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SteelSeries Xai Review
Introduction

SteelSeries is a well-known brand when it comes to professional gaming. Their lineup of high-end gaming peripherals constitute of Keyboards, Mice, Mouse Pads, Headphones, and even glasses. Today weâ€™re looking at a gaming mouse from the house of SteelSeries: Xai. Compared to what the current competition offers, the Xai is a 2 generation laser sensor mouse. The current competition is at 4G sensors. Before we even begin this review, it has to be considered that Xai is already on obsolete technology. Nothing alarming though, as we are going to review the Xai to see if it still stacksâ€¦

Specification

Xai come with a plethora of features. Weâ€™ll be going through the tech of Xia shortly, but first, here is a bulleted list of the features.

Internal
- Frames per second: 12.000
- Inches per second: 150+
- Counts per inch: 100 – 5.001
- Maximum Acceleration: 30 G
- Sensor data path: True 16 bit
- Lift distance: ~1mm
- Megapixels per second: 10.8
- Polling Rate: 125 – 1000 Hz
External
- Buttons: Eight
- Cord: 2 m / 6.5 feet (braided)
- Gold-plated USB connector
- CPI high/low indicator
- On board LCD
- 3 mouse feet
- Second generation laser sensor
Features
- Ambidextrous shape
- Slip-resistant mouse coating
- Two customizable CPI settings
- Nine programmable buttons, 6 programmable macros
- Three Huge Teflon feet
- High grade sensor sporting 10.8 Megapixels per Second
- Pro-play performance with accurate tracking and extreme precision
- Best-in-class technology: 100-5001 CPI, 12,000 FPS, and 150+ IPS
- Plug-and-play, Driverless feature for LAN Gamers
- Five On-board profiles
- On board LCD, display featuring intuitive menu-system for customization of:
SteelSeries ExactSens Technology for Adjusting CPI from 100 to 5001, by one CPI increment/decrement

SteelSeries ExactAim Technology for Minimizing â€œjittersâ€ for FPS Gamers

SteelSeries ExactRate Technology for Adjusting Polling/Report Rate from 125 to 1000, by one Hz increment/decrement

SteelSeries FreeMove Technology for adjusting cursor prediction on mouse movement

SteelSeries ExactAccel Technology for adjusting hardware acceleration
- Operating systems: Win 2000/XP/Vista/7/OSX
Package

When we look at the packing Xai is placed securely in the middle of the box after opening window to the left side, which is locked magnetically.

The top of the box mentions the well-known professional teams along with their logo and, mouse was made with the cooperation these teams.

At the back of the box shows the Specifications/Features of Xai in English and German languages respectively.

When we take out the internal packing from the box we can see the mouse resting in the middle and the braided wire is stored in a compartment above and under the mouse there is another little compartment where we can find the documentation and SteelSeries sticker.

All items in the packing includes the mouse, user manual, SteelSeries gaming gear catalog and sticker.

SteelSeries shows there appreciation for trusting and buying this product and states that this manual is aimed to familiarize us with the basic aspects of the mouse usage and setup.

And further, the manual describes the System Requirements, the Basic Functionality, Advance functionality, On-Mouse menu System Using LCD display, and Updating the firmware.

Closer Examination

Now we will take a closer look at the Mouse itself. The material used for the finishing is very smooth to the touch. Despite of being so smooth itâ€™s impossible for it to slip.

At the top middle you will see a white wheel. And just under is the white led which shows the two level of CPI selected and further down is the pointed button which used to select Two CPI configured.

There are 2 buttons on the right side and 2 buttons on the left which means it can be used by both righty and lefty.

If we look at the front part of the mouse we can see the braided cable getting out of the body.

Now we will take a look at the bottom of the mouse, firstly we can see the name of the mouse, product number, voltage specs also this that product was designed in Denmark but manufactured in China, SteelSeries logo, the laser class 1 sensor, in the middle of the mouse the laser. Under the SteelSeries embossed logo we can also find out the plastic protective cap for the LCD screen. On all edges we can find Teflon feet to ensure smooth mouse movements.

The USB connector is gold plated, for very good contact and no signal loss.

