Of course, delegating all of your text chatter to your smartphone means you’ll be tapping up your responses on its itty-bitty touchscreen keyboard — at least until ROCCAT finishes its friend keyboard, Project Phobo. The modular PC keyboard not only provides a dock for your Power-Grid equipped mobile, but also lets you rejoinder to texts, chats and tweets using its comprehensive array of keys. Pairing your phone with the Phobo will even route declare calls to your PC’s gaming headset, leaving you free to continue to rack up kills without lacking principal business calls. The German peripheral outfit will be rolling out the beta to iOS devices after CeBIT, and says an Android version is scheduled for free at Gamescom 2012. Hit the break for the official press free and a see at the Phobo keyboard.

A First for PC Gaming: Command Using a Smartphone with ROCCAT Power-Grid

Exclusive technology represents a breakthrough in PC gaming control, makes expensive touch-display gaming devices obsolete, works with every PC, and is free to get started

Hamburg, 6 March 2012 – German gaming peripherals manufacturer, ROCCAT Studios, has introduced a groundbreaking technology called the ROCCAT™ Power-Grid that – for the first time in the history of PC gaming – lets players control their games and computer with their smartphone. And, in what is surely music to the ears of many players, the Power-Grid is completely free to get started.

Gaming evolved

“Some gaming companies claim PC gaming is sick and needs help,” says René Korte, ROCCAT Founder and CEO. “We at ROCCAT have never thought that. We know PC gaming is alive and well. It just needs to keep evolving. Power-Grid represents that natural evolution. Why? Because it makes possible the dream of millions of gamers: to stay fully absorbed in the game no matter what happens in the real world. It works with every PC, makes expensive touch-display gaming devices obsolete, and is completely free to get started. Is PC gaming sick? Hardly. Is it dead? Of course not. It’s evolving and getting a hell of a lot better.”
Connect, monitor and control – all from a smartphone

The free-to-download Power-Grid is a tool that lets gamers connect, monitor and control their game and PC in real time while staying completely absorbed in the action. The app comes standard with four control displays – or “grids”. Three grids have been preloaded with a wide range of essential gaming tools – and the fourth is completely customizable.

The first of Power-Grid’s three pre-installed control grids is called the “Incoming Center”. It routes all outside voice and text communication – from Skypeâ„¢, Facebook®, TeamSpeak, Twitter, etc. – to an at-a-glance display on the gamer’s smartphone. This means players can get messages from friends and teammates while staying in the game.

The “Stats Control” grid also comes preloaded with Power-Grid, letting gamers quickly and easily monitor their computer’s vital data via their smartphone – info such as CPU status, hard drive space and network traffic.
The third preloaded display is the “Sound Control” grid, which allows gamers to set and fine tune every aspect of their gaming audio using just their smartphone. Gamers can even change audio settings in, for example, Skypeâ„¢, with in-game music, or with their media player together or independently – for custom-tailored audio control made simple.

Create, build and share

In addition to the free Power-Grid app, gamers will need to download the free ROCCAT Power-Grid Launcher from www.roccat.org. This program not only connects smartphone and PC, it also features a powerful editor that lets players create their own custom control icons, or “blocks” – like individually-designed macro buttons from their favorite games, or specialty buttons like a pizza timer – for the ultimate in command customization.
Plus, users can easily share their self-styled blocks and grids with teammates, colleagues and friends.

Combine

At the end of the year gamers will be able to connect their Power-Grid-loaded smartphone to ROCCAT Smart Gear – new gaming hardware that delivers the ultimate smart gaming experience.
First on the horizon is Project Phobo – the “Phone Board”. The Phobo is not only one of the world’s most advanced gaming keyboards, it’s also the perfect home for a smartphone using Power-Grid. And once gamers have connected their Power-Grid-enabled smartphone to the Phobo, they’ll never need to separate the two. That’s because players can write any kind of text message using the Phobo’s keyboard – via Facebook®, Skypeâ„¢, TeamSpeak, you name it – and because the Phobo also lets gamers take voice calls with a connected headset. And while connected, the Phobo will naturally charge a user’s smartphone in case they do need to unplug it.

And following in the footsteps of the world famous ROCCAT Apuri Active USB Hub with Mouse Bungee, ROCCAT plans on introducing the Apuri 2.0 – a ROCCAT Smart Gear gaming assistant that acts as a stylish stand for a gamer’s Power-Grid-enabled smartphone – and is the perfect way to keep it charged for when a player needs to step away from the game.

When will it be available?

Select attendees will be able to see the Power-Grid in action for the first time at CeBIT 2012. And everyone can apply to be a beta tester at power-grid.roccat.org.
Initial versions of Power-Grid work with all Apple iPhones using the latest version of iOS, as well as with the iPod touch. In addition to a compatible smartphone, Power-Grid requires a PC with Wi-Fi capability. ROCCAT will launch Power-Grid for Android smartphones at gamescom 2012.

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.