I reviewed the SteelSeries Xai early last year, pronouncing it elegant and effective. I’d still recommend it today, except for the fact that a new and improved version has just been announced: the Sensei. The simple and comfortable design of the Xai is intact, but there’s a new metal surface (which has yet to prove itself; the old surface was great), customizable lighting, and some changes under the hood.

A new in-mouse processor (which they note is fast as 1994′s Pentiums) allows for increased sensitivity, collating and processing images from the laser sensor at up to 12,000 frames per second. Yes, it’s probably overkill, but so is a quad-core i7 when you’re checking email. The new engine should enhance the tracking accuracy, especially for high-CPI users like me, whose mouse rarely moves less than an inch in crossing 4000 pixels of display space.

The lighting has been updated, as well — you can now light up the scroll wheel, high/low sensitivity light, and logo with different colors. I suspect there will be many flag-related schemes being shared.

On the bottom you’ll find the same on-mouse sensitivity and profile manager from the last few mice. Again, overkill, but nice to have. The overall layout hasn’t changed, though I have to say I’m sad to see the classic, rough SteelSeries finish go.

We’ll be sure to put this one through its paces. You’ll be able to pick one up yourself in September for $90 or €90. Head over to SteelSeries for more info.

I also get a surprise from a lady in red right at the beginning there. Why didn’t I follow up on that? What’s wrong with me?!

A few days after the Japan disaster struck, you could find numerous Japanese gaming companies pledging millions of dollars toward disaster relief. That’s still the case, but I also wanted to mention what Sega of America was doing to help. The company has put a number of items up for auction on eBay, and 100 percent of the proceeds will, naturally, go to disaster relief.

There’s 20 items up for grabs, and a few of the highlights include: a classic Dreamcast “It’s Thinking” hoodie (currently at $355); a Sonic the Hedgehog 15th anniversary statue ($150); and a one-of-a-kind piece of Outrun outwork signed by Yu Suzuki himself ($182).

The auctions are part of the broader Play For Japan organization.

I did also mean to mention the other day that SteelSeries had cut the price of several of its mice models by 25 percent, and that it will give 25 percent of the proceeds from these mice sales toward the Japanese Red Cross Society. This goes through April 15.

SteelSeries continues to dip its toe into the console waters. The company has just announced, at Cebit in Germany, the Siberia v2 for the PS3, to be available sometime in the third quarter of the year.

It should be noted that the Siberia v2, while designed in the image of the PS3, is also compatible with the Xbox 360, PC, and Mac.

It brings LiveMix to the PS3. LiveMix made its debut with last year’s Spectrum 5XB, and it lets you separately control the volume of voice chat and other in-game sounds.

Not much more to it than that, other than the price: $119.99, which about the going rate for premium gaming headphones.

This year marks SteelSeries 10th anniversary, and the accessory maker has decided to celebrate by giving away a fair number of prizes. It is, in fact, the largest such giveaway in SteelSeries’ history. How do you enter, and what do you stand to gain?

It’s not too, too hard. You go to SteelSeries’ site, pick one mouse, keyboard, pair of headphones, and pair of glasses (who knew SteelSeries made glasses?). Then you enter your contact info, do some sort of Facebook-ing, then call it a day. Apparently the more people you notify via Facebook about the contest the better your own chances of winning. I haven’t used Facebook regularly I think since 2007, so pardon my ignorance on this whole “liking” business.

The point is, you stand to win quite a bit of goodies provided you stick it out.

The contest runs from today until March 18.

SteelSeries’ second go at creating such a mouse, the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm MMO Gaming Mouse (yes, it’s a mouthful) could make a fine gift this holiday season for the WoW player in your life. It certainly helps if said WoW player has hands the size of Andre the Giant’s.

Features:

• 14 programmable buttons
• On-board memory to store multiple profiles
• PC and Mac compatible software
• Nifty built-in flashing LED
• Blizzard’s blessing as it’s a fully licensed WoW product

Pro:

• Plenty of buttons that you can configure however you see fit
• Driver software works for Mac on Day One this time around
• SteelSeries’ typical solid build quality

Con:

• It’s gigantic (or maybe I just have small hands?)
• Pretty much a one-game (or one genre) mouse—it’s probably overkill and/or inappropriate for browsing the Web or playing the latest FPS
• Inner thumb buttons a little difficult to reach (but again, maybe I have Princess Zelda hands)

Raise Curtain

SteelSeries’ World of Warcraft Cataclysm MMO Gaming Mouse should probably come with a sticker on it that says the mouse equivalent of “must be this tall to ride the ride.” It’s a very big mouse, but that ensures your hands aren’t too squished together when trying to access all 14 buttons. It works as advertised, which is really all you can ask, but it will definitely take some getting used to, particularly if you, like me, have Princess Zelda hands.

