Turtle Beach expands gaming peripherals line-up with Impact keyboards and Grip mice
Turtle Beach expands gaming peripherals line-up with Impact keyboards and Grip mice
In the crowded gaming peripherals space, Turtle Beach is best known for gaming audio accessories and headsets like the wireless Elite 800 headset. Now, the sound card and headset manufacturer has decided to expand its gaming peripheral offerings with new gaming keyboards, mice, and mouse pads.
Impact 700, 600 and 100 Keyboards
Turtle Beach’s Impact series of keyboards comprises three models, all coming in at fairly well-differentiated price points and feature sets to cater to different segments of the gaming market.
The 104-key Impact 700 is the brand’s highest-end model, featuring tactile Cherry MX Brown switches and red backlighting with multiple illumination modes. It is a plate-mounted keyboard, with a steel-reinforced chassis and gunmetal backplate that should provide more robust build quality and prevent flexing. Gamers who like to plug their peripherals into their keyboard will also be pleased to find two USB 2.0 ports and separate audio and microphone jacks for all their fragging tools.
The Impact 500 looks like a sized-down version of its bigger sibling, minus the red LED lighting, USB ports and audio and microphone passthroughs. It features the same steel-reinforced chassis, but in a more compact 87-key layout. It also has a detachable braided USB cable – a nice touch. Clearly, this is a keyboard that is far more suited to portable use. Turtle Beach has also opted to go for clicky Cherry MX Blue switches on this one, so you might not want to use this in the office.
Finally, we have the Impact 100 that caters to more budget-conscious gamers. There are no mechanical switches on this one, and Turtle Beach has instead opted for what it calls “Smart-Guide Keycap Sleeves”. These are supposed to emulate the feeling of a mechanical keyboard, but there are little specifics on how exactly it compares with the individual switch types and more common rubber dome switches. The Impact 100 also includes PBT keycaps instead of the standard ABS plastic – a surprising addition that is missing from many high-end mechanical keyboards on the market. In comparison to ABS keycaps, PBT have a more textured feel and are less likely to “shine” over time.
The Impact 700, 500 and 300 are available at US$199.95, US$129.95 and US$59.95 respectively on Turtle Beach's website.
Grip 500 and 300 gaming mice
The Grip 500 is a 7-button laser gaming mouse featuring the Avago 9800 laser sensor, Omron switches for the left- and right-click buttons, and the ability to assign complex macros to individual buttons. The sensor supports up to 8200dpi, and gamers have access to powerful customization options in setting the mouse’s illumination effects.
The more humble Grip 300 sports an Avago 3050 optical sensor that tracks up to a more modest 1750dpi. It sports the same Omron switches, two side buttons, and lighting for the scroll wheel and Turtle Beach logo. The Grip 500 is priced at US$49.95 while the Grip 300 can be had at US$39.95.
Drift and Traction gaming pads
The Drift and Traction mouse pads differ only in terms of their surfaces that cater to gamers who prefer either more control or less friction in their mouse movements. As implied by its name, the Drift is the slippery pad, featuring an ultra-smooth surface for faster glide. On the other hand, the Traction sports a rougher, textured weave for a more controlled experience.
Both pads are available in a variety of sizes starting from US$34.95 and ranging from fairly compact to a super-sized version that can accommodate your keyboard as well.
Source: Turtle Beach