Steelseries SRW-S1 Review

2011-12-07T10:43:00.001-08:00

Ignite Technologies built a new steering wheel to coincide with the release of its online racer Simraceway. Ringing in at $119.99, the USB-powered wheel doesn’t mount to a table or racing rig, it’s held up by the power of your own arms.

Styled after the button-heavy wheels of a true F1 racer, the wheel is initially programmed with every button mapped for Simraceway itself, including Brake Balance, Request Pit, Assists, Steering Sensitivity, and more. But by jumping into any other PC racer, simply remapping keys to the SRW-S1’s myriad buttons is a breeze. I raced in Dirt 3, F1 2011, Grid, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Simraceway while testing this wheel.

SRW-S1’s construction is solid. The molded rubber grips on either side of the wheel are comfortable, the paddle shifters, gas, brake paddles are firm metal and the 15 plastic buttons emit a satisfying click upon depression. The piece has some weight to it, so it doesn’t feel flimsy when you’re attempting to tear around the apex of a turn.
The Steelseries SRW-S1 works with any factor of arcade to simulation game, but with the sheer amount of customizability in the buttons and assist settings, it’s constructed with sim-racing in mind. If you just want to jam on the gas and go, the wheel can accommodate you, but if you curious about your brake balance and clutch assist, it’s got you covered.
The SRW-S1 Wheel is tethered to your PC via a USB cable, so even though it doesn’t mount to a surface, you’re still tied to your machine. The cord pops out cleanly from of the back of the wheel and doesn’t tangle easily, but it’s a shame this couldn’t feature a wireless connection.

source : ign.com

Counter Strike : Global Offensive Beta Goes Live

2011-12-07T10:05:00.001-08:00

A beta test for Counter Strike : Global Offensive, the latest version of Valve's ultra-popular online competitive shooter, went live recently, showing off a slice of what will eventually be included in the final 2012 release. Not all the weapons, maps and modes are in it yet, but the gameplay still feels great, mostly because it plays just like Counter-Strike.

That means it's really easy to get killed. There's no regenerating health in Counter-Strike, so you can't hide behind a barrel and wait a few seconds to erase the lingering effects of a mistake. Every step you take and every shot you fire is important. Considering many still play Counter-Strike to this day, they know the layouts of maps possibly better than the floor plans of their own homes. That's certainly something to consider if you were thinking of jumping into Counter-Strike GO as your first Counter-Strike experience, though you can play against bots to practice in case you don't feel ready for matches with live players.

In the beta right now you can play Dust and Dust 2, both of which should be very familiar to franchise veterans. Dust 2 is essentially untouched aside from the visual upgrade, though Dust has a few new features, opening up a few more access points around the underpass area to make a Terrorist assault through that corridor a little more viable.

Global Offensive is coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as well, but for now the beta test is PC only. Expect more updates if more content is added to the ongoing test.

Check Out Steam For The Beta..

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Steelseries SRW-S1 Review

Counter Strike : Global Offensive Beta Goes Live