Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Secret Weapons - XIM3


If you grew up playing PC shooters like I did, then you probably still can't quite get a handle on the whole idea of playing them with a controller. No matter what Jaison says, keyboard and mouse will always be more precise. That's just how it goes my friend.

Anyway, for people like us (non-freaks) who would love to use a keyboard and mouse to play on xbox 360, now you can. Thanks to the XIM3. What is it? Basically a little dongle that plugs into your 360 and translates the signals from your mouse and kb into controller inputs.

I know this isn't a new thing by any means. There have been devices like this before. What makes this one unique is how it translates the inputs. Here's a quote from their website.

Through Smart Translators, XIM3 is able to provide unparalleled mouse precision unachievable by any other gaming adapter available. The problem is simple: when the mouse moves, equivalent reticle movement on the screen should occur (i.e. 1-to-1 movement). This is the obvious result that all PC-gamers expect. But, before the creation of Smart Translators, was not possible on consoles. Every console shooter has its own unique look mechanic that governs how the game controls and feels to the gamer. Every game is different as they all have different stick dead-zones and geometries, variable sensitivity and acceleration regions, asymmetric sensitivity, non-linear movement, and more. Be cautious of any console mouse adapter that claims “PC-feel” without talking about how it solves all these challenges.

So yeah, it's a little more complex. Personally I would love one of these. I think it would make a world of difference for me. The problem though is with playing online. It's pretty much cheating. As much as I'd love to argue otherwise, it seems like a huge advantage. As little as I give a shit what people on XBL think of me, I'd still feel like a gigantic douche using one of these to win. The fact that it costs $150 doesn't help any...

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