Connects to PCs via Bluetooth and has a battery life of 20 hours

Jan 11, 2012 17:11 GMT  ·  By

For those gamers who want to be comfortable on a couch while driving a virtual car or playing an action game, SteelSeries has announced the Ion Wireless Controller.

The Ion Wireless Controller is a Bluetooth-enabled device that works on PCs as well as other devices, like tablets and phones.

It is about as large as a deck of cards and features a white LED light on the controller.

Said LED light indicates when a connection has been established.

There are two mini-joysticks, a left side Dpad button, two trigger buttons (one at each shoulder) and four buttons on the right.

In other words, the layout is similar to Xbox 360, Nintendo and PlayStation controllers, so lack of familiarity won't be an issue.

What's more, SteelSeries ships the item with its own application, through which it can be configured according to the owner’s wishes.

Finally, the battery life is of 20 hours and recharging is as easy as plugging the cable in whatever device users have on hand.

“For PC users, the SteelSeries Ion is a convenient alternative, especially if they want something other than their mouse or keyboard as their tool. And for consumers with tablets and Smartphones, it really is an ideal accessory,” said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO.

“Whether you’re sling shooting birds or playing a word game with friends, there are games that are ideal for touch screen. Those types of games however, are not the only games available; there are a number of first-person shooter and RTS games that aren’t downloaded or played as frequently as they could be, because the touch screen doesn’t provide an optimal experience. The SteelSeries Ion provides the advantage for those types of games.”

The price of the SteelSeries Ion Wireless Controller was not provided and shipments would only start in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Prospective buyers may wish to look at the Kinzu 2 and Kana mice instead.