Design

Overall, the comfort of this mouse is outstanding. It feels comfortable no matter if youâ€™re a left-hander or a right. It has balanced weight and buttons click softly and swiftly. The CPI button is well placed on it. It has the best wheel with deep ridges for the grip and it is almost impossible to slip the wheel. You have to get used to the side buttons and adjust your hand not to accidentally press them. The feet are very large but they are smooth on any surface that I have tested. They are not round edged which are the main cause for its feet being a dirt magnet.

The LCD display provides to switch between one of five profiles. When not using menu-system it displays the SteelSeries logo.

We can access the profile management menu by holding the arrow shaped button for 3 seconds, for navigating through the menus the wheel and side buttons are used and wheelâ€™s button is used to select an option.

We can adjust the value of each feature either by the wheel or by buttons on the side. (as wheel provide increase/decrease in 1 unit and side buttons provide increase and decrease in 3 units)

Performance/ Durability

SteelSeries Xai 2nd gen laser sensor performed better than anticipated. Besides being old it preforms good as 4^th gen sensor and manages to provide just as smooth and precise tracking as new mouse with twin lasers. It preform very well from medium to high sensitivity, if you are fond of using low sensitivity this mouse will not live up to the mark. Tracking capabilities are one of the important features needed in a pro gaming mouse and Xai preforms surprisingly well.

Software

The software that comes for the XAI has 4 tabs and on top named as.

Button Assignments tab

Here we can customize each button and also use the macro feature on button 2 to button 7, we can also set the mouse for left or right handed mode and select between 5 profiles. Macro feature is very user friendly, The Advance Macro editor is divided in to 2 portions.

Firstly is the Macro list in which u can create macro profiles. In the 2^nd portion the profiles previously created can be customized, delay function is also available if needed and in the advance delay editor the creation of profiles is further simplified.

Hardware Settings tab

All of the options here are also customizable from the mouse itself except enabling or disabling the hardware cursor acceleration and the LCD setup and just under it is the apply button and I must say settings are applied just in a second. Signature features in this tab are.

SteelSeries ExactSense:

This feature controls how fast your cursor moves in relation to how much you move your mouse. With SteelSeries ExactSense you can donâ€™t need to relay on software to adjust sensitivity settings, freeing yourself from any and all software interpolation, which will dramatically increase your precision.

We can set two different values for your sensitivity and switch between them on-the-fly via the CPI toggle button.

SteelSeries ExactRate

Report rate (a.k.a polling rate) which is number of reports sent every second by the mouse to your computer. SteelSeries ExactRate allows us to customize the Report Rate to oneâ€™s liking and need.

SteelSeries ExactAim

SteelSeries ExactAim gives total control over the amount of jitter correction and prediction calculations. This is specially designed when the mouse is used on a surface that hasnâ€™t been optimized for high precision gaming. The settings range from â€œpureâ€ sensor data, that will the raw data without and prediction/calculation, up to high amounts of prediction calculations which are extremely helpful in jitter-less gaming.

SteelSeries FreeMove

Allows the user to determine how much the mouse should help with movements, and allows us to perform movements without any angle snapping and path correction. We can adjust how much control should be left up to the mouse and how much control should be left up to us in other words how precise the mouse should be in reproducing our movement.

SteelSeries ExactAccel

With acceleration we can bridge large distances quickly, while still being able to work flawlessly in small areas of the screen, without having to switch our CPI with the CPI toggle all the time. The main difference between this setting and Windows acceleration is that this setting is running in the hardware, we are also able to set the degree of dynamic acceleration.

Windows Settings tab

We can set the scroll wheel speed, double click speed and the pointer speed, settings that are also available in Windows, Control Panel.

Options tab

We can see the installed software application version, the current firmware version that is running in the mouse and the language of the interface; here we can also access multiple links like product information, additional downloads or support for the device.

Conclusion

Personally, despite its second gen laser sensor I liked this mouse from the moment I started using it. Its software is easy to use and modify according to your needs and the fact that everything can be customized of the mouse without need of any driver or software is totally unique. I have tested it in many games including CODBO and Counterstrike Source and as far as gaming is concerned it works absolutely outstanding.

Its price is a bit high as compared to others but because of its comfortable grip and rich features it will definitely make its mark & will stay for years to come.

