Happy Memorial Day weekend, hope you're all having a great long weekend. Here's a pretty sweet deal on a full-sized mechanical keyboard that's perfect for a bit of budget retail therapy or as a gift for a budding gaming setup that's not going to drain the wallet. At this price, it could easily be one of the best budget mechanical keyboards currently available.

Roccat's Pyro full-size mechanical keyboard is on sale for just $34 at Best Buy. Originally released with an MSRP of $100, the Roccat Pyro was priced for a mid-range gaming keyboard. It features TTC Red linear mechanical switches, RGB, vertical volume control knob, brushed aluminum upper body, and a detachable wrist rest. 

The Roccat Pyro uses the TTC Red linear mechanical switches (very similar to Cherry Reds), which have a 45g operating force, a 2mm actuation point, and a 4mm total travel distance. The keyboard has full-key rollover, which is essential for a gaming keyboard where multiple key inputs need to be recorded at the same time. 

Connectivity comes via a wired USB Type-A cable, with no extra luxuries such as a USB passthrough or audio port located on the keyboard. We've also had the opportunity to review the Roccat Pyro and gave it 3 stars. We liked the unique aesthetic, vertical volume knob, and two inputs on a single key, thanks to the Easy-Shift feature. Things we weren't so fond of were the software feeling outdated, lack of macro support, and no option for clicky or tactile switches. But what you get for $34 is a bit of a no-brainer if you're looking for a new budget keyboard.

Is there a “most beautiful” category on our best gaming keyboards page? Well, there will be, and it’ll go to Roccat’s new Vulcan II Max. 

Which. Is. Gorgeous. 

The Vulcan II Max is the full-size version of the recently-launched Vulcan II Mini, and it sports many of the same features: Roccat’s Titan II optical switches (in linear Red or tactile Brown), 24 “smart” dual-LED switches, an anodized aluminum top plate, and Roccat’s signature “organic” Aimo lighting experience. It also comes with a detachable translucent wrist rest that serves as a conduit for the keyboard’s lighting, and the effect is...hypnotizing. 

Okay, it’s not perfect. It suffers from some of the same issues the Vulcan II Mini suffered from; though its roomier layout means some of these problems (such as the convoluted button duplicator feature) aren’t as significant. But if Roccat is trying to distract me with a dazzling light show — well, success. 

The Vulcan II Max is available now in both black and white colorways (though the wrist rest looks better paired with the white version), for $230. 

Roccat Vulcan II Max Specs

 Design and Construction of the Vulcan II Max

 The Vulcan II Max is a full-size wired keyboard with a slim, lightweight plastic chassis and an anodized aluminum top plate. It measures 18.23 x 6.0625 inches (463 x 154mm) and comes with a 3.25-inch (82.6mm) detachable wrist rest — it’s not the best keyboard if space is a concern. Our review model came in white, which has a white chassis and white keycaps and a matte silver top plate with a shiny, mirrored border.  

 The Vulcan II Max sports three dedicated media keys in the upper left corner (rewind, play/pause, and fast forward), as well as a volume knob. The volume knob is notched, with tactile feedback, and is also clickable (mute/unmute). The media keys and volume knob cannot be remapped.  

Although the Vulcan II Max is fairly lightweight at just 2.29 pounds (1040g), it has large anti-slip strips on its back that prevent it from moving around as you type. It also has two sets of flip-out feet (each with anti-slip strips) for three levels of tilt adjustment.  

 The Vulcan II Max comes with a detachable translucent wrist rest, which measures 18.23 x 3.25 inches (463 x 82.6mm) and has a smooth, matte finish. It’s perhaps slightly lower than I would prefer, but it offers decent palm and wrist support otherwise.  

 The wrist rest is made of ribbed, translucent silicone and attaches to the keyboard via silicone tabs that slide into the slots along the bottom. There are 16 tabs (six of which feature notches to “lock” the wrist rest in place), which act as a conduit for the keyboard’s lighting — and the effect is very pretty, especially with Roccat’s Aimo lighting enabled.  

 The wrist rest isn’t particularly plush, but it’s beautiful and I love it.  

The keyboard is wired and has a fixed six-foot (1.8m) braided cable with dual USB-A connectors. There are no pass-through ports; the dual connectors are to ensure the keyboard receives enough power for its lighting effects. According to Roccat, the keyboard should be fine if connected to one USB 3.0 port, but may not receive enough power for some power-hungry lighting effects from just one USB 2.0 port.  

While this is understandable — especially considering 24 of the Vulcan II Max’s keys have dual LEDs — I’m not thrilled with a keyboard that takes up two USB ports.  I didn’t have any issues plugging the keyboard into just one USB 2.0 port, however.  

Typing and Gaming Experience on the Vulcan II Max 

The Vulcan II Max features Roccat’s Titan II optical switches in Red (linear) or Brown (tactile). Our review unit came with linear switches, which have a smooth, uniform keypress with no tactile “bump” or audible click. 

Optical switches are actuated via light rather than physical force — so while optical switches usually lack the tactile feel and feedback typists crave, they’re easier to press, faster, and more durable than traditional mechanical switches. Roccat’s Titan II switches have a lifecycle rating of 100 million keypresses — twice that of traditional mechanical switches and the same as competitors’ optical switches. 

The Vulcan II Max has thin, lightweight ABS keycaps that expose the keyboard’s switches. The keycaps are lightly dished but still pretty flat and slippery, which makes them less-than-ideal for people who are prone to sweating and/or used to typing on keyboards with more tactile feedback. The Titan II optical switches are compatible with third-party cross mounted keycaps, though, so you can always swap them out.  

Typing on the Vulcan II Max was — unsurprisingly — very similar to typing on the Vulcan II Mini. The combination of linear optical switches and thin, light, slippery ABS keycaps made for an overall mediocre typing experience, even if I didn’t suffer a significant hit to speed or accuracy. But this isn’t a major drawback, because the Vulcan II Max is, first and foremost, a gaming keyboard. 

The Vulcan II Max is much more suited to gaming than it is to typing, thanks to its smooth, speedy linear optical switches. The slick keycaps did help my fingers slide quickly around the board, but I don’t sweat very much — the keycaps would definitely be too slick if I’d been sweating at all. Speed is important, but so is accuracy.  

 Features & Software of the Roccat Vulcan II Max

The Vulcan II Max features 24 “smart” multi-function keys with dual-LEDs, most of which ship with default secondary keybinds. The dual LEDs light up to indicate which secondary functions are active, and can also change colors to display real-time information, such as headset or mouse battery life. 

The keyboard also features Roccat’s “Easy-Shift” button duplicator technology, which gives you a second layer of functionality; this is sort of like Razer’s HyperShift and SteelSeries’ SS key, but for some reason Roccat has decided to implement their version in the most confusing way possible. Most of the Vulcan II Max’s keys can have custom secondary keybinds, but some are implemented with the Fn key and some are implemented with Easy-Shift — the latter of which requires Game Mode to be toggled on. Since Game Mode also allows for some remapping, you sort of end up with three layers of functionality, but at that point you’ll probably be too confused to remember what’s remapped to what, and it won’t be very useful anyway. 

Luckily, this is a full-size keyboard, so the second- and third-layers of functionality aren’t nearly as critical as they are in a smaller layout. 

Key remapping and lighting settings can be performed in Roccat Swarm, Roccat’s universal companion software. I’ll be frank — I hate Roccat Swarm. Not only does it have settings nobody should ever even consider using, such as options to add artificial typing sounds to your keyboard, it’s quite possibly one of the least intuitive and most confusing pieces of peripheral software I’ve ever used (and, as we know, I am not a fan of peripheral software). 

Luckily, the Vulcan II Max has onboard memory and can store up to five profiles, so you can fight your way through the jungle that is Roccat Swarm, save your settings to the hardware, and (hopefully) never have to deal with it again.  

Bottom Line 

The Roccat Vulcan II Max is gorgeous. If you’re looking for a keyboard that will give you a bright, beautiful light show, this is it — everything about this keyboard is pretty much designed to dazzle you with lights, from the switch-exposing keycaps to the dual-LED switches to the included silicone wrist rest. In addition to being mesmerizing to look at, the Vulcan II Max also offers up decent performance — it may not be the best keyboard for typing (but no linear optical switch is); and it’s an excellent gaming keyboard thanks to its speedy optical actuation and built-in secondary functions. 

That said, if you’re not wowed by pretty lights, this probably isn’t the keyboard for you. For one thing, the lights may cost you two USB 2.0 ports, depending on what lighting effects you choose. Also, while the Vulcan II Max’s built-in secondary functions are useful, programming any customizable secondary functions is a chore, thanks to Roccat’s confusing implementation and unintuitive software. 

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If you think the Roccat Kone XP Air looks like other gaming mice you’ve seen, you’re correct: Roccat’s flashy new wireless mouse shares a similar silhouette with Logitech’s G502 and Razer’s Basilisk Ultimate.

It also shares a similar price point of $170 — which makes it more expensive than every other mouse on our list of best gaming mice and every mouse on our list of best wireless mice.

Roccat’s Kone XP Air is an RGB-infused wireless ergonomic gaming mouse with 11 physical buttons and multiple layers of functionality that allow you to program up to 29 different functions. The Kone XP Air is highly customizable, has both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, and boasts 100 hours of battery life with rapid-charging — and it even comes with a convenient Rapid Charge docking station, complete with its own RGB lighting.

But even with all of these features, $170 is steep. The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, which our peripherals editor is currently besotted with, costs $150 alone and $165 bundled with Razer’s HyperPolling Wireless Dongle — still $5 less than the Kone XP Air. Roccat’s newest gaming mouse may be dazzling, but it’ll need more than pretty, colorful lights to justify its price.

Specifications

Design and Comfort of the Kone XP Air

I’ve never been impressed with RGB in mice, because your hand covers the lighting, but the Kone XP Air is an exception: This mouse is beautiful. The mouse has a translucent shell and inside is some funky design that reminds me of an Energy Sword from Halo. My review model looked especially good in Arctic White, but the Kone XP Air also comes in an Ash Black colorway. Not everyone agrees, of course; while editor Michelle Ehrhardt liked the way the Kone XP (the wired version of the Kone XP Air) felt and performed, she did not love the way it looked.

The Kone XP Air is fairly lightweight, weighing in at just 99g — lighter than the 127g Asus ROG Chakram X, and just a tad heavier than the 93g Razer Basilisk V3.

The Kone XP Air has 11 physical buttons: The right and left mouse buttons, a “4D” scroll wheel with a DPI button, and seven side buttons. The scroll wheel scrolls up and down and can also be pressed to the right and left, hence the “4D” name. The side buttons include two near the top left of the mouse and four under your thumb, plus a paddle-type button on the thumb rest.

The left and right mouse buttons use Roccat’s Titan Optical switches, which have a nice bounce and aren’t obnoxiously loud. The 4D scroll wheel is notched, and offers decent tactile feedback but is extremely loud (and not in a good way). It’s hard to describe how bad the scroll wheel sounds, but it’s definitely loud enough that I can see it bothering your partner or colleagues.

The Kone XP Air has 11 buttons that can be programmed with up to 29 functions. Yes — you read that correctly — 29. The Kone XP Air features “Easy-Shift” technology, which is activated using the thumb rest button (unless you remap it). Easy-Shift works similarly to a modifier or function key on a keyboard, and allows for an extra layer of programming.

The Kone XP Air is an ergonomic mouse, so I expected it to be comfortable. While the mouse worked well with my large hand, the Easy-Shift button on the thumb rest is extremely annoying to use because it’s so sensitive. Thankfully, the button can be disabled or remapped in Roccat’s Swarm software. The mouse’s other buttons are well-placed; by default, the two buttons on the top left side of the mouse adjust RGB, while the button under the scroll wheel adjusts DPI.

The bottom of the mouse has a power switch, a pairing button, and storage for the mouse’s 2.4GHz wireless dongle. The mouse sports heat-treated PTFE feet, which make for smooth operation — I’ve always been a fan of the skates on Roccat’s mice, because they always feel broken-in and ready to go.

The Kone XP Air comes with a six-foot Phantom Flex USB-C to USB-A cable, which is brilliant as it feels solid in structure yet is flexible enough to prevent ripping. Roccat also includes a charging dock, which features RGB (also diffused gorgeously). The mouse offers rapid charging and 10 minutes of charging via cable or dock gets you five hours of battery life.

Performance of the Kone XP Air

I’ve been in the middle of revamping my desk at home and one of the items I threw out was my old desk mat — I’m stuck with a mouse pad while I wait for my new one to arrive. Luckily the Kone XP Air had zero issues tracking on my particle-board desk surface, and the heat-treated PTFE feet weren’t too slick. I’ve also been traveling with this mouse, and the Kone XP Air even did a good job tracking on a glass desk in my hotel room. 

The mouse is pretty comfortable overall, and it tracks and glides seamlessly across multiple surfaces. But I had a tough time getting used to not accidentally clicking the Easy-Shift button during normal use. Because the Easy-Shift button sits on the thumb rest, I found my right thumb hugging the side of the mouse instead. I prefer the gestures button on Logitech’s MX Master 3S, which is hidden at the bottom of the thumb rest, and is easier to use without accidentally clicking it.

Scroll wheels that feature horizontal scroll movement are a bit of a rarity, so I was excited to give the Kone XP Air’s 4D scroll wheel a try. However, this 4D scroll wheel doesn’t feel like it was designed to go left and right. While the horizontal scrolling worked, it wasn’t great — I often ended up accidentally pressing the mouse button straight down instead of scrolling side to side. Does the side-scrolling work? Yes. Does it work well? Eh. 

Back in the day, online first-person shooters allowed users to bind the most obscure actions in-game. Because this mouse has so many buttons, I booted up the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. After I set the lower two side buttons on the XP Air to page up and down, I set those keys in-game, so my player would spin, allowing me to attempt some trick shots. 

After disabling the Easy-Shift button, I experienced no input issues, and the Kone XP Air both performed well and was comfortable to use. The fun thing is, I can tell I’m just scratching the surface of this mouse’s potential with my gaming experience. I can see this being the perfect MMORPG mouse, with its programmable functions across multiple buttons, most of which are well-placed and easy to use.

Features and Software of the Kone XP Air

The software powering the Roccat Kone XP Air is Roccat’s peripherals companion software Swarm, which is feature-heavy but very easy to use. Using Swarm, you can adjust just about everything on the Kone XP Air, including polling rate, LOD, RGB, button assignment, scroll speed, DPI — even double-click speed.

Thanks to Easy-Shift, the Kone XP Air offers a lot of possibilities for button mapping. Swarm lets you remap any of the mouse’s buttons to do just about anything, from adjusting DPI on the fly to viewing DirectX Diagnostics (seriously).

Another neat feature in Swarm is its pinned page. The pinned page is the first page that pops up when you boot up the software, and it can display any specific features you want, such as the battery level or DPI adjustment. The Kone XP Air has onboard memory and can store up to four profiles.

Battery Life of the Kone XP Air

The Kone XP Air’s 100-hour battery life is very respectable, especially when you consider the mouse has five RGB zones and 29 programmable button functions. The Kone XP Air has rapid charging, so just 10 minutes of charging nets you an extra five hours of playtime. The 100-hour rating is for a 2.4GHz wireless connection; Roccat doesn’t mention the mouse’s battery life when it’s connected to Bluetooth.

Roccat includes both a USB-C charging cable and a Rapid Charging Dock, which is heftier than other charging docks I’ve used and has more built-in RGB than do most ergonomic gaming mice on today’s market. The charging dock looks especially cool when the Kone XP Air is taking a nap on it.

Bottom Line

The Roccat Kone XP Air isn’t your traditional ergonomic mouse — it’s packed with both RGB and programmable functionality. On top of that, Roccat’s Swarm software is both efficient and full of features. The mouse’s 100-hour battery life, included charging dock, and dual wireless connectivity make this an excellent wireless option. Its looks aren’t for everyone, but I think it’s attractive.

However, it’s not perfect: The 4D scroll wheel is a nice thought, but it’s implemented horribly and it’s incredibly loud, and the overly-sensitive Easy-Shift button didn’t work for me. And $170 is pricey for a mouse (even if competitors such as the Razer Basilisk Ultimate are similarly-priced).

Roccat has been slowly building its way up to compete on even footing with the best offerings from Logitech and Razer. In a crowded field of amazing gaming headsets, Roccat is trying to bring players the features they need without digging too deep into their wallets. Of course, doing that means figuring out where to make cuts to reach the right price point.

Outside of a limited edition branded offering, the Roccat Syn Pro Air is the company's flagship headset. It's an upgrade to the Roccat Elo line, with 2.4GHz wireless and 3D audio as primary features. While the all-plastic build quality could use some work, the final product is comfortable to wear and the sound quality is decent. The question is whether a $150 MSRP is slightly too high for what's available here, even if you can sometimes find it selling for closer to $125. 

Roccat Syn Pro Air Specs

Design

Once taken out of the box, the Syn Pro Air doesn't command your attention like some other headsets. You've seen this standard black-on-black look on most of the best gaming headsets available these days. However, what will surprise you is the lightness. The Syn Pro Air is only 296g, and while that's not the lightest headset I've reviewed, there's not a lot of heft to it either. The lack of weight is attributed to an all-plastic construction, which leads to some give-and-take in the overall feel of the headset. 

The headband is a single piece of plastic with a foam cushion covered by breathable mesh fabric. There's some flex to the headband, but this type of construction means there's some slight clamping on the lower part of the earcups, especially if you have a larger noggin as I do.

The earcups themselves are attached to the headband via solid plastic posts set in a track. Some other manufacturers tend to include metal in the construction here, and it's odd not to see that with the Syn Pro Air. The problem with this design is two-fold. First, the plastic posts don't have any notches; they just slide within a set track. This means that the earcup location can shift a bit out of your most comfortable setting every time you put them down. 

Second, I found that the posts loosened a bit during the lengthy review period. This means the headset would shift during vigorous movement sometimes. So while there is some slight clamping on the lower end, the headband might shift slightly out of place, ruining the seal. It's not an ever-present problem, but an occasional one that could have been fixed by a better overall design.

The earcups are attached to arms that allow them to twist horizontally and vertically. Horizontally, they can twist far enough to allow the headset to lay flat on your desk. Vertically, there's only a slight twist to account for your head shape. Inside of each ear cup is memory foam covered by more mesh fabric. The foam itself is a little stiff, but it works overall, and the fabric covering the earcups does a good job of feeling cool and comfortable. Combined with the lightweight design, the Syn Pro Air is a comfortable companion for long-term gaming.

On the left earcup, you'll find a power button, a USB-C port, a volume wheel on the rear and a rubber plug over the port to connect the microphone. To attach the microphone, simply remove the plug and snap it in. The boom arm of the mic is flexible but only moves inward and outward. The arm itself only locks into two positions: down and upright. Given this, I couldn't quite get the mic right in front of my mouth. The microphone also lacks a mute button or an LED indicating that you're recording at all. You can mute the mic, but you’ll have to move it upright to do so. Finally, you'll find a volume wheel on the right earcup that adjusts mic monitoring volume. Holistically, it just feels like the Syn Pro Air is missing some key physical controls.

The Roccat Syn Pro Air has a 5-foot USB-C to USB-A cable, but this is only for charging. The actual connection with your PC or console comes purely from the included 2.4 GHz wireless USB 2.0 dongle (there is an included USB-C adapter). The ability to switch to a wired mode or use Bluetooth would've been great, but sadly you're stuck with the standard wireless. The problem here is the wireless connection isn't as rock-solid as it could be. It takes a good 20 to 30 seconds for the headset and dongle to find each other. Once connected, the audio is pretty reliable. I found I could get about 12 feet away before it would start stuttering or disconnecting, but that initial spin-up time persisted throughout my testing. 

Given that it relies purely on the dongle to connect, the Syn Pro Air works on PC, PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5, and a docked Nintendo Switch. I covered the PC connection above, but on the PlayStation 4 or 5, the headset comes up as a standard headset. No additional sound features are available. In fact, the volume wheel on the headset doesn't even do anything, which is perplexing.

In other words, the headset will work on those platforms, but there are better options out there. 

Roccat claims 24 hours of operation from a full charge, so if you plug it back in when not in use, you'll likely never run into a zero-charge situation. During the review period, I tended to land at the 15 to 16-hour range with the RGB lighting on, leading me to believe Roccat's stated performance is with the RGB lighting off. The headphones also charge pretty quickly, needing just over an hour for a full charge. 

That RGB lighting, by the way, does brighten up the black-on-black color scheme with a unique honeycomb pattern. However, it is perhaps out of place on a wireless and thus battery-dependent device.

Audio Performance of the Roccat Syn Pro Air

The Syn Pro Air boasts immersive 3D audio on the box, but what about the overall soundscape on these cans? Listening to Reviver's "My First Story" on Spotify, I found that the highs and mids sounded great. I wish the bass was meatier out of the box; it's present and sounds accurate, but I wanted more 'BOOM' from it. Luckily, the software comes with bass and treble boost toggles and a 10-slider equalizer, so I could tweak the sound to something more satisfying. Once I played around with the equalizer, the droning low bass in Seventeen's "Anyone" intro sounded fantastic alongside the crisp, clean vocals. 

I did notice the occasional distortion in the sound, though, and I'd hazard that the 2.4 Ghz wireless connection has some interference. It was more of a problem with the dongle on one of my rear USB ports, as it cropped up less when I shifted devices to bring it to one of the front-facing ports. 

Waves handles the 3D audio for the Syn Pro Air, but there are no options to change the placement of virtual speakers, so it's got more standard catch-all options rather than something more robust like THX Spatial. This has more to do with a lack of options in the admittedly early software, which I'll talk about later on. 

Overall, the 3D audio performance in games is fine. My go-to title, Horizon Zero Dawn, has great directional audio built-in and the Roccat Syn Pro Air didn't mess things up. I could clearly hear the clanks and metallic screeches of the machine life or the pops of a nearby vampire, just fine. I'll admit that the directionality of the sound wasn't great. I could roughly tell where a sound was coming from, but with, say, a Tallneck crossing my path, it was a bit muddled when it came to precision. With other headsets, I'd probably mess with the virtual speaker position, but again, that's not an option here. 

The same issue popped up in Dying Light and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Overall, game sound is great on the Syn Pro Air and the 3D audio works, but it's not as great as some of this headset's more premium counterparts, like the Asus ROG Delta S. If you're looking to use this for gaming, it'll do right by you, but if you want amazing 3D audio, there are better options. 

In this range, I'd honestly say that there are better options. The Syn Pro Air sits near the HyperX Cloud II Wireless at the same price point, but I prefer the build quality of the HyperX. More importantly, you can find the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro at the same $150 MSRP, and that's a much better headset all-around. Roccat has slashed the price a bit, bringing the Syn Pro Air down to $115 in some stores, which does take some of the sting out of it. 

