Microsoft sidewinder x4 gaming

When a number of keys are pressed simultaneously, some keys do not respond. Most keyboards have many three-key combinations that simply fail to report the third key.

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement. The SideWinder X4 is a thoroughly decent gaming keyboard with a slick design and some impressive features, such as its ability to recognise up to 26 key presses at once, and record up to 18 macros on the fly. It does effective double duty as an everyday keyboard too. The Microsoft SideWinder X4 gaming keyboard aims to provide hardcore gamers with plenty of features, without monopolising desk space. The X4 supports up to 18 programmable macros, offers customisable media keys and sports 'anti-ghosting' technology.

Microsoft sidewinder x4 gaming

Microsoft Hardware recently announced the release of the SideWinder X4 keyboard featuring new anti-ghosting technology. This keyboard allows gamers to press many keys at the same time and have them accurately reported. Imagine playing your favorite video game and not being able to, say, run diagonally and fire your weapon at the same time say, pressing a , w , and g simultaneously. This is a result of the internal design of most existing keyboards, as will be explained below. This does not necessarily guarantee that members of this set of keys avoid ghosting when combined with other keys on the keyboard. This would be a true statement about a keyboard even if only a single combination of keys of that size can be pressed simultaneously while many three key combinations remain with ghosting issues. A user of a keyboard like this might attribute the remaining errors to other sources. For instance, a user playing a game might think that he or she had not hit the key fast enough for the rules of the game, rather than the key not being reported by the hardware at all. Additionally, it can report seven modifier keys, one hot key, and one macro key, bringing the maximum number of reported keys to The next section discusses in more detail the hardware design of typical keyboards that limits the number of keys that can be read at the same time. Most keyboards are made of a stack of plastic sheets printed with silver ink in a grid of column and row wires, initially unconnected, underneath the keys. A keypress can then be detected as a connection made between a particular pair of column and row wires from the pressure of the key above it.

The X4's predecessor, the SideWinder X6had huge ghosting problems, so it's good to see Microsoft listening to user feedback. It does it to all of them.

Written by Harry Butler. Tags: gaming-keyboard keyboard recommended sidewinder x4. The G comes with enough bells and whistles to keep everyone happy, but do they justify its price? The Shift has completely removable keys, enabling the board to be customised for individual games. Login Register. Tax While you might spend a fortune on the hardware inside your PC, the way you interact with it is just as important as silky smooth frame rates; it pays to equip yourself with a decent keyboard. The Microsoft Sidewinder X4 is the latest contender to vie for position on your real-world desktop, with Microsoft offering a leaner, more stripped down offering than the oversized and pointlessly over-featured Sidewinder X6.

Microsoft Hardware recently announced the release of the SideWinder X4 keyboard featuring new anti-ghosting technology. This keyboard allows gamers to press many keys at the same time and have them accurately reported. Imagine playing your favorite video game and not being able to, say, run diagonally and fire your weapon at the same time say, pressing a , w , and g simultaneously. This is a result of the internal design of most existing keyboards, as will be explained below. This does not necessarily guarantee that members of this set of keys avoid ghosting when combined with other keys on the keyboard. This would be a true statement about a keyboard even if only a single combination of keys of that size can be pressed simultaneously while many three key combinations remain with ghosting issues. A user of a keyboard like this might attribute the remaining errors to other sources.

Microsoft sidewinder x4 gaming

Written by Harry Butler. Tags: gaming-keyboard keyboard recommended sidewinder x4. The G comes with enough bells and whistles to keep everyone happy, but do they justify its price? The Shift has completely removable keys, enabling the board to be customised for individual games. Login Register.

Radley activity tracker

The macro keys themselves are slightly out of finger reach, which is rather inconvenient if you're playing a game in which every second counts. For instance, a user playing a game might think that he or she had not hit the key fast enough for the rules of the game, rather than the key not being reported by the hardware at all. Share this page. It's expensive for a device that lacks the advanced features you might find in other gaming keyboards, and the uncomfortable wrist rest is a definite downside. Some anti-ghosting keyboards are able to report additional keys beyond this either by using a custom reporting protocol designed with an increased limit or by sending additional reports for combinations of large numbers of keys. Ask a new question. However, all this does is move the problems to other sets of keys, where the user is less likely to notice. This pattern uniquely identifies which key was pressed; there is only one contact point that could cause these test results. Although pleasantly textured, it's too shallow to provide any support and, with your fingers resting on the W, A, S and D keys, your hand is likely to arch over the wrist rest entirely, making it fairly useless. The wrist rest offers little support, but this keyboard is surprisingly stylish and will serve you well in non-gaming situations too. Both my laptop and home computer have Windows 10 pro. These limits are discussed below. Hi GSandra. The Microsoft SideWinder X4 gaming keyboard aims to provide hardcore gamers with plenty of features, without monopolising desk space.

First law of gadget recessionomics: Take something you make, which is great, make it ever so less great, and sell it for ever so less money.

Conclusion The Microsoft SideWinder X4 is a decent piece of gaming kit that does effective double duty as an everyday keyboard. Hi GSandra. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. Are all anti-ghosting keyboards alike? If you'll wait to rate whether my post helped you, I will keep working with you until it's resolved. Gaming hardware has a tendency to embrace a Death Star aesthetic, but the X4 has a sleek design, and, at 48cm long, is no wider than most standard keyboards. Imagine playing your favorite video game and not being able to, say, run diagonally and fire your weapon at the same time say, pressing a , w , and g simultaneously. Luke's focus is on keeping you in the loop with a mix of video, features, expert opinion and analysis. Report abuse. A keypress can then be detected as a connection made between a particular pair of column and row wires from the pressure of the key above it.