Peripherals - Page 22

CES 2016 - If you're looking for the experience of RGB lighting but aren't interested in dishing out for a mechanical keyboard, Tt eSPORTS has just announced its Challenger Prime RGB membrane gaming combo, featuring a keyboard and mouse package in one box.

The keyboard comes packed with multimedia and macro keys, shortcut keys, poll rate adjustments, Tt eSPORTS control software and RGB lighting. As for the mouse, expect to see a PIXART optical sensor, Omron switches, 3200DPI and a lifetime rating of up to 10 million clicks.

Available for a suggested price of $59.99, the mouse looks quite similar to the original Tt eSPORTS Black, moulded together with the Tt eSPORTS Talon. More information on this combo can be found here.

If you're a huge Pokemon fan, and you own the Nintendo Wii U, you might want to check out the awesome-looking Pokken Tournament Wii U controller from Hori.

Earlier this month, the Pokken Tournament Wii U controller popped up in Japan, and it looked like it was exclusive to the country at first. Well, it will be pushed out to a much wider audience when it launches early next year, with the Pokemon-infused (as Engadget calls it) fighting game controller is on Amazon for a price of $24.99, and a launch date of March 18, 2016.

Hori's Pokken Tournament Wii U controller features the same design of the arcade version of Pokken Tournament, with the "ZL" and "ZR" buttons on its face, instead of around the back on the traditional Wii U controllers from Nintendo.

While the Steam Controller has only been here for around a month, Valve is adding new features into their peripheral. Valve's Steam Controller is now capable of a touch menu, which will let players consolidate their hotkeys to a single interface.

Valve also added gyro support to make leaning easier in shooters, as well as other games. For RTS games, customizable mapping is now capable on the trackpad, which will make scrolling through menus much easier. An improved HUD will help you operate your controller better, with pop-ups now sprouting up on how button presses and other inputs correspond to the game that you're playing at the time.

The community was a big part of these new improvements to the Steam Controller, thanks to a suggestion from a member on the NeoGAF forums. Valve added the mouse-like joystick feature, where it has the accuracy of a mouse to the peripheral, helping manipulate cameras. Steam users are also wanted to see the Steam Controller include the ability to program specific configurations for non-Steam games, something that will be coming soon.

Quoted as "an improved design inspired by the legendary Microsoft Intellimouse 1.1" in a recent press release, QPAD has announced its first new mouse shape in seven years, coming in the form of this DX-20 gaming mouse.

Featuring multi-surface capabilities, the peripheral manufacturer claims that its new model will work on more surfaces than most optical sensors will, utilizing improved sensor technology that so far remains unstated. Inside the shell is an ARM processor and the exterior features RGB LED lighting strips and scroll wheel, with QPAD ensuring to mention that "beneath the exterior razzle-dazzle of the LEDs is a solid, well-tuned mouse with a balanced and professional feel" - making testimony to QPAD's competitive gaming heritage.

With 128kb of on-board memory to store personal profiles and Plug & Play compatibility with any Windows PC, the DX-20 will be showcased at DreamHack and is immediate available for purchase at around $74.

Announced in a recently issued press release, COUGAR's new 450K keyboard sits alongside the freshly-promoted 450M mouse and is compatible with the COUGAR UIX software system.

Set for release early in 2016, this hybrid mechanical switch board aims to offer users a splash-proof design and tactile feedback. While not a true mechanical, this board is released with three LED backlighting options, macros and function remapping capabilities as per all top-tier products.

The main reason this looks quite promising is because of the chunky nature of the design. Reminding us of the 'keyboards of old', COUGAR has done a good job here making a keyboard look chunky without looking like a space abomination - unlike some others. There's no massive flaps and chunks hanging off the side, there's no fake metal bolts and there's no slew of 90 macro keys. For those who like something study, simple and yet a little fancy, I'm quite interested in seeing the reviews that come out of this product, especially looking at how the keys perform when under pressure.

