Unlock the power of Strand

As Bungie gears up to release Destiny 2: Lightfall on February 28, the developer has collaborated with accessory designer SteelSeries on a limited edition collection of peripherals themed around Lightfall and its new city of Neomuna.

For Guardians wanting the optimal experience for learning the powers of the new Darkness subclass Strand, SteelSeries has added the Arctis 7+ headset, Aerox 5 wireless mouse, QCK Prism XL RGB mousepad as well as some performance thumbstick toppers for Xbox and PlayStation controllers. The accessories are currently sold out on the SteelSeries website but are available to pre-order through Bungie and KontrolFreek.

Teals, purples, and oranges weave a Neomuna-inspired color palette across the accessories, which only differ cosmetically from others of the same model. The Arctic 7+ wireless headset is compatible with PC, mobile, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, but can be used with a 3.5mm audio cable for Xbox consoles. The Aerox 5 wireless mouse is ambidextrous and can last up to 80 hours on a single charge. The QCK Prism cloth mousepad measures 900 x 300 mm and has RGB lighting around the outside. It's water-resistant to boot, too. Finally, the thumbstick toppers offer extra grip and come in purple and green with the Destiny logo in the middle. Depending on where playe?rs order from, they could even come in a min?iature Traveler case.

How to get the Luminescent Precision emblem in Destiny 2

[caption id="attachment_365402" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bungie[/caption]

That's not all though. For those in-game collectors, ordering any of the accessories also includes codes that can be redeemed for emblems and emotes. The emote up for grabs is called Viral Celebration and the emblem is Luminescent Precision. The emblem features the same colors as the new Destiny and SteelSeries collaboration peripherals do, to really coordinate yo????ur setup.

After purchasing any of the items from SteelSeries, Bungie, or KontrolFreek, the code for both rewards will be inside the box when your new accessories are ??delivered.

Destiny 2: Lightfall is set for release on February 28 for PC, Xbox and ?PlayStation.

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Nothing better than the clickity-clack of a mechanical keyboard

As someone who spends a good portion of their day typing, I love a good mechanical keyboard. For a while there in the mid-2000s, it seemed like the hottest trend was to have the most minimal keyboards ever (looking at you, Apple), and for a minute I was afraid tech companies would?? lean full-tilt into touchscreen keyboards. Of course I went through one of those phases where I wanted a typewriter for ??no reason at all. Naturally, as I got into gaming, I was introduced to the world of mechanical keyboards, and the whole community that surrounds them.

For years now, companies that make gaming peripherals have really leaned into the whole "gaming aesthetic" (which usually consists of black plastic and red LEDs) since they discovered they could make a lot of money from marketing it. Of course, more feminine designs have also made their way into the mainstream, and showing off your elaborate, custom gaming setup has become a way for players to express their identity and interest in g??ames as a hobby or lifesty??le.

[caption id="attachment_308312" align="alignnone" width="794"] _{[Image Source: Etsy seller PersonalLoot]}[/caption]The first mechanical keyboard was actually patented ??in the early 1700s �but the first mechanical keyboard that was built specifically for gaming is attributed to Razer in 2010. Now that keyboards have become a necessary part of the way a vast majority of the population works, why wouldn't we want to customize them to make them as fun to use as po?ssible?

Baby's first mechanical keyboard

When one of my friends wanted to buy me a mechanica??l keyboard as a gif??t, he asked me what my favorite kind of switch was. I'll be honest with you, I had no idea there were different kinds of switches in the first place. This moment is what really started me down a rabbit hole.

In case you don't know, switches are the little mechanical parts that go under the key cap, and they determine what kind of "click" your keyboard makes. There are some that make your key presses softer and quieter, some that make them loud and sharp?. I found that the brown switches were my favorite, because they had this really nice feedback when I pressed down on them.

My favorite switches I've ever come across by far, though, are called the Banana Split switches. I've never used them pe?rsonally, but just hearing audio of them was enough for me to lose my mind. I even hesitate to tell anyone about them now, because they're always sold out, but they make one of the most satisfying sounds I can imagine. They're kind of crunchy, and sound almost like someone is popping bubble wrap, and I need to write an entire novel on them immediately.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZwmdU-cgY4&t=7s

I think there's a special kind of irony in the fact that as the technology for keyboards got better and better, we started streamlining them �but after a while, we started?? emulating that weight a??nd tactile nature of the first keyboards back in the day.

We've come so full circle that not only do we have keyboards that are sturd??y and hardly ever break, but we can also customize them to feel any way we damn we??ll please! I'm sure Christopher Latham Sholes, the inventor of the QWERTY keyboard layout, would be thrilled by how far we've come.

The name of the game is customization

There's also the whole world of LEDs!

I can't believe that there used to be a time when I was around people who didn't have keyboards that can light up to be any color they want. There's j??ust something about making my keyboard light up in rainbow colors that delights my inner child, and now I?? can never go back to having a boring, normal set of keys ever again.

Yet another layer of customization comes from key caps, which can look like pretty much whatever you want. You want caps themed after your favorite video game? You got it. How about resin ones with little dried flowers in them? Yup. A whole keyboard made of Kirby caps that are also magnetic and can "eat" things? T??hat is also something yo??u can do.

Some people even make deliberately "hostile" keyboards just for the fun of it. I seriousl??y cannot stress how endless the possibi??lities are.

