We tinker with Corsair’s K65 Plus Wireless gaming keyboard, Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro, the AT-UMX3 USB Audio Mixer, Sand Land and more.
Contrary to popular belief, bigger is not always better, sowhen Corsair announced its 75% custom keyboard, the K65 Plus Wireless, I was very much on board (pardon the pun). Thankfully, after spending a number of weeks with the K65, it has easily taken the place as my new daily driver.
While there’s a hell of a lot to like about the K65, I was particularly fond of the two-toned colour that Corsair has opted for with the K65. The midnight grey and silver combo offers a nice visual touch and one that taps into the aesthetic of the increasingly popular custom-keyboard market without spending $400+ for the privilege (the K65 Wireless will only set you back $219 at time of writing).
It’s not purely about aesthetics though, because the K65 Plus is incredibly comfy to use as well. That’s largely thanks to Corsair’s own MLX Red linear switches which are a dream to type with. Without getting too into the nerdy nitty gritty, these switches allow for an incredibly smooth and quiet typing experience that is further helped along by two layers of sound dampening materials. Corsair claims these materials reduce pings and echoes, and in my experience that was very much the case.
My audio output was dramatically lower to the very clangy mechanical keyboards that were all the rage 5-10 years ago and will be an absolute godsend to any noise-sensitive loved ones who might be working nearby.
The K65’s one misstep: the lack of a wrist wrest. It won’t be a deal breaker for some, but others after seeking premium ergonomics will likely be disappointed, especially considering that you’d need to shell out an additional $70+ for an official Corsair rest, which is admittedly on the pricey side.
That aside, being a 75% keyboard, you’ll definitely notice the K65’s smaller footprint, but it never feels as though that choice leads to a trade-off for functionality. Your arrow keys are more compressed, for example, but still very much accounted for, as are your home, age up and page down keys. The one thing you will lose is dedicated media keys, however there is a volume rocker at the top right of the unit and Corsair was smart enough to make it customisable via the iCUE software, so you can scroll, zoom or control RGB brightness.
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Speaking of RGB lighting, while the K65 does showcase the wonders of colourful lights, they are limited to the edges of each key. That means if you are looking for a board that’s especially flashy and lights up each letter/key, you may be disappointed. Personally, that didn’t overly bother me, and I’ve grown to appreciate the subtler footprint it leaves on my setup, with the light still able to illuminate which keys I need.
All in all the K65 is an impressive keyboard for an incredibly respectable price. If you’re looking for a 75% board, it’s hard not to recommend.
Also out now…
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Stand
As anybody who fancies a bit of mobile gaming can tell you, whether it’s an Apple Arcade title to the odd bout of Marvel Snap, games are a huge drain on your iPhone battery. With that in mind Belkin has released the BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Stand and it’s a premium unit that won’t fail to impress.
The moment you pull the BosotCharge Pro out of the box it feels like a statement piece. It’s significantly weighty which leads to a reliable sturdiness, but it’s also quite minimalist in its design, offering a larger magnetic pad for your iPhone, a smaller pad for the Apple watch and a base that allows for charging the newer models of the AirPods/AirPods Pro. The iPhone pad is even adjustable allowing you to get the perfect angle whether you’re gaming, on a call or streaming.
The big upgrade from Belkin’s previous model though is the introduction of Qi2 technology – Belkin being the first-on-shelf company in Australia to offer the new fancy tech. What does that mean for you? Essentially, you’ll get around double the speed of charging your phone from the original Qi thanks to the improved 15W power – the same as Apple’s MagSafe technology. It also allows fast-charging newer Apple Watch models that’ll see it get from 0-80% in a bit under an hour.
During my testing those claims appeared to hold true and I was thoroughly impressed with how speedy my devices powered back up. I especially enjoyed being able to leverage the boosted power while still having my phone elevated enough to catch up on content throughout my work day.
