SteelSeries GameSense software provides in-game information via keyboard lighting
SteelSeries GameSense software provides in-game information via keyboard lighting
Flashing and fading LED backlights on keyboards are pretty, but they aren’t good for much other than aesthetics. But as it turns out, bling and actual utility might not be mutually exclusive. SteelSeries has announced the beta release of GameSense, a program that allows you to use SteelSeries peripherals to display in-game information.
Keyboards look like they would benefit the most from GameSense, but SteelSeries has pointed out that it could be applied to headsets as well, where lighting information could be used to display things like player health level – a great boon to live tournament streams that often cut from the game to show the players in action.
GameSense is bundled with SteelSeries Engine 3.4.0 and later, so users don’t have to hunt down a separate download link. The beta software supports just a couple of popular titles now – Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Minecraft. But in order for GameSense to work with Minecraft, you’ll need to download the technic launcher and add the GameSense mod.
In CS:GO, your health is displayed in the QWERTY row, while ammo and armor are indicated by the number and function rows respectively. All three rows are fully lit at the start of each round, but they dwindle as you take shots and lose health. You can customize how in-game information is displayed in the GameSense tab in the SteelSeries Engine menu. Here's a video demonstration on the Apex M800 keyboard that SteelSeries released:
If you’re a programmer, SteelSeries offers an even greater level of customizability using its embedded Scheme-inspired language, GoLisp. The company also taking steps to help game developers bring their games on board.
According to SteelSeries, GameSense is compatible with all RGB-illuminated products that support SteelSeries Engine 3, but is best showcased with the Apex M800 keyboard. The latest version of SteelSeries Engine 3 with GameSense can be downloaded from SteelSeries' website.
Source: SteelSeries