The first thing you notice about the mouse is, “Hey, that actually looks pretty great.” It looks like a WoW mouse. I’m confident you could show it to a non-WoW person and they’d remarks, “Do you use that to play that online game you play all the time?”

Why yes, yes I do.

Beyond the aesthetics—note that there’s an LED in there that flashes and pulses to your specification. It’s merely eye candy but it’s not like there’s something inherently wrong with eye candy, per se—the mouse works about as well as any other high-end gaming mouse. Nothing feels cheap here.

Why have so many buttons on a mouse? MMO players know that to effectively control your toon you need to be cognizant of approximately 900 keyboard and mouse combination, with shift- and alt- modifiers further complicating matters. Anyone who’s sunk any amount of time into games like WoW will no doubt have gotten the hang of it, but it’s nothing something you can pick up in an afternoon. (Blizzard said in a recent interview with Edge magazine that a full 50 percent of people who play the free 10-day WoW trial don’t make it past level 10. These games take time and dedication to play, let alone play well.) If you can offload some of the less cerebral commands from the keyboard to the mouse you’ll have made the game slightly less confusing to play.

The mouse’s default driver settings map the buttons thus:

Being a tinker, I wiped those setting as soon as I launched the game.

I had the mouse’s buttons programmed like this for the past few days:

As a new priest, I had already settled on a pretty good casting sequence. I have no idea if the sequence is Elitist Jerks-approved, but the order made sense to me. Plus, in the early levels of WoW all you’re really doing is killing mobs one at a time—nothing too strenuous or chaotic. As the picture shows, I had mapped the button underneath the scroll wheel to my main casting macro. The slender button to the immediate left of the scroll wheel was set to “nearest target” (causing you to target the nearest enemy), and the slender button to the immediate right was set to open all of my bags. Why move my left hand all the way from its WASD home when I can merely use my right ring finger to bring up the bags?

I left the other buttons unmapped because it wasn’t necessary to map ‘em so early in the game. If you’re a level 80+ and you’re raiding or PVP-ing and you have three of four action bars worth of talents you need at the ready, then yeah: map away. The extra buttons certainly come in handy.

http://player.ooyala.com/player.swf?embedCode=BzYTR3MTpAoxTGsQeGxE2AX8HQqRLNyf&version=2

As this embedded video shows, the mouse certainly makes it easier to kill mobs. (The video is a parody if all those “epic” videos that many guilds upload to YouTube that are accompanied, for seemingly no reason, by irrelevant trance music.) My left hand never once leaves WASD (with my thumb on the space bar to jump for fun), leaving my right hand—my mouse hand—free to kill those jerk trolls.

In short, the mouse worked.

I’ve two concerns with the mouse.

One, again, it’s a little on the big side. Razer’s MMO mouse has a whole bunch of buttons without being the size of a Cadillac. Maybe I have small hands, I don’t know. But keep that in mind before you buy.

Two, it’s definitely overkill for daily mousing. (This is unlike SteelSeries’ highest end mouse, the Xai, which is great for first-person shooting and everyday mousing.) This ties into its size, but you might have to be prepared to dual mouse: use this mouse when you’re battling those Horde/Alliance fiends, but then switch over to your regular mouse when it’s time to hop on the forums to learn how to best min-max your toon.

In short, she’s a fine mouse that works as advertised, and that’s great, but it will definitely take getting used to. You’ll need to teach yourself how to split your workload between the keyboard and mouse, and you’ll have to get used to the size. She’s a big one.

We’re, what, three weeks away from the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm? Yes… I have noticed the sun shining brighter, the air tasting sweeter of late. Right on cue, then, is the new the new MMO keyset for SteelSeires’ Shift keyboard.

As you might expect, the point is to make it a little bit easier to play MMOs without having to buy a full-on, dedicated MMO keyboard, (All you’d need is the Shift, then this keyset.) There’s dedicated buttons for common tasks (trade, duel, and the like) and emotes (yell, etc.).

