It\u2019s hard not to focus on games at E3. I mean, at its core it\u2019s a gaming expo, so this is entirely understandable. But the way we play games is also pretty damn important, and all too often gets left by the wayside.<\/span><\/p>\n
So, in addition to the usual Best of E3 thing, I thought it’d be neat to do a peripheral roundup, and laud the unsung heroes of the gaming world. Hyperbole? Nah.<\/span><\/p>\n
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I saw and tried out a few different headsets while on the show floor, with varying degrees of excellence. But only one had me actually think \u201cwow, this thing is glorious\u201d, and that was the Astro A40 TR X.<\/p>\n
So, let me tell you about falling in love with a pair of headphones.<\/span><\/p>\n
It\u2019s weird, because I\u2019m not usually a fan of wired headsets, and the A40 TR X is wired only. But the comfort, and the sound quality, and the pure aesthetics of the anniversary edition got me good. As an audiophile, I put great stock into the build and sound quality of my headphones, but these were truly excellent. The customisation of the cans, the headband, the mic, everything, was exactly what I think headsets should be like.<\/p>\n
Basically, it\u2019s pretty and I love it.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be out soon, and I\u2019ll be honest, it\u2019ll be hard to wait.<\/p>\n
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Let me tell you another story. It\u2019s late on the first day of E3. All my meetings are done, and I\u2019m strolling around, shell-shocked from the scale of the event, before I go for dinner. I\u2019m checking out the back booths, away from the massive ecosystems of the big players, and wandered up to a booth by Scuf, who you may know as the guys who make cool skins for controllers.<\/span><\/p>\n
That\u2019s all I knew about them, until I saw this.<\/span><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve talked about controllers before, because they are the most important part of the gaming experience for me. All have their downsides; DualShock\u2019s battery life, Raiju\u2019s weird shape, Revolution\u2019s wired-only tether. XBox Elite and Switch Pro are both great, but exclusive to their consoles (and PC), and PlayStation doesn\u2019t have anything that\u2019s just a straight-up improvement on the classic design.<\/span><\/p>\n
Holding the Vantage made me want it, and I fell a little bit in love with it. Extra paddles, additional shoulder buttons, wired or wireless modes, and truly beautiful ergonomics make this a thing I want to spend significant time with when it releases later this year. It\u2019s US exclusive atm, but will ideally come to Australia and New Zealand soon after. I hope so.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Let\u2019s be fair, I will probably never use this controller. But it\u2019s not for me, is it?<\/span><\/p>\n
The fact that this even exists is a testament to how the landscape of the gaming industry is changing. No, it won\u2019t directly affect many of us, but opening up a new avenue of entertainment to people who previously struggled? Damn. <\/span><\/p>\n
Give XBox the kudos they deserve with this, because honestly, they deserve them.<\/span><\/p>\n
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If the Pokeball Plus had come out in 2000, I would have cried with joy. Now, as a 29-year-old man with two Eeveelutions tattooed on his arm, my hands are too big to fully appreciate the experience of catching Pokemon with an actual Pokeball.<\/span><\/p>\n
That being said, it was still amazing, and vital to fully enjoying Let\u2019s Go. I just want a bigger one. I also cannot understate the importance of the wrist strap, as I nearly lobbed this thing into the demo Switch an embarrassing number of times, and am very pleased that I didn’t accidentally smash something.<\/span><\/p>\n
But seriously, double the size, slap a Master Ball skin on it, and I’m there.<\/p>\n
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