Timstuff
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As any PC gamer will probably tell you, gamepads don't hold a candle to mice when it comes to aiming in first person shooters. Well, it would appear that there are a variety of products from multiple companies that aim to heal this divide by offering mouse controls on consoles, to varying degrees of success. Most of these are available for the PS3 since it's more friendly to third party peripherals. I have not used any of these, but I've been doing some research on them. There's no "out of the box and you're all set" solution since they all require a bit of tweaking on a game-by-game basis (including the sensitivity in the actual game menus), but depending on which you pick you can apparently get good results. Another thing to keep in mind is that the companies making these products are generally small, and so the customer support varies from one product to the next. I'll give you the rundown on all of the notable ones I've researched in a nice fat report!
If there's a PC gamer on your Christmas list who also owns a console, or a console FPS fanboy who wants to be hardcore, some of these might be good gift ideas!
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Penguin United Eagle Eye for the PS3
$60
This is one of the most well received PS3 solution I've seen. It's an adapter that lets you hook up a USB keyboard and mouse, and customize the layout and mouse sensitivity to your liking via a PC configuration tool, and the settings can be adjusted in-game via keyboard commands. You can save more than one profile to the adapter's firmware so you can switch between games quickly. The big advantage is obviously that you can use whatever keyboard and mouse you want, which is quite handy if you already own a good gaming mouse and keyboard / command pad. The downside is, obviously, that you'll need to buy them separately, and if you go with a crappy setup you'll get mixed results. You can get this one for about $60 which makes it a great option if you are a PC gamer who already has the rest of the hardware necessary. Penguin United apparently has good customer support and releases firmware updates fairly often.
XIM for Xbox 360 and PS3
Cost of materials + labor, or $90-250 for a pre-made unit
This one is going into the dark territory of basement engineering. Basically, the image above sums up the concept, which is sure to delight tinkerers and terrify people who just want to play a game. Through computer voodoo magic, you use a hacked Xbox 360 or Playstation controller to take commands from a keyboard and mouse, and sends them to the Xbox 360 with a PC or laptop acting as a middle man running the control software. This is the most effective keyboard and mouse solution for the Xbox 360 and PS3, but unless you're hack savvy it won't come cheap. You can hack the controller yourself and wade through all of the tutorials, shopping lists and frustration yourself, or you can buy a pre-hacked one for anywhere from $90-250 depending on whether it's version 1 or version 2 (version 3 is on the way, and it's going to be even more expensive). Since the software is largely user-drive there's a community of enthusiasts backing it. Like the Eagle Eye, the quality of your experience depends largely on what keyboard and mouse you use with it, and you do need a PC or laptop near your gaming throne (or some long USB extension cables). To get XIM on PS3 you'll need to do a bit of extra homework in part because you'll need a PS2-PS3 controller adapter, and not all of them still work after Sony tightened their USB security protocols. Also, keep in mind that the priority of XIM's developer is Xbox 360 support. For you, this means that while all versions of the XIM hardware hack are 360 compatible, only version 1 will work on PS3, and it will need a lot of adjustment for each individual game.
XFPS Pro
$80-120
This is a more simple solution for Xbox 360 keyboard and mouse control, but it's a disappointment from what I can gather. Conceptually it's similar enough to the Eagle Eye, except that after plug it into the 360, you plug in a wired 360 controller into the XFPS to "trick" the 360 into accepting it, and then replace the 360 controller with the mouse and keyboard. Unfortunately, people constantly complain that the sensitivity is off or that the product outright doesn't work, and the product support from the manufacturer is very poor. There is no updatable firmware, and there's usually a noticeable dead zone with the mouse that almost nothing can be done to compensate for. Several models of this thing exist, and they are all fairly expensive ranging from $80-120 and share the same problems. Only the newest, most expensive one has a headset jack. At that price, you should expect a much better product, especially since for $30 more you can get a hand-made XIM360 that will work almost perfectly.