[caption id="attachment_308313" align="alignnone" width="794"] _{[Image Source: Etsy seller ThatArtistMeleigha]}[/caption]If I went down that rabbit hole, there would be no coming out, and my wallet would suffer greatly. I knew I was in deep when I started following Twitter accounts of insanely talented creators who build their entire keyboa?rds from scratch themselves, but all I can do is look at their pictures longingly and hope that someday I can justify a purchase.

I can understand the utility of mechanical keyboards when it comes to ga??mes, but it's interesting that they really became popular because of their aesthetics and customization options. It's just a fun piece of gaming subculture?? that I can really appreciate from afar, and maybe someday I can set aside enough cash to make the custom keyboard of my dreams.

What has your mechanical keyboard journey been like? Have you tricked out your set up? Let's discuss in the comments!
_{[Featured Image Source: Reddit user u/Gerardy_Im_Design]}

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Expensive, but dynamic

I've been pretty consistent about my feelings regarding SteelSeries headsets for the past four years or so. They're on the expensive side, but they more often than not en??d up being my headset of choic??e on various platforms.

I'm probably going? to start rotating the ;Arctis 7 into that equation.

Product: SteelSeries Arctis 7
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Input: USB
MSRP: $149.99

With its adjustable headband, the claims of comfort for the Arctis 7 basically ring true. It has a comfortable fabric, and after using it for several hours (okay, a five-hour Heroes of the Storm session) I didn't feel any itchiness or soreness. It's not quite as padded as? a few others in the same line (you can see the ribbon as opposed to the thick pads in more expensive headsets), but it gets the job done.

Working into its more technical components, the "ClearCast" microphone claims to be the most clear in gaming. Based on my testing tha??t's a sufficient enough claim, as it does cut outside noise by laser-focusing the mic position on the corner of your mouth. The best part is that the retractable nature of it makes the mic inconspicuously hidden in a slot on the headset --?? I couldn't even find it at first.

You also turn the mic off with the press (or depress) of a button on the side. I much prefer this tactile method instead of looking to see if a light is on. Testing out the mic in SteelSeries Engine 3 is also a godsend, as I typically hate trying out mics in a live environment (I don't want to get into a WoW ra??id and have to troubleshoo??t). An Xbox controller adapter is included for those who are curious.

To be clear, this mic is wireless by way of a transmitter. You just plug it in via USB and it's self-powered, then you can add a line in if you want (like a direct connection to a smartphone), or go for dual line out support (read: mostly for ??speakers), where it'll automatically shift the audio from the headset to another device if either one is turned off. It's nifty, but the odds of anyone actually using that to its full potential are slim.

My main fancy was whether or not the set would pair nicely with the PSVR, and I was very happy with my te?sts. It's a great size as it doesn't feel weighty enough to take me out of the VR sensation, and the 40 foot wireless radius is accurate. The only drawback to its wireless propensity is that charging is kind of inconvenient. I much prefer the model of having multiple battery packs that can be charged in a cradle of sorts. That said, the 15-hour battery is fine, so as long as you keep it charged at the end of the day via USB, you're good.

Over the years I've had a lot of support from aud??iophiles like Dale North in terms of which headsets to buy, but in the end a lot of it just comes down to preference. I haven't had an issue with a piece of SteelSeries to date, so even if there are cheaper and completely viable non-"gaming" options out there, I usually end up gravitating towards a mix of hardware. Along with the H Wireless that I still use on my PS4, I'm throwing the Arctis 7 in as well.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the hardware provided by the publisher.]}

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Some of the best cups you'll ever touch

I've been using the SteelSeries Arctis 5 as my main headset on my PC since getting them a few weeks back, and frankly, I don't see myself going back to my far more expensive Astros. This headset fits, keep??s my hair from being a mess, doesn't make me hot, and sounds great.

My favorite headset thus far, but i?t isn't without its faults; specifically ever??ything to do with the microphone.

Product: Arctis 5
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Input: USB (PC), 3.5 mm Headphone Jack (Console)
Output: 7.1 DTS (PC), Stereo (Console)
MSRP: $99.99

I have a huge head and finding things to comfortably fit it has never been easy. I played football in eighth grade and getting a helmet to fit me was difficult, hats never look good on me or fit, and headsets?? t??ypically feel like they are crushing my head with two sound-producing furnaces.

Thankfully the crack geniuses at SteelSeries have finally created a headset that is both super comfortable and doesn't make me sweat my balls off when using it for an extended period of time. The cups are big enough to comfortably sit over my ears, and the material is soft and breathable. Instead of using the classic expandable design of other headsets, size is adjusted purely via a flexible band across the top, similar to what you'd find in ski goggles. This means you don't have plastic resting uncomfortably on your head and the fit is far more adjustable than plastic that snaps?? into place.

Sound-wise, at least p?layback, is great. Everything seems balanced quite well without being flat at default settings, though equalization is fully customizable in the SteelSeries Engine software. I'm no a?udiophile but these just sound better than my Astro A50s, which run $200 more. That said, 7.1 is only supported on PC via USB, while only stereo is available via a 3.5mm plug for consoles, so the A50s are a bit more universal. 

