Peripherals News - Page 1

The ASUS ROG Azoth gaming keyboard, which we reviewed last year, earned our Editor's Choice award due to its features, performance, excellent type-feel, and hot-swappable pre-lubed ROG NX mechanical switches (Linear). At Computex 2024, the follow-up is making a play to be one of the very best 75% TKL gaming keyboards available - and from what we've seen so far, it could very well hit those heights.

The ROG Azoth Extreme is every bit as customizable as its predecessor-hot-swappable switches, multiple layers of dampening, and gasket mounting are becoming the standard in the premium space - but it takes things to the next level. Underneath the keyboard, you can adjust the mounting to get the desired feel-smooth, spongy, or more tactile - all with the same switches.

Underneath is where you'll find magnetic feet that you can snap on or take off the keyboard to adjust the height, a stylish touch that adds to the premium feel.

Ever since Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat first hit the arcade scene in the 1990s, owning a decent arcade-quality stick with a six-button layout has been the dream of every fighting game fan. Over the years, several at-home arcade sticks have been released into the market, but to get something high-quality, arcade, and tournament-ready costs a premium.

This week, Turtle Beach Corporation and Performance Designed Products (PDP) announced two new editions for its premium arcade stick line-up: The King of Fighters Pro FS Arcade Fight Sticks and TEKKEN 8 Pro FS Arcade Fight Sticks. Both are launching with an MSRP of $499.99, equivalent to a home console like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

Licensed by SNK, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and PlayStation, these are compatible with PS5, PS4, and Windows PCs. The fight sticks are all colored, and feature character designs from their respective franchises. They are available now via PDP's official site in limited quantities: 200 units for The King of Fighters Pro FS Arcade Fight Sticks and 300 for the TEKKEN 8 Pro FS Arcade Fight Sticks.

If you've got an ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld, you might want to check out the new Sabrent USB Type-C 3-Port Gaming Hub, which expands the device's on-the-go capabilities for just $16.99 USD.

It connects to the ROG XG Mobile Interface and USB Type-C combo port on the top of the handheld, giving you immediate USB expansion options with up to 100W USB-C upstream power delivery.

The Sabrent USB Type-C 3-Port Gaming Hub connects to the ROG Ally and includes two USB-A ports for connecting additional portable storage to the handheld or an extra device like a keyboard or mouse. In fact, as a powerful Windows 11 gaming handheld, you can connect a USB controller to play with the ROG Ally on a desk or table - like the Switch with detached JoyCons.

In 2024, putting together a gaming rig with the attached gear (keyboard, mouse, headset, etc.) usually means choosing a bunch of black or white-colored hardware, with both options often including a hefty dose of RGB lighting. White-colored PC hardware and peripherals are minimal, sleek, modern-looking, and growing in popularity.

It's not unusual for hardware makers to release both 'light' and 'dark' versions of hardware to cater to the tastes of different gamers. With that, Razer has introduced White Editions for some of its high-end gear: Razer Cobra Pro, Razer Basilisk V3, Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, Razer Huntsman V3 Pro, and Razer Seiren V3 Chroma.

The list covers Razer mice, keyboards, and the latest USB microphone. Hit the jump for the entire product breakdown. All gear is now available via Razer.com and retailers like Best Buy.

We reviewed the AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 GC553G2 External Capture Card late last year. It was one of the first capture cards to offer full 4K 144 Hz HDMI 2.1 passthrough with HDR and VRR support. It earned our Editor's Choice Award as a "powerful USB streaming and capture solution for content creators" with excellent PC and console hardware support.

Today, we've got word from AVerMedia of an exciting new firmware update for the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 GC553G2 that adds an exciting new feature - 4K144 Capture on Windows devices via AVerMedia RECentral software or OBS. With most HDMI 2.1 capture cards topping out at 4K60 capture, the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 is even more impressive than it was when it first debuted.

The 4K144 option captures video using the MJPEG or Motion JPEG codec, which gives each frame its own relevant image file (so to speak) and should lead to impressive quality. No longer limited to just passthrough, the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 now offers creators and enthusiasts the option to record native 4K 144FPS gameplay.