Bannco FRAGnStein / Tuact AIMON PS (Fragnstein pictured)
$60-90
The Fragnstein and its spiritual successor the Aimon PS are generally considered to be the best self-contained mouse controller for the PS3, meaning that it's one device that requires no additional hardware. Bannco, the company that made the Fragnstein somehow either evolved into or was bought by Tuact, who now handles customer support and firmware updates for both the Fragnstein and Aimon. Both sets include a wireless mouse, analog nunchuk and USB dongle. The dongle contains firmware which can be updated and adjusted by connecting to a PC. The sensitivity is very adjustable and apparently has good dead zone compensation (though the Eagle Eye is slightly better), and in general it strikes a good balance between twitch aiming and micro aiming, as long as you set it up right. While mouse sensitivity can be adjusted instantly, only one game profile can be stored in the firmware at a time, meaning that if you swtich games a lot you'll want a PC on standby.
The build quality is highly praised by users for feeling solid and responsive, with most users commenting that the mouse stands up well against other premium PC gaming mice, and both the mouse and nunchuk are PC compatible. Aimon visually looks pretty much the same as the FNS but has a more "gunmetal" looking paint job. The notable drawback is that this line is wireless-only, since that can sometimes mean less signal stability. Many users find that the signal is more stable when the dongle is plugged into USB extension cord and kept near the mouse. Depending on where you buy them and which model you're looking for, they can cost between $60-90. In general Tuact is considered pretty good with customer support and releases firmware updates often, and they have active user forums on their website.
Bannco Scorch / Tuact Aimon XB (Scorch pictured)
$70-90
This is essentially the Xbox 360's twin sister of the Fragnstein and Aimon PS, and most of the info above applies. For the most part you can expect a similar experience, and the same customer support. One notable difference though, is that like the XFPS you must "trick" your Xbox into recognizing it by plugging a wired controller (first or third party) into the wireless dongle using a small adapter to activate it when you boot up the system. You can unplug the wired controller afterwards or leave it plugged in. Also, neither the Scorch or the Aimon has a headphone jack, so if you don't have a wireless headset then you may be SOL. The Scorch, which like the Fragnstein is out of production, has always been harder come by than the other products in this line. If you can find one, it will run you up at around $85, while the newer Aimon XB is often cheaper in the $70-90 range. Which you choose may come down to superficial reasons, since the white Scorch matches older 360s while the black Aimon XB matches the elite and slim models.
Spitfire FragFX 1, 2, Shark and Baracuda (Shark pictrued)
$40-$90
This line has an... interesting history. While Spitfire has been making mice and nunchuk combos longer than the Fragnstein family has been around, their products have a much more mixed reception. The best in the line is almost universally considered to be the FragFX V1 (a wired model) since it offers the smoothest aiming and micro aiming in the line, but people generally take issue with the build quality, which many say feels cheap and toy-like with loud, clunky mouse buttons with long response times, and that Spitfire's attempts at ergonomic designs have been mixed at best. These problems are inherent in all of Spitfire's products, and more have managed to work their way in since. Unfortunately the V1 is no longer being manufactured or supported by Spitfire, so the best (and most reasonably priced) in their lineup is now only available through the used market. To make things worse, a lot of V1s don't even work with current PS3 firmware, and they no longer release firmware updates for the V1, so make sure if you buy one it's been tested on an up-to-date PS3.
Each successive installment in Spitfire's line apparently has even more jerky, unstable mouse movement than the last, so while the V1 offered acceptable mouse movement in spite of its poor construction, the latest in the line, the wireless Shark still feels like a flimsy toy made of cheap plastic and lacking weight or precision, despite being a $90 device. In all fairness the FragFX line does have some handy features, like an instant sensitivity adjustment wheel, a macro button, instant button re-mapping, included mousepads (however the build quality, like the mouses, is flimsy and cheap), and their nunchuks are fairly well made. You can also use them with your PC, but according to Engadget's review of the Shark, you will not want to since it's uncomfortable and cheap feeling. For a $90 set, that's more than a little offputting, since it's in the same price bracket as a high end Logitech gaming mouse.
To make things worse though, Spitfire is actually a rather shady company. Their customer support has a bad reputation, and they've even known to delete threads on their forums where people complain about their products. They've been caught numerous times making troll accounts to leave bad user reviews of their competitors' products on websites and forums while promoting their own, and they even hired a supposed "pro gamer" to make planted youtube videos of biased, inaccurate reviews both to promote Spitfire and to defame their competition. They were caught padding said "pro gamer's" Modern Warfare 2 score to make his praises of the FragFX products appear legitimate. Spitfire not only offers products of iffy quality with even iffier customer support, but they are also maliciously pro-active in marketing themselves, so buyer beware. If you must consider one of their products stick with the FragFX v1 since it's their cheapest ($40 used) and most functional product, although keep the compatibility and build quality issues in mind, and if it breaks you're SOL.