Now for the bad: the microphone. Basically, everything that could be wrong with the microphone is. While it is retract??able, the area that it comes out of the headphone is up too high, meaning every time it is extended it must be adjusted downward to your mouth (your face may vary). The microphone detects audio on both sides of the mic, supposedly in an attempt to block out background noise, but in my tests, it does a poor job, easily picking up the sounds of me typing on my mechanical keyboard a normal distance away. While I appreciate that the microphone has a light on it to let you kn?ow when it is muted via a button on the back of the left cup, the light is insanely bright, enough to be distracting, especially if you play in the dark.

While the mic quality might be a little better than a cheap basic headset you'd find in the electronics section at a typical store, I wouldn't buy this headset expecting professional quality. Not terrible for communicating on games, but for podcasts and livestreaming you'll want something different. The included dongle that allows adjusting the volume between game audio and chat audio? serves its purpose but mostly feels in the way since I chose not to use the mic more than absolutely needed.

Aside from a great fit and fantastic playback, the customizable lights on each of the cups is something you won't find in many (if any) ??other ?headsets. Each cup is outlined with a circle of RGB lighting and the SteelSeries logo. I'm not a huge fan of brand names being plastered on my stuff, but these are just too sexy to say no to. Plus you can set each cup to any color you can think of, have them cycle colors of your choosing, or turn them off if you hate turning on anyone fortunate enough to be in the room with you. 

For $100, this headset is hard to beat. You get a super comfy fit, great sound, fancy lights and a not-so-great microphone that? is thankfully optional and retractable. Plus you can get this here headset in black or white varieties, or the $50 more expensive wireless version if you hate cables; I'm honestly considering it. SteelSeries has outdone itself and the competition this time. I just hope the second generation can fix the microph??one issues.

_{[This review is based on retail hardware provided by the manufacturer.]}

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Free up a hand to masturbate while you MOBA

If you're like me, you've probably thought about how easy it woul?d be to play a MOBA with one of those fancy MMO mice with tons of buttons, freeing up a hand to do all kinds of fun ??activities.

Well now you can with the SteelSeries Rival 500. It was desig??ned with that very task in mind, having 15 buttons on-board. Whether or not you enjoy it will come down to preference and if you can accept the drastic change.

Product: SteelSeries Rival 500 mouse
Manufacturer: SteelSeries 
Input: One USB 2.0+
MSRP: $79.99

One might think the Rival 500 is the cheaper version of the Rival 700, but you'd be wrong. While the two mice share the same configurable RGB lights, similar aesthetics, and tactile feedback on your palm (for Dota 2, Counter-Strike: GO, and a modified version of Minecraft only), they are pretty different.

The 500 is a very wide mouse (probably to accommodate all the buttons) that felt a smidgen too big even for my giant hands, so using it for more than playing MOBAs felt a bit uncomfortable at first. Eventually, I did get used to it. As for the 15 configurable buttons? They work but I had a hard time adjusting to playing Battlerite and League of Legends (ugh, this mouse got me to reinstall that toxic cesspool) just ?due to muscle memory.

The button placement can be slightly intimidating as well, considering six of them alone surround your right thumb, with three above, one behind, and two below. Th??e two lower buttons were probably my favorite part of the mouse. They curve out, and it felt nice to naturally rest my thumb on them while being able to quickly press them as needed. Some I just never felt comfortable using, like the buttons that sa??t behind my thumb and the ones off to the side of the left and right clicks. The buttons by the clicks felt especially out of reach due to the sheer wideness of the mouse.

The Rival 500 feels more like something you'd use to alleviate action from your left hand instead of outright replacing it, and that is what I found myself mostly doing while playing MOBAs with it by mapping a few lesser-used keys that are typically harder to reach while playing normally. It's certainly not a bad mouse, but it is a bit too large with some awkward button placement for my liking. I've since gone back to the SteelSeries Rival 700, which h?as been my daily driver since I originally reviewed it.

_{[This review is based on the retail hardware provided by the manufacturer.]}

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Fat spacebars need to be the new norm

I've been using the SteelSeries Apex M800 keyboard next to the Rival 700 that I recently reviewed since getting hom?e from E3 last month and I have to say I can see why many people would want this keyboard.

As for myself? I'll be switching back to?? my Bluetooth-enabled mechanical keyboard with its Gateron Blue switches as soon as this review is done.

Product: SteelSeries Apex M800 keyboard
Manufacturer: SteelSeries 
Input: One USB 2.0+
MSRP: $199.99

SteelSeries claims this is the "world's fastest keyboard" which is outlandish-sounding, but its custom made keys made that a reality, for better or for worse, ??depending on what you're using the keyboard for. For gaming they are smooth, quiet, and need extremely little pressure to actuate, meaning you can press the key technically faster than on any other keyboard out there.

However, if you're like me and you also use your computer for extensive typing, this is probably not the best choice for you. Call me fat fingered, but  I've found myself making mistakes quite often when typing on this keyboard as sometimes I'll end up pressing a key just by resting my fingers naturally on top of them, an issue I've never had with any other key??board.

One feature I do absolutely love is the 'fat'?? spacebar, which is around twice as thick vertically as your aver??age key. What makes it so great is that, at least for me, my thumbs naturally rest a bit lower than a typical spacebar meaning I'd have to reach upwards a bit to hit the key, which isn't the case here at all.

