It’s that time of year, and we’ve been thinking about how nice Santa has been to us in the past, and how we should offer our own thoughts on some gear and goodies we all would readily recommend to you guys. Be sure to give a look at our picks, and definitely add your own thoughts and suggestions to the below! Rather than just fill it up with stuff PR folks want us to mention, we thought we’d actually recommend some things we’re using and/or playing.
BILL MURPHY - Roccat Ryos MK Pro
Roccat’s mechanical keyboards just started coming to the US, and I’ve been toying with the MK Pro now for weeks. I love this thing. The version linked above has Brown Cherry MX keys, per key customizable illumination, two USB ports, audio and microphone jacks, and full EasyShift functionality. You can customize macros, set sound notifications for live recording, profile switching brightness of the backlights, and... yes, it also does this. It has all the bells and whistles you could want, minus the Razer KBs’ touchscreen for MMO gaming, and it also has the industry-accepted best pieces and parts. The downside? They mostly retail for $169.99 unless you find ‘em on sale.
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MIKE BITTON - Astro’s A40 Headset with Mixamp
Astro's A40 Headset and Mixamp may give you a bit of sticker shock at the $249 price tag, but you'll find quite a bit of value in the setup. The headset is modular, which means you can replace anything from the earcups to the mic, making the days of having to replace an entire headset because the mic inevitably wore out a thing of the past. It's also incredibly comfortable, which is great for lengthy gaming sessions or chatting with friends over voice. The bundled mixamp really drives the set and can be used to power other audiophile cans as well. You'll easily be able to tell the difference when having your Astro's plugged in; It's a night and day experience. Astro's headsets are also designed with game consoles in mind, so you'll have no problems hooking these up to your favorite gaming console in addition to your PC.
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SUZIE FORD - Steel Series Apex Gaming Keyboard
The Steel Series Apex Gaming Keyboard is designed to give MMO players flexibility for creating extensive macro layers and to make these set ups easily identifiable by the amazing amount of back lit color schemes available. Players can set up to four different 22-macro combinations, each with its own color layer. This flexible keyboard also supports extra NE/NW arrow keys to give player characters lightning fast moves in directions the enemy might not expect. The Apex isn't cost-prohibitive as might be imagined and comes in at a cool $99.99. For the sheer amount of customization and the ability to take MMO gaming to another level, the Steelseries Apex is a great buy for the MMO fanatic.
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EVE’S SECOND DECADE COLLECTOR’S EDITION - BECAUSE THIS, THAT’S WHY
If we had to pick one special edition MMO this winter, it’s EVE’s 2nd Decade Edition. This one should be at the top of any EVE fan’s list. It’s filled with so much fan-serving goodness, it’s hard to imagine any one of you out there don’t already have it if you love CCP’s space opus. But for those of you who have a loved one (they have to be loved to spend $150 on them) that’s in love with Null Sec, be sure to give the second decade edition a look see. If for nothing else, than for that killer “Minmatar Rifter” combat frigate that also doubles as a 4-port USB hub. There’s also a mystery code in every box that will slowly give you more and more content in-game from buying the box. It’s well worth the cost for any EVE fan.
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