Games News - Ghost Buster: Microsoft's SideWinder X4 Keyboard Debuts Advanced Anti-Ghosting Technology - 05/02/2010

Microsoft's SideWinder X4 Keyboard, designed with the industry's most advanced anti-ghosting technology, will be hitting stores across the UK on the 17th March 2010. Developed by the Applied Sciences Group, this new cutting edge technology ensures gamers' most complex key combinations will be recognized by the computer to keep the game in action. On top of this, the SideWinder X4 also offers other advanced gaming features such as macro recording, mode and profile switching, as well as adjustable backlighting.

I Ain't Afraid of No Ghost

The Applied Sciences Group, the development team that works across the Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division, created the anti-ghosting technology with gamers in mind. This advanced technology takes anti-ghosting to the next level by allowing gamers to press up to 26 keys at once. Because each key is scanned independently by the keyboard hardware, each key press is cleverly detected regardless of how many other keys are being pressed at the same time. It's this that sees the SideWinder X4 Keyboard ahead of the game, letting users execute key combinations and taking full advantage of their skill and speed.



“We're always looking for new and novel ways to enhance people's interactions with their PCs,” said Steven Bathiche, research manager of the Applied Sciences Group at Microsoft. “We know that ghosting can be a problem for gamers, so we wanted to develop a way to eliminate this issue and improve the overall gaming experience, and we've succeeded with the new anti-ghosting technology in the SideWinder X4 Keyboard.”

Precise Gaming Keyboard With Advanced Features

The SideWinder X4 Keyboard also offers more of the features gamers need to stay at the top of their game. Macro recording lets them string together multiple moves into one press of a button, and the new automatic macro repetition feature lets them repeat the macro over and over as needed with one key. Mode and profile switching also provides easy ways to customize the keyboard for different games and users while adjustable backlighting lets gamers select the lighting level that meets their needs