It is impressive how one little tweak can make something you often do without much thinking so noticeably better. Unfortunately, the spacebar on the keyboard I received makes an annoying squeak on every press, though it only seems to happen when pressing in a very specific location on it, which just happens to?? be where my thumb naturally rests.

Aside from a fancy spacebar and super fast light keys, there is a plethora of customization options, inclu??ding individual RGB key lighting, and six macro keys. Using the SteelSeries Engine 3 software you can tweak each and ??every key's color separately, to even changing what press each key does.

Are you an uber nerd that hates QWERTY and prefers DVORAK? Then you can easily set this up to function like one, which is surely a plus for at least someone out there. The six macro keys sit off to the left side of the keyboard which makes sure you don't hit them on accident triggering who knows what kind of funky shit you've got them set to do. I've personally never found much use for ??macro keys, but they are certainly a nice feature to have just in case I do need them. While I appreciate this keyboards many customization options, fat keyboard, and custom keys, I feel this was designed with a very niche group of people in mind, eSport eThletes, also kno??wn as competitive gamers.

The average gamer probably isn't going to notice a difference in the amount of time it takes to press, with it already being so minuscule. What they will notice, however, is when they look up only to see hundreds of th??e letter "d" on the screen from them pressing a key unknowingly, which happened twice while typing this review. Great for gaming and looking sexy, but a nuisance when it comes to typing, I can finally switch back to my other keyboard. Yay!

The post Review: SteelSeries Apex M800 Keyboard appeared first on Destructoid.

Force feedback in a mouse

As someone who has played first-person shooters on consoles the majority of my life, I've only recently attempted to make the switch to mouse and keyboard. This is largely thanks to many PC versions of games being generally better than their console counterparts, but after playing a 16-hour Overwatch session, I realized one feature I missed from?? using a traditional controller: rumble.

Haptic feedback is something I had grown accustomed to in the console space and relied on heavily, especially since many games are bad at giving you visual cues these days. As it turns out, though, SteelSeries has a mouse for people like me. The Rival 700 features a form of force feedback. The trick is you have to ??play one of three games that are currently supported by the device.

Product: SteelSeries Rival 700 mouse
Manufacturer: SteelSeries 
Input: One USB 2.0+
MSRP: $99.99

I've been using the Rival ?700 for roughly a month and I have to say it feels great. After coming off an older laser mouse from a competing manufacturer, the optical sensor that comes standard here blows my old mouse out of the water, which surprised me as I'd always been told since my days in retail that laser is the way to go; turns out that isn't the case at all and I was just taug??ht to lie to customers so my corporate overlords could get more money. Suddenly, slowly moving my cursor became buttery smooth, instead of bopping around a smidgen like with my old outmoded cursor.

SteelSer??ies has loaded the Rival 700 with personalizati?on options, including extra customizable buttons, two customizable lights, and a tiny OLED screen. Three buttons surround where your thumb naturally rests, each of which can be programmed to do whatever you'd like them to, but, by default, they work as forward and back keys that I never found myself using. A third button behind the scroll wheel changes the mouse's CPI settings, which is extremely useful for those moments when you need a nice slow, smooth movement for getting headshots with a sniper, before switching back to frantic close range combat. 

While I didn't find the OLED screen useful, I can see how someone would. Using the included SteelSeries Engine 3 software, users are able to customize and design personal images and gifs to play. which sounds way cooler than it looks in action. As I have no artistic ability I'd hope the software included a few options, instead, it just had the default SteelSeries logo available. There are a series of eight different options available to download off the mouse's official site, and while I appreciate the spinning Nicholas Cage head that now constantly plays on the side of my mouse, they leave a lot to be desired.

That isn't the only use of the OLED, as it works in conjunction with GameSense, a part of Engine 3. The screen can automatically display things like your kill death ratio, ammo, health and even the number of headshots you've tallied up, at least if you're playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as it is one of the three games SteelSeries supports. The others games are the popular free-to-play MOBA Dota 2, and a specially-modified version of Minecraft. I tested out the feature in CS:GO ;but?? I didn't see much benefit, as I rarely found myself glancing down at my hand while playing, as you might expect.

Haptic feedback also only works with the three aforementioned games, none of which I play on a regular basis -- essentially rende?ring the feature useless to me. While you can custom??ize the Rival 700 so pressing any of its buttons gives feedback, that is more of a novelty than anything. I have it set so left clicking gives a fast 'tick' feedback, while right clicking is a double click kind of vibration, because why not. I suppose the feature is great if you play one of those games, being able to feel yourself taking damage and the likes, but otherwise, the feature is just about useless. Also, I should note the vibrations of a very light vertical motion just on the palm of your hand, thus they thankfully don't impact gameplay at all.

Feel wise, the Rival 700 fits nicely in my admittedly large palm, and the texture and functionality of all the buttons, including the click and scroll wheel are great. If I had to levy one minor complaint against it, the scroll wheel unfortunately has little notches it fluctuates betw??????????????????????????een instead of free rolling, unlike my previous mouse that let you switch between modes and was extremely handy in everyday use.

For $99, the Rival 700 is a comfortable wired mouse with plenty of fancy (but mostly useless) visual customizations and tactile feedback that works with just three games, snd comes with two different cables to connect the mouse to your computer: one braided, one rubber. Optionally, you can purchase a laser sensor and quickly swap out the optical sensor with just four screws, or a set of interchangeable covers for the mouse that make it glossy or cover up the ligh??t on the palm.

