Press Release: Fully loaded with the highest-quality components, the tough new Savu gaming tool is designed to dominate its class of optical gaming mice – and introduces an achievements display to the world of gaming peripherals

Hamburg, 28 February 2012 – ROCCAT Studios today announced the upcoming availability of the Savu Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse – a competition device that “fusion welds” an ideal blend of performance and customizable features into a robust, perfectly-balanced, medium-size design.

The Savu offers a combination of unprecedented, true 4000 dpi optical sensor power, world famous Easy-Shift[+] technology allowing for advanced button configuration, and a lighting system delivering 16.8 million colors. What’s more, it’s the world’s first mouse to feature a stats and trophy system – called the ROCCAT Achievements Display, or R.A.D. – something previously known in similar form only in online gaming. Designed specifically for fans of mid-size gaming mice, the Savu also pampers the hands with an ergonomic right-hand thumb rest and soft-touch surface.

Hamburg-based ROCCAT Studios says the Savu severely outperforms every gaming mouse in its class and is sure to set a new standard in the mid-size field. CeBIT 2012 visitors can catch the Savu debut at stands from Acer (Hall 22, Booth 24) and XMG by Schenker Notebooks (Hall 23, Booth A01-3.1). The Savu is expected to hit shelves internationally early May.

“The Savu raises the bar for optical mid-size gaming mice significantly,” says René Korte, ROCCAT Founder and CEO. “It really is a dream piece of machinery for gamers who love medium-size gear and a welcome addition to our powerful mouse line-up.”

With its advanced Pro Optic sensor, the Savu delivers true 400, 800, 1600 and 4000 dpi – placing it at the pinnacle of optical gaming mice. The latest R3 sensor also delivers lag-free gaming without any interpolation, and provides ultra-precise feedback during even the fastest movements – all so players can command with the utmost accuracy.

The Savu comes standard with exclusive Easy-Shift[+]â„¢ technology, which lets gamers set two functions for each mouse button and the scroll wheel, essentially transforming a seven-button mouse into a 12-button one without the clutter of unnecessary additional buttons. Easy-Shift[+]â„¢ also lets gamers take advantage of Easy-Aim, which automatically reduces the dpi setting when in sniper mode – delivering pinpoint accuracy at the touch of a button. And thanks to advanced Omron switches, the Savu’s two main buttons feature consistent and precise pressure points – as well as high durability for a long life.

The Savu features a large, customizable rear light bar, which users can set in their choice of 16.8 million colors – to add to the atmosphere of gaming sessions. Players can also activate a color cycling feature, as well as a “breathing” function, which instructs the mouse to pulse in a choice of color.

The Savu also marks the debut of the ROCCAT Achievements Display – or R.A.D. – a fun and useful application that tracks and rewards a wide range of gaming feats, such as mouse movement, button clicks, scroll steps, etc. The driver-based software compiles user data, provides a range of statistics for analysis, and hands out trophies when exceptional milestones have been reached. It’s an entertaining way for gamers to keep track of their mouse skills – and it even lets players share their accomplishments with others via social network sites, like Facebook.

See the Savu in action for the first time at CeBIT 2012 at the Acer Stand, Hall 22, Booth 24, and at the XMG by Schenker Notebooks Stand, Hall 23, Booth A01-3.1.

Sony has demonstrated the face-recognition and tracking capabilities of the upcoming PlayStation Vita handheld, using the portable console’s front-facing camera to track head movement and have on-screen avatars respond accordingly. In the demo, filmed by Siliconera and which you can see after the cut, Sony showed a two-way video chat being held between a pair of animated avatars, the head, mouth, eye and other movements being mapped to those of the gamer.

Although head-tracking has been done before, the system Sony demonstrated was able to track minor details like eye-blinking and eyebrow twitches, for a more lifelike animation. Sony wasn’t saying a video calling app would necessarily be the final use of the technology, 4gamer reports, but that the software was merely a demonstration of the power of the Vita’s abilities and its potential in augmented reality (AR) gaming.

Rather than using specific glyphs that can be identified and tracked by an AR system, Sony’s Yoshikatsu Kanemaru suggested that objects and even people could be distinguished by the Vita and have computer-generated graphics overlaid. It’s a technology that appears to have borrowed from Sony’s previous SmartAR research, which can intelligently spot unique elements -such as posters, magazines or more complex forms, like body outlines – in the camera’s frame and then track them accordingly.

All of the boards in the series use the dual intelligent Processors 2 tech with DIGI+ VRM power delivery for precision power adjustment and control. The boards also provide extra DRAM power to increase stability and has a feature packed BIOS. It sounds like the family will be overclocker friendly.

The mainboards also supports SATA 6Gb/s storage interface with RAID 0/1/10 support. The chipset in the boards also supports USB 3.0 natively with no need for a secondary controller. Intel still lacks native support for USB 3.0 and all Intel chipset boards are using a secondary controller for USB 3.0 ports. There is no word on when these boards will land and how much they will cost.

