Sidewinder Mouse and Keyboard Review

By Tristan Clark

Premium products - but are they worth it?

Microsoft have been producing their own keyboards and mice for years, from the most basic of devices right up to premium products aimed at hardcore users. The latest set, the Sidewinder X6 Keyboard and X5 Mouse, definitely belong in the latter category – they’re expensive, but if you’re an avid gamer, you’ll want to check them out.

Sidewinder X6 Keyboard

Okay, this keyboard glows red when you plug it in, which is pretty awesome. And for that, you’ll be paying around NZ $170 for it.

Luckily, the keyboard has other features that make it worthwhile to the right sort of gamer. It sports a detachable num pad that can be stuck on either side of the keyboard, and reassigned with custom buttons. This comes in handy if you want more buttons at your fingertips when playing, say a first person shooter.

Arguably of more use are the set of six empty buttons that run down the left hand side. These can be completely customized with macros, and a function key doubles the number of slots available. You could, for example, record a number of combination moves inside a game you’re playing, and then assign it to a button. It’s a simple enough system once you get the hang of it, and gamers who use a lot of repetitive commands (WoW players, anyone?) will find it very handy.

The top array of buttons is also well done – you’ve got your standard set of media playback functions that makes manipulating iTunes or other media players a breeze. You’ve also got a “run” button that lets you hold down any key, tap this button, and have the command still in play even after you lift your fingers from the keyboard. This certainly comes in handy when a game doesn’t have an auto-run feature.

The keyboard also sports two giant knobs – one for volume, and one for what appears to be screen brightness. But what’s peculiar – in an awesome way – is that the brightness knob just affects how brightly red your keyboard glows. Useless, but still cool.

Perhaps most importantly, I loved how the keyboard felt. Too many models have overly spongy keys these days, so it was nice to come across one that provides a decent amount of tactile feedback. This is perfect for high-end gaming – you won’t have any problem knowing when a key is being pressed down.

All in all, if you’re a hardcore PC gamer, this one’s worth checking out. For most people, simply getting a $100 mouse and keyboard set will be enough, making this a rather niche product. But then, that’s the whole point really.



Sidewinder X5 Mouse

The mouse is almost as expensive as the keyboard, retailing for roughly NZ $150. And unlike the keyboard, the premium features in the mouse are generally more subtle.

The most obvious thing about the Sidewinder mouse is the number of buttons available to you. In addition to the standard buttons and clickwheel, you’ve got several on the side, as well as more on the top of the mouse. Some of these have recommended functions (such as opening the games area in Windows Vista), but all of them are customizable, and can be assigned various macros in a similar manner to the keyboard above.

The design of the mouse fitted well in the hand during testing, as you’d hope – the target market here is, after all, going to be holding this thing for hours on end. And most importantly, this thing is extremely accurate and responsive. You certainly won’t have any trouble with your cursor or screen jumping around due to misread signals.

However, it does seem harder to justify paying this much for a mouse as opposed to the Sidewinder keyboard – while they’re both packed with features, it just feels like there’s more value inherent in the keyboard. Still, it’s naturally a perfect complement to the keyboard, and buying both will ensure you’ve got a high quality control scheme all round.

But that, of course, means you’re paying in excess of $300, which can be an awful lot for someone who isn’t the most elite gamer around. Consider this one if you’re a WoW addict or really into multiplayer shooters, but even then see if you can demo it in a store before laying down the money for it.

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ReplyPosted by thedrunkasian on 1 September 2008, 03:35PM

i'll still rather have a razor mouse and a logitech keyboard.

 

ReplyPosted by Genocide on 1 September 2008, 03:54PM

Hah drunkasian Im the opposite, razer keyboard and logitech mouse. Keyboard sounds pretty cool, mouse looks rather uncomfortable though.

 

ReplyPosted by TONGIA on 1 September 2008, 04:31PM

looks mean. too expensive though

 

ReplyPosted by alienhominid on 1 September 2008, 04:36PM

sound good. but they sound like the sort of stuff people who think they're cool coz of there expensive peripherals would buy. like this guy i know he brought a $200 mouse because it looks cool? I'm happy with my $35 Logitec mouse

 

ReplyPosted by BlackRetina on 1 September 2008, 09:36PM

I used to use the G7 ... it broke. Never again.

 

ReplyPosted by alienhominid on 3 September 2008, 05:39PM

would be cool if Nzg had a comp to win them. hint hint...

 

ReplyPosted by BlinK on 7 September 2008, 06:33AM

logitech keyboard + logitech mouse + logitech speakers lol.

 

ReplyPosted by briscus on 13 September 2008, 06:19PM

pretty cool but im cool wit my logitech stuff