While enjoyable, I still find it hard to recommend for those who are already rocking a gaming mouse they are comfortable with just for the tactile feedback and OLED screen. Well, unless you play DOTA 2, CS:GO, or Minecraft. Then yeah, you need t??his mouse. Otherwise, ??you're paying for extra features you're not going to find valuable.

_{[This review is based on the retail hardware provided by the manufacturer.]}

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All form, no function

Before Microsoft rocked up with Games for Windows, PC controllers were like the Wild West: s??upport was spotty, controllers were often low quality, and getting them set up involved a lot of faffing and jiggery-pokery. There was a h?igh chance you’d get shot too. It was a hard time.

Then ?Microsoft unveiled Games for Windows, and with it a guarantee the games included under the label would work natively with the Xbox 360 controller. Since then, the 360 and Xbox One pads have been the unofficially-official contro??llers to use, with only the recent arrival of the Steam Controller shaking things up a bit.

So SteelSeries – a company I associate more with headsets and mice than cont??roll?ers – offering the Stratus XL as an alternative pad for PC and Android was definitely something that piqued my interest.

I’m sad to report that after using (or, rather, trying to use) the Stratus XL f??or the best part of a week, I’m having flashbacks to the pre-Games for Windows days. I have never faffed with a piece of hardware this much.

Product: Siberia Stratus XL
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Input: Bluetooth
MSRP: £39.67/€59.99

Ergonomically, the Stratus XL is top-notch. It’s a mix of the Xbox controller’s form with the DualShock 3’s button placement, and every button gives a nice, hearty click when they’re pressed. The sticks feel magnetically centred, which can take a bit of getting used to at first due to the increased force needed to budge them, but they’re still incredibly high-quality??.

The D-pad is also miles ahead of an Xbox pad which, let’s be honest, could just as easily be said for a bunch of bananas hooked up to Makey-Makey. While it’s fairly flush with the surface of the pad, the buttons themselves have a lot of travel to help prevent mis-presses. Its diagonals are also fantastic, which makes controlling games like Street Fighter a doddle if you can’t get your hands on an ar?cade stick.

There are a couple of downsides to the form, though. The face buttons (X, Y, B, and A, set out just like an Xbox pad) feel a bit too close to the edge to be comfortable, and the B button in particular teeters precariously on the side, and can be uncomfortable to press. The triggers are also very soft and squishy, and feel like a major step down when compared to the similarly-priced Steam controller’s. While not a problem for me, the unit itself is pretty dang he??avy and bulky, which may be an issue for those with smaller hands or who want to use it as a control?ler for their phone games on the go.

As far as pads go, the Stratus XL feels lovely, and in a lot of ways handles better than the Xbox trendsetter. It’s priced higher than other controllers, and despite the few relatively minor form hitches, it sure as hell feels like it. I would’ve been more than happy to recommend it as a primary PC pad… had it actually worked.

At first, I thought my biggest problem was going to be? the lack of an included dongle to connect to my PC. The Steam Controller, which retails at a lower price than the Stratus XL, comes with one, and so having to go?? out and buy more stuff just to make this work was frustrating.

Once you’ve got the dongle and ??are ready to go, connecting the Stratus XL can vary from actually pretty easy – press the butto?n on the pad, press pair on the device, and you’re laughing – to almost impossible, depending on which device you’re trying to use it with.

Multiple dongles, multiple driver installations, and numerous firmware updates later, and the few times I managed to get my PC (on Windows 10) to recognise the Stratus’ existence I was rewarded with incredibly spotty performance. I suffered from frequent multiple-second delays between the input and action (often leading to the camera whooshing off in random directions as it applies all the delayed inputs at once), and turning off the controller at the end of the day guaranteed I’d have to go through the rigmarole of pairing all over again. Unfortunately, “unplayable” would be the understatement of the century because at best I managed half a room of The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth before wanting to throw this thing at a wall.

My Surface Pro 3, also on Windows 10, had problems all of its own. The controller paired, stayed paired, and didn’t suffer from an?y sort of delay… but the buttons are all wrong. B on t?he Stratus is an A on the Xbox, for example, so navigating Steam Big Picture menus and playing games didn’t feel natural in the slightest.

The problem here is that SteelSeries Engine – the configuration program used for all of their products – lets you control things like analogue stick deadzones, but has no way of remapping the controls to make sense outside of using third party programs. Thanks to Games for Windows, PC now has a standard controller format… that th?e Stratus XL totally ignores.

Using it with my Android phone was probably the best experience. Pairing was easy, and in the few games I own that support controllers it worked great All the positives I had to say about the form shone when I got it working. ?If you’re really into Android TV or Tablet gaming at home, I can see this being one o?f your best choices when it comes to a pad.

As a piece of kit, the Stratus XL is great. It feels sturdy, the analogue sticks and D-pad are top-notch, and it looks stylish as hell. It’s just a shame that on the three separate systems I tried it on,?? each cam??e with its own significant barriers.

Connectivity, game compatibility, and ease of use are all problems, and getting this thing to work took me back to the days of spending hours configuring something you can get from Poundland. Those problems, plus the not-entirely-competitive pricetag, makes this an almost impossible to recommend. I just hope SteelSeries take the impressive form and massively works on its compatibility, because it’s r??eally got the seeds of something great there.

