Beginner or a serious gamer, the need for a good gaming accessories are there for everyone who are into gaming. SoundBot is a California based personal gadget brand, who have a lineup of speakers, headphones, cable accessories but also ventured into gaming scene with the SportsBot SS301 gaming combo which is a value pack aimed at casual gamers with a tight budget. What you get in this combo is a
- Keyboard
- Over-the-ear headphone
- Mouse with 4-levels of DPI resolution
All the three accessories are treated with blue LED lighting for that ‘cool’ gaming look and feel.
SportsBot SS301 – Keyboard:
With a sharp and angular designs, the SportsBot keyboard hits the gaming mode instantly. There is a 3 LED brightness setting to enhance the experience. For the more fun element it also has the breathing light effect option for those seeking that uber cool LED sway when punching certain key combinations.
There are total 114 keys with dedicated set of multimedia keys for music controls, email and homepages. A windows key lock and a scroll lock helps in any unwanted key mishaps during game play. The key spacing are good and the footings are not slippery even while you are vigorously punching keys during intense gaming.
On a down side, the key markings are almost black when there is no LED back light and unless you are very familiar with the keys you would need the glow for easy key identification. The material used for the keyboard also looks too ‘plasticky’ , though it looks good when you look at it.
SportsBot SS301 – Mouse
The optical mouse compliments the keyboard with the blue lighting and offers good grip. It has an ergonomic design with the fingers hugging nicely on the mouse for smoother operation. A bit of texture on the panel makes it non-slippery and also adds to the visual appeal.
The scroll wheel is fairly smooth and there are 4 DPI settings. A lower dpi gives a better accuracy while the higher setting fastens the movement. You can toggle between 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000 setting.
There are four mouse buttons – right and left buttons on the top which offers good response. There are two addition buttons on the left side.
The mouse is a good offering in the combo and I kind of like it for my everyday computer use.
SportsBot SS301 – Headset
Now let’s move to the last of the combo – the headset. Again, the angular and sharp design language is carried into the headset too to give the entire set an uniform identity. The blue dots might seem an overkill for few but then there are many backers for such lighting especially those who play in low light and like to see there console lit-up. But again, the build quality is not much to talk about with the headset too much of being plastic but then let’s not forget the price it is available for.
The headband has a decent padding for a comfortable use and the faux-leather ear cushions are decent enough for an entry level headset. Being a lightweight headset, you don’t feel it weighing down you during long hours of game play.
The mic stick is also there for your in-game talks and has a decent audio quality.
The headband offers a degree of length adjustment for your desired level.
I was surprised to find the 3.5mm and a USB plug combination which you don’t see in many headsets at entry level segments. The LED glows when you plug in via USB.
The headset offers a decent bass and while it might not offer an amazing audio quality, it does its job well for casual gamers at this price range.