In 2021, when the global pandemic was raging and social distancing was in full effect, gaming peripheral and hardware company Razer decided to release its own RGB-lit facemask called the Razer Zephyr. The mask would feature an interchangeable filter system, a see-through front piece, UV light sterilization, RGB lighting, Razer style, and N95-grade filters - except the last bit wasn't real.

The one thing many expected the mask would do is to filter out at least 95% of airborne particles (between .1 and .3 micrometers in size), but it couldn't. Or, at least Razer never submitted the Zephyr mask to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to receive N95 certification.

Priced at $100 USD, reviewers called out Razer for the Zephyr not meeting the N95 standards for what was an expensive face mask. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stepped in around the time Razer removed mentions of N95 from the product page. But it was too little too late.

Cooler Master has a pair of new gaming chairs, the CALIBER X2C and CALIBER R3C, designed to keep you comfortable and relaxed when playing. Both feature the latest iteration of Cooler Master's 'COOL-IN Technology,' which will apparently keep you "up to 2 degrees cooler than standard chairs."

We're not sure how that was measured or what difference being "up to 2 degrees cooler" than someone sitting on a standard chair will bring to the gaming experience, but it could be the difference between sweating and not.

This is achieved with 'COOL-IN Fabric Technology, ' which apparently extracts hot air from the body while keeping the seat surface cool. It's kind of funny how it's all described on the product pages for the new Cooler Master CALIBER X2C and CALIBER R3C gaming chairs - we're also told the cooling fabric features 'Jade Powder' particles for premium cooling.

We somehow missed this, but ASUS recently launched its own external 4K game capture box, the new TUF Gaming Capture Box-4K Pro. This box supports full HDMI 2.1 4K 144 Hz HDR passthrough, variable refresh rates, and up to 4K 60 FPS capture. It's a stylish little unit with RGB flourishes and that signature rugged all-aluminum ASUS TUF Gaming look.

The TUF Gaming Capture Box-4K Pro supports a wide range of input signals, making it an excellent option for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X capture. On the PC side, it supports 1080p and 1440p 120 FPS capture and 1080p 240 Hz and 1440p 144 Hz passthrough. On top of this, there's VRR or Variable Refresh Rate support, so you can game with G-SYNC or FreeSync enabled.

All of this is handled via a single USB 10 Gbps port that connects to a compatible PC for recording and capture. The TUF Gaming Capture Box-4K Pro is also a certified OBS-compatible device. In addition, ASUS has announced that it has won a prestigious IF Design award.

Razer has announced a new gaming mouse for esports and competitive gamers, the Razer Viper V3 Pro. Created in collaboration with esports pros, including recent Valorant champions, it's an ultra-lightweight wireless gaming mouse with some serious hardware under the hood.

Powered by the Razer Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2 (rated at 90 million clicks), which can poll up to 8000 Hz wirelessly, Razer touts 99.8% resolution accuracy. Players can make 1 DPI incremental adjustment, which is impressive. Razer claims that the Viper V3 Pro can match the DPI sensitivity of any mice gamers might be used to, so there's no awkward 'getting used to it' period.

Available in Black and White editions, it weighs only 54 grams and ships with the Razer HyperPolling Wireless Dongle.

Roccat is a brand that has been making high-quality PC peripherals for years, including keyboards, mice, and headsets. Based in Germany, Roccat was acquired by Turtle Beach in 2019 for $19.2 million, with the acquisition all about extending Turtle Beach's customer base from primarily console-based gamers to the world of PC.

Roccat's gear has always maintained a unique look and feel with impressive performance, something that remained even after Turtle Beach acquired the company. Last year, I reviewed the funky Roccat Vulcan II Max Optical Gaming Keyboard, which paired great switches with a translucent wrist rest that lit up like a neon rainbow.

Well, the day has come - at least for the Roccat name, which is no longer a thing. All upcoming products with mow fall under the Turtle Beach branding, starting next month with the Turtle Beach Vulcan II TKL Pro Magnetic Mechanical RGB Gaming Keyboard and Turtle Beach Burst II Air Ultra-Lightweight Wireless PC Gaming Mouse.