Pros
- Soft Comfortable Grip
- High Quality Material
- LCD for on go customization
- Ambidextrous Shape
- Outperforming Sensor
- Simplicity in usage
Cons
- Bit expensive
- No weight management
January 16, 2013
DmC: Devil May Cry Review
When DmC was first announced, the first thing that came to mind was: What the hell have they done to Dante? What happened to the bad-ass character we’ve come to love? Why replace him with a teenage punk?

Well, first we need to realize that this game is set in a parallel universe, and the story does not pick up from where the previous games left it. Think of the previous Devil May Cry games as Sam Raimi’s Spider-man movies, with the new DmC being the ‘Amazing Spiderman. Bad example, I know, but that’s how it is. It is like an unwritten rule these days that when a franchise undergoes a reboot, a new character is needed. That’s how it is with DmC.

So the question is, does the new Dante suffice? I personally believe he does. He’s obviously not as bad-ass as his predecessor, but he manages to do the job, and that’s good enough. He’s a punk, and behaves like all punks do, trying to be all cool and stylish. The previous Dante did not have to try though.

As I stated before, this game is a reboot, with a new story. Some of the basic plot points are the same though. Dante is brother to Vergil, and they are both sons of Sparda, a demon. Throughout the story, Mundus, the demon king, wants Dante killed. Meanwhile, Dante is fighting his way through demons in Limbo city where he meets Kat, a member of the Order – an organization fighting against the demons of Limbo city. The leader of the Order, Vergil, expects Dante to ally himself with them. Along the way, Dante learns that he is a Nephilim, son to a demon and an angel.

Of course, the Devil May Cry series has never been famous for it’s story. It’s the gameplay where it shines. And guess what? Ninja Theory has actually done an unexpected job of delivering great gameplay mechanics. The game is fun throughout, with each battle being fast paced and interesting. Like previous games, the player can use Dante’s sword, called Rebellion, and his dual pistols, Ebony and Ivory. New to the franchise are the Devil and Angel modes. These can be activated by holding down the triggers on your controller. The Angel mode allows Dante to use a scythe, called Osiris. This scythe is speedy, but does light damage. On the other hand, the Devil mode allows Dante to use Arbiter, a huge axe that does heavy damage. Apart from the weapons, the Angel and Devil modes allow Dante to pull himself towards enemies, or pull enemies towards him, respectively.

Switching between these modes swiftly can allow the player to exercise combos in a bewildering array of ways. The objective of producing combos is to get a higher battle rating, like in previous games. I personally found it easier to rank up my battle rating and keep the combos going in DmC, as compared to previous games, especially since the ‘pull’ feature of the Devil and Angel modes allows me to get to enemies quicker so I can continue my combos efficiently.

Boss fights were fun and interesting, sometimes posing a nice challenge and pushing the player to their limits. Items were hidden throughout the game which can be collected to improve Dante’s stats and unlock challenges. Challenges throughout the game offered a diversity to the regular gameplay, awarding the player with items if completed successfully. To take a break from the regular fighting, Limbo city would sometimes try to kill Dante through means other than employing demons. These would include trying to close the walls on him, or making the ground disappear beneath his feet, cases in which Dante has to dash through the area quickly. All these instances were fun and quick-paced, just like a hack and slash game should be.

Despite this diversity, sometimes the game would feel repetitive. But then again, this problem persists with almost all games in this genre. If the player experiments with different types of combos and fighting techniques, the game will obviously feel fresh throughout.

Accompanying the gameplay is a great soundtrack, consisting of screams and metal music. Who doesn’t love that in a Devil May Cry game, right? The soundtrack lets the adrenaline rush through your veins throughout the game, creating a unique atmosphere found only in DmC. The combine this music with the fast-paced gameplay and you’ll get a game that is bursting with energy.

I would like to say that everything about the game’s sound is great, but I can’t. The music is perfectly fine, but the voice acting isn’t. As I said, Dante is a punk, so he speaks like one too. Sometimes, his voice can be horrible, and the dialogues get annoying and stupid. I don’t know if Ninja Theory meant for them to be humorous, but they’re not. Some of them were downright awful. Some of the bosses, like the one featured in the demo was a pain listening to.

Lastly, the graphics were neat. There was the occasional frame-tearing in cutscenes and some areas did not feel polished. But the overall look of the game was good enough. A few glitches were present here and there though. Perhaps a future update will fix these, but then again, they were negligible. The game isn’t something that you’ll feel inspired after looking at, but it does justice to the distorted Devil May Cry universe. There’s enough twisted-ness to go around.