And obviously it plays nice with your many macros you have set up.

Probably more important than the keyset itself is the fact that SteelSeries has shown the Shift keyboard so much love. Like, SteelSeries didn’t just release he keyboard, create one generic FPS keyset, then leave the keyboard dormant.

And yes, I know there’s already a Cataclysm-specific Shift keyset, but perhaps you don’t Deathwing, cool as he is, all over your keyboard?

Like the other keysets, it’s $24.99. You’ll need the Shift keyboard, too, which is $89.99.

Two bits of SteelSeries news for you. One, they, just like pretty much everyone else, are having a Halloween sale right now. You can get 30 percent off the Siberia V2 Black headset, Xai mouse, and Shift keyboard when you use the code SPOOKY31.

Item two. SteelSeries has hooked up with PayNearMe to give you another option to pay for your gaming gear. Using the PayNearMe option, you select select and buy your item(s) on the SteelSeries Web site, like always, but then you actually pay for your stuff at your local 7-Eleven store.

So, if, for whatever reason, you don’t like giving your credit card information over the Internet, you can still shop online, but then actually hand over cash or plastic to a real live human being.

And that’s about it, yes.

Blizzcon begins tomorrow. Unfortunately, I cannot attend, which means I’ll probably be watching Blizzard’s online stream. This is relevant because SteelSeries will debut its full range of Cataclysm-themed accessories at the show. I’ve already mentioned the new World of Warcraft: Cataclysm MMO Gaming Mouse, but there will be others on display.

Much like what SteelSeries did with the launch of Medal of Honor, it’s releasing many of its accessories with Cataclysm branding, as well as specific functionality.

Probably the most compelling release would be the SteelSeries Shift Cataclysm Edition. It’s the Shift keyboard, but with a Cataclysm-specific keyset. You can, of course, grab the keyset separately if you already have the standard-issue Shift keyboard.

Other goodies includes a Deathwing, Goblin, and Worgen (~!) edition of the QcK moused.

SteelSeries has developed another World of Warcraft mouse. Hopefully they’ve learned a few lessons from their previous mouse, which was OK but sorta flawed at the same time. It’s called the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm MMO Gaming mouse, and it was co-developed with Blizzard. And given my various conversations with the folks at SteelSeries over the past months, I know that Blizzard doesn’t lend its name to just any peripheral, much less take the time to co-develop one.

As you can see with your eyes, the color scheme sorta goes along with Cataclysm, the newest expansion pack that’s set for release on December 7.

So what does the mouse do?

First off, it works with both Mac and PC. Setup is handled in-game.

There’s 14 buttons that you can program some 130 preset commands. Presumably things like “cast spell 3,” etc. Or, you can map any number of your custom macros that you’ve spent months (years?) perfecting. The mouse itself can store one profile, while the software can store an additional 10 profiles.

SteelSeries says they’ve taken all the feedback generated with their first WoW mouse, and along with Blizzard, have created something that delivers “ a more comfortable, intuitive, and ultimately better experience.”

I guess users will be the judge of that!

The mouse will be on display at Blizzcon, which takes place next week in California, so if you’re in attendance you can check it out first-hand. I, unfortunately, will be at home watching the online feed like a dork.

The mouse will be released on December 7—the same day as Cataclysm—for $99.99.

Pretty weird feeling to be excited about the prospects of a mouse, but here we are.

Taking advantage of the hype (if not the acclaim) of EA’s Medal of Honor, SteelSeries has updated some of its accessories to join in on the fun. The company’s Xai mouse, the 6Gv2 and Shift keyboards, the QcK mousepad (“surface” in PC gaming lingo), and 5Hv2 and Spectrum 5xb headsets can all be had with official Medal of Honor branding.

Let’s review this.

You’ve got the Xai mouse ($89.99), which I actually just bought (the non-MoH edition, that is—FedEx says it will arrive on Friday) to replace a Logitech mouse that decided it would be cool to die after less than a year of use. Cool! It’s pretty highly rated online (otherwise I wouldn’t have bought it, you see), and now it’s decked out in MoH colors.

You’ve got two keyboards to choose from. Well, one keyboard, the mechanical 6Gv2 ($99.99) (trust me, you want a mechanical keyboard if for no other reason than the satisfying clanking sound they produce) and a MoH surfaced ($99.99, above) version of the just released Shift. Or you can just grab the surface separately ($24.99).