It wasn't too long ago that we talked about the $350 custom HOTAS controller for Star Citizen, something the developer worked very closely on with peripherals maker Saitek. Well, the first controllers are about to go on sale.

Roberts Space Industries has revealed that the first model of its custom flight sticks would go up for preorder next month, and it will feature a modular design. The throttle and stick will feature integrated trackballs, and it'll be compatible with a matching ten-keyless keyboard and a separate keypad that will sport an interactive OLED display.

Carl Jones, Robert Space Industries' COO, explains: "The idea is that you can split it apart and combine it with other devices". The idea behind this is that gamers will be able to play Star Citizen with a joystick and keyboard, a joystick and throttle, two joysticks, or any combination of the custom controllers.

Corsair has just unveiled its latest peripheral, the Katar gaming mouse. Corsair's latest product is a new competitive gaming mouse for huge eSports titles like CS:GO and League of Legends.

The new Corsair Katar has been created "with the help of top pro-gaming teams around the world" and even goes as far as including a "pro player mode" which lets you "get up to speed with preconfigured performance and tuning settings customized by the world's top players". The Katar has an 8000 DPI optical sensor, a 'zero lag interface' with the Katar polling at 1000Hz, and more. Corsair will be selling the new Katar gaming mouse with an MSRP of just $39.99.

The company also unveiled its new MM300 mouse pad, in three sizes: small, medium and extended. The new Corsair MM300 includes a "Textile-weave surface designed for pixel-precise targeting and low friction tracking" and "Surrounded stitched edges guard against surface peeling". The MSRP on the new Corsair MM300 mouse pads are as follows: Small for $14.99, Medium for $19.99, and Extended for $29.99.

If there's one thing that's going to impress Star Citizen fans out there, it's the custom HOTAS systems from Saitek. The UK-based flight stick manufacturer is now showing off the latest designs it has been working on, which you can check out below.

Saitek is working on an entire suite of hands-on, throttle and stick (HOTAS) peripherals that will be customizable. Roberts Space Industries Chief Operating Officer Carl Jones explains: "The idea is that you can split it apart and combine it with other devices". Star Citizen players will be able to fly around with the joystick and keyboard, a joystick and throttle, two joysticks, or an insane combination of custom-made, Star Citizen branded hardware.

The peripherals maker was teasing the custom Star Citizen hardware at CitizenCon over the weekend, which it had behind a glass cabinet so no dirty mits could touch it. Polygon reports that it "looks a lot like the current Thrustmaster T-Series HOTAS, with an attached throttle to the left of the flight stick". The gaming outfit added that the "Saitek model seems to borrow heavily from the existing X52 frame, with the adjustable grip height, locking Z-axis and similar button configuration. But, if you look closely, they've actually added a trackball to the top of the stick - right where your thumb goes - as well as to the throttle".

BenQ has been all over the competitive gaming scene in the last five years, sponsoring most of the biggest gaming organisations, gaming events and tournaments alike. This strong commitment to the eSports scene has been further extended, seeing this Taiwanese company announce that it has "strengthened holdings in the research and manufacture of gaming equipment by investing in the player trusted brand ZOWIE."

Further stating that BenQ and ZOWIE's passion and mission for business both strongly align with its own, this fact makes this renewed collaboration being only logical. Back in 2010 these two companies co-branded a professional gaming monitor, with this partnership to extend now into 2015, seeing BenQ help out ZOWIE in peripheral research and development.

Said to be further making products for casuals and professionals alike, there is no saying just yet exactly what products these two companies will make together, however the press release does mention First Person Shooter games being a particular focus.

G.SKILL has just released two new Cherry MX mechanical gaming keyboards in the RIPJAWS brand: the mesmerizing muti-color KM780 RGB and the crimson-red backlit KM780 MX.

Both models are ultra-durable and designed specifically for performance gaming, featuring five-level contour keys and raised keycaps that are optimized for ASWD movement schemes. Apart from the color schemes the models are identical in form and function. The keys on G.SKILL's new offerings can all be turned into macros on-the-fly, and sport dedicated macro control keys as well as six extra macro buttons fora huge level of flexibility for optimum gaming.