With the Syn Pro Air on, the passive noise cancellation is just okay. I could hear my typing and pick out someone trying to talk to me. Low, deep noises, like a bus or Amazon truck going by also came through. With music or game audio on, this is less of a problem, allowing you to live in your own little audio world. However, there is some leakage, so if you work in a home office with your significant other, they will be able to hear you jamming out to Jam Project.

Roccat Syn Pro Air Microphone

As I mentioned before, the Syn Pro Air has a detachable boom arm microphone. Roccat lists the frequency response range at 20Hz - 20kHz, which is pretty standard. My recorded audio was clear in testing, but overall, the sound was very tinny and lacked robustness. The standard noise cancellation did work well, though; I recorded without vocals to see if it would pick up the air conditioner humming in the background, but it did not. 

I do have my problems with the physical options available on the boom mic. The placement choices aren't great, positioning is the only way to mute the mic and there's no recording indicator. It's just missing those bells-and-whistles available to a great headset mic. That said, it'll do just fine for Discord or Zoom meetings. Your voice will come through fine; you'll just need to kick the mic volume to full in the software.

Software for the Roccat Syn Pro Air

Speaking of software, I should warn you that the Syn Pro Air does not use the standard Roccat Swarm software, like the Elo 7.1 Air. Instead, it utilizes the newer, more streamlined Roccat Neon software. While Swarm was increasingly bloated, Neon's problem is that there's just not enough here. 

When you click on the Syn Pro Air within Neon, you're taken to a clean interface with four tabs. Settings allows you to monitor the battery life of the headset, change master and mic volume, toggle 3D audio presets (Game, Movie, Music, and Deactivate), and shift your game/chat mix. The EQ tab has the equalizer sliders and the Treble/Bass Boost toggles. The Assignments tab lets you change what the mic monitoring wheel on the headset does, out of a total of 8 options. Finally, the Illumination tab enables you to set the colors to either static RGB lighting, a simple color wave, or the standard Aimo color drift.

However, there's so much missing here. There are no profiles for any of these settings and the available effects for the headset lighting are anemic. There's 3D audio but no virtual speaker settings. Some sound options have catchy names but no explanation for what they do within the software itself. Compared to the major players like Logitech and Razer, this software isn't anywhere up to snuff.

Bottom Line

I can't say the Roccat Syn Pro Air is a bad headset. The sound quality here is pretty good, it's lightweight and comfortable and its wireless connectivity works pretty well. It's fine, but the standard pricing for this headset puts it in a tough spot. At $150, it's just pricey enough that you're looking at the competition much more closely.

As I stated before, the HyperX Cloud II Wireless boasts much better build quality and a more comfortable fit. The Corsair HS70 offers a Bluetooth wireless connection for cheaper. If you're willing to go wired, the Logitech G Pro X is another great choice with far superior software.

There are simply too many caveats to recommend the Roccat Syn Pro Air. It's priced like a flagship from the manufacturer, but it's not quite there yet. A more premium build, a better microphone, more 3D sound options, and far better software are needed to bring this into parity at $150. It's a good idea, but the execution isn't flawless. In fact, you're probably better off getting its predecessor, the Roccat Elo 7.1 Air, and that's never a good sign.

The Roccat Torch puts all of its controls at your fingertips with its mixer-style audio base, and with its intelligent and functional use of RGB lighting, it also ensures that your settings are always discernible at a glance. There is also no need to install Roccat’s unfortunately unfinished NEON software to get the full experience. It’s a shame that this software is incomplete, but it’s great to use the mic right out of the box, and the features that work do so very well.

Conversely, the gesture-based, contactless muting feature is neat when it decides to work but frequently makes errors. Thankfully, like the software, this gimmick can be safely ignored without compromising the overall functionality of the Torch. Roccat has created a solidly priced mic with good audio and some delightful convenience that makes it easy to like despite some flaws in overall execution.

Roccat Torch Specs

Design

The Roccat Torch is a slim and tall mic that mounts to its own included mixer style stand and can also be easily mounted to a boom arm using standard threads. The front of the mic features an RGB-lit Roccat logo and the back has the more understated, non-RGB logo next to a single USB-C port that connects the mic to the base. Roccat also includes a short cable for when the capsule is mounted to the stand and a long cable for use with a boom arm. 

On top of the mic is one of the Torch's more interesting features – a contactless, gesture-activated mic mute sensor. It's very cool to mute or activate your mic without touching the unit, but in practice, gesture detection and sensitivity are a bit of a mixed bag. I often found myself flailing my hand at the sensor, hoping that something would happen to no avail. Out of a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, I would often opt to use the physical mute button instead. The sensor's location can pose issues when adjusting the mic's position as well, as it will often read the proximity of your hand as a gesture input and mute the mic against your wishes. This can be particularly problematic when the mic is mounted to a boom arm.

The Torch's base features a pickup pattern selector, a notched monitor volume knob with a push-button mute function and a gain slider. The back of the base features two USB C ports (one for connecting the Mic to the base and the other for connecting the Base to your PC), a 3.5mm headphone jack for latency-free monitoring, a brightness level button and a three-position slider that allows you to adjust the proximity range for the contactless mute sensor or turn it off altogether. 

The mic itself has a solid feel, featuring a metal body and grille. However, the base is made of hard plastic and feels cheap compared to the mic. While the rubber feet on the base do a good job of keeping it from wobbling and shifting about on your desk, the mic mount itself wobbles with the slightest of movements. Unfortunately, you can't fix this as there's a certain point beyond which it can't be tightened unless you're fond of the mic being backward.

Sound Quality

The Torch provides good sound quality for its price range, with a wide frequency response, clear audio reproduction and a built-in pop filter that helps eliminate those annoying peaks when making consonant sounds. While the sound of your own voice through the Torch isn’t going to blow your mind with its level of fidelity, it is certainly in line with what you should expect out of a $99 mic. 

What sets the Torch apart from similarly priced mics is the variety of available pickup options. Via a conveniently placed dial on the front-mounted mixer panel on the Torch’s base, you can switch between Cardioid, Stereo and Roccat’s proprietary “Whisper” pickup pattern. If you’re streaming solo, Cardioid is what you’re going to be using most due to its narrow focus, helping to eliminate ambient noise. Stereo is a good option for podcasting with a friend or any situation where you’re trying to capture more than one source at once, but it should be avoided if you’re going it alone as it picks up far too much room noise. Both of these options should be familiar to most streamers or podcasters.

Where things get interesting is in the addition of Roccat’s “Whisper” pickup pattern. Aptly named, Whisper greatly boosts the mic’s sensitivity so it can pick up your voice clearly at very low volumes. This setting is ideal for streamers with roommates or family they don’t wish to disturb while active or for folks with naturally quiet speaking voices. Whisper is certainly not ideal for every situation as its extreme sensitivity can easily drive speech at normal volumes into distortion. Still, it is nice to have an option like this available at the twist of a knob.

The Torch also scores high marks for making its lighting more than just a gimmick. Instead of being there purely for aesthetic appeal, the RGB lighting employed by the Torch provides helpful visual cues. For example, your gain settings are indicated by how high up the lighting travels on either side of the mic – turn it all the way up, and the side lighting will reach the top of the capsule. These lights also change color to show which pickup pattern you’ve selected. The mic also glows red to indicate when it is muted. This is an extremely helpful way to read your settings at a glance and a thoughtful application of RGB lighting that I’d like to see more of from competitors.

Features and Software

The vast majority of features present in the Roccat Torch can be experienced with no additional software. The Torch does not work with Roccat’s SWARM software, but it is compatible with Roccat NEON, which is currently in Beta. So what do you get with Neon? Well, practically nothing, to be honest. In its present state, NEON only serves as a way to turn AIMO dynamic RGB lighting on and off and to send Roccat a support ticket – both of which are actions you can take without ever taking the time to install the software.

Bottom Line

Roccat’s first entry into the world of streaming mics is both a little bit more and a little bit less than what you’d expect – it is a well-built mic with a sturdy metal frame and grille attached to a plastic base, and it is overall more useful than it is attractive. Audio reproduction is solid and in line with what is generally acceptable for a mic in this price range – what takes the Torch a step beyond is its three selectable polar patterns, including the very useful “Whisper” mode. However, the most standout feature of the Torch is RGB lighting that is actually useful. Instead of just looking pretty (which it certainly does), the Torch’s lighting allows you to see what your settings are at a glance. Since RGB lighting isn’t going anywhere, let’s hope we see more creative and thoughtful uses of the effect like what the Torch has to offer.

Where the Torch doesn’t shine as brightly is in its software package, some design quirks and half-baked features. At least at the time of this writing, Roccat Neon is pretty much useless – offering nothing apart from the ability to turn the lighting on and off and send an email to Roccat. Sorry, chums, but both of those things can be accomplished without installing more driver software that I don’t really need. The Torch’s mixer-style dock is also useful from a control perspective, but the plastic construction feels underwhelming compared to the mic itself. The mic also never seems to screw into the dock tightly – it wobbles at the slightest touch. In my case, it can’t even hold still when I’m typing away next to it. It’s also odd that the Torch needs to be connected to its base via USB-C whether it is docked or not – the short connector cable included for use when the mic is docked can be awkward to wrestle into position.

The Torch’s biggest sin is its gesture-controlled mute feature. In theory, it’s great to be able to mute and unmute your mic with a Jedi-like wave of your hand. However, in practice, it can be quite irritating, because the sensor can occasionally be picky and indiscriminate when it comes to which gestures it will recognize and at what range. It’s a neat idea that is ultimately more troublesome than it is useful, often activating when it is not wanted or refusing to cooperate when it is needed. Thankfully, you have the option to turn this feature off completely. Use it and thank me later.

Where does this leave the Torch? It’s certainly not perfect, but at this price point, it doesn’t need to be – it needs to deliver a solid user experience and punch in its weight class in terms of features and audio quality. Despite its shortcomings, the Torch does that and offers a little bit extra, too, making it well worth a look.

The best gaming mouse options give you lightning fast switches, a great sensor and awesome ergonomics for long term use. Roccat's latest deal ticks these three boxes and gives you a discount to boot.

At Best Buy, the Roccat Kone Pro Air wireless gaming mouse, which uses fast actuating optical switches, is now $30 off — taking the price down to just $99.99!

• More: Best gaming keyboards
• Best gaming PCs
• Best Buy coupon codes

While we have not reviewed this mouse's wireless model , you can read our Roccat Kone Pro review for an overview of how we feel about the wired version. Spoiler: we like it!

Sporting a unique look and shape, this is a very comfortable ergonomic mouse with impressive ring finger and pinky support. There's also plenty of options to customize to your liking, such as button macros and the DPI for the Owl-Eye sensor, which can offer smooth, precise tracking up to 19,000 DPI.

All-in-all, this is a solid gaming mouse, which is now even better with this $30 discount. Snap one up now if you’re in the market for a new wireless clicker.

PC gamers will find a lot to love about the Roccat Elo 7.1 Air and don’t have to spend a huge premium to obtain it. At $99.99 as of this writing, the Elo 7.1 Air is cheaper than a lot of wireless gaming headsets. Plus, it offers comfort, solid audio with the option for virtual 7.1 surround sound and enough bonus features to spare.

In its fight to be the best gaming headset, these cans opt for a wireless connection, letting you cut the cord and simply plug in a USB Type-A dongle. (Sorry, console gamers; this is PC-only). But although dropping the cable is convenient, being limited in how far you can move from your PC and unsure of exactly how much battery life remains are not.

Roccat Elo 7.1 Air Specifications

Design and Comfort

The Roccat Elo 7.1 Air is a sleek, matte-black beast, from the top of its headband all the way down to the metal forks holding its earcups. Apart from the RGB-illuminated Roccat name and logo adorning the headset’s earcups, the Elo 7.1 Air sports a relatively understated look for a gaming headset, allowing it to camouflage its gaming pedigree and looks just as at home in a more professional environment as it does in a gaming setup.

There are a number of subtle, thoughtful touches to the Elo 7.1 Air’s overall design that make it very pleasant to use for long gaming sessions. The earcups swivel, allowing for comfortable neck wear when not in use. Controls are conveniently located (on/off, microphone and headset volume and microphone on/off ) on the left earcup. The mic mute and power buttons differ greatly in size, so they are easy to locate by feel alone, and the individual volume wheels for the cans and the mic are satisfyingly tactile. Thanks to the headset’s simple, intuitive layout, my fingers never ended up pressing the wrong button.

The Elo 7.1 Air weighs in at 0.8 pounds with the microphone attached, making it a tad on the girthy side. For comparison, the similarly priced SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless is 0.6 pounds. But the Elo 7.1 Air isn’t a dramatic outlier: the wireless Corsair HS70 Bluetooth and Razer Blackshark V2 Pro are only slightly lighter at 0.7 pounds each.

Most importantly, the Elo 7.1 Air’s weight did not result in any discomfort during long play sessions. The headset’s leatherette headband offers ample cushioning. Roccat opted for a self-adjusting headband, rather than allowing gamers to manually tweak how the Elo 7.1 Air sits on their head, and I’m pleased to report that Roccat got it right. The headset clamps down tight with minimal wobble and stays in place without any need for further adjustment. I usually detest self-adjusting headbands because they never seem to fit my rather large noggin without significant slippage, so it’s wonderful to finally experience one that works as advertised.

Adding to the Elo 7.1 Air’s ability to stay rocking for the long haul, the memory foam padded earcups are comfortably tight with just the right amount of depth to avoid crushing ears against the drivers. They also include Turtle Beach’s so-called ProSpecs Glasses Relief System, which features softer foam in the area where glasses would rest for less pressure.

If you want to change the look of the RGB logos on the earcups, you’ll need Roccat’s Swarm software (more on that in the dedicated section below). Note that there’s only 1 RGB zone, so the two earcup’s settings aren’t individually addressable. You can choose between Color Cycle, Fully Lit, Heartbeat, Breathing, Blinking or Roccat’s Aimo Intelligent Lighting, which is supposed to react to how you use the headset and improve the more you use it. This sounds cool in theory, but I didn't notice it responding to gameplay or other actions. I even played with the headset sitting on my desk to see if I could notice gameplay-specific lighting reactions, and while there were some cool effects, it didn’t seem obviously triggered by any audio cue. It’s possible Aimo could improve with more use, but experience with other peripherals tells us it takes a lot of use to fill up Aimo’s capability meter to 100%.

In general though, each RGB effect looks striking, if a bit too bright even at lower brightness settings. You can also pick your speed preference (aside from AIMO and Fully Lit, which only allow brightness controls). As cool as AIMO is, there is little to recommend about using it on a headset where you will not be seeing the effect during gameplay -- unless, you prefer to look at your headset instead of your monitor while gaming. We won’t judge you (much).

Audio Performance

Roccat equips the Elo 7.1 Air with 50mm neodymium drivers with a frequency response of 20-20,000 Hz. Those drivers are a little bigger than the 40mm drivers in the Arctis 1 Wireless, which has the same frequency response. And even some pricer wireless headsets, like the $130 Logitech G733 Lightspeed (40mm, 20,-20,000 Hz) offer lesser specs than our review focus; although, you’ll get beefier spes front he Razer Blackshark V2 Pro and HyperX Cloud II Wireless. Still, the Elo 7.1 Air has good specs for the price and should cover the full frequency of what human ears can hear. Ultimate audio performance is about more than specs though.

And the Elo 7.1 Air ultimately delivers exceptional audio. The booming bass we’ve all come to know and love from gaming headsets is well represented here but thankfully doesn’t interfere with clarity across the frequency range. Mids and highs are crisp and clear, making the Elo 7.1 Air well-suited for music, movies and gaming.

What we’re all here for, however, is gaming performance, and the Elo 7.1 Air fared exceptionally well in this category. With virtual 7.1 surround sound on, positional audio cues were readily apparent in DOOM Eternal and CS:GO, as well as in slower paced titles like the Dark Souls series dripped with atmosphere. Even in frantic firefights with explosions aplenty, these cans didn’t distort the overall mix. Gaming with the ELO 7.1 Air is still a good experience in stereo mode, but the virtual 7.1 brings out a level of spatial detail that you miss out on in stereo.

The Elo 7.1 Air also makes use of Turtle Beach’s “Superhuman Hearing” feature (Turtle Beach acquired Roccat in 2019), which is a bit of a mixed bag in my experience. Superhuman Hearing amplifies more subtle sound effects like footsteps in both stereo and virtual 7.1 mode, and this can certainly be useful in competitive titles. But it does so at the expense of the overall sound mix. Everything simply sounded too compressed for my liking with Superhuman Hearing turned on. Those with less ears meticulous though, may opt for the potential gaming advantage. But I felt like I wasn’t hearing the game as the developers intended.

When I tested the headset in stereo mode, music really popped, whether headbanging to Meshuggah or relaxing to Marvin Gaye. Movies, meanwhile, were a treat with virtual 7.1 surround sound on. The horrors of Omaha Beach in Saving Private Ryan felt very real. Likewise, the epic battles of The Lord of the RIngs: Return of the King were extremely convincing.

The Elo 7.1 Air is loud without being earsplitting (whether 7.1 was on or off), but these cans are not well-isolated. While outside noise isn’t allowed in, there is significant spillage of audio into the outside world when listening at 80-100% volume. This is perfectly fine with your gaming setup at home, but it’s not ideal in an office setting or out in public, where the excess sound pouring out of your headset will likely annoy those near you.

There was no noticeable signal degradation or audio artifacting when using the Elo 7.1 Air’s 2.4 GHz dongle. Sound remained crisp and clear. However, the advertised 30-foot range didn’t prove to be accurate in my home. At approximately 18 feet from my desktop I started to notice signal degradation and breakup. When I reached a distance of 25 feet, I lost signal completely, and the headset shut itself off. As with all wireless headsets, your environment will make all the difference in getting the best reception at range, so your experience may vary. An open concept space will no doubt fare far better than my railroad-style apartment in Queens.

Of course, you also have the option to use the cable (USB-C to USB-A) for a wired connection or to use the cans while it’s charging.

Microphone

The Elo 7.1 Air’s mic is exceptionally well-tuned, avoiding the nasally top end found in many gaming headset mics. While some background noise, such as clicky mechanical keyboards, can be picked up, it is well within acceptable noise levels, even without noise cancelation turned on via software. With noise cancelation enabled, there was a notable improvement, and you can easily adjust sensitivity via software. I found dropping the mic’s sensitivity is necessary, as the default level is a bit too high gain and can distort occasionally. The addition of a windscreen on the mic would have been nice, as there is noticeable pop with hard consonants.

Battery Life

Roccat claims the Elo 7.1 Air has a 24-hour battery life, and my testing confirmed this to be true. In normal use cases, this amounts to roughly a week before the headset will need to be charged.

But Roccat’s Swarm software (more on it below) doesn’t provide exact battery meter readings. The battery life indicator only decreases in 25% increments, meaning you’re never sure what exact level of charge you’re at. While this is less of a problem than it’d be on headsets with shorter battery life, it’s still strange to see the indicator jump from 100% to 75% with no warning. Hopefully, a software update will provide more accurate data on the state of the Elo 7.1’s charge.  

The Elo 7.1 Air can be fully charged from a dead battery in as little as 90 minutes, so, thankfully, downtime between marathon sessions is minimal.

Features and Software

The Roccat Elo 7.1 Air has ample audio tweaking options available via the Roccat Swarm software, including a number of different EQ settings (Balanced, FPS, MMO, MOBA, Racing, Action, RPG, Dynamic, Instrument, Explosion and Default). In a movemore rare for gaming headsets, especially in this price range, you can store up to five profiles in onboard memory, making for easy switching to preferred settings by individual games or genre.

Each EQ curve is tailored to its specified gaming genre, with the Racing, Explosions and FPS presets offering a significant bass boost and the others a more mid-frequency focused experience. The Balanced and Instrument presets were best for music with their flatter curve, and Dynamic was well-suited for movies with its high and low frequencies boosted. The Default preset was a little too ‘scooped’ (mid frequency range de-emphasized) for my liking.

Swarm lets you play with the bass frequency EQ, but I mostly left that alone because it disables the ability to play with the full frequency range via the 10-band graphic EQ.

You can tweak a large number of other parameters with Swarm, including toggling virtual 7.1 surround sound, Magic Voice (voice masking), mic noise cancelation and Superhuman Hearing. The app also lets you play with the clarity of voice and audio and adjust mic sensitivity and the bass frequency EQ. 

The Swarm UI is very clean and intuitive, free of clutter and with all functionality clearly labeled.

Bottom Line

The Roccat Elo 7.1 Air manages to punch above its weight class in all of the categories that matter, providing great value for your hard-earned cash.

The virtual 7.1 surround sounds huge and crisp, even with its wireless connection. The self-adjusting headband manages to be comfortable instead of an exercise in futility. And the mic is a step above what is commonly found on many gaming headsets

There are a few small issues that prevent the Elo 7.1 Air from achieving perfection, most notably the lack of a truly accurate battery level monitor. The inclusion of Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing tech will be hit or miss for most as well. But these issues are relatively small when all of its advantages are considered.

Coming in at $99.99, the Elo 7.1 Air is worth a look. It’s also a good option over the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless for the same price if you want virtual 7.1 surround sound more than you want additional connectivity options. Small quibbles aside, affordable wireless gaming headsets don’t get much better.

For FPS players, the best gaming mouse is often one that’s so well-crafted that it’s light and easy to command with fast flicks and swoops. Such mice won’t bog you down with extra weight, allowing you to move your weapon freely, quickly and without forfeiting from exhaustion even after hours on the battlefield.

As such, the honeycomb-style mouse can be a valuable asset. With holes cut out of the chassis, you’re saving on weight while bringing a striking design that everyone will at least notice, if not always enjoy. But buying something with a bunch of holes in it can feel counterintuitive. Sure, ripped jeans may look stylish, but will they just fall apart when you wash them?

Recently, we’ve seen an increasing number of ultra lightweight mice creep up. Glorious has made a name in this regard, but we’re also seeing more mainstream gaming brands get into the competition. There’s the Cooler Master MM11, the recently released HyperX Pulsefire Haste and our review focus, the Roccat Burst Pro ($60). The Burst Pro is sort of a hybrid though. It’s only 2.40 ounces and has a honeycomb shell, but the holes are covered up by a translucent cover. And while the Burst Pro gets a lot of things right for FPS gamers, like helpful PTFE feet and a workable shape for long-term gaming, some design flaws stand out in this elite category of lightweight mice.

Roccat Burst Pro Specs

Design and Comfort

The Burst Pro dips its toes into the honeycomb-styling without fully committing to the hole-filled chassis. Instead of fully cutout holes, the Burst Pro’s holes are covered which, Roccat argues, is better for fighting grime. The plastic covering the holes is translucent and definitely makes the mouse look more normal.

