CES 2014: Roccat hands-on impressions

For the third year in a row here at the International CES, we were delighted to have a chance to meet up with the staff at ROCCAT Studios to discuss and view their upcoming lineup of products that include the Germany-based company's dive into optical mice and their new headset, the Kave XTD 5.1.

Since making their North American launch in 2012 at the International CES, ROCCAT has made great strides to bring top-end PC accessories to the gaming world.  Included in the product coverage were expansions of the Ryos keyboard in the form of the Ryos TKL and Ryos TKL Pro.  Both are smaller designs that maintain the primary features and function of the Ryos line of keyboards, just minus the keypad section.  For those who prefer compact keyboards, I would highly recommend these keyboards.  Response of the keys are great and the illuminated keys make it a flashy addition to any PC gamer's setup.

Next up was a new line of optical mice coming from the XTD and Pure family of gaming mice.  The optical versions retain all of the ergonomic comfort of the primary mouse while utilizing a powerful optical sensor to ensure accuracy, especially with the help of the TDCU (Tracking and distance control unit) that is built into each optical mouse.  The Kone XTD Optical will have an upgraded optical sensor for 6,400 dpi that only takes the accuracy higher.  Look for these to become available in the very near future.

The star of the show, however, was the Kave XTD 5.1 headset. Almost two years ago, I reviewed the original Kave 5.1 and still use it to this day, so I was curious to see what changes were made to make a great headset even better. The weight of the Kave XTD 5.1 is far lighter than the original and, pairing that with the new foam on the earpieces and head band, makes for a very comfortable experience that will allow for long sessions of gaming without the need to take a break from having a bulky headset.  The console that controls the volume gives the full control of the previous model, but includes a 5.1 sound card that allows for output to current speakers, allowing a quick switch of a user doesn't feel the need to use a headset and just wants to listen to it on their system.  Bluetooth capability is also included to allow for a seamless pairing with any smartphone, allowing a user to answer the phone quickly and easily.  Pricing on the Kave XTD 5.1 is not far from release (Q1 2014) and pricing will be announced upon launch.

We would like to thank the staff at ROCCAT Studios for inviting us to meet with them at this year's International CES and wish them the best in 2014!