SteelSeries Launches New Gaming Keyboard, Headset
SteelSeries, makers of “professional gaming gear”, have used CeBIT as the launching platform for a new keyboard, the 6Gv2, and headset, the 7H.
The 6Gv2 keyboard is modeled after SteelSeries’s award-winning 7G. It is designed with 18-karat gold-plated mechanical no-click switches, which SteelSeries says will offer quicker reaction times, advance key combinations, and more “Actions Per Minute.” The 6Gv2 has a buffer system created specifically for gaming, and an “anti-ghosting” feature that allows users in first person shooters (FPS) to move, crouch, aim, fire, and even check the scoreboard–all at the same time. Built in are media controls, allowing quick access to audio controls. Unlike the 7G, the 6Gv2 has no audio ports, USB ports, or removable plastic hand-rest.
The 7H headset features 50mm drivers with over-the-ear cups that SteelSeries says will deliver a “clean soundscape of high, low and mid tones from background, mood setting sounds in MMO games to 3D positional alerts in FPS games.” The 7H comes with two ear cup options: leather, for maximum sound isolation, or cloth, so you can better communicate with teammates. It has a retractable, uni-directional microphone in the left ear cup, and has built-in volume and microphone controls. 7H comes with standard miniplugs or a USB connector. The USB version comes with optimized sound profiles, as well as customizable environmental settings. For easy storage, the 7H can be dismantled into four pieces.
The 6Gv2 keyboard retails for $99.99, while the 7H headset retails for $119.99, with the USB version going for $149.99. All are available for pre-sale at Amazon.
Image Credit: SteelSeries
Microsoft Unveils SideWinder X4 Keyboard with Anti-Ghosting Technology
Straight out of Redmond’s Hardware division this morning is the announcement of a new gaming keyboard, the SideWinder X4 Keyboard with "advanced anti-ghosting technology."
"We’re always looking for new and novel ways to enhance people’s interactions with their PCs," said Steven Bathiche, research manager of the Applied Sciences Group at Microsoft. "We know that ghosting can be a problem for gamers, so we wanted to develop a way to eliminate this issue and improve the overall gaming experience, and we’ve succeeded with the new anti-ghosting technology in the SideWinder X4 Keyboard."
More specifically, the new SideWinder’s anti-ghosting tech allows gamers hopped up on Red Bull to furiously mash up to 26 keys simultaneously without the PC ever skipping a beat.
In addition to anti-ghosting, Microsoft’s latest plank also boasts mode switching (standard mode and two gaming modes), automatic profile switching, programmable macro keys (three banks of six keys to assign up to 18 macros per profile), in-game macro recording, automatic macro repetition, backlit keys with three illumination levels, and media keys.
Microsoft says the SideWinder X4 will be available in March for $60, with Amazon taking pre-orders right away.
Image Credit: Microsoft
PC Gamers are Flocking to Windows 7 in Droves According to Steam
Here at Maximum PC, we love Windows 7. Its snappy, riddled with handy new features, and is the most stable version of the OS to ever come out of Redmond. Regardless of how much fame and positive press it racks up however, we know it will take years for the majority of consumers and businesses to fully make the switch. Overall market share numbers pegged the OS at around 3.6% in November, with a slow but steady climb to around 6% in December.
We know these numbers will continue their march upwards over the next few years at a fairly health rate, but one demographic is breaking the adoption mold, that group is PC Gamers. According to the December Steam hardware survey, Windows 7 accounts for nearly 23% of all Steam users when you add up both the 32 & 64 bit varieties. Vista by comparison sits at around 31%, but that gap is pretty small when you consider that it has a three year head start over Windows 7. As for trusty ole Windows XP, it continues to hold the lead with a commanding 45% share, but is losing ground even faster than Vista.
If you haven’t checked out the Steam hardware stats before, it gives a really interesting insight into the PC Gaming hardware landscape, and is definitely worth checking out. For example, a quick glance at the spread shows the average processer speed is 2.5Ghz, and despite ATI’s commanding price/performance lead, Nvidia holds over 65% of the market share compared to ATI’s 30%. Its a quick and easy way to see where your system ranks against your fellow gamers.
So, Is Windows 7 the best gaming OS?
ATI EyeFinity thoughts
Details:
Price: From £120
Radeon HD 5870 required
Up to three screens supported
One DisplayPort screen required
Up to 7680 x 1600 supported
Identical resolution displays required
Getting hold of a Radeon 5870 might be harder than completing Far Cry blindfolded, but there’s no denying the technical prowess of ATI’s new flagship. As well as stonking frame rates and DirectX 11 support, the 5800 series brings an intriguing new feature to the table called Eyefinity. Allowing you to connect up to three screens to a single card, this technology allows you to play first-person shooters, driving games, flight simulators and just about any other suitable genre at ultra-wide resolutions; spanning the action across all three displays.