The one downside is that the BoostCharge Pro requires a proper powered connection meaning you do lack some degree of flexibility, but it’s more than likely that you’ll have it permanently fixed to your desk or bedside table anyways. I would have also rathered the bottom charging area have a stronger magnet that snaps the AirPods into place instead of the semi-guesswork you need to do at the moment to make sure it’s charging correctly.
Priced at A$ 229.95 the BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Stand is by no means a cheap device but if you can stomach the price tag this is a top-tier unit that wears its premium finishes on its sleeve.
Sand Land (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PC)
Sand Land might not be a name you recognise unless you’re big into the manga scene, but it hardly matters, because whether you’re a fan of the source material or not this is still a highly enjoyable Action-RPG.
Created by the late great Akira Toriyama, Sand Land follows demon prince Beelzebub as he helps a human companion return water to a land that has become seriously dehydrated. It’s often wild and wacky but as a complete newbie to the series, the game does well to draw you into the tale.
Gameplay meanwhile, while hardly revolutionary, is equally enjoyable – jumping around various settlements and roaming the wild lands with a fun assortment of vehicles. From tanks to bikes to mechs, there’s a decent variety at play, and being able to upgrade these units adds some much-welcome depth to the whole experience.
Having them instantly summonable also keeps the action fresh, the momentum high and combat with enemies engaging. I especially enjoyed quickly swapping between units to employ different depending on the scenario, enemy or terrain.
Add a pretty visual palate and plenty of side quests and Sand Land is an adventure well worth sinking some time into.
Audio-Technica AT-UMX3 Personal USB Audio Mixer
Audio-Technica might be no stranger to the studio world, but as content creation becomes more and more prevalent, the audio giant has smartly changed with the times. As a result, the Audio-Technica is the company’s first-ever USB mixer and it does a mighty fine job.
Much of this success stems from the sheer flexibility the AT-UMX3 provides. There’s a Neutrik XLR/6.3mm combo microphone jack, switchable Hi-Z or stereo input for guitar, bass, keyboard, or other external devices.
If you’re more interested in the streaming aspect though, there’s also a loopback functionality that, simply put, allows you to send the audio from your PC directly to the mixer so you can adjust the levels to whatever you need – perfect if you’re getting into the likes of Twitch streaming.
But while all of this functionality is no doubt useful, I was most surprised how easy it was to get up and running in the first place. With a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable and USB-C conversion adapter provided in the box you can be up and running in minutes, and no matter whether you’re connected to a PC or tablet, the audio output was consistently high quality.
Even the unit itself, while not as flashy as some competitors, follows Audio-Technica’s black and white sleek aesthetic and is remarkably compact at 127 mm × 131 mm × 44 mm. It kept a low profile on my desk and should blend well into almost any setup.
Honestly, there’s not all that much to fault the AT-UMX3 on. If you really had to nit-pick it would be that although the rounded knobs are sizeable, some of the switches and buttons may be a tad on the small side if you have larger hands, but that’s pretty minor and I can’t say I had too much issue personally.
Aside from that Audio-Technica have crafted an impressively well-rounded, feature rich device (priced at $279 from the company’s online store) that’ll do you well if you’re looking to get into podcasts or content creation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, XBO, Switch, PC)
Considering the sheer quality of the relatively recent releases of both Shredder’s Revenge and the Cowbunga Collection, it’s understandable if you were to get excited for Wrath of the Mutants. Unfortunately, though this sidescrolling beat-em up isn’t able to capture the same heights.
That doesn’t mean Wrath of the Mutants is a bad game, it’s just a bit of a forgettable one, that falls into a slightly repetitive loop. Utilising the characters and art style from the 2012 Nickelodeon cartoon, you simply hop into a level, whoop few enemies and move on.
If you’ve got a couple of friends for local co-op then there’s a bit of added fun to be had, especially with extra stages and bosses. Things are less engaging if you’re running solo but it is simple enough that you can switch off and enjoy some classic beat-em-up nostalgia.
Either way though, Wrath of the Mutants is perhaps best experienced by serious Turtle fans.
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