Most importantly, the pseudo-honeycomb design still enables a very light weight. The Burst Pro is just 2.4 ounces, while other gaming mice without honeycomb shells can easily weigh over 3 ounces (the Razer DeathAdder Elite, for example, is 3.70 ounces).

Roccat also includes other touches that makes the Burst Pro feel even easier to move. That’s primarily the PTFE feet covering the top and bottom of the mouse’s underside. A braided cable also helps. The soft fabric is an upgrade over rubber cables, but there are gaming mice with more flexible wires. The hard plastic covering where the cable connects to the mouse’s chassis is thick and helps keep the cord up off the desk a little.

Our review focus measures 4.72 x 2.28 x 1.52 inches and has an ambidextrous shape, save for the side buttons on the left side clearly catering to righties. To my hand, which is long for a woman my size, the mouse initially felt short. But eventually, my hand grew accustomed to the shape, allowing me to lower my palm for my claw grip. I also use a palm grip occasionally, but the Burst Pro’s hump is a little too close to the primary buttons for my ideal palm grip.

As mentioned, there are a few ultra lightweight mice vying for gamers’ attention these days. The matte version of the Glorious Model D is the same weight as our review focus but wider, longer and taller (5.04 x 2.40 x 1.65 inches). There are also lighter honeycomb-style mice than the Burst Pro. The HK Gaming Mira-M is 2.22 ounces. It’s also slightly longer and taller, as well as wider (4.88 x 2.52 x 1.55 inches) than the Burst Pro. The Glorious’ Model O- is even lighter at 2.05 ounces, with very similar dimensions (4.72 x 2.28 x 1.42 inches) to the Burst Pro.

You can get the Burst Pro in Ash Black or Arctic White. With the RGB off, it’s harder to see the holes in the black version, but you can find them, especially in the right light. With the Arctic White version, the holes are pretty apparent, even without the RGB.

Both options have a lighter, translucent shell running down the middle. In the black version, this shell tends to attract fingerprints, but in the white version it makes the mouse look a little cheaper. But black accents, including in the side buttons and the cable on the Arctic White mouse help it look a little more stylish.

The sides of both mice have very subtle details, in the form of a speckling hexagonal shapes. These accents have a little extra sheen to them, making them standout on the black version but harder to spot on the white version.

If I had to pick, I’d opt for the white version because of the fun the black-and-white combo and the chassis’ knack for fighting off fingerprints.

Regardless of color, the mouse will look interesting once you turn on the RGB. Burst is the right word to describe this mouse, as the RGB under where your palm rests stands out the most, with an asterisk-like shape.

But overall, the RGB can look uneven. The lighting under the palm area and scroll wheel are, understandably, the brightest. RGB still comes through on the left and right click buttons, but it looks heavier on the right side. In addition to that star-like burst of RGB in the palm area, there are some rogue LEDs off to the right side, including one particularly bright one. This is the case with the both the black and white versions. Of course, I’m complaining about RGB here, which means I’m essentially complaining about nothing. But from a top-down view, these variances are something you’ll notice if you’re a perfectionist or expecting more from a $60 mouse.

Gaming Performance

The Burst Pro uses Roccat’s Owl-Eye optical sensor, which is basically a PixArt PMW3381 optical sensor that has “been specifically made for Roccat only,” the vendor told me. However, the sensor never showed any obvious advantages over its competitors. More importantly, it can handle up to 50G of acceleration, a max velocity of 400 inches per second (IPS), and up to 16,000 CPI, which is competitive with high-end gaming mice on the market.

The Burst Pro’s sensor felt reliable whether I had it sent at 50 CPI or the max of 16,000. This is good news. The mouse boasts an unnecessarily labeled DPI button, and hitting it takes you through 5 different settings (changeable via software), while the RGB flashes a unique color so you know which level you’ve selected. This is easier than having to flip the mouse over to change CPI, and I never accidentally hit the dedicated button. The problem is that the light flashes for a very brief moment, making it hard to know what setting you’re at until you start doing some trial and error with mouse movements.

On the battlefield, the Burst Pro moved smoothly and near effortlessly, thanks to a light build coupled with well-sized PTFE feet. But my middle finger was also gliding occasionally. Roccat gave the primary mouse buttons a UV coating that it claims helps with durability. The buttons aren’t slippery, but they’re a smoother plastic and the buttons are quite curved. That all led to both myself and someone with larger hands seeing our middle finger slip off onto the right edge sometimes. The person with larger hands even found their pointer finger sliding sometimes.

Additionally, the Burst Pro is Roccat’s first mouse to use the brand’s bespoke Titan Switch Optical. Unlike standard mechanical switches, which actuate with metallic contact, the Burst Pro’s left and right-click buttons activate when their respective switch stems go through a light beam. These optical mechanical switches are supposed to be resistant to the degradation that causes the accidental double-clicking that have plagued some gaming mice after extended periods of heavy use. Roccat also claims that this switch “registers  clicks  up  to  100  times  faster” than mice with standard mechanical switches.

In actual use, these buttons felt a bit heavier to hit than the non-optical-based buttons in many other gaming mice I’ve used. When you depress, there’s a tactile feeling that makes clicks feel responsive and accurate and even produces a solid, plastic sound. This amount of required force typically worked well, like during productivity or slower paced games. In fast-paced shooters, although I could fire off rounds rapidly, it felt more exhausting compared to other mice. In a side-by-side comparison with the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini, which also uses optical mechanical switches, the Burst Pro’s buttons felt slightly heavier to click. Again, this is at least partially due to the material and shape used for the buttons. However, the Burst Pro’s left- and right-click buttons are well-spaced, which helped me avoid misclicks.

Similarly, the scroll wheel and side buttons are well-positioned. The scroll wheel has a comfortable rubber feel, and its horizontal notches prevent the type of miscrolls that can leave you awkwardly firing a flare gun at enemies. Side buttons were also easy to incorporate, as I could easily reach both of them without taking eyes off the screen. They also have a pleasant click and don’t feel too cheap or hollow.

Features and Software

The Burst Pro works with the Roccat Swarm, which is quite robust -- if not over the top. It includes sliders for double-click speed, Windows pointer speed, as well as the ability to turn mouse acceleration on or off. The mouse can store up to 5 CPI settings in its toggle from 50 to 16,000 in increments of 50.

If you want to get more complex, CPI settings also include an X-Y Sensitivity area and a calibrator that recommends a setting for you based on how you go about clicking 5 dots. It doesn’t seem very helpful. When I tried it with 600 CPI, it recommended 1,600 CPI, and when I tried it with 3,400 CPI, it recommended I drop to 3,350 CPI. 

If you include the scroll wheel up, down and in as separate buttons, the Burst Pro has 8 programmable buttons (also left and right click, two side buttons and the CPI switch). A more rare feature, the software also has an option for setting up Roccat Easy-Shift [+], which allows for a button to have a secondary function when you press it and another button on the mouse designated as the Easy-Shift [+] key simultaneously.

You can save 5 profiles on the Swarm software and set them to automatically launch with different games or apps. There’s also a macro manager with dozens of games and other apps present, from Fortnite to Skype.

In a high-end touch, Roccat included one profile’s worth of onboard memory. That means you can program the buttons and 5 CPI presets a certain way in Swarm software, and then carry those settings over to a new PC without having to download Swarm again. 

In terms of RGB control, the Burst Pro is pretty standard. There’s one RGB zone in the scroll wheel and another under the palm. Depending on the preset, you’ll get a brightness slider, speed slider and/or color picker with spaces for entering red, green and blue values. Presets include a rainbow wave, breathing function and the aforementioned Aimo “reactive” RGB.

You can also activate Roccat’s reactive Aimo lighting feature that “reacts organically to your behavior,” the software notes, based on how you use the mouse. However, Aimo has been largely disappointing, including with other products I’ve tried, specifically the Roccat Vulcan 122 Aimo keyboard and Roccat Kain 200 Aimo. After a couple weeks of use, my Aimo meter has only reached 15% capacity, and I don’t see any rhyme or reason to how it works -- the RGB only appears to be cycling random colors. It’s possible the feature would impress more if I could get the Aimo meter to budge further, but that will apparently take a lot of time.

In the Advanced Settings section of Swarm are adjustment options that many peripheral software vendors leave out. You can adjust polling rate, lift-off distance and toggle angle snapping, for instance.

Bottom Line

The Roccat Burst Pro is an interesting experiment in ultra lightweight mice. Roccat’s managed to deliver the light weight of a honeycomb mouse without the divisive holes that can make some worry about grime or damage. For FPS games especially, pushing around a mere 2.40 on some well-placed PTFE feet feels almost effortless.

But there are some mild issues here. The RGB in both review units I tested was a little uneven in terms of vividness throughout the mouse. My right hand, which is long for a woman my size, also needed some adjustment to the shape, although the Burst Pro’s semi-ambidextrous shape has obvious appeal.

But in terms of super light mice, competition is getting thick. Glorious has a strong following in the Glorious Model D and Model D- honeycomb mice. They’re each $10 cheaper than the Burst Pro’s current MSRP, (although mice tend to go on sale), and the Model D- is even lighter. Additionally, the Glorious Model O and Model O- provide a less symmetrical shape option, and the HK Gaming Mira-M and HyperX Pulsefire Haste are also lighter.

Of course, all those mice have open holes, which admittedly can be polarizing. But between the fingerprint smudges the black version of the Burst Pro picks up and how off the white translucent shell covering the holes looks on the white version, it may have been better to shave off a little more weight and commit to the exposed holes.

But yocan’t ignore that the Burst Pro gets a lot of things right. For those seeking a light mouse that’s not drilled with orifices, the Burst Pro fits the bill while adding some high-end touches.

When you're shopping for gaming peripherals on a budget, you know there'll be a few trade-offs along the way. On the components side, it's easy to quantify those trade-offs precisely with GPUs, CPUs and even storage devices. However, when it comes to peripherals and specifically headsets -- well, headsets are basically The Wild West. If you're an online shopper, you often end up buying a device without hearing or wearing it. And when you do get to try out a headset, determining sound quality isn't like running a few Cinebench tests. To a degree it's about personal tastes, but Roccat's Noz budget cans have a few highlights on their spec sheet that everyone will enjoy.

Priced currently at $35/£35, the Noz features a 10-20,000Hz frequency response range that you'd expect to find on much pricier gaming headsets. There's a smart and understated all-black look to the headset, and it's super light at 0.5 pounds (210g), so it both looks and weighs the part for competitive players who log serious hours at a time and don't want to watch their own RGB lights reflecting off their screen. However, it faces stern competition from fellow sub-$100 models that deliver stronger audio quality.  

Roccat Noz Specifications

Design and Comfort

I'm totally on board with the look of the Noz. Sticking firmly to an 'all black everything' design principle, it looks smart and subtle rather than basic, and that's thanks to some nice typography choices and well-finished materials. Sure, those materials are predominantly plastic, but they add up to an incredibly lightweight headset. In fact, this is among the lightest we've tested, even more so than the eSports-focused Logitech G Pro, which in comparison is positively portly at 0.6 pounds.

The earcups themselves are smaller than most models, but even with big ears I didn't have any problems with their size. At the rear of the left earcup is a volume scroll wheel and mic mute switch, both easily located without having to stop what you're doing or remove the headset. A few headset manufacturers are moving away from inline controls in favor of this on-cup design, which I'm behind 100%. It's just easier to locate the buttons this way.

The cushioned contact pads are covered with cloth fabric that feels slightly rougher than what I've felt on headsets from other brands. Perhaps it's the coarser weave. The foam padding doesn't feel quite as luxurious as rivals models, like the HyperX Cloud Alpha, which seems as though it drapes the clouds of Mount Olympus around your delicate auditory organs by comparison. The Noz certainly has enough padding to avoid discomfort or that telltale 'I've been wearing a gaming headset' wave in your hair. Ultimately, the coarse cloth and mediocre padding are barely noticeable when you have the Noz on your head; they're just little details that remind you this is a budget headset.

The microphone can hack 100-10,000Hz and stayed just about in position after I set it, with minimal noise during adjustments. It's also detachable, but I'm not so eager to use the Noz as on-the-go headphones. That's partially due to the 3.5mm connection, which is awkward to connect to modern smartphones, and partially due to the look. The Noz looks great next to your rig, but not quite appropriate for streetwear.

Audio Performance

Moving onto sound, the Noz's major weakness reveals itself. Firstly, through some combination of contact point materials and the exact size and shape of the earcups, it produces the dreaded 'seashell' effect. For those who've never had the misfortune of enduring the seashell effect firsthand, it's a subtle but maddening constant sound akin to a whoosh of air -- a bit like holding a seashell to your ear. Years ago, the market was rife with low-priced headsets that produced this effect, but it's been a while now since we've spotted it in the wild.  Unfortunately, the seashell effect negatively impacts the headset's overall audio quality.  

Closed-back headphones like this (which feature a hard, enclosed outer shell) are engineered on the basis of creating a chamber around your ear inside which frequencies resonate. Contrastingly, open-back headphones -- like Sennheiser's Game-series cans -- give their drivers more space to resonate. The important thing for closed-backs is to isolate the outside world and direct all sound into your ears. In this way, the soundscape produced by closed-back headphones sounds like it's coming from your head.

Closed-back and open-back designs both have their pros and cons, including narrow stereo spread from the former and sound from the latter. But when a closed-back headset isn't able to properly isolate the sound from the outside world, the whole principle's thrown off. The result in the case of the Noz is an imprecise, slightly reverberating aspect to all sounds. Let's be clear: it's subtle. Subtle enough that you can still hear all the sound cues in games and recognize the mix of your favorite songs. But it's there. And it means that extra oomph down in the low-end doesn't get the opportunity to show its stuff. Rather than feeling powerful around your ears, the bass response sounds slightly muddy.

This is a shame, considering you can actually hear a lot of good things with the Noz. As flappy as the bass can be, it doesn't distort at higher volumes. And higher up the EQ range, frequencies have a way of cutting through assertively without sounding jarring. All in all, it sounds like the 50mm drivers are very well-engineered -- they just belong in a different chamber. A V2 of the Noz with a slightly adjusted designed would prove a real contender for king of the budget headsets, but sadly it's not there yet.

Features and Software

This being a low-cost proposition, you're not showered with freebies and accessories to accompany this headset. All that's in the box is the headset, detachable mic and 3.5mm cable. And we have absolutely no issue with that, as extras like travel bags, replacement earcups and adapter cables often just end up on a landfill.

Software functionality would have been a nice bonus, however, since it's always handy to tweak the EQ a bit for different usage scenarios.

Bottom Line

Despite its problems with sound isolation, there's a lot to like about th Roccat Noz, particularly in looks and feel. But the pluses also extend to its control layout and in the characteristics and low-end power of its 50mm drivers. I'd genuinely love to see a new iteration of the Noz with sound quality that could actually go toe-to-toe with the SteelSeries Arctis 3, Corsair HS35, Corsair HS50 and HyperX Cloud Alpha.

At the time of writing, the Noz's price has dropped from $70 upon launch to $35. However, there are still better headsets available at that discounted price, including the Corsair HS35, which is currently sitting at $30, depending on the color. 

As it stands, we just can't quite recommend the Noz with our whole hearts for anything above $35. But if you see it for $35 or less, it's worth grabbing this good quality headset with decent sound and comfort levels.

Image Credits: Roccat
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While some gaming mice value an armada of buttons and lights above all else, the Roccat Kova AIMO is a peripheral that’s far more understated in its original design. At first glance, this pixel pointer, might lead you to think it’s just a regular, boring, budget mouse, but it’d be unwise to judge this book by its cover. The Kova AIMO is a powerful ambidextrous gaming mouse that offers enough customization options to appeal to a wide spectrum of PC enthusiasts, no matter what genre they play, or what hand they use.

Right now, you can pick up a Kova AIMO for around $50 (£53) and that relatively-affordable price explains a lot of the decisions Roccat made when developing this mouse. We’ll touch more on that later. Yet it’s important to know that this price tag sets this mouse’s sights directly on the heady heights of two of our favourites, the Logitech Classic MX518, and the SteelSeries Sensei 310, both of which are top entries in our best gaming mice list.

Design and Comfort

The design of the Roccat Kova Aimo isn’t quite as eye catching as other gaming peripherals. Recently Roccat has stepped away from its traditional stylings, and instead produced some great gaming devices that utilize what the company calls "industrial design," a no-nonsense look that is smart, minimalist, and gets the job done. 

Because the Roccat Kova AIMO sets out to be ambidextrous, the layout of the mouse is symmetrical. You’ll find, aside from the usual left click, right click, and scroll wheel buttons, you also have access to two quick fire buttons to the sides of the main left and right click switches, followed by two thumb located buttons (you know, the ones usually allocated to forward and backwards options on internet browsers) on each side of the mouse, and a single DPI button below the scroll wheel. All are well within reach of those with average sized hands, no matter which one, left or right, you use to control the mouse.

Gaming peripherals are no strangers to the world of the whacky when it comes to outlandish aesthetic decisions, so it’s a nice change of pace to see something as simple and as elegant as the Kova AIMO. It’s still undeniably a gaming mouse, it still features those cliche aggressive angles, and now almost obligatory RGB lighting, but thankfully all of that doesn’t come at the expense of comfort. Hell, you could even get away with using it in an office environment if you so desired.

Roccat has shown that it’s perfectly capable of producing an over-the-top looking gaming mouse with the Roccat Kone Aimo, but to be honest, we prefer the look of the Kova here.

As for comfort? We used the mouse for hours on end, both in-game and for our day-to-day tasks at work, and the dulcet ache of that journalistic induced RSI was kept at bay with ease. At 99g, the mouse doesn't put a strain on your wrist nor does it feel too light and insubstantial that you’re about to accidentally embed it in your screen with one wrong flick. It’s a solidly-built gaming mouse that feels like it will last a good time as your go-to pointer.

The braided cable that connects the mouse to your system of choice is a nice touch too, and it’s long enough to allow it to be used with PCs placed on the floor or away from the desk. If the black color looks a bit too boring, it also comes in an optic white finish as well, and the RGB lighting, which illuminates the scroll wheel, as well as a strip across the back of the mouse, can be configured using Roccat’s Swarm software too – although more on that in a bit.

Specifications

Gaming Performance

Out of the box performance with the Kova is pretty solid. It’s a good experience, even if you don’t have the time or inclination to tweak the settings on this thing. As far as precision goes, in World of Warcraft, there was little jitter, or lag, when playing that big ol unit frame healing game, and overall the experience was pleasant, we didn’t notice we were using it at times, and that’s high praise in those kind of situations. One thing we would say is that the left click and right click buttons do feel a bit heavier compared to our trusty Corsair M60 Pro, but it wasn’t enough that anyone died in our Mythic dungeon runs.

Overall it felt fast and responsive, across MMOs and RTS titles alike, although for those after something for FPS games you might want to consider that slightly slower click time as a negative. The DPI switch below the scroll wheel is also a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to sensitivity. It’s handy to have when you need to drop to something slower quickly for that perfect headshot in Apex.

However as standard there’s five DPI profiles enabled, and only one button meaning each time you press it you have to then cycle through the other four, unless you configure it in Roccat’s Swarm software ahead of time and disable the other profiles. This is compacted by the fact that it’s all too easy to hit that DPI button by accident, if you’re pressing the scroll wheel button.

As for the other switches, the buttons along the side do need a decent click to register. While this might feel a little awkward at first, we appreciated it, as we’ve used too many gaming mice that have sensitive side buttons that can be all-to-easily clicked by mistake.

While the out-of-the-box experience of the Roccat Kova Aimo is very good, you’d be doing the mouse a great disservice (and yourself, at that rate) if you didn’t delve into Roccat’s Swarm software.

Features and Software

Roccat's Swarm software, which requires both a reboot and two different downloads to install, lets you configure the look, feel and performance of the Kova Aimo.  You can finely tune the five DPI levels from between 250 to 7000 DPI, which you can then switch among using the DPI button. You can set the Windows pointer speed and configure the 10 mouse buttons, with the option to give each one a secondary assignment when a modifier key is applied.

The Swarm software lets you switch the polling rate among 125, 250, 500 and 1000 Hz rates. You can add audio feedback here and configure all the RGB lighting effects.  You can also  save up to five profiles with different settings, a great feature when you're playing different games.

Bottom Line

The Kova Aimo's ambidextrous design, combined with a simple aesthetic, and impressive software suite make it an impressive competitor for those looking for a solid, jack-of-all trades mouse. However, outside of the software level customization (something that’s available on any gaming mouse within Roccat’s lineup), you can't modify the gaming experience. You can’t add more weight for instance, or swap out the cable to something smoother, and there’s no hot swappable sensors or anything along those lines either, but for some people that level of configuration isn't necessary. 

What the Roccat Kova AIMO does offer is an easy, plug and play experience, for those looking for a no fuss, pixel pointer, that’ll get the job done. For this price point, it's a very compelling choice. 

Image Credits: Roccat, Tom's Hardware

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Turtle Beach has agreed to acquire Roccat for $14.8 million in cash, $3.4 million in earn-out payments, and $1 million in cash or stock (Roccat's choice) for a total cost of $19.2 million.

The deal was announced on March 14. Turtle Beach said in a press release that its Roccat acquisition "further strengthens its market position in key PC-centric European territories" and gives it "distribution into new Asian markets" where Roccat operates.

Turtle Beach said that it also plans to expand Roccat's market share in North America using its existing sales and distribution platforms. The acquisition, at least in theory, is supposed to allow both brands to grow around the world.

This arrangement would also help Turtle Beach's efforts to branch out from consoles, where it said it'd held more than 40 percent of the gaming headset market for nine consecutive years, to PC. Roccat specializes in gaming mice, keyboards, and PC accessories.

Turtle Beach CEO Juergen Stark said in the press release:

"The acquisition is also a key step in achieving our goal of building a $100 million PC gaming accessories business in the coming years. ROCCAT accelerates our expansion into the roughly $1.6 billion PC gaming headset market, as well as directly enables us to address the roughly $1.3 billion PC gaming keyboard and mice market. We believe our combined product portfolio is one of the strongest in the industry, covering gaming headsets for consoles and PC's, gaming keyboards and mice. Together we will have 48 core product models to pursue the total addressable market of over $4.7 billion in North America, Europe and Asia."

The company said it expects the deal to close by the second quarter. If it does, Roccat's contribution to Turtle Beach's net revenues for the rest of 2019 could be $20-24 million, with Turtle Beach expecting that number to rise to $30 million in 2020.

If a company like Roccat wants to win over hearts and minds with a $100 headset, then its product needs to be better than the usual gamer forum recommendations, which are cheaper now than ever before. Can the "competitive, high-resolution" Khan Pro earn our recommendation? Let's start with its specs and dig in from there.

In addition to the actual headset, Roccat's package includes a quick-start guide and Y-adapter, which combines the two 3.5mm connectors (headphone-in and mic-out) in a multi-purpose jack for use with mobile devices.

