Sidewinder GameVoice

Herald rating: * * * *

Microsoft, PC

Review: Peter Eley


One of the criticisms of computer entertainment is that it kills conversation. What rubbish, as anyone who's been in a chat room or played games online knows.

The only problem is that you have to talk with your fingers, tapping out words in that funny Net shorthand, or frantically hitting command keys as fast as your hands can process brain signals.

Sidewinder GameVoice solves that with a voice control system geared for online gaming and chat sessions.

The integrated mike and headphones are connected to a device not bigger than an ice-hockey puck, but which is crammed with lots of interesting buttons.

Four of them are for selecting communication channels, meaning you can chat with four people individually. There are also Team and All options.

As well as the chat function, voice commands can be assigned to games.

The GameVoice software has preset profiles for popular games such as Age of Empires 2, and you can programme profiles for your favourite games.

It's a well-made piece of hardware, and you feel like a fully-fledged military commander sitting there with the phones on and barking commands into the mike.

* e-mail: petereley@herald.co.nz