wraggster
January 4th, 2014, 00:31
http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/8668ca4f0d07387bdf8d1a8d45d9dc70/IMG_1658.jpgPutting aside arguments (http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/15/console-vs-pc-redux-how-mobile-gaming-will-reshape-the-industr/) over platform exclusives (http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/19/ouya-consoles-first-exclusive-game-is-human-element-prequel-f/), graphical output (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/nvidia-gtx-titan-announce/) and theconvenience of gaming from the couch (http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/21/logitech-wireless-mouse-m515-works-on-sofas-for-up-two-years-wit/), one element separates console and PC gamers more than any other: control. Those parked in front of a television have an all-in-one gamepad (http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/12/xbox-one-controller-pc-compatibility-update/) with analog nubs, clicky buttons and smooth triggers, while those who bask in the glow of a monitor boast wield a high-accuracy mouse and and full QWERTY keyboard (http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/04/asus-rog-armor-keyboard-gaming/). While trying to jump from one platform to the other, inventor Chris Zhao-Holland found the differences frustrating. Sure, games on the PC benefited from mouse control, but the stiff inputs of the keyboard lost the built-in sensitivity of the console's dual-analog joysticks. It didn't take long for him to cook up the idea for Sinister, a modular PC keypad that hopes to take the best from both worlds.
Zhao-Holland dropped by Engadget's West Coast office with an early prototype, presenting us with a 3D-printed (http://www.engadget.com/tag/3dprinting/) palm-rest adorned with Xbox 360 buttons and a single analog nub. These buttons are modular, and can be rearranged mid-game without forgetting their function. The contraption looks a little like a mash up between one of Razer's keypad peripherals (http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/razer-announces-79-tartarus-a-more-affordable-gaming-keypad/) and a Splitfish controller (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/05/splitfish-fragfx-shark-extended-hands-on-good-for-call-of-duty/), and oddly, functions like both. A pair of switches on the unit's side decide if the PC will recognize it as an Xinput device (like an Xbox 360 controller), a mouse and DirectInput device (with keys that need to be assigned through a companion program) or a mixture of both. These disparate modes give lend the device compatibility, but each comes with its own caveats.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/03/sinister-gamepad-hands-on/
Zhao-Holland dropped by Engadget's West Coast office with an early prototype, presenting us with a 3D-printed (http://www.engadget.com/tag/3dprinting/) palm-rest adorned with Xbox 360 buttons and a single analog nub. These buttons are modular, and can be rearranged mid-game without forgetting their function. The contraption looks a little like a mash up between one of Razer's keypad peripherals (http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/15/razer-announces-79-tartarus-a-more-affordable-gaming-keypad/) and a Splitfish controller (http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/05/splitfish-fragfx-shark-extended-hands-on-good-for-call-of-duty/), and oddly, functions like both. A pair of switches on the unit's side decide if the PC will recognize it as an Xinput device (like an Xbox 360 controller), a mouse and DirectInput device (with keys that need to be assigned through a companion program) or a mixture of both. These disparate modes give lend the device compatibility, but each comes with its own caveats.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/03/sinister-gamepad-hands-on/