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Turtle Beach XO THREE gaming headset review

If you are a serious console gamer you have probably heard of Turtle Beach. Turtle Beach has been one of best-known gaming headset makers around. If you’re not a gamer you may not understand the importance of having a good headset, especially when playing PVP (Player VS Player) type games. I will admit that I have always been a little envious of Turtle Beach users, but I could never justify buying some of their earlier offerings because of prices. Not that they were the most expensive, but more for my lack of PVP gaming, so I just used some get by headsets. Now Turtle Beach has launched the XO THREE headset for the XBOX One and RECON 150 for the PlayStation 4 a good functional gaming headset at a good price.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

If I were to say what price category the XO THREE headset fell into for Turtle Beach I would say they were a mid price range offering, but that’s not saying that the features are midrange.

The XO THREE headset has the following specifications as listed on the Turtle Beach website:

  • Audio Connection: 3.5mm 90-Degree Angle Connector
  • Speaker Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Speaker Size: 50mm Neodymium Magnets
  • Microphone: Removable Omni-Directional Microphone
  • Headband/Earpad material: Leather-Wrapped Headband / Black Fabric Ear Pads with Foam Cushioning
  • Ear Cushion: Over-Ear (Open)

The top of the XO THREE headset is padded and leather wrapped and has “TURTLE BEACH” stamped into it. The padding is above and below the headset frame. The green stitching is a nice touch.

On the bottom of the headset, you can see the leather band on the headband and the microphone and cord on the left side ear cup.

The outside of both of the ear cups for the XO THREE headset are basically the same with the Turtle Beach logo and the green material.

The inside of the XO THREE ear cups have nice padding for a comfortable fit. The inner speaker is covered by a mesh material. Speaking of ear cups now would be a good time to talk about the speakers. The XO THREE headset has a 50mm speaker and is designed for surround sound. The 50mm speaker is the same size Turtle Beach uses in its higher end offerings.

As I mentioned before, the bottom of the left ear cup has a cord (this plugs into your game controller or directly into a 3.5 mm headphone jack) and a removable boom microphone.

The removable microphone has a solid base with a flexible boom and a foam covered mic. The flexibility of the microphone allows you to place it exactly where you want it for the best sound being transmitted to your gaming friends.

The headphone cord has an inline volume controller for the headset volume and a mute slider to mute your microphone.

So, what is my bottom line here? I have been fortunate enough to review another gaming headset, the Polk Striker Pro Zx so I do have a reference to compare the Turtle Beach XO THREE headset too. First, let me say that the XO THREE headset, to me anyway is a good bang for the buck buy. The sound is great (may be as good or slightly better than my Striker Pro Zx) the build quality is good and the features are nice. From a comfort standpoint, I think my Pro Zx is a little bit more comfortable, I believe that is more to do with the ear cup shape than anything else. That being said, the only real negative I could find about the XO THREE headset is a lack of a removable cord. If you ask gamers what their biggest issue with gaming headsets is they will probably say the cord. Cords wear, crack, get eaten by pets/kids and when that happens it makes the headset unusable. It is a shame that Turtle Beach did not make the cord removable and changeable. The Turtle Beach XO THREE gaming headset can be purchased on the Turtle Beach website for $69.95. If you’re looking for a good gaming headset for a good price the XO THREE headset is worth a look.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Turtle Beach. Visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $69.95
Manufacturer: Turtle Beach
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • XBOX One or compatible PC
Pros:
  • Decent price
  • Great sound
Cons:
  • No removable cord

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Turtle Beach XO THREE gaming headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 19, 2017 at 8:32 am.

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SmartBoy turns your Samsung Galaxy S8 into a Game Boy

Do you still have a pile of Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges gather dust in a drawer somewhere in your house AND do you also have a Samsung Galaxy S8? Then your retro dreams have just come true with SmartBoy.