Before you rush out and buy two more monitors for your PC, you need to be aware of a couple of limitations with Eyefinity’s implementation. First, one of your screens must be DisplayPort rather than conventional DVI. This is because each DVI screen needs a dedicated clock source, and the 5870 (like all other mainstream video cards) only has two. DisplayPort is not so afflicted, so theoretically an unlimited number of displays can be run from each card – providing it has the outputs. While an adaptor can be used to convert the tertiary DisplayPort output to DVI, it needs to be of the active variety with its own discrete power source.
After patiently waiting a fortnight for our adaptor and third 20-inch screen to arrive, we were finally ready for some triple-screen action. Setting up an Eyefinity configuration is fairly simple, though (as with most brand new technologies) it isn’t without its problems. First, switching from the single ultra-wide Eyefinity desktop back to a ‘conventional’ extended-mode multi-monitor setup is one long epic fail. Almost every time we tried to complete this seemingly simple operation it would mess things up, setting a variety of clone modes or refusing to enable one of our screens. After a ten-minute battle with the drivers we usually ended up with the configuration we wanted, but this definitely needs to be fixed before Eyefinity is ready for anyone other than hardened PC enthusiasts.
The vast majority of games we tested support the widescreen resolutions right out of the box, and for the few that don’t you can normally find fixes over at the WSGF forum (www.widescreengamingforum.com). Playing Crysis Warhead at a resolution of 4800 x 1200 is simply breathtaking, and we could see 66 per cent more of Fallout 3’s post-apocalyptic landscape with Eyefinity enabled. The effect with driving games is even more pronounced, with Burnout Paradise and Need For Speed: Shift both correctly adjusting the cockpit viewpoint to a massive 180-degree, ultra-wide experience. To say the effect is impressive would be a shameful understatement, as it’s nothing short of spectacular. Once bitten by the multi-monitor gaming bug you’ll never want to go back to a single display again.
Even with its caveats we feel Eyefinity is a triumph, and easily the best new feature to come from PC graphics cards since SLI. PC gamers have been looking for an innovation to once again elevate the platform to a level consistently above our smug console-owning brethren, and Eyefinity could well achieve just that.
Ian Jackson
Sennheiser PC300 G4ME Headphones Review
Details:
Price: £69.99
Verdict:
An impressive piece of audio kit. But it’s the price, not the quality, that’s at stake here. 7/10
Noise-blocking ear buds
Extremely lightweight
Omni-directional microphone
Lightweight design
Extension cable and travel pouch included
Sennheiser is a brand with a sterling reputation for audio products, so there’s a degree of quality we’ve come to expect even from something as simple as this headset. The PC 300 G4ME isn’t short on features or build quality, so we weren’t disappointed when we opened the pocket-sized, magnetically sealed case to a very functional pair of ear buds.
The PC 300 G4ME includes an omni-directional microphone with an impressive 15,000Hz frequency response, a range which will pick up all but the faintest whispers with minimum effort. The pouch also houses a two-metre extension cable for sofa gamers, but the standout feature of this headset is its in-ear noise reduction. This does an extremely efficient job of eliminating unwanted background sounds. From a desktop gaming perspective, this feature is only of any use if you have noisy housemates and you’re looking for a compact alternative to a chunky pair of earphones. But as far as a laptop gamer is concerned, you will be very hard-pressed to top the PC 300 G4ME for both portability and killing background noise on the hoof.
The only fault we can find with this headset is the price; a bit of shopping around might blag you a pair for under £70, but unless you’re a very mobile gamer with multimedia needs, they’re a bit of a luxury item.
Ben Biggs
ATI EyeFinity thoughts
Details:
Price: From £120
Radeon HD 5870 required
Up to three screens supported
One DisplayPort screen required
Up to 7680 x 1600 supported
Identical resolution displays required
Getting hold of a Radeon 5870 might be harder than completing Far Cry blindfolded, but there’s no denying the technical prowess of ATI’s new flagship. As well as stonking frame rates and DirectX 11 support, the 5800 series brings an intriguing new feature to the table called Eyefinity. Allowing you to connect up to three screens to a single card, this technology allows you to play first-person shooters, driving games, flight simulators and just about any other suitable genre at ultra-wide resolutions; spanning the action across all three displays.
Before you rush out and buy two more monitors for your PC, you need to be aware of a couple of limitations with Eyefinity’s implementation. First, one of your screens must be DisplayPort rather than conventional DVI. This is because each DVI screen needs a dedicated clock source, and the 5870 (like all other mainstream video cards) only has two. DisplayPort is not so afflicted, so theoretically an unlimited number of displays can be run from each card – providing it has the outputs. While an adaptor can be used to convert the tertiary DisplayPort output to DVI, it needs to be of the active variety with its own discrete power source.
