Hasta La Gadget!

Been keeping up with Steam’s Big Picture interface? Then you probably know it’s already in beta. The 10-foot UI hopes to help Valve’s content distribution portal get comfortable in front of your couch, offering gamers access to their favorite PC titles from a gamepad-friendly interface. We piped the beta out to our own living room to take a look, and weren’t surprised to find a sleek attractive UI with a heap of polish. That said, we were glad we didn’t leave our mouse and keyboard at the office.

Continue reading Steam Big Picture beta hands-on

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD

Steam Big Picture beta hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thermaltake and BMW DesignworksUSA’s Level 10 M gaming mouse has made the transition from concept to reality. Unlike its teasing appearance in January, the unit now has some real-world specifications, including five programmable keys and a Z-key that’ll change your gaming profile on the fly. The optical unit’s DPI was a closely guarded secret, but the companies have confirmed it’ll default to 5,000, but can be tweaked up to 8,200 if you need it. Sweaty-palmed gamers will appreciate the holes drilled in the top, preventing your secretions from loosing your grip from the handset. It’s available right now for $100, just make sure you’ve worked out if you’re gonna call it a “Beemer” or “Bimmer” before you buy — and yes, we’re resolutely in the former camp.

Update: Well, this is odd. The image above was supplied by BMW (give or take the odd creative addition), but Thermaltake’s version, included after the break, makes the unit look very different indeed.

Continue reading BMW and Thermaltake’s Level 10 M gaming mouse is real, costs $100

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

BMW and Thermaltake’s Level 10 M gaming mouse is real, costs $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serious PC gamers require serious gaming kit and here at IFA 2012, Plantronics is showcasing a product built precisely for that segment. Announced at Gamescom, the limited edition (not to be confused) GameCom Commander headset bakes Dolby 7.1 ProLogic sound and noise isolation tech into a ruggedized form factor — so it’ll survive your late night Max Payne-related tantrums. We tried the headset on for size and were delighted with just how light it actually is — definitely a plus for marathon gaming sessions. As for that mic, it’s placed a good distance from your mouth and, of course, adjusts to suit your needs. If you’re looking for a wireless option, then this set’s not for you, given it features breakaway wires, but it does feature an adapter to connect you with a mobile phone. All told, it’s an understated set that might be worth your while. Take a look at our associated gallery below.

Continue reading Plantronics GameCom Commander headset hands-on

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Plantronics GameCom Commander headset hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Holy Grail of Linux gaming has been an Unreal Engine 3 port. Getting one for the OS would unlock a world of games that has been the province of, well, just about any other mainstream platform. Thanks to Google preserving Flash on Linux through Chrome, that dream is alive in at least a rudimentary form. Experimenters at the Phoronix forums have found that Chrome 21 has support for the Stage 3D hardware acceleration needed to drive Epic Games’ Flash conversion of UE3. Tell Chrome to enable support as well as ignore a graphics chip blacklist, and suddenly you’re running Epic Citadel from your Linux install. When we say “running,” however, we’re taking a slight amount of poetic license. Performance isn’t that hot, and certain configurations might not show the medieval architecture in all its glory. We’ve confirmed with Epic that it works, but it’s still firm on the stance that there’s no plans for official UE3 support on Linux “at this time.” It’s still promising enough that maybe, just maybe, gamers can embrace an open-source platform without having to give up the games they love.

Filed under: Gaming, Software

Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 now working on Linux through Google Chrome, more or less originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 01:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You recall the Ouroboros, right? Nope, not the mythical snake yarn, the latest gaming mouse from Razer that inadvertently broke cover over at the FCC. While it’s been official for around a month, Germany’s annual gaming convention has offered us our first chance to to get to grips with it. Razer has tied itself in a ergonomic knot over the Ouroboros, with most of the mouse’s dimensions happily adjustable to suit practically any gamer hand. We get customizing right after the break.

Continue reading Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse hands-on

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Razer Ouroboros gaming mouse hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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