SmartBoy from Hyperkin is a module that attaches to the bottom of your S8 (and a select group of other Android phones) to turn it into a Game Boy / Game Boy Color device right down to those iconic controller buttons.

This device doesn’t require batteries. It plugs into the Type-C port on the bottom of the S8. You supply the Game Boy cartridge and then all that’s left is to have fun playing your favorite games.

The SmartBoy is priced at $49.99 and will start shipping on 8/21/17. You can read more about it and check the device compatibility list at hyperkinlab.com

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SmartBoy turns your Samsung Galaxy S8 into a Game Boy originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 8, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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VR Real Feel Racing 3D reality simulator review

Virtual reality gaming continues to grow in popularity and VR headsets are all over Amazon and other online retailers. Today I want to show you the VR Real Feel Racing set. This is a VR headset that comes with a wireless steering wheel controller for a fun 3D racing simulation. Let’s check it out. 

What is it?

VR Real Feel is a VR headset that connects via Bluetooth to a handheld controller to give you a real world feel of racing a car.

What’s in the box?

VR Real Feel VR headset
Handheld controller
Quick start guide

Design and features

The VR headset is similar to other VR headsets that I’ve reviewed in the past. It’s made of plastic, doesn’t require any batteries or power to operate.

It’s basically a holder that you wear on your head that has bee designed to hold your smartphone in front of your eyes and two lenses.

Adjustable elastic straps are attached to the headset so that you can customize the fit.

The front of the headset unlocks to reveal a spring-loaded holder for your smartphone.

I used my iPhone 7 Plus in a Rock iPhone case to test the VR Real Feel. It fit just fine in the spring-loaded holder and I had no problems snapping the headset closed with the phone in place.

To round out the racing set, there’s a battery powered Bluetooth handheld remote controller that is included with the headset.

The controller has grips so that you can hold it between your hands like a racing steering wheel.

There are two round thumb buttons located perfectly where your thumbs rest while holding the controller. There are also two “shoulder buttons” on the edge above the thumb buttons that are placed where your index fingers rest.

The controller is powered by 3 AAA batteries which is a bummer if you don’t have any on hand when you unbox this device. Yes, I’m speaking from experience.

Drivers, start your engines!

To start racing, you will need to find 3 AAA batteries and load them into the handheld controller. You’ll also need to install the VR Real Feel racing app on your iPhone or Android device.

When you start the app, it will ask you to scan for the steering wheel controller. To do that, flip the power switch on the back of the controller and press the scan button in the app. It will find the controller and connect via Bluetooth.

It will then ask if you want to play the game with or without the VR headset and will then instruct you to load your phone into the headset and put it on.

I wear glasses and am happy to say that the headset fits over my glasses without any issues. That said, the headset felt heavy on the bridge of my nose. When I tried to wear the headset without my glasses, the plastic nose piece in the headset felt sharp against the bridge of my nose so I did not find the headset to be comfortable no matter how I tried to adjust it.

Even though the headset was not comfortable to wear for very long, I was able to race several times with the headset, controller and VR Real Feel app and found it to be pretty fun once I got used to the controls and navigating the menus.

The game has several race tracks and levels that you can drive.

There’s a dirt track race.

A city track race.

 

 

There are even wacky tracks like dino world, under water, robot factory, and more.

The controller is easy to use while driving as it’s a simple matter of pressing the thumb buttons to control gas and braking.

While racing, I was surprised to find out that the handheld controller has some force feedback features that cause it to vibrate when you hit an object or go off the road. This contributes to the virtual reality feel of the game to make it feel more realistic and fun.

