STACK J#165 Jul 2018

GAMES FEATURE

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Tech it to the limit With software seemingly all the rage at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, gaming accessories were not to be left behind.

I n fact, our show began with a trip to the Logitech and Astro offices to see what hardware companies have in store for gamers in the months to come. For starters, Logitech have introduced a new gaming keyboard – the G512. Featuring mechanical switches, this bad boy also has fully customisable RBG lighting (because what gaming keyboard worth its weight doesn’t these days?) and has a 1ms response rate. It’s sturdy, so you don’t need to worry about its integrity if you happen to smash it against a wall in a fit of Fortnite rage, and looks sleek and simple to boot. The G512 even has a handy USB passthrough that you can connect a mouse or headset to. It has a gaming mode (that disables the windows key) and onboard profile storage so it will remember your macros and lighting configurations no matter where the road takes you. Additionally, Logitech lifted the lid on its new peripheral software, known as

comfy and considerably better at blocking out sound. Of course, they’re fully compatible with mod kits, but to be fair there’s not much about these that you’d want to change. The 3.5mm connection means you can use them with just about anything that has a headphone jack, so you’ll want to keep an eye out for these when they launch later in the year. Finally, still with Astro, the company made a point of showing us a few new modkits they are looking to release towards Christmas this year. The ones we saw were a new Mario-themed collection, and if you’re a Nintendo fan worth your salt with an Astro headset at your disposal, you are definitely going to want to grab these. While there are a number of different designs available, our pick of the bunch was definitely the Super Mario 3 themed set, complete with Mario, the Super Leaf, a Piranha Plant, and an adorable art style. Can’t wait to see these hit the shelves!

the G Hub. They’ve completely rebooted it from the ground up, and honestly it’s all the better for it, with an improved display and easier navigation. Setting up your RGB and macros is a breeze for all the Logitech gaming peripherals you have connected to your PC, and you can even use the Lightsync technology to sync all your devices up together and make for a pretty lightshow. It was then over to Astro to see what’s new in its domain. Believe it or not, the A40 headsets this year turn 10, which is nigh unheard of in the gaming world. Some might even consider these headsets antiques, and yet they still rate as some of the company’s best-sellers. In celebration of the milestone, the company has released a new X edition of the A40s, with a black and red design worthy of Darth Maul himself. These things honestly look the goods. They feature many of the same inclusions that accompany the base A40s, but are a bit more

Important release dates:

Logitech G512 - out now Astro A40x - coming soon

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JULY 2018

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