To help minimize mouse cable interference and keep things tidy while gaming, users can thread mouse cords through the onboard foldable holder clasped to the front end of the keyboard. Plus the models act as a hub for devices thanks to a USB 2.0 pass-through and an audio line-in and mic-out jack.

If you're a hardcore gamer on the go, Razer has a solution that it believes will suit you perfectly. Enter the Razer Orochi, a notebook gaming mouse which features 8,200 DPI through the help of a 4G laser sensor, Razer Chroma RGB lighting and 60 hours of non-stop battery life.

With added Windows 10 support, this mouse is being released with double the battery life of its predecessor and it has Bluetooth 4.0 partly to thank for this. If you're looking to use it wired or need a charge, there is also an included 3.28 foot braided USB cable on offer.

The mouse measures up at only 3.9(L) x 2.64(W) x 1.38(H) inches in stature and requires two AA batteries to operate.

Razer has just announced its latest peripheral, a customizable controller for the Xbox One known as Wildcat. Razer says that it built the Wildcat as a controller for competitive Xbox One gamers, reducing the weight of the original Xbox One controller by 25%.

Wildcat features four additional buttons that can be remapped to whatever you want, as well as a "quick control" panel at the bottom of the controller which lets gamers quickly switch between profiles, adjust chat volume, or mute their audio. The new Razer Wildcat also features rubber palm rests, an analog stuck that is covered in a green grip, and something that Razer calls "aircraft-grade" aluminum triggers.

Razer will be offering the new Wildcat controller for the Xbox One in October for $150.

Corsair launched the Corsair Gaming Sabre Laser gaming mouse, a new product made in collaboration with the Team Dignitas eSports team.

The Sabre Laser RGB gaming mouse weighs around 100 grams, and features an 8,200 DPI laser sensor, 1,000Hz USB refresh rate, 16.8M color backlighting, and eight programmable buttons. It is compatible with the Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) software.

The mouse is available now, and has a $54.99 MSRP.

Cloud Imperium Games has just announced it has partnered up with peripherals maker Saitek on some exclusive products for Star Citizen, including joysticks, keyboards and headsets.

In order to help with the huge immersion in Star Citizen already, specifically made peripherals are only going to add to that. Saitek partnered up with CIG on the peripherals to not just being 'stylized' but they will be uniquely designed to the look and feel of the hardware used in Star Citizen.

There will be a 'connected theme' of keyboards and joysticks so that there's an entire control solution for the hardcore Star Citizen fans. The keyboards and mice that Saitek are working on won't be reskinned peripherals, they will be an entire system of peripherals that can be used in a modular way, which has me excited just typing it in for you to read, let alone using them myself.

Gamescom 2015 - Razer has just announced two new gaming peripherals at Gamescom, a new gaming keyboard and gaming keypad. The new DeathStalker Chroma keyboard and Orbweaver Chroma keypad are powered by RGB LEDs, so they also look awesome.

Starting with the DeathStalker Chroma, which is a slightly modified DeathStalker keyboard featuring laptop-style chiclet keys for silent typing, and the usual gaming use. The new DeathStalker Chroma features RGB LED backlit keys supporting up to 16.8 million colors, with Razer's Chroma software that lets users enjoy multiple lighting zones and color modes.

The new Razer Orbweaver Chroma keypad is for the hardcore gamers as it's a one-handed pad with 20 programmable mechanical keys, it features an eight-way direction pad, two additional buttons, and an adjustable spot for your thumb, wrist and palm. Razer has splashed the usual RGB LEDs within the mechanical keys, making it light up beautifully during those hardcore gaming sessions.

Gamescom 2015 - ROCCAT has debuted its new Nyth gaming mouse at Gamescom, with the Nyth being a new MMO-hybrid gaming mouse with a "completely hot-swappable side button grid" that is sure to have MMO gamers foaming at the mouth.