However, Roccat should have implemented this solution the other way around, putting a single plug at the end of a shorter ~1.5m cable with an extension and an I/O adapter, rather than using a ~1.8m cable with two jacks (plus adapter) to start with. For mobile use, you're going to have to figure out what to do with all of the extra cable, particularly if you're in workout gear without any pockets.

What Is High-Res Audio, Anyway?

First things first: this is not really a high-resolution audio solution, even though the implication is certainly no coincidence. Years ago, Sony was the first company to use this term for one of its record players. The JAS (Japan Audio Society), as the leading organization behind this label, requires that analog devices achieve a "speaker and headphone performance of 40 kHz or above" in order to qualify.

Beyond that, the JAS does not list any requirements concerning actual reproduction quality. In short, the only hard criteria is that the upper end of the frequency range must be twice that of conventional transducers, except that there are no real limits to tolerances either. So, what sounds good remains up to each company: "Listening evaluation process is added and final decision as Hi-Res Audio product to be proved according to each company's sound evaluation standard." As always, in the end it is up to us to listen, measure, check, and judge objectively.

Look & Feel

At first glance, the graphite-gray headset (also available in white or black) leaves a good impression. It's hard to find anything wrong with it visually.

You only figure out everything is plastic once you turn the Khan Pro over in your hands. Apart from the headband, which has spring steel inside, metal is entirely missing from the body. And in light of the $100 price tag, that's a pretty bold decision.

Microphone

The rotating microphone arm, on the other hand, is a clever design implemented as a flat band with memory functionality. When the arm is folded up, a very useful automatic mute feature is activated. Not only can you feel the switch engaging, but it's also audible as well.

We also like the lack of RGB lightning. Not everyone shares our opinion on the matter, but we've found that vivid colors are conceptually cooler at first. Over time, they can be harder to bear.

Roccat has us convinced that simple elegance can be convincing indeed. We only wish the company used beefier materials. There are certainly worse-built headsets out there though, and you might even get used to the all-plastic design eventually.

Comfort

Adjustable in three axes, the Khan Pro simply fits the way it should. Roccat's dual-hinge implementation isn't novel by any stretch. But why reinvent the wheel if you have tested and proven solutions that work well? Adaptation to smaller or larger head sizes is easy to achieve. However, given the choice of materials, we unfortunately cannot estimate how well this headset will hold up. To start, avoid exposure to UV radiation as much as possible.

The headband is sufficiently padded on the inside and does not apply unwelcome pressure, even after long periods of use. It's only a shame that the material used to cover this area does not appear to match Roccat's premium price tag. Similarly, the material used in the ear pads has a bad habit of collapsing, creating folds that may affect your ability to achieve a perfect seal. If you're particularly unlucky, both ear pieces may end up with a different fit, the result of which can be acoustically noticeable.

Functionality & Interface

The small volume control performs its function just as we'd expect. Although the wheel is positioned intuitively enough, you may find it difficult to reach. Worse, synchronization at the beginning of the potentiometer's range is somewhat inaccurate. In our sample, that means one of the channels comes on before the other.

There are no screws on the ear pieces. Therefore, it seems impossible to open them without using force. We chose to forego a look inside and avoid damaging our sample. But based on the way the cover is laid out, the driver appears to be positioned asymmetrically and tilted slightly towards the ear.

Measurements & Sound-Check

To read about our test methodology in depth, please check out How We Test Gaming Headsets, particularly page 6 where we detail the measurements we take.

We start with a measurement of the microphone's frequency range. For this test, we use a calibrated mic (for reference) in our purpose-built measuring room. This allows us to take comparative measurements and generate a curve that comes close enough for what we're trying to do (even if it isn't the most ideal method for testing Roccat's mic). So, while the limitations of our equipment don't allow us to calculate the microphone's exact frequency response, we do have a reasonable approximation to confirm our subjective impression.

There is a measurable low-cut below ~100 Hz that is also easy to hear. This is important because the microphone is inherently a bit bass-heavy. Thus, rumbling sounds should not be much of an issue. Speech intelligibility is good, and the overall output level is sufficiently high. Nevertheless, you might want to adjust your sound card's settings to slightly boost its level.

All sibilants (hissing sounds) are well-executed, since the high frequencies are not overly dominant. The sound leans toward a warm timbre due to strong upper bass and the audible presence of lower mid-range.

Headphone Measurement

The original curve doesn't look bad, except for one or two dents. Even at the upper and lower bounds of the frequency range, we still find the output to be at sufficient levels.

With that said, we abstained from any attempt to measure Roccat's claimed 40 kHz ceiling. Given our semi-professional equipment, the results just wouldn't be reliable. Then again, since we don't have many bats in our audience, you probably aren't missing out on anything exciting. It's safe to say that the 40 kHz specification is more theoretical in nature (though a great marketing fantasy).

A kink in the lower mid-range at about 325 Hz is not exactly a disaster. It appears to be the result of a bass boost (mechanical manipulation) through targeted tuning of the resonating body. Typically, this type of boost provokes a depression of the next higher frequency range as a consequence. Further, at ~3.6 kHz we notice a small hole attributable to the driver's properties. Of course, human ears just so happen to be sensitive to that particular frequency range. This more or less balances itself out subjectively, though you can use a software equalizer to fine-tune more precisely.

Our own tweaks bring the lowest bass down a bit by reducing its level. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it's not. In return for our small sacrifice, level stability improves enormously. There's less observable distortion in the resulting chart, along with cleaner peaks.

Subjective Audio Experience - Original versus Optimization

Now let's subjectively test the original tuning compared to the results of our manual equalizer adjustment. We began by running the headset for two days straight at a source with decent sound levels to make sure it is properly broken in.

Bass Reproduction

We test the lowest bass in the sub-contra octave (16.4 Hz to 32.7 Hz) with a recording of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor (19 and 25 Hz), as well as the festival overture composed in 1880 by Tchaikovsky (10 Hz and 12.5 Hz). The same applies to the lower ranges of the contra octave (32.7 to 65.4 Hz). The large bass drum, usually tuned to ~55 to 60 Hz, is used to complete this evaluation.

By default, the bass is as dark as can be. But after our correction, the bass is audibly subdued (yet still noticeable). The new settings make everything sound more differentiated and clear without a loss of pressure. Granted, from about 30 Hz down, the reproduction gets a bit thin. This doesn't actually hurt the result, though. The contra octave is still covered in its entirety, pleasing those of us who enjoy powerful bass.

Reproduction of the large bass drum is sufficiently clear, with level stability appropriate for this price segment. The transient response is also acceptable. Ultimately, bass is definitely not one of the Khan Pro's weak points, either in stock form or after our optimizations.

Upper bass, up to 150 Hz, contains the male voice's fundamental speech frequency. Thus, it has a strong influence on the lifelike reproduction of male vocals.

This range sounds reasonably-balanced right out of the box, though it can get overly exaggerated. The reproduction of male vocals is almost too rich, though instruments sound quite natural. All in all, good resolution makes it easier to identify and locate non-dominant sound sources.

Mid-Range

The lower mid-range (sometimes called "fundamental range") spans from ~150 to 400 Hz. Together with the upper bass, this range plays an important role in producing the subjectively perceived warmth and fullness of sound. This is also where the fundamental range of female vocals can be found.

The reproduction of female vocals is spot-on. In stock form, voices and instruments are more neutral, leaning a bit towards cooler-sounding reproduction.

Frequencies leading up to 500 Hz sound a lot better with our optimized profile, since it almost completely eliminates the nasty dent at 325 Hz. Our tuning makes the Khan Pro sound warmer and more pleasant in this range. If you're a music-lover, you'll want to use them. Gamers won't care as much; the default setup works just as well.

The upper mid-range, from 400 Hz to about 2 kHz, contains the 1 kHz point that's used as a reference for many measurements. Unfortunately, this is often very noticeable, especially with cheaper devices, as manufacturers tend to overemphasize it a bit. This frequency range also plays a significant role in gaming, and its balanced reproduction contributes significantly to good spatial resolution.

With the Khan Pro's weaknesses behind us, we have more to be optimistic about. Instruments deliver the nuances we require of them, and resolution is good. Details shine through and the sound stage is ideal.

From a purely subjective point of view, music fans can expect the orchestra to be positioned wide enough, even if some quieter sources cannot always be placed accurately. These probably aren't the headphones you'd want for this purpose exclusively. Gamers, on the other hand, should be unconcerned. Your experience won't be affected; we're just being nit-picky.

High-Frequency Range

Between 2 kHz and 3.5 kHz is where the human ear is most sensitive, especially since the lower levels of this range are responsible for the human voice's overtone reproduction. This frequency range is crucial to the recognition of a voice or an instrument. Thus, in this context, it also relates to the respective tone color, or timbre.

Our improved profile makes everything in this range sound more natural, even if Roccat's stock settings already sounded pretty good. In both implementations, in-game sound localization seems fairly accurate. The result could always be better, of course. But there are worse-performing headsets selling alongside the Khan Pro. All things considered, then, our observations are quite acceptable.

The mid-high range (3.5 to 6 kHz) determines the success or failure of speech reproduction as a whole, since sibilant sounds (like the letter "s" and hiss sounds) fall into it. The upper trebles range up to about 10 kHz, where we pass into the territory of super-high frequencies.

High and super-high frequencies are dominant, without question. However, the reproduction does not sound metallic or sharp, which would lead to overemphasized sibilants and air noises. Instead, the sound is more or less neutral.

Roccat's specified frequency response from 20 Hz to 44 kHz seems realistic, at least up to about 20 kHz. The Khan Pro ends up being a little too bass-heavy for our tastes, even if that's what gamers seem to be into these days.

Conclusion

A $100 price tag is overly ambitious, given the Khan Pro's construction and measured performance. We see this headset more in the $80 category, and if it was selling in that range, it might have even earned a recommendation. To be a player up where the Khan Pro is priced, it really needs to be built from higher-quality materials.

By no means is this to say that Roccat's offering looks or feels cheap, because it doesn't. But similar to the food being served in a high-end restaurant, sufficient quality isn't good enough. You also expect an attention to detail that goes above and beyond. This is where the Khan Pro comes up short. Though the issues are minor, we cannot overlook the price...

We can only advise Roccat to take a step back, consider the market's realities, and make some adjustments based on competing solutions.

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Roccat has released the Khan Aimo 7.1 gaming headset, an upper-end product in Roccat’s audio lineup featuring RGB lighting, a built-in sound card, and a comfort-focused design.

It has been a while since we last saw a digital surround-sound gaming headset from Roccat. The Kave XTD 5.1, which was released in 2014, actually had multiple speakers, two to be precise, per ear cup. True, that’s not enough channels for 5.1, but “multi-channel” headsets don’t typically actually contain multiple speakers. Rather, such headsets either receive multichannel analog input, which is down mixed internally, or, if they’re digital, re-process multichannel sound with an internal sound card. The Khan Aimo is an example of the latter. 

Roccat’s new Khan is a step up from its analog, two-channel sibling, the Khan Pro. It adds an internal 7.1 sound card to feed the single 50mm speaker in each of its ear cups. Similar to the Khan Pro, comfort is a major focus of the Aimo. The Khan series’ ear cups are mounted on traditional-style headphone yokes that allow for three axes of motion. The ear cups sit flatter on the side of the head with this design, allowing pressure to be distributed more comfortably than with the limited-motion mounts popular on many headsets. The Aimo’s earpads are memory foam and have a smooth material surface.

To help define the Aimo’s place above the Pro, and because the Aimo is a natively digital headset, Roccat added RGB lighting to it. As always, the feature is questionable for a device that isn’t seen while in use. It’s for the better, then, that configuring the Aimo’s lighting will be easy due to Roccat’s integrated Swarm driver suite, which aggregates all Roccat RGB controls into one place. As with the Pro, the Aimo has an integrated fold-up microphone and controls on the ear cup. All its additions only bring its weight to 275g, 45g more than the Pro.

We do not yet have information on North American pricing and availability for the Roccat Khan Aimo.

The $50 price bracket forces you to make compromises. It lands you somewhere between bargain-bin headsets without many redeeming qualities and higher-end models with a lot more features starting around $75. Are there gems to be found in that middle range?

Roccat would like us to think so. The company tries to strike a balance with its stereo headphones that mix acceptable sound with good comfort, along with a reasonable price tag. This is an open-air solution that aims to be more than an amplified bass drum.

Since the headset doesn't boast simulated surround sound or any other type of acoustic manipulation, it only really needs a Y-adapter for combining two 3.5mm jacks into a multi-jack connector. That gives you microphone-out and stereo-in from the headset, ensuring compatibility with PS4, Xbox One, and any number of mobile devices.

Specifications

Look & Feel

To be honest, Roccat's Renga appears deceptively high-quality. Its material mix seems almost perfect at first glance, reminding us of much more expensive headsets. The polyurethane not only looks appealing, but it feels good in our hands. Even the headband mimics a real piece of leather well. In the end, the materials are so cleverly styled and blended that Roccat deserves kudos for its work.

Our only real criticism is the cheap, rigid cable covered with a plastic shell. Its color may match Roccat's corporate identity perfectly, but it smells like the plague and offers little flexibility or suppleness.

Comfort

A clever concept doesn't require resizing the Renga's headband to make it fit. Instead, the band simply stays flexible enough so that you don't require vertical adjustments at all. The mechanism slides and bends as desired, allowing the plastic headrest to adapt to your head shape.

Unfortunately, if you're short on hair, the headband may get sweatier than a lot of other padded designs. The Renga might not be ideal for you if that's the case.

This open system's large ear pads are big enough to fit over any size of ears, and they provide a comfortable seal. You'll even be fine with glasses on (though on-ear headsets tend to work better in that case). After hours of use, sweaty ears were never a problem for us; there is always plenty of ventilation.

Functionality & Interface

There is a control unit built into the cable. You'll find a volume knob on one side and a small switch for muting or enabling the microphone on the other. Both controls could have been a little bigger.

We'd have no problem getting used to the control unit. But that stiff and bulky cable is less tolerable. It's always in the way!

As mentioned, this headset features an open design. In the following picture, you can see a gap between the ear piece/driver and ear pad. This means that ambient noise is clearly audible at all times. On the bright side, you'll never miss a call for dinner.

Of course, anyone listening to their tunes loudly on a plane, train, or bus is bound to attract glares from neighbors. Just be aware of who might be in range before sharing content others might find objectionable.

Microphone

The omnidirectional microphone is positioned at the end of a folding (yet completely rigid) arm. Its level is relatively low, so you may have to raise your voice quite a bit to make yourself heard. Fortunately, modern audio codecs usually include support for adjustable mic gain, as much as doubling sensitivity. 

If you go that route, the result sounds pretty good, especially since raising the level via software hardly generates any additional noise. Speech remains fairly intelligible. But because of Roccat's price tag, there is no real low-cut filter, no compressor, and no clipping.

Measurements & Sound-Check

To read about our test methodology in depth, please check out How We Test Gaming Headsets, particularly page 6 where we detail the measurements we take.

Our measurement results reveal that Roccat is using heavy bass in an effort to hide the Renga's acoustic compromises. In the company's defense, though, we should also note that the drop-off on either side of 100 Hz is relatively shallow. Let us not forget that we're dealing with a $50 headset here.

The subjective listening test turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant for a piece of hardware in this price range.

Down low, Roccat serves up plenty of bass, even if it doesn't make much of an impression as real low bass. The tuning, which leans toward upper-bass, may trick untrained ears into hearing the full range, when in fact the subcontra octave is hardly perceivable at all. This is a flaw that not even an equalizer can fix, as the flat 50mm drivers simply lack the necessary level stability. Another technical challenge is the open concept, since low bass, which relies on small ear pieces for a resonating body, is difficult to achieve with this design.

Nevertheless, what remains is not bad (though a slightly more powerful driver would have worked even better). Anyone biased to drum beats and explosive gaming will probably want to look elsewhere, while first-person snipers may be more interested. Spatial resolution, including good acoustic positioning of incoming opponents, is pretty good as long as output levels stay within reasonable ranges.

The experience is similar from the lower to higher mid-range. Though slightly underrepresented, the mid-range is technically present and good enough to reproduce the fundamental frequencies of almost all instruments and voices with ease. The timbre remains reasonably natural. This also applies to sonority in the somewhat higher range (important for making sounds recognizable).

High and super-high tones are of average quality. An overemphasis at about 6 kHz makes the sibilants sound somewhat sharp. As a result, some instruments get an almost metallic touch. This isn't a big deal for gaming, fortunately. Only trained music lovers will really notice the dent at ~9 kHz, and this particular detail is in fact rather unpleasant since it causes strings and wind instruments to lose some of their high-frequency brilliance.

We are left with the positive feeling that Roccat made an honest attempt to achieve reasonably neutral and balanced sound, even though the Renga does suffer from necessary cost-cutting measures.

Conclusion

We've eliminated our "Editor Recommended" award, but if we hadn't, the Renga would get one. How can a $50 headset earn a purchase recommendation? Despite slight weaknesses in sound, level stability, and microphone sensitivity, the total package represents such good value for your money that it's almost a bargain. If you want more than what the Renga offers, you'll have to dig deeper into your wallet. At its current price, Roccat already offers more than you could reasonably expect.

Sure, the economic constraints are obvious every step of the way. It is even possible to physically feel them in the rigid cable and somewhat under-powered drivers. But we still feel the headset deserves a recommendation as an all-around performer. This is no exaggerated sub-woofer, even if Roccat tries advertising it as such. The Renga simply can't be due to its open design. The result still sounds mostly natural with distinguishable nuances.

We found the astonishingly good spatial positioning and relatively comfortable fit of this flyweight, which works well even on larger heads, to be especially appealing. For all of this and a reasonable price, our purchase recommendation is well-earned.

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Update, 5/15/17, 7:13am PT: Roccat announced that the Leadr wireless mouse is now available. We found it listed only on Roccat's own site, and it costs $140. If you're a "Roccateer" (someone who's registered at least one piece of Roccat hardware), the price drops to $126.

Original article, 1/14/17, 5am PT:

At CES 2017, Roccat debuted not only a trio of mice (not to mention an analog gaming keyboard), but its own mouse sensor, which is the result of a venture with PixArt.

The Owl-Eye, Not To Be Confused With The Eagle Eye...

Called the Owl-Eye, Roccat built its sensor by modifying a PixArt 3360 sensor; the special Roccat version is dubbed the “PixArt 3361.” The company proclaimed that it offers true 1:1 accuracy. You can configure it with a so-called Distance Control Unit (DCU), and the DPI range is 100-12,000. Roccat, though, recommends using 400-3,000 DPI (allegedly, a range pro gamers tend to prefer).

It has a 70Hz system clock and sits in a “16-pin molded lead-frame DIP package with integrated IR LED.”

The new sensor is shipping on all three of Roccat’s new mice: the wireless Leadr, the ergonomic Kone EMP, and the Kone Pure 2017 (for the slim-handed).

Look Ma, No Wires

Wireless gaming mice like the Leadr tend to have a few inherent disadvantages compared to their wired brethren. By dint of the wireless connection, there can be lag and latency issues, and of course one must consider battery life. The battery tends to add weight to the mouse, too. Roccat promised that this mouse will suffer no such lag or latency, and you won't run out of a charge mid-game because of its charging dock and “top-up cable.”

It operates over 2.4GHz, and the wireless module is in the dock itself. Roccat promises 20 hours of battery life, but if you need to charge up in-game, you can remove the cable from the back of the dock and plug it into the mouse. It will charge back up while the cable is connected. When you want to remove the cable again, there’s a release--which also ensures that the cable won’t accidentally pop out when you’re playing.

One of the key features of the Leadr is an odd little trigger mounted just above the thumb rest area. Roccat said that it’s essentially a joystick--an analog control.

The Leadr should be available mid-April, and it will cost about $140. That undercuts one of its closest competitors, the wireless Razer Mamba, by $10.

What Is The Plural Of “Kone”?

In addition to the Leadr, Roccat has a pair of Kone mice--the Kone EMP and the Kone Pure 2017.

The Kone EMP is essentially the successor to the Kone XTD. Designed to be an ergonomic option for those with moderately- and larger-sized hands, it has RGB lighting that wends around both edges of the mouse’s shapely top. Note that even though it’s aimed at those with heavy mitts, it’s actually a fairly light mouse, at 116g.

A key feature is the four-way movement of the scroll wheel, which Roccat calls the “4D Titan wheel.”

The Kone EMP has seven buttons (left/right click, two DPI switchers, two left-side navigation buttons, and the aforementioned 4D scroll wheel), and it supports Roccat's Swarm software. It does, though, have 512KB of onboard storage for macros.

The Kone Pure 2017 is similar to the Kone EMP in many ways, but it’s really the successor to the original Kone Pure. It’s 91% the size of the other Kone mice, and it’s quite the flyweight at a mere 88g, making it one of the lightest gaming mice you’ll find. It’s aimed at those with smallish hands, and it boasts of a “pro-grip coating” as well as “enhanced button handling.”

Expect the Kone EMP to land at the end of January for $80; the svelte Kone Pure is coming mid-April (the same time as the Leadr) for $60.

Roccat announced today that its newly-formed Roccat Games Studio is already hard at work at its first game. You heard that right: a PC peripherals company is making its own game, and you can get in on the action as early as June.

The game is called Sick City and the company classifies it as a “modern real-time tactical combat game.” Furthermore, the company said that it would have elements inspired from other games such as Commandos, Company of Heroes, and Warcraft 3. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and you’ll have to manage squads and vehicles as you play in a four-versus-four-player match. The main goal is to take control of an energy source called Aimo. According to the press kit sent to us, it seems that the game will start with two factions called “The Legion” and “Kidz.”

As the development process continues for the game, the studio will need user feedback to determine additional features for the game. This includes the introduction of new factions, maps, or game types, but this will only take place after the closed alpha session, which starts in June. During the alpha, a select few will be able to play the game and provide feedback on technical issues and bugs that need attention. It’s unclear as to how long the closed alpha will last, but once it’s over, the game will move on to Early Access where anyone can play and provide their own feedback on the type of content that needs to be in the game.

If you’re keen on playing the game in its closed alpha state, you can sign up now on the game’s website. Because of the need for player feedback, it’s apparent that the game could be in a closed alpha or early access state for quite some time. The company did not reveal the release date for the completed version of the game.

What was that we were just saying? That there aren't any established keyboard companies with analog switch keyboards? Well, Roccat is the first to break the mold by announcing its Force X technology, which is making its debut on the Isku+ Force FX keyboard.