The recent refresh of the GeForce GTX 460M into the 560M was a welcome one, bringing Optimus support and higher clocks to what's liable to be their crown prince of budget mobile gaming. The GTX 560M is beginning to materialize in the market, but we were still left with an odd hole in NVIDIA's lineup at the top. That hole has now been filled, and thankfully it's at least a little more than the usual speedbump that goes along with a new moniker these days. Now every part in the 500M series can switch over to Sandy Bridge's integrated graphics while running on the battery, offering the best of both worlds.

NVIDIA's new top dog is the GeForce GTX 580M. Every spec on the press sheets is listed as "up to," but that's really par for the course. While NVIDIA's reps declined to comment on what chips are being used for the GTX 580M, you'll find the specs are a dead giveaway. The 580M seems to be a mobile version of the GF104/114 (more likely GF114), with 384 CUDA cores, with a main clock of 620MHz (yielding 1240MHz on the shader cores). Riding shotgun is a 256-bit memory bus supporting up to 2GB of GDDR5 clocked at an effective 3GHz. Those of you keeping score at home will note that's an improvement of 45MHz on the core (and thus 90MHz on the shaders), with the memory speed remaining constant. All told I'd expect performance in the neighborhood of the desktop GeForce GTX 460 1GB version (or at least, the original NVIDIA spec): not too shabby, but still an incremental improvement on the shipping GTX 485M. The major selling point is, again, Optimus support in the 580M.

On the heels of the GTX 580M is the GeForce GTX 570M. The 470M was a bit of an oddity in that while the 480M and 485M were easy enough to find, the 470M was largely a rarity. While the 580M sees the minor speedbump we've come to expect, the 570M is a major improvement over its seldom-used predecessor. The 570M likely uses the same silicon as the 580M (which is, again, more than likely a GF114), but while the 470M only had 288 CUDA cores, the 570M gets a healthy upgrade to 336. The 470M's 535MHz core clock also sees a boost to 575MHz, with the shaders clocked at 1150MHz. The 570M still retains the 470M's 192-bit memory bus, and will be configured with either 1.5GB or 3GB of GDDR5 clocked at an effective 3GHz, a marked improvement on the 470M's 2.5GHz memory clocks. All told performance should be somewhere between the desktop GeForce GTX 460 768MB and the GTX 460 SE. For mobile gaming, that's still not bad at all, and again it benefits from Optimus support.

NVIDIA also was able to point out specific models of notebooks that will be shipping with these parts. Availability in 17" Clevo notebooks should surprise no one, with the P270WN in particular supporting both 3D Vision and SLI'd GeForce GTX 580M's. Alienware's new M18x (which we have en route for review) will also be supporting the GeForce GTX 580M in SLI. And finally, the MSI GT780R shown above will be shipping with the GeForce GTX 570M.

NVIDIA expects notebooks featuring the new GPUs to be available for order from OEMs today.

Razer is back and that DeathAdder mouse is getting dressed up for fans of the Transformers franchise. The mice are for the tie in to the new flick that opens this week in theaters everywhere. The DeathAdder comes in both Autobot and Decepticon versions with the good guy mice in red for Optimus Prime and yellow for Bumblebee. The bad guys are in silver for Megatron and purple for the new baddies that pop out of the dust on the moon.

All of the mice have the same 3.5G sensor and 3500dpi sensitivity. You can pick up any of the four designs for $69.99 each. To complete your Transformers desk swag you can also get a Transformers Vespula dual sided gaming mouse pad with Optimus on one side and Megatron on the other for $44.99. Razer also has a line of laptop sleeve cases in Transformers style for $49.99 each.

The freshly announced G400 follows that general formula to the T, but it has a few new tricks up its sleeve. For starters, the optical sensor has been upgraded from 1800DPI to 3600DPI, which will undoubtedly prove handy in fast-paced twitch-oriented games. Naturally, DPI can be adjusted at any point courtesy of dedicated hardware buttons, and you can configure the four individual increments to your liking.

Since it’s using a newer version of the MX518′s sensor, Logitech says you can expect the same tracking consistency with less than 0.5% cursor-to-hand movement variance at up to 140 IPS. The company has also pushed the report rate from 125 to 1000 reports a second (a 1ms response time — the quickest USB can handle). Speaking of USB, the G400′s cable is thinner and 25% lighter for less restrictive movement.

Logitech has also integrated the same button programming software used by its G-Series keyboards and the G13 Advanced Gameboard. This grants the G400 access to Logitech Gaming Software’s drag and drop interface, automatic game detection, macro, and scripting capabilities — not to mention the ability to share macros with G-Series keyboards. Logitech Gaming Software v8.0 includes profiles for 210 games.

Logitech only had one goal for the G400: to build upon everything that was great about the MX518. “We were very careful not to mess with the shape, tracking consistency, button layout, or legendary durability that millions of customers have grown to love and rely upon over the years — we even kept the suggested retail price the same. All we wanted to do was make a legendary FPS gaming mouse work even better.”

