Alienware is more known for being that big brand in gaming desktops and laptops, but they also have some entries into the gaming accessory marketplace. So how does the big hardware marker fair with smaller parts and lesser-known devices? Well, let’s take a look at three of the top devices that Alienware has recently put out into the market.
Part 1 – Mouse
Name: Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse: AW959
Manufacturer: Alienware
Release Date: Out Now
MSRP: $84.99 USD / $172.00 AUD
Tech Specs
- Soft-touch thermoplastic elastomer side grips
- AlienFX 16.8M RGB Lighting
- Tested for up to 50 million clicks using Omron switches
- Braided nylon cable
- Machined aluminum plates
- Optical sensor, surface calibration capable
- 5 on-the-fly DPI settings
- 100-12000 DPI resolution
- 1000 Hz (1ms) polling rate
- 512kB onboard memory
- Up to 11 all programmable buttons
- 2 interchangeable side modules
- Adjustable 3-position palm rest
- Four adjustable 5-gram weights
Out of the three devices that I was sent to play with, the mouse was the one that stayed on my set up the longest. Being a completely customized unit, the Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse turns out to be the better gaming mouse out on the market, even though you are paying a premium for the pleasure. Designed to be used in your own personal style, the ability to raise, lower and add side plates to this unit really makes it feel like YOUR mouse. Having played games with the traditional “claw” grip and “side on” styles, having the ability to add mouse macro buttons so that playing PUBG and Fortnight was easier helped a lot.
On the flip side, I think maybe the Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse is just a bit too customization for the average user, or even the entry level gamer. The manual weights that can be adjusted aren’t all that appealing and unless you really want that side panel with extra buttons, it does seem to be a waste. Another big negative for me was that the Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse is a corded mouse. Coming off using a wireless Razor mouse for as long as I can remember, I had a bit of issue getting used to a wired mouse again.
I felt that while the Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse is a great unit for someone who really wants to make their mouse their own. For everyone else, it’s just a cumbersome oversized mouse with a lot of extra pieces that don’t feel needed. Plus the wired nature of the unit is too annoying once you’ve experienced a good wireless mouse. In the end, the Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse is a pricey unit that most will avoid over something cheaper and more well known.
Score: 4 out of 5
Part 2 – Keyboard
Name: Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard: AW768
Manufacturer: Alienware
Release Date: Out Now
MSRP: $249.00 AUD / $204.98 USD
Tech Specs
- AlienFX 16.8M RGB 13 zone-based Lighting
- Brown mechanical keys
- 50million click cycle life
- 1000 Hz (1ms) polling rate
- Anti-Ghosting and N-key rollover on all keys
- 15 programmable macro key functions with on-the-fly recording
- 3 adjustable leg angles
- Multimedia keys
- 256kB onboard memory
- Dedicated volume roller
- Braided nylon cable
A very middle of the line keyboard here. While it does boast some really good features like the 15 programmable macro keys (operated via a single switch key that changes the color of the 5 programmable keys) and some nice RGB lighting, there really isn’t much to say about the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard. The Brown keys just don’t seems as good as the Blue and Red Cherry keys that a lot of keyboards use these days, and it makes the whole experience seem cheap by comparison. The Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard is still a very sturdy unit though, with the metal base really holding up to some punishment during moments of extreme pressure. The key caps on the other hand, seem like those cheap soft keys that will end up looking rotten after a lot of use, not a good look considering a lot of other keyboards can still look brand new after long years of use (I’m looking at you HyperX FPS Alloy)
Overall, the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard doesn’t really feel or use like a gaming keyboard should. Maybe if this was out about 10 years ago, then maybe it would have been something really worth the money. But at a market retail of $250 Australian, I just think there are a lot more and better keyboards out there that are worth the same price point.
Score: 2 out of 5
Part 3 – Headset
Name: Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset: AW988
Manufacturer: Alienware
Release Date: Out Now
MSRP: $229.99 USD / $348.70 AUD
Tech Specs
- Headset – 2.4 GHz – wireless, wired – 3.5 mm jack
- Sound Output Mode: Stereo
- Uni-directional, Active Noise Cancelling Boom Microphone
- Li-Ion battery, 1200mAh. 15 hours usage time (without lighting), USB Type-A to micro-USB (for charging only)
- 16.8M RGB LED lighting (2 zones)
Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset… Where to begin. First of all, this is a nice sleek looking unit. If Alienware knows how to do anything consistently, it’s making their units look as nice and space age as possible. However, I found my experience with Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset to be mixed in nature. When using the device with the 3.5mm jacks, the sound was crisp and clear, allowing a nice 360-degree experience through the stereo sound channels. Yet when I switched over the to wireless mode, things began to degrade at an alarming rate. The sound got lower, requiring me to turn the sound settings up way too high to get clear sound, and even then the sound would get a bit choppy thanks to anything else using the 2.4GHz waveband like my wireless mouse or even a mobile phone.
The Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset is a good headset, very solid in design and works well in the right circumstances. While wireless is not perfect, it’s still worth using from time to time. Heck, I’d say if you could get these to work with PlayStation 4 or Xbox One consoles than I’d be recommending these in a heartbeat; however since these are for use with a PC mainly, I know there are a lot better units out there that can do the job without the insane price tag.
Score: 3 out of 5
Alienware has some very good offerings here. The Alienware Elite Gaming Mouse is a dream for people who love to make their accessories their own right down to the weight, the Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset is a solid piece of design that could be used better with consoles than PC, and the Alienware Pro Gaming Keyboard is just an outdated attempt to join the gaming keyboard community about 10 years too late.
Overall as a package, it’s not too bad to use. I think along with Alienware software that is exclusive to Alienware systems, it’s all going to work a lot better. As someone who runs a fully custom system that features no Alienware anything, I think I’m just missing something and end up with a sub-par outlook on the overall product.