The Isku+ Force FX, though, is a significant departure from the two analog keyboard designs we’re familiar with. This is an oversimplification, but whereas both Wooting and Aimpad use an optical sensor to detect the depth of the key press, and therefore the level of input sensitivity, the Isku+ Force FX uses something else. Roccat described it thusly:

“By employing a special chemical layer which modifies electrical conductivity beneath the QWEASD keyzone, our engineers have found a way to allow pressure-sensitive input on a rubberdome keyboard.” It uses a polymer-piezoelectric composite material--how it works, exactly, we do not yet understand.

Further, the Isku+ Force FX is a membrane keyboard, so it lacks the switches that Wooting and Aimpad employ.

Modes And Features

The Isku+ Force FX's analog controls are limited to the QWEASD keys, as noted above, but Roccat supports it with its Swarm software, so configuring the input should be easy. There are three modes of operation: The default mode gives you standard input. Another mode lets you assign up to three functions to a key, and you can activate any of them by pressing a modifier key. (For example, you would press Shift or Ctrl or Alt or what have you and then press the assigned key to perform the secondary or tertiary actions.)

The secret sauce is Smooth Mode, wherein you get pressure-sensitive analog input on the aforementioned key cluster.

Roccat did not elaborate further on the analog controls, such as how many levels of sensitivity they offer, if you can change the actuation point, and so on. However, the company made it clear that this is not a one-off product; expect Roccat to launch more analog-enabled devices in the future.

The Isku+ Force FX is a large, chunky-looking thing with a wrist rest attached, and for a membrane keyboard, it has several choice features. It offers RGB lightng with six levels of brightness, several lighting effects, five dedicated left-side macros keys, and the capacity to store up to 180 macros. There are three programmable “thumbster keys,” too, and of course the whole thing is supported by the Swarm configuration software.

It costs the same as its predecessor, the Isku FX, with a price tag of $100.

The Specs

Be Sensitive

As we wrote when we recently spent time with the Aimpad R5 prototype analog keyboard, current keyboards offer us precision, but analog keyboards will add nuance.

Analog keyboards potentially portend a positive change in what we can expect out of enthusiast gaming gear. It is, perhaps, a slight shift, but the increased pressure-sensitive control that analog switches enable (among other benefits) could become a key feature that gamers won't want to do without.

It appears that Roccat will win the race to market with an analog keyboard, but it’s notable that it lacks the mechanical switches that its closely-following competitors employ.

Update, 11/10/16, 8:18am PT: Roccat reached out to let us know that the Suora FX will also be available with TTC Blue switches in the U.S.--by popular demand.

Roccat has added a second “Suora” to its portfolio of mechanical keyboards. The new product, called the Suora FX, boasts RGB lighting whereas the original Suora had just blue LEDs.

Like the original, though, the Suora FX has a simple aluminum chassis--what the company calls “frameless”--which should appeal to office types and those with more conservative aesthetic tastes.

In fact, other than the RGB lighting, the Suroa FX appears to be identical to the Suora. They both offer NKRO, a 1,000Hz polling rate, a Gaming Mode button, six (non dedicated) macro keys, on board (non dedicated media controls), and support for Roccat’s Swarm software. Both also sport TTC Brown switches--perhaps seemingly an odd choice, but subjectively we’ve found TTC switches to be perfectly fine, and Browns are typically a nice compromise between linear Reds and clicky Blues.

The enhanced lighting does introduce a few key differences (aside from the copious color choices) between the two keyboards. Roccat said in its materials that you get “ quick access to stunning effects” with the Suora FX, and the F1-F4 keys toggle through wave, breathing, ripple, and solid lighting effects.

The Suora is currently available for $100, and the Suora FX will be out December 6 for $140. Given that the two devices are identical save for the RGB lighting, this is as clear an indication as ever how much it probably costs keyboard makers to employ RGB on a device.

Headline: Keyboard Maker Makes Lapboard, Details At 11. We’ve read this story before, and not too long ago, when Corsair finally released its Lapdog, an enormous lapboard with a Corsair K70 dropped into it. Roccat has now released its own take on a living room gaming lapboard with the Roccat Sova MK, and although it took the same basic approach that Corsair did (no compromises on performance, period), the Sova MK is smaller and arguably more comfortable to use.

Just...Tighten

We had few complaints when we spent hands on time with the Lapdog save for a few minor quibbles over ergonomics. Specifically, I found that the bezel around the keyboard was too thin, the edge of the mouse pad dug into my palm, and the USB cable was ungainly and always in the way.

With the Sova MK, Roccat has mostly solved those issues (but introduced one of its own).

The Lapdog’s bezel is thicker along the top edge to accommodate the mouse and keyboard cabling. This left the bottom bezel thin. On the Sova MK, this is flipped: The bottom bezel is quite large--in fact, it’s less a bezel and more a bona fide wrist rest--and the keyboard is mounted higher up, such that the top edge is thin.

Even better, the Sova MK has a beveled edge all across the bottom, as opposed to the sharper edge of the Lapdog. I found that this minor design difference significantly affected my comfort level. Whereas the edges of the Lapdog bugged me almost immediately, the Sova MK was more comfortable for long stretches of gaming.

Further, although we understand why the Lapdog has such a mass of cables, it seemed like we could have done with a little less in that department. Roccat apparently feels the same, because the Sova MK has a simple USB cable (with two special ends) and no AC power plug. There is a short stub of a cable and a special connector sticking out the back of the Sova MK, and to this you connect the lone USB cable.

The cable has a sort of Y-adapter end with two USB connectors, and it’s about 13 feet long, which should be sufficient reach for most living room setups.

That’s about four feet shorter than the Lapdog’s cable, but that brings up a key point: Everything about the Roccat Sova MK is smaller or thinner than the Corsair Lapdog, and that’s a good thing. The lapboard is several inches narrower, the whole assembly is about half as thick, and the soft lap cushion is thinner, too. Even the USB cable is physically thinner. As I wrote about the Lapdog, the whole thing just feels large and takes up a lot of space; the Sova MK, though by no means small, takes up less room--enough so that it’s easier to stow it away when you’re not using it.  

Where the Sova MK bows to the Lapdog is in regard to cable routing and keyboard options.

On the Lapdog, Corsair made a large trench across the top of the lapboard and then included a removable piece of metal to hide and route the mouse and keyboard cables. It’s simple and clean and tidy. The Sova MK, by contrast, has a thin trench on its outside edge; the mouse cable barely fits into it and doesn’t stay put especially well, and there’s no ideal spot for the cable to emerge. Roccat included a little mouse bungee to help you route the mouse cable where you want it on the mousepad, and that was handy, but there’s not enough room anywhere to completely stash the mouse cable. No matter what, a long length of it will droop off the back.

The biggest issue for some, though, will be the lack of flexibility in keyboard choice. Corsair limited your options with the Lapdog to its K65 and K70, but the Sova MK offers no alternative choices at all. The keyboard is built into the lapboard.

Roccat does offer you two Sova options, but they’re limited to a TKL version with TTC Brown switches or one with membrane switches. If you prefer a numpad, or don’t like the feel of Brown switches, or have reservations about TTC switches in general (I, for the record, have none), you won’t want the Sova. It’s as simple as that.

Set Up, Software And Use

One thing I particularly like about the Sova MK is the setup process: You connect one end of the included cable to the Sova MK and the other to your PC. Connect a mouse to the Sova MK. That’s it.

This is compared to setting up the Lapdog, which requires the removal (and replacement) of many screws and the installation of a keyboard.

The Sova MK is supposed to work with Roccat’s Swarm software, but even after updating, I was unable to get the software to even recognize the Sova MK. This is because the unit I have (there aren’t many in existence) is pre-mass production, and Roccat didn’t have the software driver ready for it yet.

Overall, I found the Sova MK delightful to use. As I mentioned, the beveled edge was comfortable even after long gaming sessions, and I particularly loved the huge wrist rest. The lapboard offered sufficient padding on my legs, and the mousepad area (10.8 x 9.45 inches) is plenty large. Roccat told me that the retail Sova MK will have slightly different material than the one I have on hand, but I don’t think any change is needed; although it’s a slightly bumpy plastic surface, which may turn some users off, I used a Roccat mouse with it and found the performance exemplary. Roccat has hinted at the possibility that it will make the mousepad removable and offer different surfaces, so users could ostensibly opt for a hard plastic surface, metal or different fabrics. (Roccat stated in its materials that the wrist rest and lap cushions may all be replaceable, too.)

As with the Lapdog, the Sova MK leaves you wondering what to do with your arms. This is simply an issue inherent with any lean-back lapboard device, though, so one can hardly complain about either company’s design here. With a small throw pillow under my left arm, I was completely comfortable. I didn’t need anything under my right arm.

There were a couple of issues that I bumped into, though. One is that any time I moved at all, the mouse slid off the edge of the Sova MK. (The same thing happens with the Lapdog.) Again, this is a problem that will arise on virtually any lapboard. However, I did accidentally disconnect the USB cable a couple of times right in the middle of a game. I must have stepped on it without noticing; suddenly my input just stopped, and I got fragged. It took me several seconds to figure out that I’d yanked the cable out.

Specifications And Price

Although there are two versions of the Sova--one with membrane keys (Sova) and one with TTC Brown switches (Sova MK)--they are otherwise essentially identical.

The Sova offers onboard storage for profiles, and there is blue backlighting on both models. It has two USB 2.0 ports so you can connect a mouse, and perhaps a headset (as long as that headset is USB).

As I mentioned previously, expect Swarm software support for the Sova--but for now, there’s no driver.

Curiously, Roccat is selling the Sova only in bundle form, at least for now. You can get either the membrane or the mechanical version for $149.99 or $199.99 respectively, and Roccat will include a “free” Kova mouse, which costs $50 by itself. That means the mechanical switch version of the Sova essentially costs $149.99.  

It Disappears

There is much to like about the Sova MK, and Roccat deserves credit for creating something that surpasses the Corsair Lapdog in design. The Sova MK is smaller and thinner (read: more convenient to use and stow) without losing anything to the Lapdog.

Roccat needs to fiddle some more with the mouse cable routing, though, and I wish it offered audio jacks instead of (or perhaps in addition to) the second USB 2.0 port. Further, although I tested a (slightly) pre-production Sova MK, it’s disappointing that the software wasn’t ready.

Also, Roccat may have done itself no favors by limiting the Sova’s keyboard options to a membrane and a tenkeyless TTC Brown switch version; it’s betting that users won’t want Red or Blue switches, or a different switch manufacturer, for that matter, and that's a tricky wager.

However, pricing and a few small issues aside, like the Lapdog, the Sova MK disappears when you use it, and that’s the whole point of a living room lapboard mouse and keyboard setup. Roccat opted for a design that doesn’t compromise on performance, at all.

Update, 6/15/16, 7:40am PT: The original version of the article incorrectly stated that the lap cushions were not removable.

Seth Colaner is the News Director for Tom's Hardware. Follow him on Twitter @SethColaner. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.

Roccat, it seems, is learning its market. Although many enthusiast gaming keyboards--such as Roccat’s own existing products--have extravagant, funky, chunky chassis designs, many in the enthusiast keyboard community seem to prefer products with a less-is-more look--smaller bezels, backlighting is unimportant. That sort of thing.

To that end, Roccat announced the Suora, a mechanical keyboard with a decidedly more mature look. It’s a full-size keyboard with a metal backplate and a numpad and F keys that serve double duty as media controls. Instead of RGB, Roccat opted for blue backlighting--a specific color that a representative told me is exclusive to Roccat--with a breathing effect and 11 brightness levels. It offers a 1,000 Hz polling rate and supports Roccat’s Swarm software, and it offers up to six individually programmable macro keys.

In a departure from the all too familiar Cherry-or-Kailh norm, the Suora comes with TTC Brown switches. These are uncommon, although we would not be surprised to find them on more keyboards in the near future. We found TTC Red switches in our recent review of the iBuypower MEK, and based on that, I'm optimistic that they will serve as a capable alternative to Cherry or Kailh.

There are few additional details to share about the keyboard at this time. We do know that the Suora will cost $99 when it ships in July.

(As an aside, other than the fact that it’s devoid of specifications, I love the press release for this product. It’s written in the same spirit as the Suora’s design: In the release, it’s as if the author wrote a paragraph or two stating little more than, “This keyboard has mechanical switches and no nonsense,” and then a manager said, “You have to add some market-speak,” and the author begrudgingly crammed some in. In the design, it’s as if they wanted to build a simple, clean keyboard, and then a product manager came in and insisted, “You have to add some flair--how about some lighting,” and the team begrudgingly added blue backlighting.)

Whether or not the Suora’s diffident austerity is indicative of high quality German engineering or is merely an attempt to chase a trend is something we’ll have to determine when we get a Suora in the lab.

Seth Colaner is the News Director for Tom's Hardware. Follow him on Twitter @SethColaner. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.

Roccat’s Ryos lineup of keyboards has a new member in the form of the Ryos MK FX. It was initially shown at CES 2015, but it’s finally available for customers.

This is the first mechanical keyboard from Roccat to include full RGB lighting. Other keyboards from Roccat have full keyboard lighting, but you can only assign a single one color for all of the keys. With the MK FX, you can have the full color spectrum on each key.

You can set it to one of two lighting modes: preset and custom. Preset features programmed effects already included in the software, but you can also create custom lighting effects with various colors. All of the programming is done through Roccat’s “Swarm” software app.

It also comes with Roccat’s Easy-Shift function, which allows a secondary assignment for most buttons by holding down the Easy-Shift button key. There are a total of 94 programmable keys, five macro keys and three “thumbster” keys (located below the spacebar). There are also two jacks, audio in and audio out, located on the side of the top-left corner of the keyboard.

The MK FX is powered by two 32-bit ARM Cortex processors and has 2 MB of flash memory to store your custom lighting and programming configurations. It also uses Cherry MX Brown switches, and it’s unclear whether or not Roccat will accommodate other color switches from the Cherry MX roster. The MK FX is available now for $169.99.

Follow Rexly Peñaflorida II @Heirdeux. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Roccat's latest product puts a third gaming headset in the company's audio lineup. At $49.99, the Renga is considered to be the low-tier entry point for those who want a gaming headset without forking over too much money.

The Renga utilizes 50mm neodyium magnet drivers to deliver its bass-focused sound. It also looks slightly different than its predecessors with a new dual-headband design, which is supposed to make it more secure around your head as well as comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

It also comes with a microphone for online gameplay, but you can flip it up out of the way when you're watching a movie or listening to music. The cable also includes an in-line remote to control volume and the ability to mute your microphone.

Out of the box, the Renga works with most gaming consoles, PC and mobile devices because of its 3.5mm connection. Roccat expects to launch the Renga by the end of February.

Follow Rexly Peñaflorida II @Heirdeux. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

German manufacturer Roccat has an extensive lineup of mice, but it doesn't think its arsenal is complete just yet. Today, the company announced the Kiro -- a modular "superdextrous" gaming mouse.

Now, superdextrous isn't really a thing. It's just a word that Roccat has made up to describe an ambidextrous mouse that can be turned into a non-ambidextrous mouse.

The Kiro features a very simple design, with the standard left and right click buttons over Omron switches, a 2D Titan scroll-wheel, a full-cover soft-touch design, and back and forth buttons on each side of the mouse.

That's where the customizability comes in. The mouse comes with four side parts (two for each side), each of which has a symmetric counterpart for the other side. The one is a sidepiece that comes with the forward and back browser buttons, while the other is blank. With these, you can choose to have the forward/back buttons on each side, one of the two sides only, or not at all.

At the heart of the mouse, users will find a 2000 DPI Pro-Optic R2 sensor, with which we have only one issue: The mouse comes with a DPI-doubler. This allows the mouse to simulate having a 4000 DPI sensor, but that will go at the cost of tracking accuracy.

Finally, Roccat topped the Kiro off with RGB lighting, and all of the hardware is addressed through a Turbo Core V2 ARM chip. Pricing will sit at $49.99, with availability slated for November 27.

Update, 12/03/2015, 1:15pm PT: The mouse only ended up hitting shelves today, as opposed to this time last week, but Roccat did drop the MSRP down to $39.99. Nice!

______________________________________________________________________

Niels Broekhuijsen has been with Tom's Hardware since 2012, and works as a Contributing Editor on the news team. He covers mostly hardware, components, and anything else that strikes his fancy. Outside of work, he likes to travel, cook, and fix things that are broken.

You can follow him at @NBroekhuijsen. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.

Following the success of its Kova[+], Roccat has released a new higher-performance Kova gaming mouse.

The new Kova gaming mouse possesses a more advanced Pro-Optic R6 optical sensor, allowing it to run natively at 3500 DPI, which is 300 DPI higher than the Kova[+].  The new Kova also has a built-in "Overdrive" mode, which takes advantage of a Turbo Core V2 72 MHz 32-bit ARM-based MCU to artificially double the DPI sensitivity to 7000 DPI.

"The Kova[+] was cherished by gamers for its sleek aesthetics, and that's something we wanted to keep when re-imagining the mouse for the games of today," said ROCCAT founder and CEO, René Korte. "The new Kova is a worthy successor to the name, carrying on the tradition of streamlined performance. It features a high-octane, sports-car like build with staggering power under the hood. We're sure it will delight hardcore gamers as well as fans of the original."

In addition to the typical mouse buttons, Roccat placed two programmable "Smart Cast" buttons on each side of the mouse. Roccat claimed that with the use of its Easy-Shift[+] technology that the available buttons could be doubled to a total of 22.

The mouse has LED lights on all sides, which can be configured to up to 16.8 million colors. The scroll wheel and the mouse body can be changed independently.

The new Kova will be released worldwide November 17. In Europe it will retail for 59.99 Euros, but a U.S. price has not been set at this time.

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Roccat's Kave XTD 5.1 Digital gaming headset has already been on the market for a while, but if you were looking for a cheaper 5.1 headset from Roccat, you would be at a loss. Now, however, the German gaming peripherals maker announced the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog – a nearly identical version of its digital headset, but without the included USB sound card.

The headset's drivers are 40 mm on the front channel and 40 mm on the rear, with additional 30 mm "subwoofer" drivers. The front and rear units all have a frequency response between 20 and 20,000 Hz and have a maximum input power of 50 mW. The vibration driver responds between 20 and 100 Hz, and has a maximum input power of 300 mW, so it should offer some explosive bass.

The microphone on this headset can pick up sounds between 10 and 10,000 Hz, and it has an omni-directional pickup with four 1.5 mm coils.

To connect the headset, you'll have to plug in four different 3.5 mm jacks to your sound card, along with a USB 2.0 port. This being an analog headset raises the question of what the USB 2.0 port is for, but the answer is easy: to power the auxiliary devices, such as the LED lighting.

Also note that a lower price tag isn't the only reason you may want to buy an analog headset. Because it's analog, it allows you to connect it to your choice of sound card, which can potentially offer much better sound quality than the included USB sound card would.

The Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog will be available sometime midway through this month, with Roccat suggesting a retail price of $119.99.

Follow Niels Broekhuijsen @NBroekhuijsen. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Roccat, the German-based gaming peripheral company, already boasts a plethora of gaming mice, keyboards, and headsets, not to mention that it also has its own esports team. At CES 2015, the company showed off its latest products, some of which seem to show a new plan for the company.

The first step in that new direction comes with the Ryos Phobo, a revamped version of the Roccat Phobo concept shown in 2012. It sports Cherry MX switches and features two USB ports, but lacks the NUMPAD keys. The big difference between the Phobo and its other products is that it comes with a unique driver called Swarm.

With this driver, users can bring their smartphone to the gaming experience as a second screen for peripherals when attached to an Ipuri smartphone stand and connected through two Bluetooth channels. You can configure settings on each of your Roccat products as well as access different programs on your PC all from your smartphone.

In an age where almost everyone now has a smartphone, using it to control peripherals and launch games makes some sense. It removes the need to switch between multiple programs on the computer screen to change your keyboard or mouse settings; you can just change them on-the-fly with a smartphone.

If you're looking for something more familiar, the company also upgraded its MK and TKL line of keyboards with the MK FX and TKL FX. Both keyboards feature Cherry MX switches and two USB ports, but unlike the Phobo, the two devices come with RGB LEDs, giving your keyboard a more colorful palette. Also, the MK FX comes with NUMPAD keys while the TKL FX does not.

On the mouse side, Roccat also announced its Nyth gaming mouse, which shows off a new innovation for gaming mice. In some ways, it's similar to Mad Catz's R.A.T. PRO X because you can easily swap out the buttons on the side as well as the side parts. The interesting part about the whole thing is that you can also create buttons of your own for the Nyth, but that requires a 3D printer. Instead of continually waiting for approved parts to choose from like Mad Catz, Roccat pretty much lets users create their own buttons to fit their play style.

Finally, the company also added to its Kave headset lineup with the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog. Its brother, the Kave XTD 5.1 Digital, offers a lot of features such as 5.1 surround sound, Bluetooth link to your smartphone to allow phone calls during gameplay, and a sound card to increase its audio quality. It seems that the Analog version has about the same features as the Digital, but according to Roccat, it's 25 percent lighter than the Digital version and its "sound engineering goals have catapulted the XTD 5.1 Analog's audio to new heights."

The Ryos Phobo is expected to hit stores in Q3 2015. The Nyth has a release window in Q2 2015, and the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog should be coming along in Q1 2015. No prices were given for any of the devices. The interesting part for Roccat is its Future Ready program, which is the company's plan to ensure that its latest products, such as the Nyth mouse and Swarm driver, will still be able to work with future Roccat products.

This works because of the Swarm software having central control over multiple Roccat peripherals, and customizable parts such as on the Nyth mouse that adapt to every player's needs. It seems that most of Roccat's products down the road will either have Swarm, customizable parts, or both. Either way, players are always looking for more ways to customize their gaming experience, and Roccat just might have the answer for them.

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Roccat Studios launched on Thursday the Ryos TKL Pro, a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard built from the ground up for eSports. Tenkeyless means that the peripheral was designed without the number pad, making it somewhat lighter and narrower than other mechanical keyboards with the number pad intact.

"I'm in it to win it, so you'll never see us put gear in our eSports team's hands that don't give them an edge," said René Korte, CEO and founder of Roccat Studios. "Team Roccat uses the Ryos TKL in competition because it optimizes their play."

According to Roccat, the keyboard uses "best-in-industry" Cherry MX Key switches: customers can choose between brown, black, blue or red. The keyboard also provides per-key illumination, meaning you'll be able to see these keys better in the dark than if the keyboard merely had backlighting. In other words, the letters and symbols are all lit with their own individual LEDs.

The new keyboard includes 470 programmable macros and 2 MB of flash memory for storing those macros and other settings. The keyboard also includes two 32-bit ARM Cortex processors, a smudge-proof glossy exterior, three programmable thumbster keys, a built-in cable channel and five rubber feet so the keyboard doesn't move across the desktop surface during heated gameplay.