A disappointment, to say the least.

_{[This review is based on retail hardware provided by the manufacturer.]}

The post Review: SteelSeries Stratus XL PC/Android contr??oller appeared first on Destructoid.

Like wearing a hissing cloud

SteelSeries has been my brand of choice when it comes to gaming headphones for years now. After breaking or being unimpressed with tons of other brands, the Siberia V2 was the first one that really clicked for me. It was the perfect mix of cost, sound quality, and comfort, and I stuck with that thing for years, eventually buying another one just lik??e it when the first finally packed in.

Plenty of other people felt the same way, leading SteelSeries to try and make lightning strike twice with the ??Siberia V3 and 200 (which was intended to be the same as the V2s, just in different colours). Neither of them were as well received, though, with complaints about build and microphone quality making them not quite the successors to t??he V2 people wanted.

So how does the Siberia 350, which borrows a lot of the design elements of the V2 and packages it up as a premi??um USB headset, hold up? Whi??le SteelSeries still hasn’t rediscovered the brilliance of the V2, the 350 is still a neat set of headphones.

Product: Siberia 350
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Input: One USB 2.0+ Port
MSRP: $199.99/£99.95/€129.99

The Siberia 350 is an incredibly good-looking headset. The design is sleek and simple, and the reconfigurable RGB lighting on the ear cups is really vibrant. Why is there RGB lighting on a headset, when you’ll never actually see yourself wear them? No idea, but they look great when they’re sat on my desk, fading between blue and purple. As an added bonus, the microp??hone can be retracted into the cup ?when it’s not in use, meaning I’d be more than happy to wear these things out in public. That’s rare thing for any sort of gaming tech, which can often look like fallen bits of space junk.

While it looks great, where it really impresses is in how comfortable it ?is. It’s light,? the suspension band sits nicely on my head without any sort of pinching, and the padding in the cups is so soft. The Siberia 350 is, without a doubt, the single most comfortable pair of headphones I have ever worn.

However, there are a couple of problems. SteelSeries claim these are designed to “keep the noise out,” which they really do not. I can still hear everything going on around me, even when the volume is up high. The opposite is also true – sound leaks out of the cups, and so everyone in the surrounding area will be able to hear exactly what you’re listening to.

The only other problems I have with the physical design lie in the cable. ?USB headphones inherently ?limit which devices it can be used on without an adapter, and the cable is so, so short, measuring in at a tiny 1.5m/5ft long. While some consoles do support USB headsets, good luck actually plugging this in.

The volume control wheel is also incredibly sensitive, and will majorly adjust?? the volume with so much as the lightest touch. The cable’s draped across my body because of the cable, and so any movement at all seems to? affect the volume in some way.

Much like the V2, the sound quality of the 350 is excellent. The songs I used to compare were "Bambous" by Caravan Palace and "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, and I was impressed by just how crisp and clear the sound was. Bass lovers may struggle a bit as the low tones are sometimes weaker than the rest, but they’re still audible and shine through in more bass-heavy songs. Mids and hi??ghs sound beau??tiful though which, for people like me who aren’t all too big on bass, is a great thing.

In-game, the headphones benefit from their 7.1 surround-sound capabilities. I generally use Left 4 Dead 2 to test in-game sound performance because of its use of clear audio queues to signify where enemies are, and it worked amazingly. Being able to pinpoint where every infected was to a high degree of accuracy is a strange experience when I’ve been using simple stereo headphones for so long, and the 350s pulled this off really, really well. Gunshots sounded meaty and satisfying too, which goes to show these things can do bass when they try.

There is one problem, though: hissing. When I first received the 350s, I thought the pair I received was faul?ty because of an intermittent, but faint, hissing noise. It’s not noticeable at all when sound is playing through them, but in moments of silence, the hissing can be damn distracting.

Some quick research suggests this could be down to a whole load of things, from the headphones themselves to the USB ports I’m using. However, seeing as the length of the cable is so short, I don’t really have much choice as to which ports I use. This might be a problem that’s fixed with a dedicated soundcard, but I don’t o??wn one and so would be unable to test and say conclusively.

The microphone’s alright, but a definite step down from the V2s. Audio recordings sound kind of flat and distorted, so while they’re perfectly fine for in-game VOI?P or some basic streaming, they’re not going to get you very far when it comes to anything which requires high-quality microphones.

Overall, the Siberia 350 is a good piece of kit. It looks great, the sound quality is fantastic (when it isn’t hissing), and I don’t think I could over-exaggerate how comfortable it is even if I tried. The V2 will always be king of the gaming headsets to me, and the 350 is the next in a long line of headphones that have struggled to beat it. But when your choice is between the revamped 200 series and spending a bit more on getting the 350, I’d say the style and comfo??rt of the 350 make it a no-brainer.

_{[This review is based on retail hardware provided by the manufacturer.]}

The post Review: SteelSeries Siberia 350 USB headset appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, the Stratus XL

SteelSeries is kicking off E3 with a few new announcements. First, the Sentry Eye-Tracker, which they say is?? the first product of its kind built for gaming. The Sentry is a "unique piece of future-tech that ??will change the way gamers learn and improve their skill." It's supposed to unlock graphs, heat-maps, and statistics that will track their statistics and compare them to others.

