The new SteelSeries Stratus Wireless Gaming Controller is part of our Best of CES list for this year but one might wonder: what is it all about? Well…first of all, Stratus is apparently the first wireless gaming controller in the industry that is supported by iOS 7 according to the renowned Danish gaming peripherals manufacturer.
The SteelSeries Stratus connects to Apple devices that supports it via Bluetooth 2.1 and it features a button layout that is very similar to game consoles out there: one direction button, dual analogue sticks, four action buttons, and four shoulder buttons. Depending on respective game titles, users are able to link up to four controllers to a single device for multiplayer experiences.
The company also claims that the Stratus has a battery life of up to 10 hours with an estimated charging time of 2 hours through the included USB cable. There is a red LED in the middle of the controller which acts as a battery indicator as well as the amount of controller that are currently connected during a multiplayer session.
The gamepad comes standard with a protective cover that also functions as an extended grip. Meanwhile, SteelSeries has also revealed another new product at CES 2014 alongside the Stratus in the form of the Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse. Click on the Read More link below (if available) to learn further.
With an ambidextrous shape that is based on the Sensei wired gaming mouse series that was released in 2011 and 2012, the new wireless mouse features 8 programmable buttons alongside a Pixart ADNS 9800 laser sensor with a sensitivity of up to 8200 counts per inch that can be toggled on-the-fly according to the settings that users are able to configure using SteelSeries Engine 3 software.
Apart from that, the software also allows users to tweak the illumination zone on both Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse and its base station which acts as its charging station, wireless transmitter and battery indicator. With a battery life of up to 20 hours, users also have the option to charge the Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse and continue using it as a wired mouse by plugging the connector cable directly into it instead of using the base station.
The new Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse also comes with a polling rate of 1000Hz and a response time of 1ms to ensure lag-free gaming experience. Last but not least, SteelSeries claims that all the switches on the mouse are durable enough to withstand around 30 million click lifecycle.
While the availability of both peripherals for Malaysian market is not yet known at the time being, the new SteelSeries Stratus Wireless Gaming Controller has been priced at USD 99.99 / EUR 99.99 (RM 327 / RM 446) while the SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse is listed at USD 159.99 / EUR 159.99 (RM 522 / RM 713). Those price tags are pretty steep indeed, I must say.
To learn more about them, head on to www.steelseries.com.