The specifications also show that the keyboard has an N-Key Rollover feature to prevent ghosting, a 1000 Hz polling rate, a 1 ms response time, and 91 total programmable keys. The keyboard also supports Roccat's Easy-Shift[+] tech, which allows the user to assign a secondary function to most of the keys. There's also a huge integrated wrist rest so that your hands are more relaxed while gaming or surfing the web.

Roccat indicated on Thursday that HyuN, the number one StarCraft II player in the world, had some input in the design, as did several other professional gamers. Having input from pro gamers is a good thing, as it means Roccat fans will have a high-quality product that gives them as much of an edge as Roccat's own eSports team.

The keyboard is available now at retailers and online shops for $139.99.

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When we saw the Roccat Tyon mouse back at Computex, we already knew that Roccat had a winner on (or should we say in?) its hands. We saw that with the Tyon, Roccat took a whole new approach to building a gaming mouse, giving you more control than ever before. Since then, we've also seen a lot of excitement in the community for this mouse, along with a sheer overload of impatience. Well folks, the Roccat Tyon is now available in shops, so be careful not to run each other over on the way.

Aside from carrying a heap of switches, the Roccat Tyon also comes with two distinct paddles, which are what set the Tyon apart from all other gaming mice. The paddle at the top of the mouse is the so-called fin-switch, which you can press either to the left or to the right where it will act as a standard clicky switch.

What's really interesting, though, is the paddle on the left of the mouse -- the X-Celerator Thumb Paddle -- because it acts as a single-axis analog joystick. Using just a little bit of imagination, you can already figure out what such a control is good for, as it will work for almost all axis-operated movements that you can use in games. The demonstration that we got at Computex involved flying a jet in Battlefield 4, where we were instructed to use the X-Celerator Thumb Paddle to operate the plane's pitch, which made mouse-operated flight very easy.

Beyond the paddles, the Roccat Tyon follows a fairly standard gaming mouse recipe. It comes with a high-quality 8200 DPI laser sensor, an on-board ARM processor with 576 KB of memory, 16 programmable mouse buttons and a Roccat Easy-Shift[+] button for additional macros. There's also dual-zone 16.8 million-color RGB LED lighting, a 1000 Hz polling rate over USB and a 1.8 meter braided USB cable.

Roccat priced the Tyon at $99.99, and it should be available in black and white through a handful of online retailers and Best Buy.

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Roccat introduced on Tuesday two new peripherals for PC gamers: the Nyth gaming mouse and the Skeltr gaming keyboard, both of which will make their public debut during Gamescom 2014 in Cologne, Germany next week.

"We've wanted to develop our own MMO mouse for a long time, but like always, we end up seeing a bigger picture once we begin brainstorming," René Korte, CEO and founder of Roccat, explained. "MMO mice have these massive button grids that are locked in. You can change the button functionality, but what if you don't like the layout?"

The solution: invent a modular MMO mouse that has interchangeable button combinations. He said that gamers will have access to Roccat's button inventory files, and those with access to 3D printers can even create their own buttons.

"With a replaceable side-part, coupled with our button modularity, the Nyth can absolutely transition into a perfectly fine-tuned MOBA mouse, and yes, even an FPS mouse," Korte said. "The Nyth adapts, evolves, and keeps on giving far into the future. It's a remarkable peripheral conceptualized and created by our amazing design team."

As for the Skeltr, it's a keyboard with a built-in smartphone stand capable of grabbing most phones thanks to a sliding rail. Users can pair their smartphone to the peripheral via Bluetooth, a capability that allows the phone to serve as a second screen. Unfortunately, Roccat didn't elaborate on this feature.

"It allows gamers to use their phones as a highly interactive compliment to the game they're playing," Korte said. "We also believe being able to use your keyboard to communicate on your smartphone is a no-brainer feature ROCCAT fans will deeply appreciate. Our designers worked very hard to make these integrative experiences that gamers can use second nature, without distraction."

He said that the Skeltr includes brilliant RGB illumination, no ghosting, and most every other function that Roccat has provided in its other keyboards on the market. This peripheral is both familiar and "trailblazing" all at the same time, he said.

We expect to see additional details when the peripherals actually make their debut at Gamescom next week.

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A Sova For Your Sofa

Who wouldn’t like to sit on the sofa, comfortably playing a game with a keyboard and mouse? This is what Roccat asked right before the company set out to provide an all-in-one couch-gaming solution that didn’t result in awkwardly bent limbs and a sprawl of wires. We're not sure if the folks at Roccat were being humorous or straightforward when naming their device quite simply: Sova.

Today we're posting exclusive photos, drawings and renders that Roccat shared with Tom's Hardware Germany.

Some Doodles

It’s easy to come up with a design idea in your mind, but if you want to get other people on board with it, having a pencil and some paper handy is absolutely essential.

Tenkeyless Saves Some Space

With space at a premium, Roccat settled on the reduced tenkeyless keyboard layout in order to give the mouse as much space as possible to roam around freely.

Taking Shape On Paper

Daydreaming, brainstorming and kicking around ideas is all well and good, but in order to actually build the thing, the conceptual drawings must also continue to evolve.

Form Follows Function

A cutting board with handles? Maybe a flying saucer? Roccat certainly has its own design style, which makes the company's products easy to identify just by looking at them. The trick is to translate the huge lap tray idea into an acceptable design without sacrificing form or function.

After Some Tinkering, Things Get Real

Following some work with the jigsaw, we were permitted to relax on the couch with the Sova’s first wooden mockup with Roccat’s Power-Grid attached.

A Professional Gamer as a Lab Rat

Ko "HyuN" Seok Hyun is a Team Roccat member from South Korea. He loves playing StarCraft II, and he does so very successfully - and probably earns a nice bundle doing so, too. Here you can see him using a slightly modified version of the earlier mockup, sans Power-Grid.

A Desk for the Lap

The professional gamer seem astonished. Is it the shock that the Sova is actually usable, or bewilderment that anyone would even think that it could be?

Entering Three Dimensions

After putting the pencil and paper, as well as the jigsaw, back where they belong, it was time to iron out the details on the PC, where the first real design renders were created.

Mechanics at Work

Bad news for those who prefer a nice, squishy, rubber dome keyboard: it looks like the keyboard part of the Sova will use mechanical switches. Cherry MX Black, now made by the ZF Friedrichshafen AG in Germany, were used for the mockup and are also reportedly on the short list for production.

Laptop-Inspired Wrist Rest

As with another ubiquitous lap-based device, the notebook computer, the Sova most definitely needs a wrist rest. In a pinch, this space can also double as an easy-to-clean place to rest a slice of pizza.

Still More Space

Oh, and that place where you can actually store an entire pizza, that's supposed to be the mouse pad. Well, we guess that makes sense. The mouse surface is still being hotly debated, since low DPI mouse users might still run into some limitations with the amount of space available.

Keeping Things Steady

There needs to be a way to balance the Sova on your legs so that it's both stable and comfortable. Roccat’s current favored solution contains two thin bands on the bottom of the Sova.

A Closer Look at the Bottom

The entire solution will look something like this, and feature comfortable, soft padding. After all, nobody wants to have their upper legs look like those of a zebra after a couple of hours of gaming.

Connectors for All

What looks like a disassembled warp drive is really just a view of the connectors from the inside. Right now, they’re sporting a blue and black metallic finish, but we’ll have to wait and see what Roccat settles on for the final product.

Putting it All Together

Looking at the fully assembled version, this is clearly a design which makes sense, given the typical scheme seen on all of Roccat’s other peripherals.

Beefing it Up

Power-Grid needs to be on board to be actually usable, which makes a smartphone holder unavoidable. The only problem we see here faces those with 6-inch phablets - better practice keeping all thats balanced!

First Impressions in 3D

Wireless, desk-less, but, at least as far as we’re concerned, not pointless. For some of us, this 3D prototype would definitely have its uses.

The First Version

Now we’re looking at one of the final 3D renders. It’s depicting a mix of aluminum, several types of plastic, and a lot of ideas. However, this isn’t the end, but rather, another beginning. On the company's blog, Roccat invites everybody to take part in the decision of what should stay, what should go and what might be good to add.

The Second Version

This one looks a bit more aerodynamic and a bit less like a cutting board. However, this design doesn't address a lot of the sharp corners and edges.

The Third Version

After a good long look at the third, much more rounded version, let’s recap. Should it be the straight and flat version behind door number one? Or the one with the sharp corners and edges behind door number two? Or maybe the last version behind door number three would be the perfect fit for a well-rounded evening of gaming?

The Roccat Kone XTD has been on the market for over a year now, but that has not stopped Roccat from making a new version: the Roccat Kone XTD Optical. We already saw this mouse about six months ago at CES, but Roccat has now officially announced market availability.

The original Kone XTD carried a laser sensor; however, many gamers prefer optical sensors. The new sensor is a 6400 DPI Pro-Optic R5. This sensor does not render as high a DPI rating as the original Kone XTD, but 6400 DPI is still more than enough for most gamers. Beyond the different sensor, there's nothing different about the mouse. It still has the same Easy-Shift[+] technology, the onboard ARM processor, the onboard memory, and a 1000 Hz polling rate which results in a 1 ms response time. The Kone XTD Optical also still has the same customizable LEDs. The scroll wheel has been updated to the more durable 4D Titan wheel, and the weight of the mouse can also be adjusted using weights of 5, 10, 15, and 20 grams.

"We wanted to make this a special gift to our fans," says René Korte, CEO and founder of ROCCAT Studios. "The Kone XTD Optical is a unique mouse with a lot under the hood, that maintains all of the expectations gamers that love ROCCAT products have come to expect from the Kone family of gaming mice. We're proud to bring it to gamers."

Pricing for the mouse is set at €89.99 in Europe, where it should be available any moment now. US availability is slated for the end of August.

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Peripheral maker, Roccat, is calling on fans to help develop its wireless modular gaming board, the Roccat Sova. To get this collaborative party started, the company launched on Monday a new blog dedicated to the development of Roccat's Sova. The company's designers and developers will drop in to discuss fan feedback, features, the technical and aesthetic side of creating groundbreaking peripherals, and more.

René Korte, CEO and founder of Roccat, starts the blog with a personal note to the company's fans. He says that the blog will include surveys and comment sections so that the fans can help guide the development and help bring Sova to the market.

"We realize that now is not the time to sit back and wait, but to give fans what they want as quickly as possible," Korte writes. "We're ready to go full speed into our refinement process, and want our fans to see the hard work that goes into moving a ROCCAT product from its development phase, into what you see at retail. The Sova is coming, it is going to be an amazing piece of gaming hardware, and you'll get to follow every step on that journey in our newly launched Sova Development Blog."

The Roccat Sova is a PC gaming peripheral that can sit on your lap. The device starts with a premium brushed aluminum board with cutouts in the top-left section allowing for 74 keyboard keys with Cherry MX switches and illumination. A palm rest resides at the bottom of the keyboard, and a mouse pad takes up the right half of the board.

The Roccat Sova also includes an integrated cable channel that rides along the top edge, two padded leg rests for "maximum comfort and ventilation," and a long-life battery pack for extended playing sessions. The device also provides anti-slip side panels, several USB ports, and a clamp that holds the user's smartphone horizontally.

Unfortunately, as pointed out during E3 2014, the term "modular" does not mean the device caters to left-handed gamers; this gadget is strictly for right-handed customers.

"Follow this blog to be part of the journey the Sova prototype takes – until it becomes a real product that we can ship," the blog reads. "Also make sure to check our Facebook and YouTube updates if you don't want to miss a step in the further development. Please keep sharing your thoughts and comments on the Sova and let us know what your ideal version of the product would look like."

Head here to take part in the development.

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Want to dress up your desktop with a little flair? German peripheral maker Roccat on Thursday introduced the latest in its Kone Pure series of gaming mice, the Kone Pure Military. This "themed" series comes in three flavors to choose from: Camo Charge, Naval Storm and Desert Strike. The company also introduced mouse pads with the same themes.

"The positive feedback we received with the introduction of the Kone Pure Color edition in 2013 encouraged us to come up with a second limited version of the Kone Pure," said René Korte, CEO and founder of Roccat. "Many popular games played with ROCCAT products have a military theme, and we thought it fitting that we extend this to the Kone Pure Military mouse and Sense Military mouse pad."

All three of Roccat's new mice include its Pro-Optic (R4) 5000 dpi optical sensor, which the company deems as the most high-powered optical sensor to date. The DPI on each mouse is adjustable from 50 to 5000, and there's also an Adjustable Distance Control Unit for manually configuring the lift control.

Despite the new paint job, users can configure the LED-based lighting, which supports 16.8 million discreet colors; there are also lighting effects that will dazzle up your desktop. Easy-Shift[+] technology allows users to program a secondary function to each button, which should be quite handy when using the mice in MMOGs.

As for the tech specs, these mice have a 1000 Hz polling rate, a 1 ms response time, 130 IPS max speed, 30G acceleration, and a 16-bit data channel. Also included is a 72 MHz Turbo Core V2 32-bit ARM-based MCU, 576 kB of on-board memory, zero angle snapping/prediction, and a 1.8 meter braided USB cable. The max width is 7 cm and an approximate max length of 12 cm.

The company indicates that the Sense Military mouse pad, despite its coloring, is an excellent companion thanks to its no-slip backing. The pad also has enough room for even the most active gamer: 400 x 280 mm. Features include minimized friction and an ultra-low height of 2 mm.

The Kone Pure Military mouse and Sense Military gaming mouse pad are available now for $69.99 and $19.99, respectively.

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Editor's Note: While Computex took place last week and all of the news announcements are behind us, we're still sorting through hundreds of in-person meetings and demonstrations, picking out just a few more of the most interesting items we saw up close.

Roccat announced a new gaming mouse at Computex 2014, and it brings a couple of nifty new control methods to your desk. The mouse itself will be known as the Tyon. What sets it apart from the rest of the available mice are new switches.

Before we get there, though, the Tyon follows the typical styling cues from the other mice in Roccat's arsenal. It comes with a nice sleeved cable, comfortable ergonomic design that is suitable for both palm-gripping and claw-gripping, and shows the typical Roccat cat on the back. There is also an LED strip around it; you can change the colors as desired. The color of the LED lighting on the scroll wheel can also be changed.

To demonstrate the mouse to us, our Roccat representative fired up Battlefield 4 and put us in an airplane. The WASD controls remained the same, but rather than using the up and down arrow keys, or moving the mouse up and down to control the pitch, we were instructed to use the thumb operated lever. This lever worked just like an analog joystick control, where pushing it harder would change the pitch even faster. This made mouse-operated flight control very easy, even if you're someone who normally uses the arrow keys to fly. You can also set the thumb operated control to operate the roll or yaw; it's just a matter of what you prefer. Roccat calls this the X-Celerator thumb paddle.

Other specifications of the mouse include that it packs an 8200 DPI laser sensor, a top-mounted fin switch, 576 KB of memory for macro storage, and a polling rate of 1000 Hz for extreme responsiveness.

Pricing is expected to sit at €99.99, with US pricing expected at about $105, or so we were told.

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Looking for a new set of headphones? Roccat may have what you're looking for in the Kave XTD 5.1 Digital gaming headset. This new model builds upon the original Kave, bringing improved features and adding even more "impressive innovations."

This new headset ships with its own desktop remote packing a premium 5.1 sound card inside. The remote also includes the company's Smart Link patented technology that lets users pair their smartphone via Bluetooth so that they don't miss a call while gaming.

"Roccat Smart Link technology eradicates the problem of overlapping conversations during gaming sessions caused by talking on the phone with the headset still on," explains the company's announcement. "The patented technology automatically mutes the chat software when a call is picked up, giving you complete privacy and preventing you from disturbing your teammates."

The desktop remote includes headset and system audio controls, and 5.1 speaker ports. Thus users can connect the device to their existing speaker system and easily toggle between the system and headset. That definitely saves time and a lot of rewiring aggravation.

According to the company, the new headset packs three individual drivers per ear cup, aligned at a 12-degree angle. The headset also weighs 25 percent less than the original modes thanks to a completely redesigned head band. The microphone is redesigned to be detachable, and features improved sound quality and reliability.

The new Kave XTD 5.1 promises to be suitable for extended hours of gaming thanks to new materials that enhance the comfort and durability. Customers can purchase the new headset now for $169.99.

Roccat has introduced a new mousepad, and this one is a little different from products that it may have released in the past in that it is rather thin.

The mousepad, which is to be known as the Roccat Siru, is less than one millimeter thick. Scratch that, under half a millimeter thick, at just 0.45 mm. Beyond that, the mousepad features a highly sticky bottom, and has been tested for compatibility with over 80 different optical- and laser-based mice.

"At 340 x 250 x 0.45 mm, the Siru is truly knife-edge thin. The benefit of having such a blade-like gaming surface is that your mouse is on exactly the same level as your desktop, and you're provided with direct desktop feedback. This means exceptionally true and precise tracking, and the ability to make rapid, accurate cursor corrections – perfect when aim is the name of the game."

The Roccat Siru should be arriving at stores shortly, and will be available in two different colors: Pitch Black and Cryptic Blue. No word on U.S. pricing, but EU pricing is set at €14.99 including VAT.

Roccat is adding to its Ryos mechanical gaming keyboard series with two compact ten-key-less versions: one with per-key illumination feature and one without backlighting. The new versions are called the Ryos TKL Pro and Ryos TKL.

Roccat says that these new keyboards were developed based on feedback from the company's Facebook page.

“We posted the ten key less version of the Ryos as an “easter egg” earlier this year. The demand from the community was overwhelming so we basically had no choice but to build it”, says René Korte.

The company adds that the TKL Pro version features a "cutting-edge MCU" (microcontroller), which supports illumination effects such as "per-key breathing" and will be available in four different switch colors.

Check out all of our CES 2014 coverage!

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Kone XTD Optical

New from German PC accessories maker Roccat is a new entry in its Kone Series mice. The new Kone XTD Optical has an adjustable distance control unit to customize lift-off distance and a new 6,400dpi optical sensor. Roccat says that gamers will be able to significantly improve their accuracy with optical sensors. The Kone XTD Optical offers renowned features like Omron switches, the 4D Titan Wheel, Easy-Aim and Roccat Talk.

Kone Pure

For the smaller Pure version of the Kone Series, Roccat has three new designs that it'll be rolling out at CES 2014. The Kone Pure Military features a 5,000dpi optical sensor with TDCU and will be available in three different styles: Desert Strike, Naval Storm and Camo Charge. ROCCAT will also make the new Kave XTD 5.1 Analog plus a mousepad available in the same design and sell the mice alone or as a bundle.

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Kave XTD 5.1 Analog

The Kave XTD 5.1 Analog is the successor to original Kave 5.1. Made for gamers with a 5.1 soundcard already built into their PCs, the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog features classic 5.1 audio jacks plus a USB connector to power up the in-cable remote and the LED lighting. The headset features unique Zero Noise technology thanks to the interference isolator built into its dual-mode in-cable remote. The remote can be used either as a desktop or clip-on remote. The overall comfort should be improved as well, with the weight impressively reduced by 25 percent.

Kave XTD Stereo

The Kave XTD Stereo offers the same build and design but with two powerful driver units. The detachable noise-cancelling microphone includes features like the mute LED found in the original Kave 5.1.

Kave XTD 5.1 Digital

The flagship of the entire line will be the Kave XTD 5.1 Digital, which features a built-in premium 5.1 soundcard, a "world's first" headset-to-smartphone Bluetooth pairing and full audio controls with the comprehensive desktop remote.

Stay tuned for more from Roccat at CES.

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Back in late October, Roccat launched its remote control service for Windows-based PCs, Power-Grid. The software is comprised of a desktop client and apps for iOS and Android. It features preset Grids and Controls that offer functionality ranging from adjusting Windows settings to executing in-game macro sequences in popular games like StarCraft II and League of Legends.

Roccat revealed on Monday that fans have downloaded Power-Grid over 250,000 times since its launch in October, and more than 1,000 positive reviews have sprouted up on Apple's App Store and Google Play combined. To celebrate the milestone, Roccat is introducing new features to make the experience, currently in open beta, even better.

"Running the open beta is very important for us," says Roccat founder and CEO René Korte. "With this large user base we get way more feedback than we did in the closed beta. That makes it easier for us to focus on in-demand features that are beneficial to users, because more free Power-Grid content gets shared through our store."

This latest release adds an auto updater that will open a small pop up window, informing the user of a new version that needs to be downloaded and installed manually. There's also a new plug-in importer that supports both imports and exports, and a new home screen that allows for the user to navigate via tabs, before even connecting to the PC host software.

The update also brings brand new Roccat-created Grids for the app including a Trackpad for turning a smartphone or tablet into a computer's trackpad. Another new Grid is the Ryos, which allows users to control eight effects for the per-key Illumination of the Ryos MK Pro mechanical gaming keyboard.

"Releasing the Ryos MK Pro Grid is the first step towards combining Power-Grid with Roccat hardware. You remember our Phobo keyboard concept? Well, we've been working on that and I can promise you a mind-blowing solution for 2014," says Korte.

Roccat reports that this release of Power-Grid also brings the official release of the SDK. Now professional developers and "ambitious" users can create advanced Power-Grid content.

To download Power-Grid, head here.

Looking for a sleek new mouse for your PC gaming rig? Roccat may have the tool you seek, a limited edition Kone Pure Color Phantom White model that's available now as part of the Kone series' five year anniversary. The Phantom White variation of the mouse follows the Inferno Orange, Hellfire Red and Polar Blue Kone Pure Colors, as well as the Kone Pure Optical.

"Like the original Kone Pure, the Color edition features a high-end 8,200 DPI Pro-Aim R3 laser sensor and high quality Omron switches," reads the company press release. "With features like Easy-Shift[+], Easy-Aim and ROCCAT Talk, the Kone Pure Color is a powerful weapon in the hands of gamers fighting for point-streaks, lanes and bases. It is one of a series of limited edition products released over the course of 2013, which marks the 'Year of the Kone.'"

The specs include a 1000 Hz polling rate, a 1 ms response time, 30G of acceleration, and a 72 MHz Turbo Core V2 32-bit ARM-based MCU. Other features include 576 kb of on-board memory, zero angle snapping/prediction, a tracking and distance control unit, 1 mm to 5 mm lift off distance, a 16-bit data channel, and a 1.8 m braided USB cable.

The mouse also features a cool Easy-Shift[+] switch that lets owners set two functions for each mouse button and the scroll wheel. Users can also change the Roccat logo to any illuminated hue thanks to the support of up to 16.8 million colors. The fully-adjustable sensor on the Kone Pure reportedly offers superb tracking, transmitting even the fastest mouse movements with no lag.

According to Roccat, the original Kone was the company's first product, developed back in 2008, and has since become one of the more successful lines of gaming mice due to its "outstanding performance and innovative design."

"Early on, I was involved in the professional gaming scene," said CEO and founder René Korte. "So, I was aware of the many professional players who were dissatisfied with their gaming devices. Since then our overall mission has been to build high-quality peripherals that satisfy the needs of all ambitious gamers."

