It has all the customizable controls and profiles one could need

Aug 8, 2012 17:01 GMT  ·  By

Peripheral and PC accessory maker Genius has officially introduced its newest addition to the GX Gaming Series of products, one that it already available for sale in the US and Canada.

The name of the newcomer, which is a keyboard in possession of more than the usual share of buttons, is Imperator. Its price is of $49, or 39.53 Euro, according to current exchange rates.

That isn't as high as what other products expect to see paid in exchange for their services, although, to be fair, Imperator isn't a wireless keyboard either.

When used in normal mode, Genius' keyboard is convenient thanks to the 3.8mm key travel distance and the seven media keys, one of which enables a mute function.

When in gaming mode, customers can access three game profiles, which retain different commands for the six programmable keys and are set up through a straightforward user interface where multiple macros can easily be modified.

Macros are most useful in games where key combinations are what determine moves, attacks, or spells. Up to 18 of them can be stored at any one time.

Speaking of which, the macro functionality is the reason why Imperator is classified as an MMO/RTS gaming peripheral on Genius' website.

“By expanding the amount of easy-to-reach commands with six macro keys on the side, it avoids any distractions by switching on the Gaming Mode,” the company says.

“It also includes three game profiles for different game categories and has an onboard memory chip to prevent APM (actions per minute) loss. The six media control keys are available for easy access. Slim keycap structures maximize response for critical actions during competitive game play ensuring fast results.”

Genius Imperator boasts a 6-foot (1.8 meters) universal serial bus cable (gold-plated USB jack), a 1,000 Hz report rate and a response time of 1 ms.