The Stratus XL is a full-sized con??sole controller for iOS devices. Not a whole lot of excitement there, but it's nice to have more options for mobile gaming.

The post SteelSeries announces the Sentry Eye-Tracker appeared first on Destructoid.

Loooong-range

I know that we brought you a full review?? of the SteelSeries H Wireless headset a few days back, but after trying them out at CES today I wanted to say a? bit more about them. Chris did a fine job, but I liked these so much that I wanted to hit home a few more points.

First, the fit and finish on these is top notch. These are built wonderfully, and they look like a premium audio product. Yes, they work wonderfully f?or gaming, but would be equally at home in a h?ome theater, or for music listening. They're also crazy comfortable.

They sound great, too. If you've read my audio product reviews on this site, you'll know that I'm a stickler for sound quality. A lot of the budget gaming headsets sound pretty bad with their low cost drivers and poor quality control. Hell, even some of the competition range stuff disappoints. SteelSeries usually does a pretty nice job with audio, and they killed it with these. Call of Duty: Ghosts in Dolby Surround blew me away.

SteelSeries skipped over wireless audio in the past as they didn't feel that Bluetooth audio was up to par. But with ??the H Wireless, their dual-band wireless gets rid of the delay and other audio issues that Bluetooth suffers from.

And the range! Holy crap, these have outstanding wireless range. I was able to move?? anywhere in SteelSeries large hotel suite without issue, but what really impressed was that I was able to leave the hotel room, go out into the hall, and walk a fair distance down the hall before they began cutting out. The range on the H Wireless beats any headset I've ever tried.

Ye??s, $299 is a lot of money. It's eyes-bulge-out kind of money, right? I understand. But I think you're getting your m??oney's worth with these. You can get a wireless gaming headset for cheaper, but you're going to have a hard time finding one that looks, sounds, and feels as nice as this one. 

The post Seconded: Another thumbs up for SteelSeries’ H Wireless appeared first on Destructoid.

New eye-tracking peripheral coming mid-2014

SteelSeries has partnered with Tobii Technology to create an eye-tracking peripheral set to come out mid-2014. The device will let gamers use their eyes to control certain aspects of games.? The eye-tracking is used in conjunction with mouse and keyboard controls. So for instance you'll use your eyes to aim where your character needs to shoot,?? and then pull the trigger with your mouse button.

The Tobii EyeX dev kit is available for pre-order from Tobii for $95, and those attending CES this year will be able ??to try out the new tech.

Interesting idea, but all I care about in this general field is the Oculus Rift. I needs that.

The post EyeX lets you inte??ract with games just by us??ing your eyes appeared first on Destructoid.

My new go-to headset

Over the past year or so, I've acquired a decent amount of headphones. Some of them have fallen? by the wayside, some of them relegated to certain devices, and a few have become decent "catch-alls" for most of my needs.

Seeing as the Siberia Elite was my first introduction to SteelSeries, I had high hopes. Thankfully, it didn't disappoi??nt, and I now have a new catch-all solution for my ??headphone needs.

Product: SteelSeries Siberia Elite Gaming Headset
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
Input: 3.5mm jacks with USB adapter included
MSRP: $199.99

First things first, the Siberia Elite is extremely comfortable. The cup material doesn't feel sticky (meaning it w??on't get sweaty over time), and it does an amazing job of isolating pretty much every bit of noise -- even my wife, who I didn't notice calling me on multiple occasions. For good? measure, I tested them out for multiple-hour sessions on many devices, and I was never tempted to take them off due to discomfort. The self-adjusting suspension headband feels fairly comfortable (especially at the top), but it's a tad flimsy -- like it could potentially snap in half if dropped on a hard floor.

One of my favorite things about the headset is the volume control dial that's available on the right earmuff. When I first threw on the Elite I noticed that the volume was severely low, even with my device's volume set at the maximum level -- come to find out the dial was at the lowest setting, and it was capable of a much louder range. I reall?y enjoyed the ear dial after extended use, as it's better than fumbling with a corded volume control or a dongle. Elites come in a black or white variety, but I prefer the latter due to the unique look -- especially when the LED functionality is enabled.

While testing out these levels, I noticed that the quality of sound didn't drop, even near the "hearing loss" standard of volume. The lows aren't nearly as powerful as?? they would be on other headsets, but everything else sounds perfect. When coupled with the bundled equalizer, most everything sounded like it should, boasting up to 7.1 channel surround sound. The right cup also comes equipped with an additional headphone jack, should someone else want to share a movie on a plane or listen to your playlist.

Thankfully, the included cords are fairly long (short cards are a pet peeve of mine with other headsets), clocking in at 1.2 meters, which is approximately four feet. The e??xtension cord is two meters, which is around 6.5 feet, and more than enough room for most setups. Along with the extensions, a USB Sound Card is also included, which allows the headset to?? gain a few extra features when plugged into a PC.

The Sound Card itself is a proprietary design, with standard green and red audio/mic inputs, and a USB connection. Functionally, it allows you to connect your headphones to SteelSeries' software suite (SteelSeries Engine 3), enabling sound manipulation, noise-cancellation for the mic, and the ability to change the LE?D lights on the muffs for fun. The software itself is fairly non-obtrusive, and easy to use, with giant buttons and clear descriptions for all of its features, like Dolby toggling, the?? equalizer, mic compression/volume, and LED customization (including the rotation of certain colors, and pulsing).