Roccat believes that its Kone series is one of the most successful gaming devices in the world. Decide for yourself by grabbing one of these limited edition mice and taking it for a spin!

Roccat's Power-Grid: Smartphone Meets Keyboard

Controlling your PC from a smartphone is certainly not a new idea. I've used remote desktop software like Splashtop to save my butt on more than one occasion, allowing me to access critical information on my home computer from a wireless device. A number of mobile applications, like MSI's Afterburner APP for Android and iOS, are designed to interface with PC hardware. There are even apps designed to turn your device into a game controller by harnessing your phone's G-sensors to act like a Wii remote.

While appearing unrelated at first glance, PC peripheral interfaces that make use of LCD screens with fully customizable graphics are more accessible than ever before; consider Mad Catz' impressive S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 keyboard and its cool VENOM TFT-LCD touchscreen and user-programmable game profiles. Another product that comes to mind is the ~$1000 Optimus Popularis keyboard that lets you display a custom image on an LCD screen behind every single key.

Someone at Roccat got the idea to bring all of this functionality together in a single application for smartphones and tablets. The software, which is called Power-Grid, allows users to control their PCs with a mobile device over a LAN using Wi-Fi. It was just released to the public, but we've been playing with the beta version for some time now in preparation.

At first glance, it seems a little out of place for the company: why would a PC peripheral hardware company want to get involved in mobile phone software? But consider the number of PC users that have a smartphone; instead of purchasing a separate, expensive peripheral device with customizable LCD display, what if you could just leverage your phone or tablet to get the job done? The potential is undeniable, and the best part is that Roccat wants to deliver the basic software for free with four start-up-tab slots for applications (called Grids). This means that users will have access to all sorts of basic functionality and custom application controls without paying a cent. Premium features and the ability to have more Grids (applications) available at the same time will cost extra.

On top of charging for premium software features, Roccat is bringing new hardware to market that is designed to augment and support your smartphone as a PC interface device. The new Phobo keyboard has a built-in smartphone dock that charges your phone and lets you take calls via your gaming headset, while the Apuri 2.0 is built to hold and charge your smartphone as an interface device beside your existing keyboard. Both products are expected to launch after Q4 of 2013.

As for smartphone support, Roccat is currently supporting iOS- and Android-based devices, though we're hearing that a Windows Phone version is in development. The company also plans to support tablets in a more official contest. We're already running the Android app on a Google Nexus 7 tablet with no problems at all.

That’s enough background; let's look at the Power-Grid app, starting with the basic bundled Grids. After that, we'll look at some of the extra Grids made by Roccat and the beta testing community. Finally, we'll show you how easy it is to make a custom Grid for any application you like.

Bundled Grids

We begin with a look at the basic bundled Grids that are available in the beta test. First is the System Stats application, a handy PC status center. From here you can see CPU core count, their utilization, memory usage, network usage, and storage capacity. The app is larger than the screen's display area, so you can scroll down to see remaining information. There's also a handy stopwatch and timer.

System Stats is an interesting application, but I wouldn't consider it a must-have. Perhaps it'd be useful when diagnosing a problem with your PC. Otherwise, it's a solid showcase of what custom Grids are capable of.

Next, let's look at the Sound Control Grid:

This Grid allows you to control master volume, and it has more depth than you'd assume. You can launch a pre-defined media player and go through playlists. You can also control master, music, and microphone volume on the main page. Scroll down and you even see controls for each application channel's sound level.

This app is potentially very useful whenever you'd like music, microphone, and per-app volume control without leaving the software window you're currently using. It's nice to have dedicated controls that don't take up valuable keyboard or monitor space. Perhaps more importantly, you can control your PC media center playlist from anywhere in your home. 

The third bundled Grid is the Incoming Center, built to handle all types of messages: email, Facebook, Skype, RRS feeds, and TeamSpeak.

While I can see the potential of an app center for looking at information, it seems counter-productive to type on your smartphone to reply when you're in front of a keyboard at a computer, no matter how much you might want to stay in a single app. For me, this works best as an indicator of new email, not as a one-stop, real-time communication center.

Non-Bundled And Community-Authored Grids

On top of its standard offerings, Roccat has a number of official Grids available for beta testing. The company provides custom stylized controls for games like Battlefield 3, Minecraft, StarCraft 2, Team Fortress 2, Football Manager 2013, and Counter-Strike.

In addition to game Grids, Roccat also offers Grids that expose Windows controls, VLC Media Player controls, and even turn your smartphone into a trackpad. While the beta version of the trackpad software only offers single-touch capability, applications like this show real potential for improving the user experience, delivering functionality for the PC previously only achievable with dedicated hardware.

Roccat's offerings are nice, but the real potential of Power-Grid lies with the community's ability to create custom interfaces. While the software is still in open beta, we thought we'd show you some of the first publicly-created and shared Grids. Let's start with productivity-oriented offerings: a forum user under the name Goblinstomper produced some Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator Grids, while user Marxim created a Skype Grid and user Happy Chicken covered Spotify. Lastly, user Domen178 provided Crunchyroll controls.

There are some interesting game Grids, too. Forum user Necrosylos gave us a Defiance Grid and MajorNono put together a control interface for Far Cry 3. SwedenMN released a Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Grid, and Harme developed a SimCity option.

Some of these are quite useful, and all of them were created by a very small handful of beta users who participate in the forums. Now that Power-Grid is in open beta and enthusiasts have access to it, we expect to see a huge number of interesting Grids put together by the community.

With that in mind, how hard is it to make a Grid? Can an average user put something decent together? In our experience, it's a quick and easy process once you get around a couple small interface quirks. We'll show you how on the next page and share some of the things we learned on the way.

How To Create A Custom Grid

To us, the ability to create and share custom Grids is by far the most impressive and appealing aspect of Roccat's Power-Grid software. It's surprisingly easy to put together a basic Grid, and users who are comfortable with creating graphics will find they are able to build Grids without a huge effort. We'll show you how we made our first Grid, and hopefully that will give you a good idea how you can make your own now that the software is available.

Power-Grid requires launcher software on the host PC and an app on the mobile device. The PC software controls what Grids are installed on the smartphone and lets you make custom Grids. When you open the Power-Grid Launcher software on the desktop, you see three sections: Controls (the left side, where control types are stored), Control Editor (center, where individual controls are modified), and Grid (right, where controls are placed on the Grid). At the bottom of the right-hand window is where the Grids are chosen and applied to the remote device. To create our first Grid, we select the create tab at the top of the right-hand window.

From here we can name the new Grid, add a background image, and modify the Grid's tab name and icon. New Grid tabs are automatically populated with a pixelated icon as shown, but this can be replaced if you have your own custom image. For now, let's accept the defaults and click OK at the bottom of the New Grid window.

You can see our new empty Grid on the right. Let's begin by populating it with a map button. To do this, we need to create a control. Our first control will be based on one of Roccat's control presets. Select Roccat control presets from the controls drop-down menu on the left and expand the custom buttons menu to select Custom Button: Master as shown in the image above. This selection gives us the most powerful settings to create and modify our control.

After this is selected, you will see the control in the Control Editor (center window). Set the trigger to Tap, simulating a single key tap on the keyboard. After the Shortcut function, we'll type the letter M to simulate a single tap of the M key. We want a large button for a map, so we can set the Control size to be three slots wide. In Image/Icon we can choose to select one of Roccat's bundled icons, in this case a map.

Once the control is created, we can drag it to the Grid on the right. This is how it will look displayed on the smartphone or tablet.

Instead of using Roccat's control set, you can create a custom control set for your Grid. This is done by saving each control to a custom category named after the Grid. For example, click the Save Custom Control As button at the bottom of the Control Editor window. Name the category after your Grid, and name the control appropriately as shown in the example above. Then click OK to save.

Now let's fast-forward to an example of a Grid we made for the MMO Star Trek Online. Notice that we've populated the grid with a number of custom controls. In the Control Window on the left, you can see we've selected My Controls from the drop-down, and all of our custom controls are displayed in the tree under Star Trek Online.

Now we'll get fancy and add some icons to the Grid. You can select an image to use as an icon by clicking the file button next to the Image/Icon field. There are a lot of icons included with the Power-Grid software, and you can customize the look of your Grid without any other graphic editing tools. That's all there is to it! You now know how to put together a basic Grid with the included icon graphics.

Let's say we have some experience with graphics and want to make our Grid look really special. In this case, we can make custom graphics to display. Roccat's software accepts 140x140 pixel PNG files, facilitating really unique custom control icons. Custom backgrounds can also be inserted behind the buttons. This is how users made some of the impressive interfaces you saw on the previous page.

We want to take our Grid to the next level, so we made a custom background to simulate the captain's PADD device seen in the Star Trek TV series. Instead of making individual buttons, we decided to go a different route: we placed all of the control graphics on the background image. To give the user visual feedback when a button is pressed, the Grid will show the built-in semi-transparent highlight image. This is how our Grid looks in the Power-Grid launcher:

Note the control editor. We removed the label, title, and image from the button so the background image is seen at all times. In the grid window on the right you can see that we chose to leave the left column empty of controls to leave space for some background graphics.

You will also see that this grid appears to repeat itself with the sixth row. This is because we designed it for the Nexus 7 tablet and later discovered that other devices with different aspect ratios are able to show the sixth row. Android devices display the Grid selection tabs on top, while iOS devices show them on the bottom:

If you place more than five rows of controls on your Grid, whoever uses it can scroll up to access them with a finger swipe.

The tab logo and Grid background can be changed in the New Grid/Edit Grid window. The Grid background selection box specifies a 640x960 pixel image file for the background.

Let's talk a little more about those Grid selection tabs. As we understand it, the free version of Power-Grid allows four Grids to be installed at a time, and users can unlock more slots with paid upgrades. You can control which Grids are installed in the Edit Tabs section, under the Grid display window on the right. There, you're able to add a Grid to the tab bar, delete tabs, and change the tab order. This controls how the tabs are displayed and available on the mobile device.

Those are the tips and tricks we learned. To see a video demonstration of how our grid works in-game, and for a download link, check out the next page.

Demonstrating Power-Grid With Our Custom Grid

So far you've seen screenshots and followed us through the theory, but now we'd like to show you a video of Roccat's Power-Grid in action using a Nexus 7 tablet. We're demonstrating some of the software's bundled applications and our custom-built Grid for Star Trek Online:

(You can download our Star Trek Online LCARS Grid for free from the Roccat Store)

As you can see, despite the fact that Power-Grid was in open beta, the software works the way we were expecting. It's quick and surprisingly responsive over Wi-Fi, it looks slick, it offers a lot of interesting functionality, and the potential for innovative community-built Grids is undeniable. On top of all that, Roccat is going to offer the basic version to the public for free. To be honest, even as a cynical journalist, it's difficult to find a convincing reason not to try Power-Grid out.

I'm not saying the software is perfect, mind you. I did encounter a bug that wouldn't let me apply custom sounds to my controls, and I also experienced occasional crashing in the Sound Control Grid when I skipped songs in a playlist. Having said that, the software is still being improved.

We could complain that the 4x5 control setup might make sense for a smartphone, while a tablet can handle many more buttons thanks to its larger screen. Roccat has mentioned that it plans to properly support tablets in the future, so the button size is a limitation that may be solved on devices with bigger screens. If this happens, a tablet may be a viable alternative to something like Optimus' Popularis customizable LCD keyboard.

When all is said and done, our greatest concern is this: will people actually use their smartphone as a PC input device, or will it be ignored in favor of the powerful mouse-and-keyboard combo that already exists in front of them? Will gamers find the extra controls useful or ignore them during actual play? Will the Power-Grid and mobile device combo end up being useful, or a one-time curiosity?

I ask this because, as much as I love the look and feel of Mad Catz' S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 keyboard, I haven’t been motivated to use the programmable Venom LCD touchscreen since reviewing it. Perhaps Power-Grid's flexibility will make the software more compelling; the idea of having my smartphone docked into a Phobo keyboard or Apuri 2.0 and acting as an on-demand trackpad is an appealing prospect. An active community can produce amazing things, too, so who knows what innovative Grids will appear now that it's in the public's hands?

But none of my misgivings are a good reason to avoid installing Roccat's Power-Grid software and giving it a spin, though, especially considering the basic version's free price tag. If you have the slightest interest in tinkering with software, you owe it to yourself to give Power-Grid a try now that it's an easy download.

On Tuesday Roccat brought its Power-Grid service into open beta, allowing users to turn their Android smartphone or Apple iPhone into a remote control for their PC. The software, comprising of the smartphone app and desktop client, features preset Grids and Controls that offer functionality ranging from adjusting Windows settings to executing in-game macro sequences in popular games such as StarCraft II and League of Legends.

"Power-Grid opens up a whole new world of opportunities for PC gamers," states Roccat CEO and founder René Korte. "Finally you are able to connect your smartphone to your gaming environment – it just feels natural and makes perfect sense. Forget about inflexible solutions like keyboards with integrated displays; create your own command center and benefit from this innovative Roccat technology."

According to the announcement, the software also provides gamers with the ability to create their own configurable Grids and Controls. There's also a new Power-Grid website that provides a database for those searching for additional Grids and Controls. The database will feature Roccat as well as community content, the latter being facilitated by the launcher software’s Grid and Control import/export process.

In addition to the software, the company is also releasing an SDK for developers. "Professional developers and studios will make use of this just like ambitious amateur coders," Korte adds. "At GDC Europe this year people were amazed by the possibilities and openness of Power-Grid and its SDK. A lot of creative minds out there will do a lot of unseen things with it – and so will we."

Power-Grid does not require the use of Roccat equipment, but products released in 2014 will take advantage of the new system. Power-Grid also works via Wi-Fi, meaning both the smartphone and desktop/laptop will be required to be on the same wireless network.

As seen in the video below, users can hit the Incoming Center button to send cross-platform messages to friends when looking to gather a party for a guild raid. Hit the System Stats button to find out what's slowing down the PC during a game, and tap on the Sound Control button to turn down the volume on specific software. The custom button displays a grid that users can customize, such as a quick-launch grid featuring Skype, Firefox, email Microsoft word and so on.

To get started, head here. The Android app is located on Google Play here, and the iPhone version is located on iTunes here. The duration of the open beta is unknown at this point, but Roccat plans to implement new features and optimize the software based on the user feedback.

Roccat said on Wednesday that the company's Ryos series of mechanical gaming keyboards is coming to America. This series includes the Ryos MK targeting PC gaming "purists," the Ryos MK Glow that adds a blue backlighting, and the flagship Ryos MK Pro model that includes two ARM Cortex-based SoCs. The Ryos MK and Ryos MK Glow can be purchased now for $99.99 and $139.99, respectively, whereas the Ryos MK Pro will be available in mid-November for $169.99.

"PC gamers all over the world have been wishing for Roccat to come up with a mechanical keyboard – and finally here it is," says René Korte, Roccat founder and CEO. "Congratulations to everyone who has been waiting patiently, you are now able to get the most advanced mechanical keyboard on the market."

According to a list of specs, the Ryos MK and Ryos MK Glow appear to be the same save for the latter keyboard's backlighting feature. Both sport a 32-bit ARM Cortex-based processor, 2 MB of flash memory for locally storing over 500 macros, and black Cherry MX key switches. There are eight dedicated macro keys, three thumbster keys, and the company's completely remappable Easy-Shift[+] and Roccat Talk technology. They also have an integrated wrist rest and a smudge proof surface.

"Next in line is the Ryos MK Glow, which features the same technical specifications as the MK while adding full backlighting in the color blue – with a powerful LED underneath each and every key," reads the company's press release. "The illumination level is fully adjustable in the rich driver software that comes with every Roccat product. Also equipped with black Cherry MX key switches, the MK Glow is built for gamers who care about both the utmost precision as well as the visual effects of their gaming set-up."

Naturally, the Pro version is the top of the line, adding to the baseline features of the first two. This keyboard throws in pass-through audio jacks and a USB 2.0 port for handling the audio output and possibly a Roccat mouse. This keyboard also features an additional ARM Cortex-based chip dedicated to the peripheral's per-key illumination. The MK Pro is also available in four different Cherry MX key switch colors: black, brown, blue and red.

"Imagine launching Battlefield 4 and having the keyboard automatically light up all your relevant key bindings – this is what the Ryos MK Pro is able to do for you," adds René Korte. "Configure tons of options in the driver software or code your own jaw-dropping illumination features with the SDK we provide – only your imagination is the limit."

The MK and MK Glow version of the Ryos are now available at U.S. retailers and online stores such as Amazon and Newegg.

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Roccat is the latest PC gaming peripheral maker to launch a new headset targeting full audio immersion in the latest titles. It's called the Kave XTD 5.1 Digital, and it's the result of community and customer feedback stemming from its predecessor, the original Kave 5.1 headset. This updated model is packed with Bluetooth connectivity for taking calls on a smartphone, a redesigned microphone, and a reworked headband that reduces its overall weight by 25 percent.

According to the company, the revamped XTD model sports a fully-equipped desktop remote featuring its own premium 5.1 sound card. This is also what houses the headset's Smart Link feature, a patented technology that lets users pair their smartphone to the remote via Bluetooth and answer/make calls without having to yank the headset off their ears. This remote also provides 5.1 speaker ports on the back so that users can connect their existing speaker system. The remote even has a complete set of headset and system audio controls.

"The headset comes with a completely reworked head band and, compared to the original Kave 5.1, weighs 25 percent less," the company said. "At the same time new materials and engineering solutions make the headset very robust and comfortable to wear – suitable for hours of gaming. The detachable microphone has been redesigned, keeping smart details like the mute LED while improving on reliability as well as sound quality."

Based on the provided images, the headband seemingly still uses the bedded-pad design that consists of three pads to distribute the peripheral's weight across the user's skull, but this model sports a more "connected" aesthetic for a smoother, more comfortable fit. The older model provides hand-sewn earcups aimed for long hours of PC gaming and tuning out the nagging spouse, kids or siblings, as does this updated model.

The biggest change, it seems, is with the "Tip'n'Control" remote itself which is now larger, more spaceship-like due to the sound card and added features. All controls are now on the outside: game modes can be more easily toggled, the microphone can be quickly turned off and the surround sound adjusted by dialing a new knob mounted on the top. This external sound card solution may actually be ideal for PC gamers who have a laptop packed with a bottom-of-the-line audio system. Here's hoping USB 3.0 will be part of this new package.

ROCCAT revealed the headset at Gamescom in Cologne, and doesn't have plans to ship the unit until this November for a meaty $169.99 USD. That said, the company is rather skimpy on the actual hardware details. The company did indicate that the new Kave XTD model will sport three driver units per earcup aligned at a 12 degree angle. The current model has a 40 mm front driver, a 40 mm rear driver and a 30 mm vibration driver.

We expect to hear more about this headset's hardware details as we get closer to the November launch. The new peripheral will eventually be listed on ROCCAT's website here.

After providing a preview during COMPUTEX back in June, PC gaming peripheral maker Roccat has finally unleashed the optical version of its Kone Pure gaming mouse. Unlike the previous model which uses a "Pro-Aim" laser sensor with up to 8200 dpi, this new edition is built for PC gamers who prefer the unique feel of an optical sensor gliding over their mousepad.

Company founder and CEO René Korte said on Thursday that the sensor used in the new mouse is a successor to the one used in the popular Savu mouse. "The Savu drew praise from gamers and reviewers alike, who complimented the mouse for its accurate and reliable tracking," he said.

Specs for the Kone Pure Optical show that the new mouse has a Pro-Optic (R3) optical sensor supporting up to 4000 dpi. It also has a 1000 Hz polling rate, a 1 ms response time, and a 32 bit ARM-based Turbo Core V2 MCU clocked at 72 MHz. It also has 30G acceleration, 576 KB of onboard memory, high-quality Omron switches, and a 71 inch braided USB cable.

Roccat said the new mouse is 91 percent the size of the original version, making it easier to grip. The mouse supports Roccat's Easy-Shift[+], Easy-Aim and Roccat Talk technology, and even has a 16.8-million-color lighting system allowing users to create their own custom illumination and effects for the glowing Roccat logo.

"By popular demand, the optical mouse arms gamers with a powerful weapon in their fight for point streaks, lanes and bases," the company stated. "A hat tip to the community feedback that shapes the success story of the Kone series, the Kone Pure Optical celebrates the five year anniversary since the Kone was born."

Roccat has also reissued the Sense mousepad, the perfect complement to the company's new optical mouse. It measures just 2 mm thick, and takes up a 15.75 x 11 inch space on a desktop. It's optimized for low- and high-sensitivity gamers alike, the company said, and features a special micro-crystalline coating which minimizes frictional resistance efficiently.

The Roccat Kone Pure Optical mouse is now available for $69.99, and the Roccat Sense mousepad can be purchased for $19.99 in Meteor Blue and Chrome Blue versions.

Roccat Studios said on Tuesday that its limited edition Kone Pure Color series of gaming mice is now available in stores. The peripherals arrive in three new colors: Inferno Orange, Polar Blue and Hellfire Red.

The company first introduced the limited edition mice back in March, saying they are a direct response to requests made by Roccat customers, including modifications to the peripherals' actual size. Their release is part of Roccat's "Year of the Kone," which celebrates the five-year anniversary of the company's very first product, the original Kone gaming mouse, launched back in 2008.

"The Kone Pure Color is a powerful weapon in the hands of gamers fighting for point-streaks, lanes and bases," the company said on Wednesday. "It is one of a series of limited edition products that will be released over the course of 2013."

The new Kone Pure Color mice run on a 32-bit Turbo Core V2 processor and come complete with 576 KB of on-board memory, an 8,200 DPI Pro-Aim laser sensor, high quality Omron switches, and features like Easy-Shift[+] technology, Easy-Aim and Roccat Talk. The original Kone form has also been slimmed down to 91 percent of the size while adding "even more competition-crushing power."

Roccat's new Kone Pure Color mice deliver a perfectly-weighted design, a soft-touch ultra-comfort surface, and a fully-customizable atmosphere "booster" in the shape of a large, illuminated Roccat logo. Users can modify this logo with a choice of 16.8 million vibrant colors, and several cool effects like "breathing."

"With seven fully-programmable buttons and a tough-built 2D mouse wheel, the Kone Pure offers the optimal amount of combat control in a clean, uncluttered space – giving you swift access to all the command options you need to dominate any skirmish," the company said.

Roccat said the fourth Phantom White variation of the mouse will be released later in the year, as well as other limited edition products.

German gaming peripherals manufacturer Roccat Studios is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Kone gaming mouse line by offering four special limited editions called the Kone Pure Color. Roccat says these new mice arrive in direct response to requests made by Roccat customers, including modifications to the peripheral's actual size.