After patiently waiting a fortnight for our adaptor and third 20-inch screen to arrive, we were finally ready for some triple-screen action. Setting up an Eyefinity configuration is fairly simple, though (as with most brand new technologies) it isn’t without its problems. First, switching from the single ultra-wide Eyefinity desktop back to a ‘conventional’ extended-mode multi-monitor setup is one long epic fail. Almost every time we tried to complete this seemingly simple operation it would mess things up, setting a variety of clone modes or refusing to enable one of our screens. After a ten-minute battle with the drivers we usually ended up with the configuration we wanted, but this definitely needs to be fixed before Eyefinity is ready for anyone other than hardened PC enthusiasts.
The vast majority of games we tested support the widescreen resolutions right out of the box, and for the few that don’t you can normally find fixes over at the WSGF forum (www.widescreengamingforum.com). Playing Crysis Warhead at a resolution of 4800 x 1200 is simply breathtaking, and we could see 66 per cent more of Fallout 3’s post-apocalyptic landscape with Eyefinity enabled. The effect with driving games is even more pronounced, with Burnout Paradise and Need For Speed: Shift both correctly adjusting the cockpit viewpoint to a massive 180-degree, ultra-wide experience. To say the effect is impressive would be a shameful understatement, as it’s nothing short of spectacular. Once bitten by the multi-monitor gaming bug you’ll never want to go back to a single display again.
Even with its caveats we feel Eyefinity is a triumph, and easily the best new feature to come from PC graphics cards since SLI. PC gamers have been looking for an innovation to once again elevate the platform to a level consistently above our smug console-owning brethren, and Eyefinity could well achieve just that.
Ian Jackson
Sennheiser PC300 G4ME Headphones Review
Details:
Price: £69.99
Verdict:
An impressive piece of audio kit. But it’s the price, not the quality, that’s at stake here. 7/10
Noise-blocking ear buds
Extremely lightweight
Omni-directional microphone
Lightweight design
Extension cable and travel pouch included
Sennheiser is a brand with a sterling reputation for audio products, so there’s a degree of quality we’ve come to expect even from something as simple as this headset. The PC 300 G4ME isn’t short on features or build quality, so we weren’t disappointed when we opened the pocket-sized, magnetically sealed case to a very functional pair of ear buds.
The PC 300 G4ME includes an omni-directional microphone with an impressive 15,000Hz frequency response, a range which will pick up all but the faintest whispers with minimum effort. The pouch also houses a two-metre extension cable for sofa gamers, but the standout feature of this headset is its in-ear noise reduction. This does an extremely efficient job of eliminating unwanted background sounds. From a desktop gaming perspective, this feature is only of any use if you have noisy housemates and you’re looking for a compact alternative to a chunky pair of earphones. But as far as a laptop gamer is concerned, you will be very hard-pressed to top the PC 300 G4ME for both portability and killing background noise on the hoof.
The only fault we can find with this headset is the price; a bit of shopping around might blag you a pair for under £70, but unless you’re a very mobile gamer with multimedia needs, they’re a bit of a luxury item.
Ben Biggs
ATI EyeFinity thoughts
Details:
Price: From £120
Radeon HD 5870 required
Up to three screens supported
One DisplayPort screen required
Up to 7680 x 1600 supported
Identical resolution displays required
Getting hold of a Radeon 5870 might be harder than completing Far Cry blindfolded, but there’s no denying the technical prowess of ATI’s new flagship. As well as stonking frame rates and DirectX 11 support, the 5800 series brings an intriguing new feature to the table called Eyefinity. Allowing you to connect up to three screens to a single card, this technology allows you to play first-person shooters, driving games, flight simulators and just about any other suitable genre at ultra-wide resolutions; spanning the action across all three displays.
Before you rush out and buy two more monitors for your PC, you need to be aware of a couple of limitations with Eyefinity’s implementation. First, one of your screens must be DisplayPort rather than conventional DVI. This is because each DVI screen needs a dedicated clock source, and the 5870 (like all other mainstream video cards) only has two. DisplayPort is not so afflicted, so theoretically an unlimited number of displays can be run from each card – providing it has the outputs. While an adaptor can be used to convert the tertiary DisplayPort output to DVI, it needs to be of the active variety with its own discrete power source.
After patiently waiting a fortnight for our adaptor and third 20-inch screen to arrive, we were finally ready for some triple-screen action. Setting up an Eyefinity configuration is fairly simple, though (as with most brand new technologies) it isn’t without its problems. First, switching from the single ultra-wide Eyefinity desktop back to a ‘conventional’ extended-mode multi-monitor setup is one long epic fail. Almost every time we tried to complete this seemingly simple operation it would mess things up, setting a variety of clone modes or refusing to enable one of our screens. After a ten-minute battle with the drivers we usually ended up with the configuration we wanted, but this definitely needs to be fixed before Eyefinity is ready for anyone other than hardened PC enthusiasts.
