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The Piper Command Center is a gaming controller your child can build and program

NEWS – Earlier this week, Piper launched a new DIY game controller kit called the Piper Command Center. The Piper Command Center is a build-it-yourself video game controller kit for kids ages 13 and up that teaches them how to build their own game controller.

The kit comes with everything you need for assembly and is powered by an Arduino micro which is compatible with Raspberry Pi just like the Piper Computer Kit. Once it’s assembled, kids can use the game controller with their favorite desktop games on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

The Piper Command Center kit teaches important STEM skills and allows kids to apply their understanding of electronic components into the realm of gaming and other real-life applications.

The kit is priced at $49.99 and is available now from Piper.

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The Piper Command Center is a gaming controller your child can build and program originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 25, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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KontrolFreek FPS Freek Battle Royale Performance Thumbsticks review

REVIEW – Online gaming is a red-hot commodity, especially with the emergence of the popular “battle royale” last-man-standing genre of shooters. KontrolFreek is here to boost your killstreak with their FPS Freek Battle Royale performance thumbsticks. How do they stack up? Read on to find out!

What is it?

KontrolFreek’s FPS Freek Battle Royale Nightfall Thumbsticks (whew) are small, rubber grips that attach to the top of your Playstation or Xbox controller’s analog sticks, extending the height of them by nearly double. They are meant to offer more range of motion and better shooting accuracy for “battle royale” type games like Fortnite, Apex Legends and PUBG.

The FPS Freek Battle Royale thumbsticks double the height of the PS4 controller joysticks.

What’s in the box?

  • One pair of thumbsticks

Hardware specs

  • 11.7mm height
  • convex rubber tops
  • laser-etched design for comfort and grip

Design and features

I’ve been playing video games since the old Atari days, and they’ve sure come a long way since Pac-Man and Pole Position. The latest trend is the “battle royale” genre of last-man-standing shooters. It seems as though nearly every major publisher is hopping on this multiplayer online bandwagon.

The rubber caps are rather comfortable, and if you look closely, they’re tiny compasses.

For a skilled player, battle royale matches can last up to 25 minutes, requiring stamina and accurate, high-sensitivity controls. That’s precisely the type of action that the FPS Freek Battle Royale thumbsticks were designed for.

Basically, these thumbsticks, which are the tallest offered by KontrolFreek, attach to the existing analog joysticks, acting as extension caps. They offer extended height and grip, allowing for better control and comfort in extended play sessions.

They have a very basic construction. Easy to place and remove.

In many modern first person shooters, you can set the controller sensitivity to very high levels, allowing your character to turn and look around the screen very quickly. This is useful for fast aiming and split-second decisions, but it makes fine aiming at long and middle distance targets relatively difficult. With the thumbsticks installed, the range of motion is increased due to the extra leverage.

The extra height allows for better leverage and fine-tuned accuracy.

I found it much easier for accurate aiming at faraway targets, whether looking down the sights of an assault rifle or through a sniper scope.

And while I don’t find the Playstation controller uncomfortable, I very much like the position of my thumbs on these thumbstick extensions. It feels more natural to me, for some reason. It felt stranger going back to the default height than it did when I had first installed the extensions.

I also liked the added texture of the thumbsticks vs. the roughened rubber feel of the regular Playstation controller. If you look close, the design is actually little compasses. Cute.

I’ve got to admit, being 39 and not having loads of time to practice, I’m not sure if these thumbsticks actually did very much for my bottom line, so to speak. No Victory Royales or Apex Champion screens for me, today. But I definitely liked how the FPS Freek thumbsticks felt, and my accuracy was much better. I’d say that alone is worth the investment.

After several hours, my thumbs felt just fine.

Speaking of which, the price is about the only thing I could knock… $15 for a couple plastic and rubber caps is about $5 more than I’d expect. Very minor quibble.

I think I’ll keep the FPS Freek thumbsticks installed, and I’ll keep practicing. And with luck, perhaps someday I’ll not be such an embarrassment to my squad!

What I like

  • much more comfortable to play for extended time
  • easier for fine controls on high sensitivity settings

What needs to be improved

  • maybe a bit overpriced, for what they are

Final thoughts

After an initial brief adjustment period, I very much enjoyed the improved control these thumbsticks offered. They felt more natural than the default controller thumbsticks and boosted accuracy as promised. I would consider them a worthy investment.