Of course, the headset has to measure up in extended gaming tests, ?and I was pretty pleased with the results. Whether it was with my Vita, 3DS, iOS device, or my PC, everything sounded clear as every nuance like footsteps was captured, and the microphone worked as advertised -- especially when I used the noise-cancellation option through the software.

As an added bonus, the mic lights up to indicate when you're muted or not, and it's retractable, so you won't look ridiculous wearing these ?in public with a giant mic sticking out. Additionally, the left earmuff has a mic mute contro??l that operates in the same way as the right-ear volume dial.

SteelSeries products tend to be really expensive (like the Siberia Elite), but I had very little complaints from just about every aspect of the headset. The Elite is sleek and well-designed, it's flashy, and best of a?ll -- it actually works and sounds great.

The post Review: SteelSeries Siberia Elite Gaming Headset appeared first on Destructoid.

Pro gamer headsets get upgrades and new model

SteelSeries headsets are mostly known for functionality and durability ??without all the visual flash. True to that trend, the com??pany is introducing three new headsets into its popular H series this summer, including two upgrades to current models and the new and more-featured 9H.

We have details and impres??sions of the? three new headsets straight from E3. 

Let's start from the base level.

The entry-level SteelSeries 3H will be seeing the release of the 3Hv2 this August at a $??39.99 price point. It's incredibly compact and lightweight, folding nicely upon itself for easy travel while retaining its durable frame and flexible rubber cabling. It sports leather on the headband and ear cushions and contains the signature retractable mic that SteelSeries is known for along with an adatper for usage on mobile devices.

Next up, we have the 5Hv3 which will also launch in August for $79.99. The ear cups have been made more sha?llow, also feature extra leather padding, an upgraded mic, and can be dismantled for transport. There's also the braided nylon cabling and a swappable cable sy?stem for PC and quick disconnect so you don't break your cable if it gets caught on something.

Finally, they're launching their very large and super lightweight 9H for $159.99 this September. It was shocking how light this headset is given its size, and it's super comfy with all leather padding. There's a mic that comes out at the click of a latch, a double-enclosure system usually found in DJ headsets for noise reduction, and a tiny USB soundcard with Dolby Pro Logic 2 supporting 7.1 audio using the Doppler effect to create?? sound signals at different rates to emulate the distance between speakers. The sound card will allow users to create game-specific profiles and up to eight equalizer settings per profile. Pre?sets will come packed in with the device, and SteelSeries is working on a system to allow users to share profiles.

Which set is more down your alley? Have any experience to share about SteelSeries products given the huge number of headsets being released these days?&?nbsp;

The post SteelSeri??es to expand upon the H series this sum?mer appeared first on Destructoid.

And lots of colorful buttons

SteelSeries' newly announced A??pex keyboards are an eyeful with their loads of macro buttons and ba?cklit keys. Oh, and check out that spacebar -- it's huge! The idea was to make it more comfortable and functional. 

Aside from this crazy spacebar, both the Apex ($99) and Apex [RAW] ($6?9) are packed with loads of smart design features, including raised bumps on the W key for no-hassle WASD spotting, and swappable rubber feet to change keyboard height. The raised, chunky macro keys on top and side edges are designed for speed and ease of access. The set that runs along the top of the keyboard has the top row raised higher than the second so that two keys can be swiped in rapid successio??n.

Both boards use the SteelSeries Engine, which lets you customize the keyboard and setup macros. What I saw today looked incredib??ly flexible, with options for custom key timings, and nearly unlimited strings. SteelSeries said that the software can launch profiles alongside games, loading?? your sets automatically. We were told that they hope to have all SteelSeries products compatible with this software eventually.

I was dazzled by a rainbow of colored keys during a meeting with SteelSeries today at CES. They told us that each of the keys can display from 16.8 million colors, and that each of the Apex's 5 zones can show up to 8 levels of intensity. Each zone has 4 customizable layers, too. Every single key is programmable, including the 22 macro keys. Lig??ht??s line the side edges, and two bonus USB ports are located on its rear. 

The [RAW] has the same fast keys, but only has 8 levels of white intensity. There's 17 macro keys with 2 layers, ??making for 250 poss?ibilities. 

SteelSeries told us that they decide?d against mechanical keyboards as they would have been much more expensive to make, and would in turn be limited in appeal. 

There's so much going on with these Apex keybo?ards that standard boards look dull and featureles??s. I'm looking forward to spending a bit of quality time with one of these boards. Look for them this summer.

The post CES: SteelSeries Apex keyboards have a big ol’ spacebar appeared first on Destructoid.

Removable buttons

Here's a neat idea:

SteelSeries announced the availability of their Free Touchscreen Gaming Controls for mobile and tablet gaming. They stick right on the screen, adding a d-pad and buttons to give you something close to what you'd expect to feel when using a standard controller. The controls work with ?just about anything with a touchscreen, including iOS devices, Android phones and tablets, and Windows devices. 

You'll get 3 buttons and a joystick in the package, and a carrying case is also included. They stick on with suction cups made of conductive rubber??.

These controls are available on the SteelSeries Web Shop now for $19.99. We'll try them out and let you ?know what we thin?k.

The post Stick ’em on: SteelSeries Touchscreen Gaming Controls appeared first on Destructoid.