Final thoughts

If you can get past the comfort issue with the headset, this virtual reality headset, and controller racing set is a lot of fun. At least than $30, it’s inexpensive and can be used to play other VR games. I would say the VR Real Feel is the least comfortable of the VR headsets that I’ve reviewed so far, but it’s definitely better than the other VR headsets that I’ve reviewed so far because it comes with a controller.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by VR Entertainment. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $29.99
Manufacturer: VR Entertainment
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • iOS or Android mobile device with Bluetooth 4.0 BLE
Pros:
  • Fun to play
  • Multiple tracks
  • Handheld controller with force feedback
Cons:
  • Controller requires 3 AAA batteries which aren't included
  • Headset can feel heavy and uncomfortable

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VR Real Feel Racing 3D reality simulator review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 22, 2017 at 4:18 pm.

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Kingston HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse review

The next stop on my gaming gear journey has us looking at a gaming mouse. Now, Kingston is not a brand I usually associate with gaming peripherals, rather, I think of internal components instead. When the Kingston HyperX Pulsefire FPS gaming mouse was offered up for review, I thought I would give it a chance. Would their name live up to my expectations? Time to find out.


Inside of the box you’ll find the HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse and a quick start guide.

This mouse is meant to be plug and play. There is no special software to customize the buttons, and there are four DPI settings that cannot be changed. Each preset DPI setting is indicated by the button color, ranging from 400 DPI to 3200 DPI. I ended up using the third highest setting for day to day and gaming use, but could switch easily to whichever I wanted with a push of a button. I really liked the color indicator feature so that I would know which DPI setting that I was on.

The mouse is lightweight and would glide smoothly across my mouse pad. It is a hair larger than my previous mouse, but weight wise, it was around the same. There are tactile, textured grips on each side of the mouse to theoretically keep your hands from slipping around. I’ve never had a problem with slipping, but it felt nice under my fingers either way. The Pixart 3310 optical sensor had no problem working on the wood of my desk or on my mouse pad. I never felt any hesitation due to the sensor; it always worked perfectly regardless of whatever game I played.

It took about a week to get used to the slight differences between my old mouse and the Kingston one, but once I did, it was very comfortable and felt normal to use. There are six buttons on this mouse; the left and right standard buttons, the scroll wheel, DPI button, and two thumb buttons. The layout of the thumb buttons were perfectly placed and easy to press, and it was easy to customize them using in game settings for what I used them for.

After getting my key bindings set up, (my previous mouse has software that sets the key bindings for each game) figuring out which DPI setting worked best for me, and getting used to the feel of the mouse, I have had no desire to switch back to my old mouse. The ease of gliding across my mouse pad is the main reason, as my old mouse would catch on the bottom from time to time due to a bottom pad wearing down.

I also liked the look of the mouse. The black and red color scheme is simple, yet you get that splash of color. The durable, braided cord is also black and red, and made it easy to figure out which cord was which in the back of my computer.


Overall, I really liked the Kingston HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse and it definitely lived up to the expectations I had for it. The quality and comfort level is great, and it is simple and easy to use. The biggest downside I see is that you lack any customization outside of pre-sets, and that can be a deterrent if you can’t find a DPI level on the mouse that suits you. For a casual gamer though, this mouse is worth looking into.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Kingston HyperX. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $49.99
Manufacturer: Kingston HyperX Gaming
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • – Easy to use
  • – Well made with a nice aesthetic design
Cons:
  • – Not able to customize DPI

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Kingston HyperX Pulsefire gaming mouse review originally appeared on on July 13, 2017 at 7:55 am.

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Soap Studio MIND: The Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice Cerebral Combat Trainer game review

Do you think the next logical step in video gaming is mind control? If so, then you’ll love the concept of Soap Studio’s MIND: The Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice Cerebral Combat Trainer. It’s a video game that I was sent to review. It sounded like fun, but it turned out to be pretty lame. Let’s take a look.

What’s in the package?

MIND headset
Holo-Box
USB charging cable
Instructions

Design and features

The Cerebral Combat Trainer has two main components. The MIND headset and the Holo-Box. First, let’s talk about the MIND headset which is shown above. It looks like a pair of headphones, but the adjustable band rests against your forehead and not the top of your head.