Price: $14.99
Where to buy: You can pick up a pair of KontrolFreek thumb sticks in various heights for specific types of games on their website and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by KontrolFreek.

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KontrolFreek FPS Freek Battle Royale Performance Thumbsticks review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 17, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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GameSir Marsback Mini Game Arcade review

REVIEW – If you want to relive all of your favorite childhood Game Boy, NES, PS, and other games on your phone, you have to use an emulator, but playing these games with onscreen controls is not fun (at least I don’t think so). The GameSir Marsback Mini Game Arcade is a fun way to turn your Android or iPhone into a tiny retro gaming console. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The GameSir Marsback Mini Game Arcade is a Bluetooth joystick controller and holder for your smartphone that turns it into a mini arcade machine.

What’s in the box?

  • GameSir Marsback Mini Game Arcade
  • 2 AA batteries
  • Instructions

Design and features

The Marsback (where’d they get that name?) is a square plastic device with a joystick and 6 control buttons on top and a slot for your phone.

On the bottom are the power switch and battery compartment (2 AA’s are included with the unit).

The device isn’t very large at only 3.25 x 3 x 3.5 inches.

Behind the phone slot is a pull-out backrest if you want to use the phone in landscape orientation with the controller.

Here we see my Pixel 2 XL resting against the backrest on top of the device. This orientation works fine as long as you are going to play the games on a flat surface. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to hold the Marsback controller in your hands to play games as there is nothing to secure the phone in place and it could easily fall off.

And here we see the same Pixel 2 XL with a Pitaka case inserted in the phone slot. I think this is the preferred way to play games using the Marsback. Yes, the screen is smaller, but you can hold the whole thing in your hands which makes it more portable.

The Happy Chick app



The Marsback controller does not come with any games, but the instructions that come with the controller instruct you to download the Happy Chick app by using the QR code in the instruction sheet. You can see some of the errors and warnings that my Pixel 2 XL showed when I installed the app. Although these errors make the app look pretty shady, I decided to take a leap and installed it anyway. So far my phone hasn’t exploded. I also have read that lots of people use this app so hopefully, that means it’s not evil.

The app is basically an interface that lets you download and play game ROMs on your device. You can search for your favorite retro titles and find them for a variety of devices like the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, NES, and more.

If you’re thinking that downloading and playing copyrighted game ROMs (if you don’t own them) could be illegal, well yeah, you’d be right. Will you go to jail if you buy and use this device? Highly doubtful.

One of my all-time favorite retro games is Prince of Persia, so I downloaded it first. You can actually use the Happy Chick app all by itself to play games as it has onscreen controls, but when you pair the Marsback controller to your device it works perfectly with these old games.

By default, the games display in landscape orientation, but you can bring up the Happy Chick settings to switch orientations.

In portrait orientation, the layout is perfect for placing the phone in the Marsback phone slot to create a mini arcade machine.

The joystick and buttons are smaller than what you will find on a full-sized gaming controller, but they are responsive and fully functional. Holding a plastic box between your hands to play games can be a little awkward and not nearly as comfortable as using a regular controller. But the idea of the Marsback device is to be a cute nostalgic nod to the standalone arcade games from the ’80s and ’90s.

What I like

  • Cute!
  • Easy to use
  • Phone can be used in either orientation

What needs to be improved

  • Put the power button on top so you won’t forget to turn it off after a gaming session
  • Shady Happy Chick app

Final thoughts

I guarantee if you stick your phone in the phone slot of the Marsback mini arcade device and boot up Pacman, Centipede, Sonic the Hedgehog, Doom, or another iconic game from the past, that anyone who walks by is going to ask you about it and want to take a turn playing the game. The Marsback Mini Game Arcade isn’t the most fantastic gaming controller I’ve ever tested. But it is fun to use and at only $34, it won’t make your wallet cry but it will make you and your friends smile.

Price: $34.00
Where to buy: Vinpok
Source: The sample for this review was provided by GameSir.

