Despite its increasing focus on its Xbox console business, Microsoft is in no way neglecting PCs when it comes down to providing gamers with innovative technology and accessories. The recently launched Windows 7 takes that graphics experience of computers to the next level, bringing to the table DirectX 11. And Microsoft hardware is making sure that gamers relying on the good old keyboard and mouse interaction models will have no problems when tackling their preferred title. In this sense, the Redmond company announced the release of the SideWinder X4 keyboard which features advanced anti-ghosting technology.
Developed by the Applied Sciences Group, the technology included into the SideWinder X4 keyboard is capable of allowing gamers to control of up to 26 keys simultaneously. In a world where some keyboards have a limit of 3 keys which can be used at once, it’s safe to say that the SideWinder X4 Keyboard delivers a new level of in-game control.
“We’re always looking for new and novel ways to enhance people’s interactions with their PCs,” revealed Steven Bathiche, research manager of the Applied Sciences Group at Microsoft. “We know that ghosting can be a problem for gamers, so we wanted to develop a way to eliminate this issue and improve the overall gaming experience, and we’ve succeeded with the new anti-ghosting technology in the SideWinder X4 Keyboard.”
According to the software giant, SideWinder X4 Keyboard is capable of recognizing complex key combination, with each key scanned independently. On normal keyboards, input can only be processed from a limited number of keys, preventing the gamer from performing certain actions, a limitation referred to as ghosting. The promise from Microsoft is that the SideWinder X4 Keyboard, planned for availability in March 2010 for of $59.95, will be offered for pre-sale on Amazon.com by the end of this week.
“The SideWinder X4 Keyboard also offers more of the features gamers need to stay at the top of their game. Macro recording lets them string together multiple moves into one press of a button, and the new automatic macro repetition feature lets them repeat the macro over and over as needed with one key. Mode and profile switching also provides easy ways to customize the keyboard for different games and users while adjustable backlighting lets gamers select the lighting level that meets their needs,” Microsoft added.
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