According to Roccat, the original Kone was the company's first product, developed back in 2008, and has since become one of the more successful lines of gaming mice due to its "outstanding performance and innovative design".

"Early on, I was involved in the professional gaming scene," said CEO and founder René Korte. "So, I was aware of the many professional players who were dissatisfied with their gaming devices. Since then our overall mission has been to build high-quality peripherals that satisfy the needs of all ambitious gamers." 

The new Kone Pure Color mice come complete with a 8,200 DPI Pro-Aim laser sensor, high quality Omron switches, and the popular Easy-Shift[+] function as seen with the Kone Pure. However, they will be offered in a limited number and four different designs: Hellfire Red, Polar Blue, Inferno Orange and Phantom White. But that's not all.

"During the design process of the Pure, Roccat interviewed over 100 professional gamers to ensure the size of the mouse was perfect," the company said on Monday. "Based on that critical feedback from the gaming community, Roccat Scientists then took the legendary Kone form and slimmed it down to 91-percent of the size while adding even more competition-crushing power."

The new Kone Pure Color Edition mice are currently labeled as "coming soon", so keep checking back with the product page to find out when they're ready to purchase. Meanwhile, the company has provided a timeline showcasing the Kone's evolution over the last five years, as seen below.

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The Beginning Of Roccat

“Building the perfect gaming mouse is joy and pain.”

Roccat founder and CEO René Korte speaks with Tom’s Hardware about the process of building one of the world’s most successful lines of gaming mice. Before founding Roccat, he was a vice president of Razer in Europe. Prior to that, René worked for media companies like AOL and Computec. He also co-founded and managed one of the most successful professional gaming teams ever: mTw. René decided to start his own company in 2007, and six years later, Roccat is now one of the top manufacturers of gaming peripherals with products retailing in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Tom's Hardware: René, Roccat is celebrating the Kone's fifth-year anniversary this year. What does this product mean for Roccat, and to you personally?

René Korte: The Roccat Kone is the one product it all started with, and it remains our core product today. The Kone Series embodies the Roccat philosophy, that we are always trying to improve the gamer’s experience or to make people better players.

Overall, the Kone is a huge success story for Roccat. Although we had some bumps along the way, we learned from them, and ultimately improved gamers’ experience as a result. For me personally, five years of Kone means almost seven years of Kone. We started developing the first Kone right after I founded Roccat. At the time, we simply weren’t satisfied with most of the gaming peripherals on the market. So, we decided to do it better. We had been working on the very first version of the Kone for more than a year when we realized we were traveling on a dead-end street. We decided to start all over again, so my time with the Kone is one of a lot of joy with a few growing pains along the way.

Tom's Hardware: What was it that made you build your own gaming mouse? Which features couldn’t you find with other mice back then?

René Korte: Back then, I was still active in professional gaming. So, I had first-hand information of the problems players had with the existing peripherals. For example, the shape of the mice that were available sucked nine out of 10 times. The ergonomics were weak. Roccat was also the first company to solve some of the problems with laser sensors on different surfaces with the TDCU. Customization through lighting effects was something Roccat invented too, so there was a lot to improve on. All of those things were, and still are, meant to make people better gamers. It’s not about what’s possible technically. Our features improve your gaming or your gaming experience.

Korte: Peripherals Designed By Gamers, For Gamers

Tom's Hardware: From day one, Roccat did all the product design on its own. Why is that?

René Korte: Like I mentioned, Roccat products offer features that really help people to get better in their games or that improve your gaming experience. This is what separates Roccat peripherals from the stuff our competitors build. But the only way to make sure our products have those features, and even more important, have them working flawlessly, is to build the products on our own. Scratch to shelf. You cannot rely on external guys that don’t care about your company and don’t care about gaming. Here at Roccat everyone has a passion for gaming, and it’s this passion that makes the company and our products really unique. We also wanted to keep this knowledge in the company, because Roccat never was meant to be a nine days’ wonder. Evolution is only possible if we build something inside the company that can be developed independently, without starting from scratch all the time with external agencies, or manufacturers that are only copying instead of innovating.

Tom's Hardware: Let’s get back to the Kone. How long did it take to have it on store shelves, and what problems did you face during the development process? 

René Korte: We started with a team of six people. Most of them are still working here at Roccat. We did countless sketches, 3D renderings, and shape models to find the perfect design. What we did not do on our own was the software and electronics, and that was a big mistake. What we saw here did not fit our needs, so we decided to start working on that ourselves, too. That was after more than 12 months of work. Imagine that; we hadn’t earned one dollar up until then. That could have been the end of Roccat, but we decided to start all over again, and it was the absolute right decision. Times back then were crazy. We still have one guy working here who tested the first 60,000 Kone mice with his hands, to make sure the sensor was working correctly. We also always had huge support from the gaming community, and that’s also something that helped us getting through rough times.

Tom's Hardware: Today, Roccat is an established company. How do you stay in touch with the gaming community, and are there still connections to eSports?

René Korte: Roccat has its roots in eSports, and we will always stick to that. The feedback from more than 100 professional gamers influenced the shape of the Kone, for example. Danny Soerensen, one of the best professional FPS players ever, is a Roccat brand ambassador. We support many tournaments, events, and teams in eSports. We get feedback from professional gamers frequently, and knowing their needs is essential for our product development. But we also listen to the average user, of course. The Kone is the only mouse that has been improved over so many years, based on the feedback of our customers. We received so many requests for colors or certain features during the last five years, that we decided that now the time has come to let some of them become reality.

So, the first special edition to celebrate this anniversary will be the Roccat Kone Pure Color. We created five awesome designs, including the original Kone Pure, and they will be available within the next weeks.

The Future Of Roccat

Tom's Hardware: So what are your plans with Roccat for 2013 and beyond?

René Korte: This year will be a very exiting one for Roccat. We will release our first mechanical keyboard series with some pretty unique features, like the individual per-key lighting. This is a good example for the Roccat philosophy of developing products. If you build a mechanical keyboard that has a LED under every key, why not make every LED light its own? Why not try to make more out of things you do anyway? It took us a while to develop the Ryos series, but we wanted to make it perfect, and when we release it, I think we'll have the best mechanical keyboard on the market.

We have the Five Years of Kone anniversary with more special limited editions upcoming, and we will also have the biggest launch in our history to show around gamescom this year. Last but not least, we will launch Power-Grid and step into the arena of software and apps. The PC is moving away from the desk and gets more and more connected to the living room. That’s something that we have an eye on when we think about new products. Using your PC while you’re sitting on your sofa; that’s something where you might see Roccat in the future. I expect 2013 to be the most successful year for Roccat so far.

For the future, our goal is to keep producing the best gaming peripherals money can buy. We will further improve our quality control management.

Roccat does not exist because there is a market for high-quality gaming hardware. The company exists because we are passionate about gaming. And, as gamers, we want to be able to use the best stuff out there. And if nobody is able to build it the way we need it, then we will build it for ourselves and for everyone out there who requires the same standards.

Expect a lot from us; we have many ideas and a lot of awesome stuff to come.

Tom's Hardware: Thanks, René, we're also looking forward to these products.

The Perfect PC For Any Mood

We’re typically resolute in our choices when it comes to the guts of our favorite PCs. But we can get downright fickle when you start talking about aesthetics. I'm pretty sure everyone here at Tom's Hardware has a different opinion on what looks good. Choosing an enclosure is difficult enough. Forget committing to any one color of lighting (that's if you can tolerate lighting at all). In ideal world, we'd like the freedom to change colors to suit our moods. And this has to be done right. The tenets of artistic design demand that all pieces fit together. We can’t have green lights in the chassis, a yellow mouse, and a keyboard that blasts out red.

A few years ago, it would have been unrealistic to expect components from different vendors to come together in an amalgamation of coordination. You would have had to spend hours modding your chassis and peripherals with custom LED lighting. This is no longer the case, though. Thanks to a number of enthusiast-friendly companies and good old fashioned capitalism, you can find a wide variety of cases, accessories, and peripherals armed with LEDs able to assume any color in the RGB spectrum.

So, we decided to construct a customizable illuminated dream build. Although it boasts some fantastic hardware, this system's real focus is  bright colors and exciting effects. We'll showcase each component, of course, explain why we picked each of them, and how we put everything together. In the end, you'll see just how well-coordinated (and luminous) a build can be using off-the-shelf parts.

Lighting Controller And Enclosure

Lighting: NZXT Hue RGB LED Controller

This is the piece of hardware that sparked my idea for this story. NZXT's Hue consists of a simple six-foot-long LED sleeve that adheres to a case's interior. The controls are housed in a 5.25” drive bay, providing easily access for adjusting brightness, color, and even effects (referred to as modes).

Modes make the lights flash, pulse, fade, and change colors. Considering a reasonable $33 price tag at Newegg, this component definitely has the biggest impact on our build's aesthetic for the lowest buy-in.

Enclosure: Thermalktake Level 10 GT

Acknowledging that chassis choice is highly subjective, Thermaltake's Level 10 GT is one of the most unique and attractive PC enclosures I've ever worked with. It's designed to be a less pricey version of the $1,000 BMW-designed, ultra high-end Thermaltake Level 10, reviewed by Thomas Soderstrom in 2010.

Despite an $800-cheaper price tag, the GT's build quality is still excellent. Its unique semi-modular design makes component installation an absolute pleasure. Five externally-accessible 3.5” hot-swappable SATA drive bays are a luxury that add to this case’s style and function.

Perhaps more relevant to this particular build, the Level 10 GT comes factory-equipped with customizable LED lighting. Fan lights can be set to blue, green, red, two patterns that alternate between the three colors, or off. In addition, the case features a small window to the CPU area, which is ideal for showing off lit-up components.

For $200 on Newegg, Thermaltake's Level 10 GT is one of my favorite enclosures, and an excellent home for our illuminated dream build.

Fan Controller, Memory, And Power Supply

Fan Controller with LED Touchscreen : Aerocool Touch-2100

While you might be surprised to see a fan controller listed as one of the most visually striking components on a build's parts list, one look at Aerocool's Touch-2100 LCD display should make it pretty clear why we picked it. Equipped with an illuminated LCD touchscreen the size of two 5.25" drive bays, the Touch-2100 looks like something out of Star Trek. The controller's color can be set to red, green, yellow, blue, purple, teal, white, or turned off entirely.

But the Touch-2100 isn’t just for show. This unit can handle five fans, each with an accompanying temperature sensor. Fan speed can be set manually. However, if a user-configurable temperature threshold is exceeded, the Touch-2100 automatically increases cooling to help bring it back under control. Underneath the screen itself, you'll find two USB 3.0 ports and headphone/mic jacks that can be used instead of your case's front-panel connections.

For $64 on Newegg, Aerocool's Touch-2100 is the crown jewel in our illuminated dream PC.

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer

Crucial's Ballistix Tracer kit is a great example of how a common and visually bland PC component can be spruced up with simple lighting effects. These modules are available an orange/blue or red/green lighting combo. Each stick has LED running lights near its contacts, which illuminate your chosen motherboard's memory area. The top of the modules also have activity lights that change based on memory utilization.

Activity lights can be set to one of four patterns: stereo, inside out, lava, and streamer. Their visual impact on whole machine's overall look is actually more dramatic than you might otherwise guess. The intricate light patterns generated by Crucial's kit are pretty spectacular, and easy to see through the case's side window.

Lighting color and effects are controlled by the Ballistix MOD utility. Each module can be modified with an independent color and pattern, or all of them can be linked to use the same settings. We used four sticks of orange/blue memory. But, in retrospect, a combination of two orange/blue and two red/green would have allowed us to apply four distinct colors instead of two, yielding an even wider range of customization. Regardless, we're still able to use these modules with a variety of color schemes, since orange and blue can complement a wide range of hues.

Although we were originally skeptical about the impact light-up memory would make, now that the whole machine is put together, we don't think this build would have ended up nearly as appealing without it. You’ll see it for yourselves in the video at the end of this piece.

Crucial offers a wide range of Ballistix Tracer memory on Newegg, starting as low as $10.

Power Supply: Rosewill Lightning

Rosewill sells the only power supplies with adjustable lighting that we could find. The LED on the large intake fan can be set to red, blue, or turned off entirely. The modular power receptacles also light up when cables are connected. The four-pin Molex and SATA plugs light up blue, two of the four six- and eight-pin auxiliary connectors for graphics cards light up green, and the other two light up orange.  

Since the intake fan is pointed downward, the light-up effect is much more dramatic in cases with top-mounted power supplies. Unfortunately, our build has its PSU on the bottom of the enclosure. There's a lot less impact from its illuminated fan, though the cable connectors remain quite visible.

The Rosewill Lightning series is available from Newegg in 800, 1,000, and 1,300 W flavors for $150, $170, and $220, respectively. All three SKUs are equipped with active PFC and share the same 80 PLUS Gold certification.

Keyboard: Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7

There are a number of great keyboards out there with robust illumination controls, but we wanted something really special for our dream build. We found it in Mad Catz's S.T.R.I.K.E. 7.

The S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 is a modular gaming keyboard with several removable sections. On the left side of the keyboard is a function strip of four programmable macro buttons. The lower-left portion of the keyboard hosts a palm rest with its own thumb wheel and action button, which essentially turns the keyboard into a functional gamepad. To the right of the palm rest, you can see a pair of adjustable wrist rests, one of which corresponds to the keyboard and the other attached to the number pad (of course, that detaches from the keyboard as well). Finally, there is the programmable V.E.N.O.M. control module (enough acronyms, Mad Catz) with its own LCD touchscreen.

That's a lot to take in, so let's begin with the modular nature of this product. The main keyboard, number pad, LCD touchscreen, function strip, palm rest, and both wrist rests can all be removed and rearranged into a number of different configurations. The only obvious limitation we can see is that the palm rest is left-hand-only, leaving the left-handed mouse user out of luck.

In addition to being modular, the wrist rests are adjustable to fit different users, and the palm rest has height adjustment. Further customization is possible with a set of alternate WASD and arrow keys; one set is outlined with red rubber, while the other simply has arrow-shaped notches embedded into the keys.

If its modularity isn't enough to differentiate this keyboard from others on the market, the V.E.N.O.M. touchscreen control module certainly is. With it, you can adjust backlighting, launch apps, control media playback, adjust audio levels, set timers, take notes, and several other functions.

But the control module's real power is its ability to program macros for specific games, using up to 12 touchscreen icons. This means you have the power to customize both the functionality and look of the touchscreen controls. Our only criticism is the lack of background options. It would be awesome to change the generic blue image to a specific game-themed one. Mad Catz claims to be working on additional functionality for the V.E.N.O.M. control module, so we hope that adding background options makes its to-do list.

The V.E.N.O.M's TFT LCD screen is about 3.25" (measured diagonally). And although Mad Catz doesn’t publish the screen's specifications, we believe its resolution to be 480x320 based on the image in the control panel software.

Build quality is also top notch, as we'd expect and demand from a $300 peripheral. The main pieces are anchored by a metal frame, and even the keyboard risers are made of this material. The product is covered in a rubbery, yet solid matte finish. The color and brightness of the laquered, laser-etched keys' backlighting is adjustable via a V.E.N.O.M. app.

Given its price tag, this keyboard is not for the everyone, but it’s most certainly the right fit for our dream build.

Gameboard And Mouse

Gameboard: Logitech G13

Considering the impressive capabilities of Mad Catz's S.T.R.I.K.E. 7, you might consider a gameboard redundant. We're including one in this build because we're more comfortable using a gameboard and mouse on a different elevation than the keyboard. Besides, the illuminated keyboard, gameboard, and mouse combo looks seriously impressive. After all, that's the point of this project.

Logitech's Gaming Software is able to assign color and brightness settings to each profile, which can then be selected on-the-fly via three dedicated buttons. Color is not only applied to key backlighting, but also to the integrated LCD display. The LCD can be set to display system resources, a clock, stopwatch, news, and applets created by developers to show in-game information. Logitech also provides an SDK so you can create your own custom applet if you want. The G13 even has 256 MB of on-board RAM for storing profiles, letting you take your preferences with you and not worry about the software.

The G13 features 25 keys and a programmable mini-joystick. Three mode buttons mean that the keys can perform up to 75 functions. And if all of that isn’t enough, macros can be programmed as well. The Logitech G13 Gameboard sells at Newegg for $74.

Mouse: Roccat Kone XTD

Even though keyboards with customizable lighting are relatively common these days, mice with this functionality are more rare. While Thermaltake offers a few models with selectable colors, Roccat's Kone XTD is the only mouse we're aware of that allows full RGB-spectrum color control. [Edit: Since publication we've learned about Mionix's NAOS 5000, with 24 selectable colors]

But the company doesn't stop with a single LED. The Kone contains four separate lights, each able to display a unique color. It also supports light effects like blinking, breathing, heartbeat, and a constantly-adjusting color flow that moves across the mouse’s lights. The speed of each effect is adjustable as well.

The Kone supports up to 22 functions and five game profiles via the most detailed control panel we've ever seen. This mouse is equipped with a 8,200 DPI laser sensor, for which the company claims a 10.8 megapixel resolution. With a polling rate of 1,000 Hz, and the ability to handle up to 30 Gs of acceleration, this mouse has more going for it than just good looks. Roccat's Kone XTD is available on Newegg for $90.

Graphics, Motherboard, And Cooling

Some components simply aren't available with customizable lighting. Whenever this happened, we chose products that distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack visually, while at the same time providing excellent performance.

Graphics Card: MSI N680GTX Lightning

MSI's GeForce GTX 680 Lightning boasts one of the highest factory core overclocks available on a GK104-based card at 1110 MHz (GPU Boost takes it to 1176 MHz on average). It features adjustable GPU, memory, and PLL voltages via MSI’s famous Afterburner overclocking utility, and the board's Twin Frozr IV cooler does a great job of keeping the graphics processor operating at low-enough temperatures so that frequencies stay nice and high.

While the card does not include adjustable lighting options, the back of MSI's Lightning board features a snazzy blue orb emblazoned with MSI's logo. The orb covers a removable component that MSI calls the GPU Reactor, which the company claims provides higher power capacity and lower noise.

Even if it doesn't have customizable lighting, this powerful high-end graphics card suits our dream build quite nicely. The MSI N680GTX Lightning sells on Newegg for $500.

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z77X-UP7

Since we can't find a motherboard with color-adjustable LED lighting, we can at least pick an exceptional specimen worthy of our special build. Enter Gigabyte's Z77X-UP7, the company's flagship LGA 1155-based offering. This motherboard boasts a 32+3+2 power phase design, 14 USB ports, and 10 SATA connectors. There are four PCIe x16 slots wired for eight-lane operation when you want to run in CrossFire or SLI, along with a fifth slot capable of 16-lane bandwidth in single-card configurations.

Gigabyte claims that the Z77X-UP7’s voltage regulator is the best in the industry. Moreover, the company includes its OC-Touch buttons soldered right onto the motherboard for making real-time adjustments to the multiplier ratio and BCLK without the need for rebooting. The platform sports on-board voltage measurement points and an LN2 mode switch that drops the CPU multiplier to x16 for extreme overclocking duty.

Gigabyte’s high-end Z77X-UP7 sells for $400 on Newegg.

CPU Cooler : Cooler Master TPC-812

We couldn't find any coolers with adjustable LED lighting [edit: NZXT's Kraken X60 was released after this build was spec'd out, and we discovered that Cooler Master's V6 offers three color adjustable lighting after publication], so we picked one with a mirror finish to reflect the build's other light sources. Yes, we realize that sounds incredibly superficial to enthusiasts who prioritize function over form.

Nevertheless, we gave Cooler Master's TPC-812 a try. The company claims that its TPC-812 is the first heat sink to combine vertical vapor chamber cooling with heat pipe technology.

This cooler features a polished copper base, an easy-to-use mounting system for its included 120 mm fan, two vapor chambers, six heat pipes, and aluminum fins. You can find the TPC-812 for $60 on Newegg.

Assembly And Build Notes

Thermaltake's spacious Level 10 GT makes assembly and cable management relatively easy compared to some of the System Builder Marathon configurations I've put together. As a result, there's very little to complain about, aside from the extra work that went into getting NZXT's Hue lighting strip and Aerocool's Touch-2100 fan controller installed.

We'll start with the Hue. Sliding the control panel unit into the bottom external 5.25" drive bay and plugging in its SATA-style power cable is as straightforward as it gets. The only component that requires any thought is the LED lighting strip, and even that doesn't necessitate much skill. Simply plan out the strip's route through the enclosure, check it for size, and remove sections of the adhesive tape as you apply it.

In our case, we placed the LED strip along the inside edge of the motherboard door. We had to be careful with a few bends and twists, but the flexible lighting is quite easy to work with. Our only worry was that some of the sharper angles might stress the adhesive, and one section came loose after a little while. We pushed it back into position, and the strip is still in place, even to this day.

The Aerocool Touch-2100 was no more difficult to install than the Hue, though it presents its own challenges. The touchscreen control panel is easily placed in the space of two adjacent 5.25" optical bays. A single four-pin power connector is all that you need to drive up to five 25 W fans. Because we had Thermaltake's Level 10 GT controlling all of the illuminated fans, there was only a 130 mm rear exhaust fan left for the Touch-2100 to control. Hooking it up was simple, leaving us with the temperature probes to arrange. Even without more fans attached, the probes can still report temperatures from five different zones in the case.

We placed probes on the motherboard voltage regulator, the CPU heat sink, the graphics card, the hard drive, and the memory. Unfortunately, the included adhesive tape wasn't sticky enough to hold the probes in place for long. That issue aside, installation was a breeze. We're finally ready to show off the fruits of our labor.

Our Dream Build In Action

It’s one thing to read about the system we've put together, but something else altogether to see it in action. So, we'll let the pictures speak for themselves. With full control over the lighting, we can create an almost endless number of color combinations. To keep things simple, though, we only took snapshots of a few.

According to my taste, this turned out to be a perfect PC. Obviously, that's a subjective claim, and you're going to have your own idea of what a customized, lit-up machine should look like (or not, if lighting doesn't do it for you). We hope the easy assembly we demonstrated gets you thinking outside of the box when it comes to your next setup. And while most of the components we used were pretty pricey, one of the most significant, NZXT's Hue, added a lot of visual appeal and only ran us $35.

While my dream build looks good in pictures, it’s so much more attractive when you see the system, memory, and even the mouse pulse with light. I tried to capture this in the following video. And although the camera on my HTC 8x phone isn't ideal in low-light environments, I hope it gives you a better idea of what the system really looks like.

Some of the LEDs aren’t configurable, including running lights on the motherboard, the graphics card, some in the chassis, and some in the power supply. If you're a purist who demands uniformity, you can always cover up those other light sources with electrical tape. But I didn't find them distracting enough to be a problem. Whether you liked my ideas or not, I encourage you to create your own illuminated dream machine. The result is pretty satisfying, and putting it all together is easier than you might think.