The G400 is coming to the US on June 19 for $49.99 with other markets to follow by mid-July. If you couldn’t tell by the swooning above, we’re pretty enthusiastic about its arrival. Several TechSpot staffers have used the MX518 for years. We deemed the best gaming mouse available in a 2005 roundup, and it’s always held a seat in our desktop buying guide. Here’s hoping the G400 can carry the torch for another six years.

The New Diablo® III Mouse and Headset Feature “Demon Red” Illuminated Designs and Technology Specifically Tailored for this Mouse-Intensive, Dark Fantasy Game

LOS ANGELES – E3 – JUNE 6, 2011 – As the game industry waits for E3 to kick off this week, SteelSeries, a leading manufacturer of professional gaming peripherals today announced a co-branding partnership with Blizzard Entertainment on the SteelSeries Diablo® III family of products. The Diablo III Mouse, Diablo III Headset, and two Diablo III QcK mousepads – Witch Doctor and Barbarian Editions, were co-designed with technology, hardware, and illumination features that support the look and feel of the third installment of Blizzard Entertainment’s highly anticipated, mouse-intensive Diablo series.

“The level of excitement for the Diablo III release is massive. When the opportunity was presented to partner up with Blizzard for a new family of co-branded peripherals, we knew that they had to be engineered for this particular type of gameplay by being both durable and able to bring out the Diablo III theme onto a player’s desktop,” said Kim Rom, SteelSeries CMO. “The mouse offers both simplicity for new players and unprecedented durability that will support the series’ distinctive mouse-driven gameplay, while the headset optimizes the high, spine-chilling snarls of otherworldly creatures and the booming lows of a barbarian battle cry. Together, the headset and mouse will help immerse players into the game through their extended comfort, compelling designs and high performance.”

SteelSeries Diablo III Mouse
The fast-paced, dark fantasy world of Diablo III features high-velocity gameplay that benefits from quick response times and a weapon that will withstand the punishment of rapid clicks. The SteelSeries Diablo III Mouse features a laser sensor with up to 5,000 CPI, 7 ergonomically positioned buttons that can survive relentless punishment with a guaranteed lifespan of 10 million clicks – more than 3x the click lifespan of an average mouse. The mouse’s ambidextrous shape and comfortable matte grip coating makes it a versatile option for all gaming grip styles.

In true Diablo III style, the SteelSeries mouse is enhanced with “demon red” illumination in 3 areas on the mouse – the scroll wheel, CPI Indicator, and Diablo III logo. You can also customize the logo with ON/OFF illumination and 3 levels of pulsation. While the mouse hardware was built for battle, including the double-braided nylon cord and gold-plated USB connection, the software and setting capabilities are easy to navigate through preloaded, SteelSeries Engine software. Compatible with both Mac® and PC, the software offers players a drag & drop Diablo III-themed interface with pre-defined skills and game commands. All 7 mouse buttons can also be quickly remapped for a personalized set-up. The SteelSeries Diablo® III Mouse’s MSRP will be $69.99 / €69.99.

SteelSeries Diablo III Headset
Whether it’s the faint clinks of loot dropping or the booming bass of demon spawn meeting their end, Diablo III is a game that must be heard. The SteelSeries Diablo III Headset has a lightweight, over-the-head suspension design that provides players with closed-type, leather earcups keeping the outside world out and the game sound in. Its earcups comfortably surround the ear and reproduce an optimized soundscape through 50mm driver units that are meant to immerse a player even further into the Burning Hells.

Its matte-black finish replicates the SteelSeries Diablo III Mouse theme by featuring a unique, knot-work design on the headband, together with “demon red” illumination. The first illuminated headset designed by SteelSeries, it will offer players ON/OFF illumination and 3 levels of pulsation options. Coming from a total of 18 LED lights throughout the headset, the red glow is seen in two places each on the right and left side – surrounding the edge of each ear cup, and the three Diablo slashes.

The headset will also include SteelSeries’ signature, uni-directional retractable microphone-system for clear voice communication through Battle.net®. Its in-line volume and mute controls are found on a durable, double-braided nylon cord with a USB connector. For players looking for more control over their sound settings, the headset is also powered through SteelSeries Engine software, where they will find microphone volume and equalizer settings via an easy-to-navigate Diablo III interface. The Headset MSRP will be $119.99 / €119.99.

SteelSeries Diablo III Mousepads
To accompany the SteelSeries Diablo III Mouse, players can choose between two high-quality, cloth mousepad designs. The SteelSeries award-winning QcK mousepads have a non-slip rubber base to keep the mousepad from moving and an optimized texture surface featuring Diablo III artwork. The SteelSeries Diablo III QcK Barbarian Edition includes official character artwork of the barbarian class along with the deep reds and earthy tones associated with this brutal fighter. The SteelSeries Diablo III QcK Witch Doctor Edition summons the cooler, green and purple tones that are linked to this new and powerful summoning character. Each will have a $14.99 / €14.99 MSRP.

Available at game launch, the SteelSeries Diablo III family of products will be available online and in select retail locations. To catch hands-on previews of the new products, and news about all things SteelSeries and Diablo III check out http://steelseries.com/diablo3. Be sure to follow SteelSeries to stay up to date throughout E3 at http://steelseries.com as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.