The game is great independently, but is it better than the previous ones? Maybe. That depends on why you liked the previous games in the first place. If you’re looking for one of the best hack and slash gameplay mechanics, a soundtrack that will make you feel pumped and a twisted setting, then you’ve come to the right place, and you’ll feel right at home with DmC.

TechDeville gives DmC: Devil May Cry 4/5 stars.
January 15, 2013
Sony VP Teases Playstation 4 Announcement For Around E3
Interesting news for gamers waiting anxiously for next gen consoles, Hiroshi Sakamoto who’s the Vice President at Sony Home Entertainment teased a Playstation 4 announcement for May or June, just in time for this year’s E3.

The news comes from El Mercurio On-Line (via NeoGAF) who interviewed Sakamoto at this year’s CES held in Las Vegas. When asked about them introducing a new console to the market, he had the following to say:

That’s still a big secret, but our friends at Sony Playstation are getting ready. For now, I can only say that we’re focused in the gaming event E3, scheduled for June.

This announcement can be by then, or even before then, in May.

Its pretty common knowledge that both Sony and Microsoft are working on new consoles but the only thing we don’t know is when they’ll be out. If Sony really does show the Playstation 4 or whatever its called in the aforementioned time period, I think we can safely assume that it will be out before the end of this year.

You may also be interested in:
- The Playstation 4 To Support 4K Res?
- PS4 Dev Kit Shipping To Developers, Contain AMD A10 APUs
Which next generation console are you the most excited for? Let us know in the comments below.
January 15, 2013
Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories Announced For PSN

NIS America just announced Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories for a PSN release as a PS2 Classic. Unfortunately the PS2 version titled Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories is inferior to the PSP port released as Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days as the latter has more characters, modes, attacks and more.

Unfortunately, the PSN version will be a direct port of the PS2 release.

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories is the sequel to the original Disgaea: Hour of Darkness on the PS2 and features a brand new cast of characters. So if you’re waiting for Disgaea D2 or an eventual Disgaea 5 release then Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories might last you the wait.

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories will be available on the PS Store 22nd of January for $9.99.

Which Disgaea game is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

January 15, 2013
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 Nuketown Zombies Map Coming To PS3 And PC On The 17th
Activision just announced through their Twitter that the previously collector’s edition bonus only map Nuketown Zombies will be coming out for Black Ops 2 on the PS3 and PC next week.

Nuketown #Zombies hits PS3/PC players on 1/17 next week! Ready up & grab your #BlackOps2 DLC Season Pass now: bit.ly/VzxtvC

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) January 11, 2013

The Nuketown Zombies map was previously exclusive to players who purchased either the Hardened or Care Pack editions of Black Ops 2 but was later released for the Xbox 360 last month. Just like any other map, you’ll be able to purchase it separately or along with all other Black Ops 2 DLCs via the Call of Duty Season Pass.

The Season Pass introduced with Modern Warfare 3 allows you to purchase all of the year’s Call of Duty DLC content for $10 than it would to purchase separately ($50 compared to $60). Nuketown Zombies will arrive on the PS3 and PC on the 17th of January.

Treyarch also recently confirmed the Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC Pack which includes 4 brand new Multiplayer maps, a Zombies map, a brand new Zombies game mode along with the Peacekeeper SMG.

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Will you be getting Nuketown Zombies or are you not a fan of the map? Let us know your thoughts in the comments belwo.
January 15, 2013
3DS XL To Have 1:1 Pixel Mode

Looking for reasons to buy the newly announced 3DS XL apart from the bigger screen and better battery life? Well you would be glad to know that the bigger screens are not going to waste and will have 1:1 Pixel Mode.

So what exactly is 1:1 Pixel Mode you ask? Well take normal DS games played on the 3DS for example, they never scale perfectly since the resolutions of the DS and 3DS are different i.e 256 x 192 and 400 x 240 respectively. 1:1 Pixel Mode on the 3DS XL will have perfect pixel mapping for older games (DS and Virtual Console) thanks to the bigger screens.

Technically the 3DS XL can support 1:1 Pixel Mode because of the higher dot pitch of 0.2657mm as compared to 0.1922mm of the original 3DS. The bigger the pixels the better pixel mapping you get and the better older games look.