The new ROCCAT Nyth has huge out-of-the-box customization, with a massive 36,738 different combinations thanks to its 33 different buttons. ROCCAT founder and CEO, René Korte, explains: "We've loved cracking the challenge of the Nyth. Making a mouse so deeply customizable was a great test for our creative and design teams. What we ended up with was not only a one of a kind MMO-centric piece of gaming equipment, but a mouse that is a chameleon. Turn it into a MOBA mouse, an FPS weapon, and more; any gaming configuration for any genre you can think of. That's what the Nyth brings to the table".

But the more exciting product that ROCCAT was showing off, at least to me, was the Sova prototype. ROCCAT showed off the Sova prototype at E3 2015 earlier this year, with the modular gaming board wanting to see you gaming in the living room. ROCCAT has announced that there will be more than one model of the Sova, with Korte saying: "After the great reception at E3 for our Sova prototype, we were given so much feedback, and pursued that further with surveys and more testing. Gamers want a PC gaming living room solution that's affordable, effective, and meets their spec priorities".

Corsair has just unveiled a bunch of new gaming peripherals during Gamescom 2015, with new STRAFE RGB mechanical gaming keyboards, Scimitar RGB MMO/MOBA mouse, and new flagship VOID gaming headsets.

One of the jewels in Corsair's new gaming peripherals is the ultra-quiet STRAFE RGB Silent, which is the world's first keyboard with Cherry MX RGB Silent gaming switches, which will "deliver the speed and precision of linear mechanical switches with significantly quieter actuation". Corsair adds that the STRAFE RGB Silent has "new switches combined with the noise-suppressing architecture of the keyboard chassis", that makes the "pro-level STRAFE RGB Silent 30% quieter than other mechanical gaming keyboards".

Corsair's new VOID headsets come in three flavors: wireless, USB or analog stereo. The VOID gaming headset earcups are "shaped to fit the human ear, providing the utmost comfort while delivering spectacular audio fidelity". The USB and wireless VOID headsets feature innovative features like InfoMic status LEDs, and a CUE Control dial that lets gamers control their gaming soundscape without pausing their game.

Satechi has announced the launch of its BT Cortana Button, a custom solution as Microsoft rolls out Windows 10 to millions of users.

The BT Cortana Button is designed so users are able to quickly access Cortana on a Windows smartphone or computer remotely. It can be easily stored on key chains, steering wheels or anywhere that is convenient for the owner - and provides access to the virtual personal assistant in a safe manner.

Satechi promises up to two years battery life and Bluetooth wireless range up to 40 feet with the BT Cortana Button. It is expected to launch in late August with a $22.99 MSRP.

The well-known brand of arcade sticks and accessories, Mad Catz, is facing some severe financial struggles which may result in closure, GameSpot says.

Failing to meet a monthly fail-safe target as set by it's credit lender, Wells Fargo, Mad Catz warned its investors of an unclear future. Wells Fargo waived this violation on June 23, opening a new agreement which will be upheld until July 31, 2016. Reportedly losing money over the last three years, Mad Catz stated that it will need "significant contributions from anticipated sales of products related to the Rock Band 4 video game" in order to continue operating.

With Rock Band 4 set to be the make or break for Mad Catz, the stakes are high but the hopes are not, with it explained that all of this uncertainty raises "substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern." Speaking to Game Informer, Mad Catz announced a $20 million loan initially, set for a possible increase to $35 million from September, all to ensure a smooth Rock Band 4 launch.

Featuring a 32-bit ARM based CPU coupled with 512kb of flash memory, EASARS' RGB mechanical keyboard packs a 1,000 Hz polling rate, a gold-plated USB connection, no ghosting and a 16 million color RGB LED backlight.

In addition to these features are mechanical switches rated at 50 million clicks, however, there is no mention if these keys are Cherry or another brand. Self-claimed as a lightweight design, this keyboard offers a tenkeyless design - doing away with the numpad for a smaller package.

Keys can be remapped in EASARS' 'flare' software, also controlled through the profile switch on the keyboard - enabling you to scroll through five pre-set profiles in total.