Then there’s the QcK mousepad ($14.99), which is also highly regarded online.

Lastly are the two headsets:the 5Hv2 for you PC gamers and the Spectrum 5xb, which I reviewed in conjunction with Halo a few weeks back, for the Xbox 360 crowd. (These headsets won’t be available till the first quarter of 2011.)

Granted, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy, say, a keyboard simply because it has a logo slapped on it, but the fact is these are quality components with a bit of dash added for fans. No harm there, I don’t think.

SteelSeries has a fancy new keyboard that might be worth checking out. It’s called the Shift, and its deal is that it has interchangeable keysets. So, you have one keyset for your FPS—yes, Kudo, people still plays FPSs on PCs—, one for MMOs, one for RTSs, and so on.

If the concept sounds familiar, it’s because Shift is an updated version of the Zboard keyboard from a few years back. (SteelSeries bought the company that first produced the Zboard.) Beyond that, though, it’s all SteeelSeries—sturdy materials and a design that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to have on your desk.

It has media keys that you can map to whatever, a built-in microphone and audio-out port (no having to snake around your headset cable anymore!), and two USB ports, one of which is powered.

The keyboard itself is $90 and comes with one standard keyset, with additional keysets available for $25 a pop.

Blizzcon, the two-day Blizzard extravaganza, takes place on October 22-23 this year. Expect plenty of Cataclysm news, maybe even the announcement of a release date. Fun! But, small problem: getting to Anaheim, Calif. Maybe if you live in Southern California you can make a fun road trip of it, but flying 3,000 miles across the country isn’t exactly a spur-of-the-moment decision to take. In any event, SteelSeries (along with J!nx, BradyGames, and Cryptozoic) have got you covered. Well, if you win a big contest, that is.

The big winners—two people will win the grand prize—will be given a free ride to Blizzcon. Hotel, airfare, the works.

The best part is you don’t have to do anything beyond filling out a sweepstakes form. Name, email address, etc. Easy stuff.

There’s other prizes beyond the grand prize. For example, you can also win the SteelSeries MMO Gaming Mouse—I believe they’ve fixed the button-sticking glitch I ran into with my mouse all those months ago—mouse pads, strategy guides, J!nx gift certificates, and more~!

(Actually, you can see all the prizes here.)

Provided I don’t win the contest, I will be watching the online stream like the rest of you.

Short version: The SteelSeries Spectrum 5XB is a headset for your Xbox 360 (and PC) that lets you separate your online teammates’ voices from the sounds explosions, gunfire, and other assorted bits of mayhem. So, if your team leader is barking orders you can turn down the game’s audio and listen exclusively to the commands.

Features

• Works with both Xbox 360 and PC
• AudioMixer that can separately control the volume of voice and other game audio. Can also be done automatically with LiveMix.
• Retractable microphone. Just want to listen to music? Tuck the mic away.

Pros
• The cans don’t kill your ears, and they’re spaced in such a way that you can actually wear glasses. As a glasses wearer, dear lord thank you.
• Easy to use once everything is set up—just a couple of plugs here and there.
• Separating voice and other audio is pretty handy if you’re someone who actually plays that type of game

Cons
• Most useful only for a specific type of gamer, the guy who plays online games so competitively that they’d benefit from the LiveMixer
• After years of wearing earbuds, wearing cans took some getting used to
• Main cable coming off the headset a little on the shortside, which could make casual use a little tricky
• Not that this is SteelSeries’ fault, but many of the people on Xbox Live are jerks, and this makes it easier to hear them

Full review

Say hello to SteelSeries’ console gaming debut. The company, best known for its professional PC gaming gear, has decided to give the console business a go, and this is the result: the Steelseries Spectrum 5XB, a headset for the Xbox 360 (don’t worry, it’ll work with your PC, too) that’s able to isolate your Xbox Live teammates’ voices from the sound of explosions, gunfire, and all other sorts of mayhem. (There’s also the Spectrum 4XB, which is basically the same headset, but the headband strap isn’t as bendy and you can’t take it apart for when you have to travel.)