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If you've have any first-hand experience with any of these, please share your thoughts! Also, if you've got any questions I'll answer them to the best of my ability, based on what I've read.
If there's a PC gamer on your Christmas list who also owns a console, or a console FPS fanboy who wants to be hardcore, some of these might be good gift ideas!
------------------------------------------------------------
Penguin United Eagle Eye for the PS3
$60
This is one of the most well received PS3 solution I've seen. It's an adapter that lets you hook up a USB keyboard and mouse, and customize the layout and mouse sensitivity to your liking via a PC configuration tool, and the settings can be adjusted in-game via keyboard commands. You can save more than one profile to the adapter's firmware so you can switch between games quickly. The big advantage is obviously that you can use whatever keyboard and mouse you want, which is quite handy if you already own a good gaming mouse and keyboard / command pad. The downside is, obviously, that you'll need to buy them separately, and if you go with a crappy setup you'll get mixed results. You can get this one for about $60 which makes it a great option if you are a PC gamer who already has the rest of the hardware necessary. Penguin United apparently has good customer support and releases firmware updates fairly often.
XIM for Xbox 360 and PS3
Cost of materials + labor, or $90-250 for a pre-made unit
This one is going into the dark territory of basement engineering. Basically, the image above sums up the concept, which is sure to delight tinkerers and terrify people who just want to play a game. Through computer voodoo magic, you use a hacked Xbox 360 or Playstation controller to take commands from a keyboard and mouse, and sends them to the Xbox 360 with a PC or laptop acting as a middle man running the control software. This is the most effective keyboard and mouse solution for the Xbox 360 and PS3, but unless you're hack savvy it won't come cheap. You can hack the controller yourself and wade through all of the tutorials, shopping lists and frustration yourself, or you can buy a pre-hacked one for anywhere from $90-250 depending on whether it's version 1 or version 2 (version 3 is on the way, and it's going to be even more expensive). Since the software is largely user-drive there's a community of enthusiasts backing it. Like the Eagle Eye, the quality of your experience depends largely on what keyboard and mouse you use with it, and you do need a PC or laptop near your gaming throne (or some long USB extension cables). To get XIM on PS3 you'll need to do a bit of extra homework in part because you'll need a PS2-PS3 controller adapter, and not all of them still work after Sony tightened their USB security protocols. Also, keep in mind that the priority of XIM's developer is Xbox 360 support. For you, this means that while all versions of the XIM hardware hack are 360 compatible, only version 1 will work on PS3, and it will need a lot of adjustment for each individual game.
XFPS Pro
$80-120
This is a more simple solution for Xbox 360 keyboard and mouse control, but it's a disappointment from what I can gather. Conceptually it's similar enough to the Eagle Eye, except that after plug it into the 360, you plug in a wired 360 controller into the XFPS to "trick" the 360 into accepting it, and then replace the 360 controller with the mouse and keyboard. Unfortunately, people constantly complain that the sensitivity is off or that the product outright doesn't work, and the product support from the manufacturer is very poor. There is no updatable firmware, and there's usually a noticeable dead zone with the mouse that almost nothing can be done to compensate for. Several models of this thing exist, and they are all fairly expensive ranging from $80-120 and share the same problems. Only the newest, most expensive one has a headset jack. At that price, you should expect a much better product, especially since for $30 more you can get a hand-made XIM360 that will work almost perfectly.
Bannco FRAGnStein / Tuact AIMON PS (Fragnstein pictured)
$60-90
The Fragnstein and its spiritual successor the Aimon PS are generally considered to be the best self-contained mouse controller for the PS3, meaning that it's one device that requires no additional hardware. Bannco, the company that made the Fragnstein somehow either evolved into or was bought by Tuact, who now handles customer support and firmware updates for both the Fragnstein and Aimon. Both sets include a wireless mouse, analog nunchuk and USB dongle. The dongle contains firmware which can be updated and adjusted by connecting to a PC. The sensitivity is very adjustable and apparently has good dead zone compensation (though the Eagle Eye is slightly better), and in general it strikes a good balance between twitch aiming and micro aiming, as long as you set it up right. While mouse sensitivity can be adjusted instantly, only one game profile can be stored in the firmware at a time, meaning that if you swtich games a lot you'll want a PC on standby.