Thanks 3DS Tribe.

Let us know what you think of the feature in the comments below.

January 15, 2013
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If you’re interested in writing for TechDeville feel free to send us an Email at:

dan@techdeville.com

Please note we currently only accept writers on a voluntary basis.

January 15, 2013
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January 15, 2013
About Us

Welcome To TechDeville!

Thank you for visiting TechDeville or TD as it’s often called. Team TechDeville welcomes you to our site and hopes that you find you stay here as pleasant as possible. Simply put, we are a small group of freelancing writers who have our own ways of viewing technology and gaming and presenting it to the outside world.

Our Story

What sets the team at TechDeville apart is the exuberance of youth. Our writers don’t wait around to be assigned a story they are hungry for them and go out to seek one. Our domain expertise allows us to write on topics that strike a chord with any and all tech buffs for e.g. video games, mobile phone, computer designs, hardware information etc. Having been exposed to online journalism from a young age we understand the importance of speed in the information age we breathe in thus getting our stories out in minutes and aiming to compose the bigger opinion pieces in a couple of hours, not a couple of days.

What sets us apart from all the big names in the industry?

We are currently working non-profit and trying to help out as many people as possible via the internet so we’re not money hungry. Expect brutal honestly when you come to TD. Our evergreen staff is below:

Ali Khan (Co-Founder & CEO)

Destined for I.T. greatness, his mother had other plans. Ali is now mastering his design skills in CSS3 and HTML5. Found TechDeville along with Danial Arshad Khan in December 2010 after 5 years of freelancing. He’s also one of the founding members of Infinitus Creations. @Khanception ali@techdeville.com

Danial Arshad Khan (Co-Founder & Editor-In-Chief)

People refer to him as the backbone of TechDeville, serving as the Editor-In-Chief from the start TechDeville couldn’t have been where it is without him. He’s gone out of his way to find the perfect team for the site and keeps his standards at an all time high. @ReZoNoLiCiOuS dan@techdeville.com

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Sameed is your go-to-guy when it comes to Photography. He also has a passion for the latest Smartphones and especially the ones from Apple’s camp. Spends most of his time writing How-To guides and taking pictures for Infinitus Creations using his Canon 550-D. sameed@techdeville.com

Sajawal Waseem (Staff Photographer)

Just like Sameed – Sajawal also has a knack for photography which got him the coveted spot for being out official Photographer. He follows us around whenever we’re out covering events or reviewing the latest gadgets. sajawal@techdeville.com

Ziyad Jameel (General Manager)

Best friend to Ali for over 5 years, he was the reason Ali became part of the I.T. world when he was asked to help design a few websites for Ziyad. Ziyad now looks over TechDeville and manages the SEO of the site. The guy has over 10 years of experience in the online marketing business. ziyad@techdeville.com

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Even though Humad is the youngest at Team TD his ability to write interesting opinion pieces, reviews and news articles helped him gain the respect of his fellow peers. @Xerolt humad@techdeville.com

Adil Majid (Staff Writer)

A major smartphone-o-holic, Adil mostly writes about the latest smartphones on TechDeville. When’s he not trying out the latest ROMs on his Galaxy S II he’s busy Jailbreaking his friends’ phones. He also writes Game Reviews adil@techdeville.com

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Handles the local telecom news section of TechDeville and does a mighty fine job at it. shahbaz@techdeville.com

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Awards

Won the Best Technology Blog category at the 2nd Annual Pakistan Blog Awards – Coverage here.

January 15, 2013
SE Europe On Final Fantasy X HD: “The world will get answers soon”
Some interesting news today, Square Enix Europe told one of their fans on Twitter when asked about Final Fantasy X HD that “The world will get answers soon, we promise.”

The much anticipated HD Remaster of the PS2 classic Final Fantasy X was announced at Sony’s TGS conference back in 2011. Little to no information about the game has been released leading many to believe that the project was canned. Final Fantasy X HD is supposed to be released on both the PS3 and PS Vita.

For comparison, a Kingdom Hearts HD collection going by the title of Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX was announced at last year’s TGS and is confirmed for release in 2013. So it would make sense for fans to be worried for a game that was announced earlier to stay in the dark for so long.

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Are you looking forward to Final Fantasy X HD? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
January 14, 2013