I’ve pretty much exclusively worn earbuds for the past six years, so using cans for any amount of time is sorta weird to me. There’s a reason for that: prior to these, every single pair of cans I’ve ever come across have required me to take my glasses off first in order to put them on, and then I had to constantly adjust them just to keep sane. Is that the worst thing in the world? No, of course not, but it’s been enough of an annoyance that I’ve stuck with earbuds. I’m going to assume that SteelSeries has noticed that many gamers wear glasses, so they’ve designed them in such a way (there’s extra empty space where the frames of your glasses sit against your head) that they fit without having to remove your glasses. The SteelSeries people had to point this out to me when I met them a few weeks ago since I’ve been trained, like a dog, to remove my glasses when putting on cans.

No more!

The foam covering the cans and the headband are plenty soft. I sat there this past weekend for a few hours and didn’t once think, “Well, these hurt.”

And lo, the headset works!

I played several rounds of Halo 3 online over the past few weekends(within two seconds of entering my first lobby someone told me to “go fuck” myself. Sigh.) and the entire campaign of Halo: Reach last weekend (my thoughts on the game should go up this afternoon), and I was able to mute the game sounds with the flick of the dial, and yet I could still hear my teammates. Conversely, I could mute my teammates and listen to the game audio just fine.

The headset’s AudioMixer will automatically lower the game audio when your teammates speak provided you have LiveMix turned on. (Steelseries sells the AudioMixer separately if you already have a headset you’re comfortable with.) You might at well leave it on, unless you want to constantly “mix” the different audio levels on your own. Let LiveMix do its thing, I say.

Conclusion

The SteelSeries Spectrum 5XB certainly fits a niche: Xbox 360 gamers who are a little more serious about their online gaming. I mean, SteelSeries’ tagline is “professional gaming gear” for a reason. And clearly SteelSeries sees that more and more “hardcore” online gaming is taking place on the consoles, so they might as well get in on the action. (Just look at what id said a few weeks ago at QuakeCon, essentially that consoles are the future, and for a number of reasons.) As headsets go, the Spectrum 5XBs has everything you’d like to see in a headset. (Well, maybe you’d like to see PS3 compatibility!) They’re comfortable, the mic is clear (I actually used the headset to add narration to my Plex video), and the automatic audio level handling is particularly handy if you play teammate-heavy games.

The likes of Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Medal of Honor are either just around the corner or have just been released. So if you’ll be in the market for a headset in anticipation of the release of these games, well, she ain’t bad at all.

SteelSeries Spectrum 5XB ($89)

SteelSeries Spectrum 4XB ($59)

Spectrum Audio Mixer ($39)

• 50mm drivers
• Interchangeable ear-cushions (leather and cloth)
• Disassembles for travel
• Retractable microphone
• MSRP: $129.99

Pros:

• Decent sound, mic sounds good
• Easy to break down for travel
• Robust and meaty 1/8″ jacks

Cons:

• For $130, they feel pretty cheap
• Fit isn’t very customizable
• Inconvenient cord length

Full review:

I don’t know what it is with SteelSeries’ headphone line. First, there was the dismal 5H and great-sounding but utterly impractical Siberia. They updated the Siberia, and the new pair is pretty solid, but it feels cheaper than the old one. They updated the 5H, same complaint. And now we have the 7H, and although they’re a decent pair of headphones, I really don’t think you’re getting your money’s worth.

It seems strange how little the headphones are like the rest of the SteelSeries lineup. I’m typing this on a 7G keyboard and using a Xai mouse, but I’d never pick their headphones for my go-to pair.

The 7H is a bit anonymous-looking. Understated is one thing, but these are anonymous. They’re relatively light, though, which is good — and the ability to break them down into pieces (the headband breaks off from the cups, and the cord disconnects) is nice and easy to do.

The fit is… a little weird. They clamped my head pretty hard, and I didn’t feel like the weight was being properly distributed. The headband part is practically squared off, and seems to only barely touch the top of my head. The cups seemed a little small, but they made a nice seal around my ears, especially with the leather cushions. I actually liked the more breathable cloth ones for longer sessions, but for isolation the leather is the way to go.

There’s a retractable mic, which you kind of have to jiggle back into its place, but it’s not much of an inconvenience.

More puzzling was the cord, which at one meter is long enough for a laptop, but not nearly long enough for almost anything else. It includes a two-meter extension cord, but who wants ten feet of cord? Why not have two 1.5-meter cords? The cord itself is nice, though; it’s got a braided coat and feels heavy-duty. The actual plugs are well-built, chunky, and easy to grip, something a lot of audio devices fail to consider.

