionality as a traditional mouse would; two left and right buttons, a scroll wheel, a DPI switching button, and two programmable thumb buttons. Furthermore, the Lift features Logitech Flow software that allows for the mouse to be connected and used simultaneously across multiple devices regardless of their operating system. All of the devices will require Logi Options Plus apps running in the background.

Omega chair promises instant comfort for every posture with ergonomics redefined through an intelligent blend of top tier engineering with European design and German textiles along with Italian-built parts. If you are sick and tired of your current chair and are looking for something new, this is one to consider.

Omega chair is designed for your health. Its ergonomic design responds to how you sit and move on the chair, providing a natural balance and total support for long hours at the desk working or gaming. Your body will be well supported so you can maintain focus through its intuitive and comfortable design. Need to relax a bit? Kick back in comfort with its reclining function, all while looking after yourself. Here are the key features which define the Omega chair.

3 Ergonomic Settings - Allows you three easy ways to change the ergonomic level of the chair. From Focus to Relax and Lay-back mode with a single twist.

Xbox is giving away a pair of Star Wars: The Mandalorian-themed Xbox controllers at the end of the year. There's no way to buy these, but someone's going to win them.

Xbox has a pair of one-off controllers that feature custom artwork inspired by Disney's Star Wars: The Mandalorian, and it's going to give them both away to one lucky winner.

These amazing controllers come as a set, which Xbox is calling The Mandolorian Xbox Controller Collection. One of the controllers features a bright orange finish with an illustration of baby Yoda on the face. The other controller includes an illustration of The Mandalorian himself.

Mad Catz this week released an upcoming gaming mouse called the M.O.J.O. M1 that features a new kind of switch that operates 60% faster than other mechanical mouse switches.

Mad Catz new M.O.J.O. M1 is the first mouse to feature the company's new DAKOTA mechanical switches. These high-speed switches feature a new signal detection technology, enabling signal response times as low as 2ms. Mad Catz said that's as much as 60% faster than other mechanical switches.

In addition to offering extremely rapid response time, the M.O.J.O. M1 gaming mouse is extremely light. Mad Catz said it employed "avian nest design concepts" while designing the shell of the mouse. It features what Mad Catz calls an "asymmetric hollow-pyramid design," which saves weight. The mouse weighs just 70 grams.

Fanatec partnered with the World Rally Championship to create a simulation racing wheel specially designed for rally racing. The release of the CSL Elite Steering Wheel WRC coincides with the launch of WRC 9 on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Fanatec's CSL Elite is a high-end simulation racing platform that offers modular components so you can tailor your sim rig for your style or racing. The system consists of a primary wheelbase, which houses the wheel mechanism's mechanical core, A set of interchangeable steering wheels that house the logic systems that enable new features and compatibilities. The CSL Elite wheelbase platform has been around for years, but the new WRC wheel brings a handful of new features to the mix.

The CSL Elite WRC Wheel includes a handful of iterative changes, such as a thicker grip for improved hand comfort, a new 5-way joystick, and removable paddle shifters. Fanatec also introduced a new quick-release system, which requires no tools to operate. For those who don't like change, the new quick-release is removable, so you could swap it with the older ClubSport quick-release.

Asetek, the company best known for manufacturing closed-loop coolers for several brands including ASUS, EVGA, Fractal Design, GIGABYTE, NZXT, and Thermaltake appears to be branching into new territory, and it's not the type of pivot you would expect. Asetek seems to have its eye set on the simulation racing market.

Hat tip to MrJaegel over at the Linustechtips forum for uncovering this one. While browsing for jobs on a Danish job seekers website called Sensu.dk, MrJaegal discovered a curious job post seeking a motion control hardware developer for sim racing.

"Asetek's innovative technology has a strong market position and to further support the development of the company, a skilled Hardware Developer for Sim Racing is being sought for the department in Aalborg," reads the job post.

ASUS is teasing something very new with its Twitter account in the UK asking "Who's ready to switch up their gaming?!" while using #ROG and #METABUFFS.

The URL takes you to the METABUFFS website, with a contain to September 1 -- the same day NVIDIA will be unveiling its next-gen Ampere-based GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards. As for what to expect, with the "switch" up their gaming comment -- and a picture of a switch for a keyboard, I'd dare say a new keyboard.

