Gamers looking for some hardware assistance can breathe a sigh of relief; Mad Catz’s latest eye-catching forays into gaming mice and headsets are almost, if not already, upon us. The Cyborg M.M.O.7 mouse (£130) manages to offer up 78 definable commands beneath those eye-catching metallic hues and is available to buy now, while its F.R.E.Q 5 headset (0) has hit pre-order on the manufacturer’s site. Acronym-loving thrill-seekers can check out both at the source below.

Mad Catz Cyborg M.M.O.7 gaming mouse now on sale, F.R.E.Q 5 headset hits pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With these gamer cans ready to bask in their full Xbox-certified glory in stores this week, we took the chance to hit up Tritton’s stand here at CES to try on its Primer. Despite the call-center employee appearance [above], the earphones are relatively comfortable, although the head band seemed a bit tight. While the Primer offers a 33 foot reception radius, we found its limits of receiving audio were closer to 40 feet. The mic arm is flexible, with the adjustable headband affording a certain degree of customization. Despite the 0 price tag, Tritton fans looking for something more subtle than recent efforts will be happy — just don’t walk around a conference hall kitted out in it.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Mad Catz/Tritton’s Primer gaming headset arriving this week, we go ears-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New show in NYC will celebrate the effect of Dungeons & Dragons on art and culture.

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We were already head over heels for the original Retrode, and we’ve gotta say — version 2.0 looks mighty good in that attire. As the story goes, the product shown above is the result of some three years of toiling, with the second iteration handling cartridges for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. In fact, there’s a pair of ports on here, enabling one cart from each console to be loaded up and carried around. Users need only to find and install an emulator on their machine, plug a cartridge and / or an associated controller into the device and then connect the Retrode 2 to one’s computer via USB. Once you’ve loaded a ROM into your emulator, configured your controller and canceled every appointment on your calendar for the next 48 hours… well, you’re in for quite a weekend of retro gaming nirvana. It’s up for pre-order now in the source link for .99, with shipments expected to begin on January 23rd.

Retrode 2 retro gaming adapter brings SNES / Genesis support to your PC for originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cloud-based gaming company OnLive is taking another big step in its evolution, with the launch of apps for mobile phones and handsets that will turn them into gaming devices. By introducing apps for iOS and Android devices, users will now be able to play even high-quality games on devices that have a fraction of the processing power included in most high-end gaming PCs.

OnLive let users watch streams of others gaming through tablet apps in the past, but the newest apps take the experience a step further: OnLive users will now be able to natively play games on devices like the iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle Fire through a new generation of apps.

The gaming service will have more than 20 games specifically adapted for tablet-based touch control, including Rockstar’s hit L.A. Noire, with virtual game pads built in. It will have an additional 150 games that users can play if they have an OnLive Universal Wireless Controller, which sells for .99.

OnLive’s latest release makes gaming more accessible to users — even those who don’t have gaming consoles or high-powered computing equipment. Because gameplay is processed in the cloud and streamed over the Internet, devices need just a limited amount of power to enable engaging gaming experiences.

Those streams are also relatively low-bandwidth, with the average bandwidth required for TV or PC gaming about 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps, which isn’t much different from watching an HD movie on Netflix. Streams sent to mobile devices are even lower bandwidth, at about 0.5 to 2 Mbps. As a result, it works on WiFi, 4G LTE and even 3G networks.

With the launch of its new mobile apps, OnLive is now available on TVs, PCs and Macs, and a wide range of mobile devices. The company launched its services about a year ago in the U.S. Since then, the company has expanded to the U.K. and added more than 200 video game titles for users to choose from.

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Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We’re well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we’re here to help you sort out this year’s tech treasures. Below is today’s bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.

Ah, the holiday season. That special time of year when we give our loved ones the new hotness of the video game world, and then promptly exploit their over-excited reactions to propel them into unwanted YouTube fame. Even if your familial relations don’t have the stuff to become this generation’s “N64 kid,” you can still kick a few rad toys their way just for the love of it. And if you’re having trouble finding the perfect gift for the gamer in your life, we’re here to help. Head past the break to take a peek at Engadget’s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide for video games. Not finding what you’re looking for? Skip on back to our 2011 Back to School Guide for bonus gift ideas.

Continue reading Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: gaming

Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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