In the middle of the cord is a little puck remote, which, while tastefully designed, is a little too minimal. There’s a mic on/off switch and a tiny volume control, but no clip with which to attach to your shirt — something I’ve always found helpful on other pucks.

I’m concerned about the build quality, though. On the Logitech, Razer, and most recently the Nox headsets I’ve reviewed, I’ve never been concerned about the build. Nor on other Steelseries product lines, which have generally felt pretty solid to me. But no, like most of the other headsets from SteelSeries, the 7H feels hollow and chintzy, especially the earcups and remote. My fears were confirmed when, while trading earcup cushions, one of the pins that holds the cup on snapped right off and is at this moment rattling around in the right earpiece. And hey, I’m no Hercules, I was just pulling the piece off like normal. Pretty unacceptable.

Conclusion

Although the sound of these headphones is perfectly good, I just don’t enjoy wearing them — as opposed to the cheaper and lighter Razer Carcharias and Nox Specialist headsets, which are both light and comfortable and produce good sound. Sorry, SteelSeries… better keep trying.

Product Page: SteelSeries 7H headphones

T-minus one month and counting till the release of StarCraft II, and we’re starting to see officially branded peripherals hit the store shelves. Here’s one such peripheral: the SteelSeries StarCraft II Limited Edition Zboard. As the name suggests, it’s based on the company’s Z Board, except, you know, StarCraft-ified.

What does that mean?

The custom keyset for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty offers players dedicated short-cut keys, complete key remapping for full keyset customization and beautiful game graphics that will enable quick mastery of the game, increase the users’ actions per minute (APM) and deliver unparalleled levels of engagement.

That’s a lot of fluff, yeah, if not for the fact that the Z Board is generally well-received online. So, add a couple of dedicated buttons and whatnot, and you should win over even the most ardent fan.

Will South Korea be open for business when the game comes out, or will the entire country take a sick day?

Here’s the whole press release:

STEELSERIES INTRODUCES NEW AUDIO PRODUCT LINE AT E3: STEELSERIES SPECTRUM FOR XBOX 360® GAMERS

Three New Products Will Expand the Xbox 360® Line – SteelSeries Spectrum 4xb, SteelSeries Spectrum 5xb and the SteelSeries Spectrum AudioMixer

LOS ANGELES – E3 – June 15, 2010 – Kicking off the Entertainment Electronics Expo (E3), SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories introduced a new audio line specifically created for Xbox 360® gamers. Since 2001, the gaming peripherals from SteelSeries have been used by competitive gamers to win world championship tournaments and millions in prize money, all thanks to the extensive testing and product development exclusively done with the best gamers on the planet. It’s with this knowledge and expertise that SteelSeries introduces the first three products of the SteelSeries Spectrum line. The SteelSeries Spectrum 5xb, a premium headset with refined gaming audio designed for both comfort and convenience; the SteelSeries Spectrum 4xb, an entry-level priced headset packed with outstanding sound quality and functionality; and the SteelSeries Spectrum AudioMixer, an accessory that extends Xbox 360 gameplay and communication to any headset with 3.5mm jacks.

“For more than a decade, SteelSeries has created peripherals to meet the needs of the most discerning PC gamers and provide a competitive advantage based on comfort, technology, and design,” said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO. “With the new Spectrum line, we’re leveraging what our award-winning PC headsets are known for, which are superior levels of comfort and sound quality. We’ve added unique features, specific to Xbox 360 gaming, in order to meet the demand for premium console headsets.”

SteelSeries Spectrum 5xb and 4xb headsets present players with an advanced soundscape, providing the ability to pinpoint the directional sounds of footsteps and grenade drops without them being drowned out by deep bass sounds from explosions or in-game chat. Comprised of new features intended to enhance a gamer’s audio experience, the headsets include:

• Easy access to independent audio and voice controls provides players with complete and intuitive control of volume levels for in-game audio and Xbox LIVE® communication.
• SteelSeries LiveMix offers players the quick-button option to improve the balance and mixing of Xbox LIVE chat and in-game audio, so that voice communication is mixed perfectly with or over the sounds of gunfire and explosions, without having to increase the volume of the headset and risk hearing damage.