The vast majority of games we tested support the widescreen resolutions right out of the box, and for the few that don’t you can normally find fixes over at the WSGF forum (www.widescreengamingforum.com). Playing Crysis Warhead at a resolution of 4800 x 1200 is simply breathtaking, and we could see 66 per cent more of Fallout 3’s post-apocalyptic landscape with Eyefinity enabled. The effect with driving games is even more pronounced, with Burnout Paradise and Need For Speed: Shift both correctly adjusting the cockpit viewpoint to a massive 180-degree, ultra-wide experience. To say the effect is impressive would be a shameful understatement, as it’s nothing short of spectacular. Once bitten by the multi-monitor gaming bug you’ll never want to go back to a single display again.
Even with its caveats we feel Eyefinity is a triumph, and easily the best new feature to come from PC graphics cards since SLI. PC gamers have been looking for an innovation to once again elevate the platform to a level consistently above our smug console-owning brethren, and Eyefinity could well achieve just that.
Ian Jackson
Sennheiser PC300 G4ME Headphones Review
Details:
Price: £69.99
Verdict:
An impressive piece of audio kit. But it’s the price, not the quality, that’s at stake here. 7/10
Noise-blocking ear buds
Extremely lightweight
Omni-directional microphone
Lightweight design
Extension cable and travel pouch included
Sennheiser is a brand with a sterling reputation for audio products, so there’s a degree of quality we’ve come to expect even from something as simple as this headset. The PC 300 G4ME isn’t short on features or build quality, so we weren’t disappointed when we opened the pocket-sized, magnetically sealed case to a very functional pair of ear buds.
The PC 300 G4ME includes an omni-directional microphone with an impressive 15,000Hz frequency response, a range which will pick up all but the faintest whispers with minimum effort. The pouch also houses a two-metre extension cable for sofa gamers, but the standout feature of this headset is its in-ear noise reduction. This does an extremely efficient job of eliminating unwanted background sounds. From a desktop gaming perspective, this feature is only of any use if you have noisy housemates and you’re looking for a compact alternative to a chunky pair of earphones. But as far as a laptop gamer is concerned, you will be very hard-pressed to top the PC 300 G4ME for both portability and killing background noise on the hoof.
The only fault we can find with this headset is the price; a bit of shopping around might blag you a pair for under £70, but unless you’re a very mobile gamer with multimedia needs, they’re a bit of a luxury item.
Ben Biggs
Roccat Kova Mouse Review
Details:
Price: £45
Verdict:
The Kova is one of the most flexible, ergonomic and practical mice available 8/10
Optics: Up to 3200 dpi
Feedback: Coloured dpi-change indicators
Buttons: 5 + 2 customisable buttons
Drivers: Plug and play, driverless configuration
Bling: Custom-coloured, pulsing lights
Web: Roccat
Line Roccat’s latest innovation in PC mice, the Kova, up against the competition and it’s easy to dismiss it as a budget solution. It’s not that it looks cheap – in fact, a more discerning eye will pick out the quality of the build. But in a world of textured, coloured, multifaceted peripherals, the one-piece black PVC Kova with its plain Roccat branding is remarkably simplistic. There’s much more to the Kova than meets the eye, however. You might have criticised its symmetry, for example, when the sloping contours of a right-hand bias mouse looks so much sexier. But this mouse fits just as easily into the left palm as it does the right, allowing users to easily switch between left and right-hand modes. And once it’s plugged in, four sets of LEDs will pulse gently in the colour of your choice – matching the ambient glow from your case if colour co-ordination takes your fancy.
Beneath its humble exterior, the Kova houses several quality gaming features. At 90-grams it’s extremely lightweight and has an appreciable tangibility to button clicking. A driverless configuration means that this mouse is truly plug and play, so any OS upwards of XP will recognise the Kova and not just its basic functionality, but the features integral to the peripheral, like the dpi-change feedback. With monitors burgeoning in size, this mouse offers a maximum of 3200dpi, more than enough to flick the cursor across a native 22-inch screen at a breakneck rate. It also has three other intermediate speeds with a low 400dpi for very fine movements, such as tracking a target with a sniper rifle. It’s a welcome enhancement on what is now a standard gaming mouse feature, but switching through these resolutions can be tricky. It requires a pincer grip to press two buttons located on either side at the back end of the mouse, which is awkward in particularly frenetic bouts of gaming. For a mouse so clearly designed with speed in mind, this could pose an issue for some gamers.
Ben Biggs