The build quality is highly praised by users for feeling solid and responsive, with most users commenting that the mouse stands up well against other premium PC gaming mice, and both the mouse and nunchuk are PC compatible. Aimon visually looks pretty much the same as the FNS but has a more "gunmetal" looking paint job. The notable drawback is that this line is wireless-only, since that can sometimes mean less signal stability. Many users find that the signal is more stable when the dongle is plugged into USB extension cord and kept near the mouse. Depending on where you buy them and which model you're looking for, they can cost between $60-90. In general Tuact is considered pretty good with customer support and releases firmware updates often, and they have active user forums on their website.
Bannco Scorch / Tuact Aimon XB (Scorch pictured)
$70-90
This is essentially the Xbox 360's twin sister of the Fragnstein and Aimon PS, and most of the info above applies. For the most part you can expect a similar experience, and the same customer support. One notable difference though, is that like the XFPS you must "trick" your Xbox into recognizing it by plugging a wired controller (first or third party) into the wireless dongle using a small adapter to activate it when you boot up the system. You can unplug the wired controller afterwards or leave it plugged in. Also, neither the Scorch or the Aimon has a headphone jack, so if you don't have a wireless headset then you may be SOL. The Scorch, which like the Fragnstein is out of production, has always been harder come by than the other products in this line. If you can find one, it will run you up at around $85, while the newer Aimon XB is often cheaper in the $70-90 range. Which you choose may come down to superficial reasons, since the white Scorch matches older 360s while the black Aimon XB matches the elite and slim models.
Spitfire FragFX 1, 2, Shark and Baracuda (Shark pictrued)
$40-$90
This line has an... interesting history. While Spitfire has been making mice and nunchuk combos longer than the Fragnstein family has been around, their products have a much more mixed reception. The best in the line is almost universally considered to be the FragFX V1 (a wired model) since it offers the smoothest aiming and micro aiming in the line, but people generally take issue with the build quality, which many say feels cheap and toy-like with loud, clunky mouse buttons with long response times, and that Spitfire's attempts at ergonomic designs have been mixed at best. These problems are inherent in all of Spitfire's products, and more have managed to work their way in since. Unfortunately the V1 is no longer being manufactured or supported by Spitfire, so the best (and most reasonably priced) in their lineup is now only available through the used market. To make things worse, a lot of V1s don't even work with current PS3 firmware, and they no longer release firmware updates for the V1, so make sure if you buy one it's been tested on an up-to-date PS3.
Each successive installment in Spitfire's line apparently has even more jerky, unstable mouse movement than the last, so while the V1 offered acceptable mouse movement in spite of its poor construction, the latest in the line, the wireless Shark still feels like a flimsy toy made of cheap plastic and lacking weight or precision, despite being a $90 device. In all fairness the FragFX line does have some handy features, like an instant sensitivity adjustment wheel, a macro button, instant button re-mapping, included mousepads (however the build quality, like the mouses, is flimsy and cheap), and their nunchuks are fairly well made. You can also use them with your PC, but according to Engadget's review of the Shark, you will not want to since it's uncomfortable and cheap feeling. For a $90 set, that's more than a little offputting, since it's in the same price bracket as a high end Logitech gaming mouse.
To make things worse though, Spitfire is actually a rather shady company. Their customer support has a bad reputation, and they've even known to delete threads on their forums where people complain about their products. They've been caught numerous times making troll accounts to leave bad user reviews of their competitors' products on websites and forums while promoting their own, and they even hired a supposed "pro gamer" to make planted youtube videos of biased, inaccurate reviews both to promote Spitfire and to defame their competition. They were caught padding said "pro gamer's" Modern Warfare 2 score to make his praises of the FragFX products appear legitimate. Spitfire not only offers products of iffy quality with even iffier customer support, but they are also maliciously pro-active in marketing themselves, so buyer beware. If you must consider one of their products stick with the FragFX v1 since it's their cheapest ($40 used) and most functional product, although keep the compatibility and build quality issues in mind, and if it breaks you're SOL.
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If you've have any first-hand experience with any of these, please share your thoughts! Also, if you've got any questions I'll answer them to the best of my ability, based on what I've read.
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