In a game like Counter-Strike, the main use for these keys is probably to speed up the purchasing of equipment - record a macro representing the keypresses to purchase an M4A1 rifle from the menus, and then when you want to do it next time you just need to push the macro key. It's a bit like the 21st century equivalent of the "autofire" switch they used to have on joysticks back in the day. Macro keys are a feature popularised by Logitech's G15 gaming keyboard, and allow you to assign sequences of keypresses to a single macro key for fast access. Being able to shrink the size of your keyboard by removing the keypad will be a godsend to players in such situations. The biggest benefit from removing the keypad will probably be felt by gamers at LAN events - often you have three gamers on a table designed for one, and can barely move your mouse without hitting something. Plugging the keypad into one side or the other is a smooth procedure - it's magnetised and has an angled docking port, so you practically just have to sit it next to the keyboard and it gets sucked over and plugs itself in. So Microsoft's gaming-oriented implementation of the concept is both unique and a big improvement. It was designed for use with home-theatre PCs rather than gaming, and cost a fortune.
#MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X6 KEYBOARDS BLUETOOTH#
But that keypad wasn't detachable so much as permanently detached it was a clunky Bluetooth wireless affair that never worked properly. The X6 isn't actually the first keyboard to try this idea - Logitech's diNovo Media Desktop introduced the idea of a separate keypad several years ago. Or, you can plug it into the other side of the keyboard, by your left hand, where it can provide an extra 18 programmable macro keys in addition to the six which reside in a row beneath the Esc key. You can pull it off and chuck it away, freeing up more desk space. If only you could remove the keypad, you'd have more mousing surface available and wouldn't keep getting headshotted by that damn camper on the roof. Your left hand is most likely sitting on WASD, while your right is on your (SideWinder) mouse. So that's what the X6 has.īut then when you want to fire up some Call of Duty 4, that numeric keypad is in your way. And if you're going to write up your household budget in Excel, you probably want a regular numeric keypad on your keyboard. According to Microsoft's PR droids, the thinking is that people don't buy keyboards just to play games - they need to be able to do other, less important stuff (work, for example), with them as well. The X6 keyboard's headline feature is its programmable numeric keypad, which can be swapped from one end of the keyboard to the other. The gloss areas are sensibly restricted to bits that you wouldn't normally touch, as they show up every finger mark and speck of dust. It's not a bad look though - sharp angles with subtle curves, glowing red mood lighting and a combination of glossy piano black and matte plastic.
But now, the brand is back - Revenge of the Sith style.Ĭomplementing the SideWinder gaming mouse released a year ago, Microsoft has now launched a gaming keyboard, the SideWinder X6, and a cut-down version of the mouse, the SideWinder X5.Īll the devices in the new SideWinder range look like the kind of peripherals you'd get if you let Darth Vader assemble them using parts from a TIE Fighter. The SideWinder range of joysticks and gamepads was discontinued by Microsoft in 2003, citing poor sales.
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