Peripherals News - Page 20

Steam Beta Client users can now grab a special update for Steam Controllers that allows you to bind different types of button presses to different functions, which Valve is calling Activators.

For example, you can bind jump to long press A and grenade to double press X, or even bind both to the same button but different types of presses, as there's no limit on how many functions you can bind to a given button beyond the amount of press types available. You can also do things like set a single press to single fire and a long press to Turbo fire, enable the Start button to switch between button customization profiles on-the-fly, and more.

Boot Steam now to grab the update. If you're not in the beta, navigate to Settings > Account > Beta participation.

Computex 2016 -- We got a chance to see Tesoro's new IR key switches in action at their Computex booth, courtesy of the company's Excalibur Spectrum SE Keyboard. Considering it was submerged in a small tank of water all day, we're pretty sure Tesoro's claims of it being spill-proof are accurate.

The Excalibur Spectrum SE uses the company's slick new light-based infrared switches, which eliminate metal bounce and oxidation. That means you can go ahead and splash your favorite beverage on it and it will just shrug it off and laugh hysterically.

Tesoro's Lucas Wiltse explained to TweakTown that this makes the Excalibur Spectrum SE the perfect candidate for internet cafes.

Computex 2016 -- True story: I'm old enough that I learned how to type using a combination of classic typewriters and an Apple II Plus. So when AZIO showed me one of their upcoming keyboards during Computex, pangs of retro nostalgia flooded over me.

From the rounded keys to their chrome edges to the font choice, AZIO's latest just screams retro. Unfortunately, it's so early in the design process that the company doesn't yet have a marketing name for it, although interested keyboard warriors will be able to find it under its model number MK-OS-01 once it launches.

Aside from the model number, all we know at this point is that it will use Kailh Blue switches, should launch for less than $100 MSRP, and will grace our fingers in September.

Computex 2016 - Tesoro's new light-based infrared switches could pave the way for dramatic innovations on future mechanical keyboards.

Tesoro revealed its new Tesoro IR mechanical keyboard switches at Computex, giving us a glimpse at what the future holds for enthusiast-grade keyboards. The new Tesoro IR switches are light-based, so they completely eliminate metal bounce and oxidation, thus dramatically increasing switch lifespan. Here's how the infrared switches work: each switch is outfitted with an IR blaster that beams light, and as each key is pressed, the light is broken, thereby registering the keystroke.

The Tesoro IR switches offer a tremendous speed boost over the company's low-profile AGILE switches in its GRAM Spectrum keyboards. "The Tesoro IR switches score 0.1 millisecond response times, meaning they are extremely fast," said Tesoro's Marketing Manager Lucas Wiltse. Although the Tesoro IR switches are light-based, they still have a tactile bump and resemble the Cherry MX Blue switches.

Computex 2016 - Two new performance-grade mechanical keyboards join G.Skill's Ripjaws product fleet, sporting Cherry MX Red, Blue and Brown switches.

First up is the Ripjaws KM570 MX, which G.Skill describes as the "ideal option for anyone who's looking for their first Cherry MX keyboard." The KM570 MX sports Cherry MX key switches in red, blue or brown flavors, full N-key rollover, 100% anti-ghosting, Windows key lock, and a default polling rate of 1000Hz. The KM570 MX apparently doesn't need to be optimized with software, with lighting customization and macros included within the keyboard's storage. Although not RGB, the KM570 comes with seven different lighting effect presets and allows users to customize effects for each individual key.

Next up is the Ripjaws KM770 RGB MX keyboard that's specifically made for seasoned gamers. This model is a direct successor to G.Skill's popular KM780 RGB, sporting multiple revisions over the original keyboard. With similar features like a brushed aluminum top-plate construction, the KM770 RGB has been streamlined to size up with standard keyboards, and rocks Cherry MX Red, Blue or Brown switches. Thanks to new cable grooves, the mouse cable holder on the KM770 RGB now tucks neatly underneath the keyboard for tidy cable management.

Computex 2016 - GIGABYTE is focusing on gamers with a new line of peripherals and accesories that includes a mechanical keyboard, a mouse, and a mousepad.

First up is the XK700 keyboard, which features Cherry MX switches, 16.8M RGB lighting that's customizable per key, and full N-key rollover functionality (so simultaneous keystrokes always register as you'd expect them to). The design looks to be simplistic with a clean silver and black colour scheme -- just the way we like it.

Then there's the XM300 gaming mouse, which houses the Pixart 3988 optical sensor and the "ultra durable" Omron Switch (said to be good for 20 million clicks). Like the XK700, it also features customizable 16.8M RGB lighting.

Computex 2016 - Tesoro teases a brand new mechanical keyboard powered by IR key switches for "extreme durability and breakneck response times."

Although Tesoro has recently unveiled the Gram Spectrum RGB mechanical keyboards outfitted with Kailh's custom 3.5mm travel distance Agile switches, the company plans to push the bar with new IR key switches. The optical-based infrared key switches should be a big jump in speed over the low-profile Agile switches, offering faster response by "eliminating metal bounce."

Here's what Tesoro said in their official press release: "The new switches use infrared technology to register keystrokes eliminating metal bounce and oxidation meaning extreme durability and breakneck response times. The new switches will reportedly offer advanced anti-particle and spill-resistant abilities and allow users to customize key switches on the keyboard."

Remember that sweet mechanical keyboard with pressure-sensitive keys I told you about a few months ago? The one with the weird name? It's hit Kickstarter.

The Wooting one, as it's known, has already surpassed its €30,000 funding goal, sitting at €46,915 as of the time of writing and just two days in. The company behind it says the keyboard is nearly finished and a manufacturer is lined up; they just needed a bit extra to finalize the firmware, so now it's off to the races.

Since we last saw it, the Wooting one's switches have been detailed. They are indeed custom: dubbed Flaretech optical switches, they come in Red ("Linear silent" for gaming) and Blue ("Non-linear clicky") and are described as "modular" and "fast as light."

Logitech's "Great Wall of G810s" goes down as one of the most ingenious and impressive spectacles in PAX East history.

At this year's PAX East show, Logitech built a massive colorful wall of out of 18,400 keyboard LEDs to simulate old-school arcade games. The wall used 160 of Logitech's new G810 RGB mechanical keyboards, and was made possible thanks to custom laser-etched keycaps to make every key simulate a colored pixel. The huge LED wall drew lots of attention at the show, and reportedly took six months of planning to orchestrate.

"I'm a dork, I'm a nerd, I grew up playing Pac Man, Space Invaders, Asteroids...so I thought 'how cool would it be if we built a huge wall out of our keyboards and we programmed a video game on it," Logitech's Vice President and General Manager Ujesh Desai told Gamers Nexus.

PC gaming peripheral maker Tesoro today announced two new low-profile GRAM Spectrum mechanical keyboards optimized for performance gaming.

Tesoro's new GRAM Spectrum mechanical keyboards sport the company's low-profile AGILE mechanical switches with a shorter 3.5 mm travel distance, and are available in red and blue AGILE switch flavors. The GRAM Spectrum also feature double-injection keycaps for optimum durability.

The GRAM Spectrum fluxes with over 16.8 million color combinations with fully customized RGB lighting, and every single key can be custom-programmed. With a 32bit ARM processor and 512KB onboard memory, users can save and execute macro settings on-the-fly. Tesoro's new mechanical keyboards offer an ultra-polling rate of 1000Hz, and Full N-Key/G-key rollover options.