The headset has a micro USB connection for charging the internal batteries. On the top of one of the “ear pieces” is a power button and a tiny status LED.

The shiny parts of the headset rest against the backs of your ears. The headset does not play any sounds. It’s just there to detect your brain waves.

The other component is the Holo-Box which is just a three-sided open-topped plastic box. A clear piece of plastic is inserted into the box at an angle to act as a mirror.

Your Android or iOS device rests face down on the Holo-Box. The phone’s screen reflects off the angled plastic to create a very viewing box.

I tested the MIND Holo-Box with my iPhone 7 Plus and didn’t really see any advantage to using the Holo-Box because the size of the “screen” in the box wasn’t any bigger or better than just viewing with the phone. The info on the package says

By combining a smartphone and a Holo-Box, players can experience a 3D holographic projection, as if in a private cinema.

Yeah… no. Not even close. It’s just a mirror image of your phone’s display. Nothing 3D about it. At all.

It’s time to control Batman with my brain!

Before getting all brainy, you first have to charge the headset with the included (or any) micro USB charging cable. Then you put on the headset with the band touching your forehead and the earpieces resting on your ears like the frames of a pair of eyeglasses. And that’s where I ran into another problem with the MIND Cerebral Combat Trainer. It doesn’t fit if you wear glasses because the eyeglasses temples prevent the headset from properly resting on your ears.

With my glasses removed and the MIND headset in place, I launched the MIND app on my iPhone 7 Plus and was giving the choice of using the Holo-Box or just the phone. I tried it with the Holo-Box first and was instructed to place the phone on the Holo-Box.

The app then begins the headset connection phase.

I had a hard time getting the headset to fit correctly on my head. See that tiny icon in the lower left corner that looks like a pair of headphones with a red X in the center? That icon would continuously switch from X which is bad, to yellow which is good.

I finally got a good connection and went through some calibration tests where I was asked to blink twice and to make the Batman logo spin faster.

Once I passed the calibration steps, the game proceeds.

The game has several levels which are represented in a circular pattern. By double blinking your eyes, you can switch between the levels, but to select the level to play you have to tap the screen. If you’re using the Holo-Box, that means you have to pick up the phone, tap the screen and then set it back on top of the Holo-Box.

Each level instructs you to do something with your mind. In the first level, it’s your job to have Batman fly through gates.

The idea is that you use your mind to make Batman fly higher or lower so that he doesn’t miss a gate.

Easy right? Actually yes. Very easy. I didn’t even try to focus my thoughts on Batman’s flying. I just watched the screen and he was able to get through every gate without problems. Hmmm…. Either my brain is insanely powerful, or this game is lame…

The next level has you help Batman hack a lock by spinning gears until they snap in place. Again, I had no problem getting through this level by no even trying.

I didn’t run into trouble until the third level. In this level, Batman is in a parking garage and bad guys appear out of thin are. You’re supposed to us your mind to move a target over the bad guy and then Batman will zap him. I was horrible at this level and got seriously annoyed at the game because it seemed like it would just do things randomly no matter if I focused or not.

Final thoughts

After the third level, I was done with the Soap Studio’s MIND: The Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice Cerebral Combat Trainer. It’s not fun and it’s crazy expensive at $120 with over $80 shipping to the US. A kid might enjoy goofing around with this game (for about 30 minutes), but not at that price. My advice is to skip this one and use your mind for something more productive like reading an actual Batman or Superman comic.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Soap Studio. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $120 + shipping
Manufacturer: Soap Studio
Pros:
  • I really can't think of anything good to say about this product
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Shipping is very expensive
  • Not sure you can really control anything in the game with your mind
  • You have to pick up the phone from the Holo device to press buttons on the screen
  • Can't wear glasses with the headset

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Soap Studio MIND: The Batman vs. Superman Dawn of Justice Cerebral Combat Trainer game review originally appeared on on July 9, 2017 at 5:22 pm.

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