SteelSeries Spectrum 5xb
Designed as a premium quality, wired headset for Xbox 360 gamers, the SteelSeries Spectrum 5xb has XL-sized, hear-through cloth ear cushions that fit comfortably around the ear. With the custom-built soundscape via 40mm SunDancer (SCS) units, gamers can pinpoint the direction and locations of noises and movement throughout the game. The SteelSeries Spectrum 5xb features a durable double-braided nylon cord and dismantles into 3 separate parts, at the headband and at each earcup making it compact and easy to fit into a carrying case for storage and/or travel.

A retractable, unidirectional microphone is featured on the entire SteelSeries Spectrum headset line, making the voice communication for Xbox LIVE users adjustable, convenient and clear. As a familiar SteelSeries feature, the microphone can be stored in the left earcup when not in use, while a control on the included Spectrum AudioMixer independently adjusts in-game audio and microphone volume.

SteelSeries Spectrum 4xb
As the entry-level, wired headset designed for Xbox 360 gamers, the SteelSeries Spectrum 4xb is a lightweight headset featuring XL-sized, cloth covered foam ear cushions that surround the outside of the ear for long session comfort. The circumaural design enhances the gaming experience through carefully adjusted sound reproduction. Similar to the Spectrum 5xb version, the Spectrum 4xb also features the signature retractable microphone and an optimized soundscape for gaming.

SteelSeries Spectrum AudioMixer
SteelSeries introduces a new Xbox 360 mixer alongside the introduction of the Spectrum headsets. When sold separately, the Spectrum AudioMixer allows any headset with a microphone and 3.5mm jacks to function with Xbox 360 gameplay and Xbox LIVE chat. The mixer is also included in the box for the SteelSeries Spectrum 4xb and 5xb headsets.

The new SteelSeries Spectrum product line will be available in Q3 2010. Be sure to check out SteelSeries.com and follow us on both Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on retailers that will carry Spectrum, as well as promotions, giveaways, and who in professional gaming will be using SteelSeries Spectrum headsets to help them win tournaments.

Both products are related to the new Ubisoft RTS game, and feature graphics inspired by the game. The mouse is a quite respectable laser mouse with their high end sensor system and specialized drivers that make it ideal for gamers. The mousepad “gaming surface” is a cloth based surface that’s been optimized and textured to provide the best smoothness and glide. Both products feature artwork from the game, but no word if you have to be connected to the internet to actually use them. MSRP for the mouse is $89.99, and the gaming surface is selling for $14.99.

From the press release:

CHICAGO – APRIL 14, 2010 – SteelSeries has teamed with game publisher Ubisoft to bring fans exclusive branded peripherals for the upcoming real-time strategy game R.U.S.E. Designed to give players a competitive advantage, the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition enhances performance with its superior technology and a preconfigured profile setting that optimizes game-play. The preloaded R.U.S.E. profile, created with input from Ubisoft, allows quick access to the R.U.S.E. and HQ Menus, and preset macro buttons can take the player from the bird’s eye view of the war to the heart of the battlefield in an instant. The SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) mousepad features graphics from the game and provides a smooth and consistent glide; combined they deliver a complete and immersive R.U.S.E. experience.

Currently in open beta, R.U.S.E. allows players to use strategy and bluffing tactics as the general of their nation’s army during World War II. The speed and range of movement required in the game, demands tools that can deliver superb levels of precision and accuracy. Ubisoft chose to partner with SteelSeries, because of the award-winning, innovative features and technology that the SteelSeries Xai offers to gamers.

In addition to the R.U.S.E. profile that comes pre-loaded on the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition, SteelSeries will offer pro-gamer recommended R.U.S.E. profiles for users to download once the game launches in June. These recommended profiles will be found on the SteelSeries web site.

Important features on the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E. Edition include:

– Ambidextrous shape with a 10.8 megapixels/second sensor processing 12,000 frames/second at 5,001 Counts Per Inch (CPI) with movement speeds of 150 inches/second
– Unique SteelSeries sensor innovations including SteelSeries ExactAim, SteelSeries ExactRate, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries FreeMove and automatic lift distance calibration deliver exceptional levels of personalization
– Up to 5 stored profiles including a preconfigured R.U.S.E. profile created with input from game publisher, Ubisoft
– 7 Programmable macro buttons with up to 200 strokes per button
– Full customization via LCD menu system on the back of the mouse stored by the hardware – eliminating the need for drivers and providing configuration capabilities on-the-go.

