Last year when I bought the iMac, I made the decision that it wasn’t a gaming platform, and I would use the consoles for my gaming needs. Since then Steam has come to the Mac, and with the Mac App Store providing the likes of COD4, Bioshock and Borderlands, it looks like I may have to rethink.
Although I am a major Apple fan boy, the Apple Magic Mouse is good, but no good for gaming. Don’t get me wrong the precision is good, but the touch sensitive top…not so good. I recently started playing Minecraft, and found it extremely annoying that every time I rested my middle finger on the right side of the mouse (as we all do) it would randomly scroll through my inventory. I found this to be the same with any game that uses the scroll wheel, and to be honest became a pain in the butt.
So, I needed a reasonably cheap, but mac compatible gaming mouse. Now I know that you can just plug in any mouse and it will work, however I’ve used the Razer mice in the past and I’ve really liked them. The DeathAdder comes with compatible Mac drivers allowing you to configure every last feature to get the perfect setup.
The full spec is below
3500DPI Razer Precision™ 3.5G infrared sensor
Five independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons
Ultra-large non-slip buttons
Ergonomic right-handed design
PC/Mac compatible
I have to say, it feels good to have a decent mouse in my hand again, and looks like I’m back to “PC” gaming.
Screenshots below, as well of a video of the cool light on the back.
a, it has a 900 degrees steering wheel
b, it has a clutch pedal
c, it has a 6 way gearbox with reverse
d, I have a lot of racing games for the PS3
So one drunken night (last Friday), I decided to finally take the plunge and buy it. This Tuesday it turned up, and OMG, I cannot believe how good this thing is.
First thing I noticed was the build quality, this thing is solid as a rock.
The wheel itself, feels very realistic, with the smooth 900 degree motion, and a leather covering, it make it feel like your driving an actual car.
Next the pedals, each of them has a different pressure to emulate brake and clutch, and feel really realistic.
Finally, the shifter, I guess this is the thing I’m most impressed about. In 1 mode, you have a realistic 6 way gearbox with reverse, and in the other way you have a simple up/down gear shifter. On the shifter section there is also DPAD for navigating games menu systems, and the 8 controller buttons.
Although the above is fantastic, and I can’t express just how impressed I am with them.
I do however I have a slight issue, I have nowhere sensible to clamp this (I know, I know, I should have thought about this in advance,…..but I was drunk). Currently I have this clamped to the table in the front room, which is ok for the time being, however with it only being about a foot from the floor, I’m sure I’m going to get a spinal injury, as I’m currently hunched over attempting to reach the pedals and steering wheel.
As you’ve probably guessed, this explains the Playseat A1GP. I thought, as I’ve got the Wheel, pedals and gearshift, I thought I might as well go the full hog. After much research, I decided on the Playseat A1GP, this seat is designed to work with the Logitech G25, it has the screw mounting points for pedals and wheel to fix them in place. I had to buy an addition component to mount to gear shift to the side of the chair, however now everything is fixed.
Now the whole thing is bolted together, words cannot describe how realistic this thing is, with games like Gran Turismo and GRID, you have the option for the full 900 degrees steering, which is as close to driving a you can get.
If you have a spare £600, I can highly recommend this setup, it gives a whole new lease of life for my driving games.
More images below
This controller work on the PS3 and PC, and a list of games that will that will make use of it’s full features can be found at the below link
Transform your racing experience into a virtual Monza. Feel your car’s weight shift and tires slip as you navigate corners, thanks to the powerful, dual-motor force feedback transmission. Quickly select the correct gear with either the six-speed shifter or the F1-style paddles. Wrap your hands tightly around the real leather wheel, and slam on the steel pedals – gas, brake, and clutch. You’re not playing games anymore, you’re racing.
Control
Dual-motor force feedback transmission: Experience quiet, powerful force feedback effects. You’ll feel every bump, bank, and curb, recreated with remarkable fidelity.
Six-speed stick shift: Quickly select between six forward gears and a push-down reverse gear. Or switch to sequential shifting mode.
900 degree wheel rotation: Turns 2 ½ times, lock-to-lock, to accurately replicate real steering dynamics.
Metal gas, brake, and clutch pedals: Control your car intuitively with sturdy, true-to-life pedals.
Two paddle shifters: Keep both hands on the wheel while changing gears.
12 programmable buttons plus D-pad: Easily map game functions to your preference with the powerful software.
Comfort
Hand-stitched leather: the 28 cm (11″) wheel is wrapped in real leather to help keep your hands comfortable during long racing sessions.
The Mighty mouse is a very elagant design, no visable buttons on the top and the “squeeze” buttons on the size.
The scroll wheel is a 360 degrees rollerball.
In the box
Unboxed
The underneath
and that’s all there is to show really !
I’m still getting used to the mouse, I don’t think it’s as responsive as my PC mouse (however that is a Razor 2000DPI Gaming mouse), but the 360 degree scroll wheel does make up for it.
