Las Vegas - FPS fans know the value of a good mouse and keyboard. While controllers are sufficient for casual play, they don't offer the same level of accuracy, which is why Iogear has released the Keymander peripheral. It's a pass-through that allows you to pair your keyboard and mouse with the gaming console of your choice.
At CES 2020, the company unveiled KeyMander 2, an even more powerful peripheral that takes full advantage of Iogear's new mouse and keyboard.
I experienced the KeyMander 2 and was impressed with its ability to analyze mouse and keyboard input for console gaming. I was also pleased to learn that Iogear's new mouse and keyboard are much, much less expensive than their competitors' higher-end alternatives.
Iogear's original KeyMander peripherals allowed players to link their mouse and keyboard to Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3 consoles. The new KeyMander 2 allows players to link their mouse and keyboard to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. This is, of course, a huge boon for multiplayer shooters like Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Fornite.
I tried the KeyMander 2 on both Xbox One and PS4 and was impressed with what I saw: the KeyMander 2 itself is a USB hub to which you can connect a keyboard and mouse (Iogear has a new HVER PRO X optical mechanical keyboard and MMOmentum Pro gaming mouse, but you can use anything with a USB connection). Then, connect the KeyMander 2 to the gaming console of your choice and control the game just as you would a PC.
The cool thing about KeyMander 2 is that you can customize your commands via the Android or iOS app. Whether you want to use the keyboard in its standard configuration or in a macro-laden maze, Iogear's USB hub should be able to handle it. The device will be available later this month and will cost $100.
Optical keyboards are not a brand new concept; both Bloody and Razer make some. However, optical keyboards tend to be expensive, often as much as $200. Iogear's HVER Pro X optical keyboard, on the other hand, costs only $90. This full-size keyboard uses full-fledged optical keyswitches that activate commands with light rather than mechanical presses.
The HVER Pro X optical keyboard is otherwise a very standard peripheral, with RGB lighting, media shortcuts on function keys, a full number pad, and Kaliber software that can reprogram keys.
There are dozens of gaming mice available, and gaming mice with lots of buttons for MMO and RTS play are equally common. However, these mice often cost $100 or more, especially if they feature full RGB lighting; the Iogear MMOmentum Pro gaming mouse bucks this trend by offering many buttons and plenty of illumination options for only $50.
Playing a round of Call of Duty with the MMomentum Pro, we found the mouse to be a reliable accessory, tracking our movements with precision and accuracy, with DPI levels up to 12,000 (perhaps) higher than necessary. The physical design is not as comfortable as brands like SteelSeries or Logitech, but there are no less than six additional buttons and adjustable weights on the bottom of the mouse.
Overall, Iogear's gaming accessories are not the flashiest we've seen, but each accessory is priced much lower than expected and will all be available by the end of the year. The KeyMander 2, in particular, has the potential to improve console play. Other accessories are simply decent gaming gear at relatively low prices.
Tom's Guide will be checking to see if Switch FPS games are really better played with a mouse and keyboard once the KeyMander 2 is available.
For the latest news and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas, be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub.
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