If you look close enough, you can see ASUS has added a ROG eye logo onto the keyswitch itself -- which is a nice touch. We'll update you once the keyboard is announced.

Today Logitech announced the G923 racing wheel that's optimized for high-end game simulations.

Logitech's new G-series racing wheel line just got a next-gen revamp in time for next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, making the new G923 a perfect fit for upcoming games like Gran Turismo 7 and the new Forza reboot. It's also compatible with PS4, Xbox One, and PC games too.

The big selling point of the new G923 racing wheel is its Trueforce integration, a new proprietary next-gen technology centered around immersion and realism. Logitech's new Trueforce haptics connect directly with in-game engines that power racing simulations to dynamically react to what's happening on the screen in real-time.

Herman Miller teamed with Logitech G on their new gaming chair that was just revealed, coming in the form of the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair -- it costs $1500 and you can read about it here.

But another interesting announcement was the new Herman Miller Motia Gaming Desk, something that the company is selling for $1300. It is a new motorized standing desk that is capable of taking 200 pounds of gaming weight (we needed this back in the CRT monitor days) and more.

Herman Miller is using a matte finish on its Motia Gaming Desk, something that should keep away those fingerprints and greasy stains. One of the highlights of the new gaming desk from Herman Miller is the way you make the desk rise up, by pressing a glowing button under the right hand side of the table.

The much anticipated gaming chair from the collaboration between Herman Miller and Logitech is here, with the introduction of the Embody Gaming Chair.

The new Herman Miller x Logitech G gaming chair is an insanely-priced, radically-looking chair that seems to redefine the upper echelons of the gaming chair market. Herman Miller and Logitech G explain that they designed the new Embody Gaming Chair after consulting with 30 physicians.

This gives the Embody Gaming Chair a great foundation on something you can sit on all day and night, without breaking your back and posture. The chair even cools you while you're sitting down through the padding with its "copper-infused particles" while "pixelated support" helps distribute the weight of your body across the chair better.

HyperX has teamed with Champion on a brand new line up of gamer-focused clothes, which wouldn't be something headline worthy if it weren't for the RGB goodness.

Yeah, we've reached peak RGB with a new limited edition collaboration between HyperX and Champion, where they've revealed the first reflective clothing launch that will be sold in 100 countries. We have unisex sizes that range between S through to XXL while the slides for men range between S through to XL.

This isn't the first time the companies have collaborated on gaming clothes, with their first gamer-wear reportedly a "runaway success". The new tweak on the clothes adds some RGB goodness, with HyperX Strategic Alliances Manager, Jessany Van't Hoff explaining: "This concept pairs especially well with the Cloud Alpha S headset and HyperX RGB peripherals while maintaining a tasteful and timeless style that is synonymous with Champion Athleticwear's aesthetic".

COUGAR already has a stack of gaming chairs, but the company has just introduced a new member of its gaming chair family: Argo. Check out the video for COUGAR's new Argo gaming chair:

Argo is described as "the evolution of a gaming chair revolution", where the company has built the new chair with a premium aluminum frame and what should be very breathable mesh cushioning for your back and butt. This will provide a more comfortable experience over longer periods of time when you're gaming.

Not just that but because COUGAR has used breathable mesh cushioning on Argo, it means that you will stay cool when you're gaming. There is nothing worse than gaming on a hot day sitting on a leather gaming chair, but mesh cushioning? No sweat, pun intended.

If you're patiently waiting for Microsoft's new Flight Simulator to release, then Thrustmaster has your back to drain your wallet ahead of its release.

Thrustmaster has just announced its new brand: Thrustmaster Civil Aviation (TCA) which has a slew of new hardware to ogle over. This includes a modular sidestick, dual thrust lever throttle with add-on modules, an Officer bundle, and a new metal desk clamp.

The company teamed with Airbus on the new Thrustmaster Civil Aviation range of products, where it is about as close as we've ever been to the look and feel of the Airbus A320 sidestick. The TCA Sidestick Airbus Edition mimics the look and feel of the Airbus A320's real sidestick.