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GameSir Marsback Mini Game Arcade review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 19, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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GameSir VX AimSwitch for PC and Console gaming keyboard review

REVIEW – Not long ago my preteen son and I built a gaming PC together, and I came across this half-keyboard thing. Since most PC gamers use the left side of the keyboard with the left hand, and the right hand on a mouse, this combo from GameSir caught my attention. There was a lot more this thing did than I had anticipated.

What is it?

The GameSir VX looked like all the lookalikes I’ve seen on Amazon except this one was wireless. Well that’s pretty neat, I thought, except why did it come with a wired mouse? It turns out the USB mouse plugs into the keyboard, and the pair communicates wirelessly to the included USB dongle… and is compatible with game consoles such as the Xbox One, Playstation 3/4, and Nintendo Switch.

Hardware specs

  • Mechanical keys (blue clicky)
  • MicroUSB rechargeable (cable included)
  • Works with PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch

What’s in the box?

In the box, you get the keyboard, a detachable wrist pad, USB mouse, wireless dongle, microUSB charging cable, and instructions.

Design and features

The keyboard looks like someone chopped a mechanical keyboard down the middle. The wrist pad slides on with a very satisfying rat-tat-tat ratchet sound.

Speaking of sounds, you’ll be immediately drawn to the blue mechanical keyboard switches, which produce a very satisfying (and very audible) click-click-click noise. This is not for stealth gaming sessions.

The backside features some rather large, grippy pads… even on the wrist pad.

On the top end, you’ll find the full-size USB port for the wired mouse, microUSB for charging, and the power switch.

There are four “G” buttons on the left (not mechanical switches). In PC mode, they correspond to keys 7, 8, 9 and 0. For console games, they are for “HIP sensitivity adjustment” and “ADS sensitivity adjustment”, according to the manual. Apparently they keys are configurable but I didn’t find any documentation other than this YouTube video.

Here’s my hand over the keyboard, for size reference.

In the box is a gaming mouse I found… not to my liking. Too many sharp angles and creases. If you’re a gamer, maybe this is your style. I found two buttons on the left side, a DPI adjust button on the top, and a scroll wheel on top. The backlight glows different colors when you switch DPI.

Finally, a wide USB dongle rounds out the kit.

Setup

There are ways to connect the kit to the Xbox, Playstation and Switch, but I don’t have either of those.

Instead, I simply plugged the USB dongle into a USB port, and Windows just recognized the GameSir VX as just another keyboard.

Performance

I set my son loose on the GameSir VX and his game of choice (Fortnite). He opted not to use the included wired mouse since it was a little large for his smaller hands.

What I like

He liked the wireless freedom of not being tethered to a conventional wired keyboard. It also took up a lot less room than even a tenkeyless keyboard. I found it interesting he chose to remove the wrist pad. He just felt more comfortable without it. At least it’s an option!

What needs to be improved

I was really surprised to hear his chief complaint. “It’s too noisy” and “It’s too tall”. He was used to flatter, laptop-style membrane keyboards. As for the noise issue, he’s certainly right about that. The blue keyboard switches are VERY audible. In my experimentation with mechanical keyboards, a lot of the noise is from the keys bottoming out. That can be softened with the addition of rubber O-rings, but you still have the tactile click of the blue switch itself.

Final thoughts

Despite my son’s misgivings about the mechanical switch noise, this is probably a godsend for those craving keyboard-mouse connectivity for consoles such as the Xbox One, PS3/4 and Switch. But if you have housemates or kids who are picky about noise, you may wish to look for more silent options.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: GameSir and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by GameSir.

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GameSir VX AimSwitch for PC and Console gaming keyboard review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 2, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and Special Edition Bundle Revealed

NEWS – Nintendo has unveiled a special edition pro controller and game for this year’s very hyped  Super Smash Bros Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch. This pro controller is painted black and white with the Smash Bros logo, which varies from the existing plain black Nintendo Switch pro controller. The special edition game also looks like it’ll come in a steel book case with fiery Smash Bros logo. No retailers have been officially displayed on the site yet, but check back on the Super Smash Bros Ultimate website for updates! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be released on December 7th, 2018.

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and Special Edition Bundle Revealed originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2018 at 2:30 pm.

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