“R.U.S.E. is a strategy game that we believe players will experience differently than any other RTS game on the market. In a game where every detail matters, choosing a mouse that obeys both the eye and every sleight of hand is a good strategy. With excellent levels of precision and ergonomy, the SteelSeries Xai mouse could become your best ally,” said Mathieu Girard, Senior Producer at Ubisoft. “Not only is it fully branded R.U.S.E. on the outside but is programmed with a special player profile.”

“Industry awards, player feedback and tournament wins have shown us that the time we spent methodically perfecting the SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse has paid off,” said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. “R.U.S.E. players will be easily impressed with the game’s unique game-play built around an incredible zooming engine, and with the technology we pack inside the SteelSeries Xai as well as the smooth glide and graphics of the QcK mousepad it all comes together to provide gamers with an outstanding RTS experience.”

The SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) gaming surface is made of high quality cloth material and an optimized textured surface that guarantees smoothness and glide. The non-slip rubber base prevents sliding, no matter what surface the mousepad is on. Official artwork from the game depicts an exciting battle between opposing forces using the element of deception.

The SteelSeries Xai Laser Mouse R.U.S.E Edition and QcK Limited Edition (R.U.S.E.) will retail for $89.99 USD and $14.99 USD online at SteelSeries.com

R.U.S.E. is scheduled for release on Windows PC, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on June 8, 2010.

Let’s start with the headset; the SteelSeries 7H has 50mm drivers in passive noise canceling ear-cups, and keep out the background noise so you can get the drop on what direction that sniper is shooting at you from. The 7H also has the choice of leather or cloth ear cushions, based on your preference. When you’re done, the 7H can be broken down into 4 pieces so you can stuff it in your backpack without worrying about busting the thing up. SteelSeries puts retractable microphones in many of their headsets, and the 7H includes this feature in both the USB or standard version. The standard version is available for pre-order for $119.95. The USB version has it’s own 7.1 virtual surround and is also available for $149.99.

Next the 6Gv2. Don’t be fooled by the harmless sounding name, this is the real thing. The 6Gv2 is a mechanical keyboard with 18k gold plated switches, so it’s pretty much bulletproof. No fancy macro keys here, the 6Gv2 is designed to be smaller then the normal gaming keyboard setup. SteelSeries states that due to the way it’s designed, you should see a life expectancy of 10x more then a conventional keyboard. The 6Gv2 has the buffering system of the 7G, which allows you press pretty much every key on the keyboard at the same time without missing a beat. The 6Gv2 does have volume, mute, and limited audio controls, but it does lack the audio ports and USB ports on the 7G. The SteelSeries 6Gv2 is available for pre-order now for a quite reasonable $99.99.

Rumor has it that today is Valentine’s Day. Better check Techmeme to be sure. While I’ll be celebrating by watching Atletico Madrid v. Barcelona later on, alone, you may not be so boring. The point is—there is a point, as hard as that may be to believe—that SteelSeries and Jinx would like to help you make the best of what may be a very awkward day for many of you, or us, as it were—as it is. The professional gaming accessory company and the nerdy t-shirt company (not that there’s anything wrong with that) have put together a little contest where you can walk away with SteelSeries + Jinx loot. Makes sense. Cupid descends, shoots an arrow through your heart, then steals your wallet.

So here’s the deal: you need to post a photograph of yourself on SteelSeries’ FaceBook fan page showing you with a sad face. The gimmick is that the person (well, one gentleman and one lady) with the saddest, most lovelorn look about them wins a small mint. La dolce vita!

The prizes are as follows:

Gentlemen can win:

SteelSeries Siberia v2 (Red)
8 Bit X-Ray T-Shirt
Will You Be Mine T-Shirt
Side Hack Flexfit Hat
Ink Blot T-Shirt
Sorcery and Technology T-Shirt

Ladies can win:

SteelSeries iron.lady Ikari Laser Bundle
Will You Be Mine Women’s Tee
I Love my Gamer Women’s Tee
Username Password Boy Brief Panties
Ink Blot T-Shirt
Sorcery and Technology T-Shirt

Keep in mind that this isn’t a CrunchGear contest, but something that SteelSeries and Jinx have put together; don’t yell at us if you’re not picked.

The contest runs through Monday, February 15 (tomorrow!) at 11:59pm CST.