SYDNEY – April 15, 2009 – Microsoft today announced the newest addition to its SideWinder Gaming range, the SideWinder X3™ Mouse.
This eight-button, ambidextrous gaming mouse delivers comfort for either hand along with the performance features fans of SideWinder products know and love. These include a 2,000 dots-per-inch (dpi) laser-tracking engine with on-the-fly dpi switching between high, medium and low sensitivity.
The SideWinder X3 Mouse is easy on the wallet without skimping on performance, offering gamers a set of features to help keep them ahead of the competition.
“In-game comfort continues to be a key consideration for PC gamers,” said Danica Aitken, ANZ Product Marketing Manager, Internet Communications Hardware for Microsoft. “With that in mind the SideWinder X3 has been designed to be ambidextrous and small in size. It’s ideal for gaming as well as everyday use.”
The SideWinder X3 Mouse joins a stable of powerful SideWinder gaming peripherals including the SideWinder X8 Mouse, the first mouse to offer best-in-class tracking with Microsoft BlueTrack Technology and the SideWinder X5 Mouse – a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to help give mainstream gamers that competitive edge, the original Sidewinder Mouse and the revolutionary Sidewinder X6 Keyboard.
“We have designed a gaming range which gives mainstream and hardcore gamers alike, a choice of premium quality products across several price-points,” Ms Aitken said. “The SideWinder X3 is the latest addition offering versatility and value for money.”
Like its siblings, the SideWinder X3 Mouse has five programmable main buttons that are customisable to gamers’ preferences and tested for extreme gaming, with the main button life rated to 10 million clicks. Additional features include:
· IntelliPoint software to create and assign macros
· Wide, detented scroll wheel for more precise click movement
· Low-profile lateral side buttons for easy access during gaming and everyday computing
· Wide-glide feet for smooth handling and a light, balanced feel
More about the Sidewinder range:
SideWinder X8 Mouse
Microsoft’s SideWinder X8 Mouse is the first in the range to include Microsoft’s new proprietary BlueTrack Technology ensuring the ultimate rate, speed and acceleration on virtually any surface1. The X8 offers gamers wireless freedom with wired performance with a 2.4GHz wireless connection that is designed for lag-free play. Gaming will no longer be interrupted thanks to the X8’s innovative play-and-charge system – ensuring a nonstop gaming experience — up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge.
The X8 also offers smart features to enhance the gaming experience, including an LCD screen on the mouse to quickly view dpi settings and macro-recording icons.
SideWinder X5 Mouse
The SideWinder X5 Mouse is a fast, powerful gaming mouse with nine buttons designed for handling with vertical side buttons, adjustable sensitivity switching up to 2,000 dpi. With five customisable buttons, and a Quick-Launch button that launches the Windows Vista Games Explorer this mouse is designed for gaming2.
SideWinder X6 Keyboard
The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is more than a standard keyboard – it was built with gamers in mind, to give them the edge over the competition. The X6 is the first gaming keyboard on the market with a switchable key pad, allowing gamers to play left or right-handed. With features, including cruise control, record button, adjustable backlighting and WASD gaming keys, this keyboard is a great gaming addition.
Sidewinder Mouse
The first mouse in the SideWinder range, this gaming mouse set itself apart from other gaming products on the market at the time with one-touch access to the Windows Vista® Games Explorer, 10 buttons with five programmable main buttons, the first in-game macro record button right on the mouse and the first-ever LCD on a gaming mouse.
Pricing and Availability:
The SideWinder X3 Mouse will be available in May 2009 for a recommended retail price of $59.953.
The SideWinder X5 Mouse, SideWinder X8 Mouse and SideWinder X6 Keyboard are all available now for the below recommended retail prices:
SideWinder X5 Mouse – $99.953
SideWinder X8 Mouse – $149.953
SideWinder X6 Keyboard – $149.953
SideWinder Mouse – $129.953
About Microsoft Hardware
For 25 years, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware is an industry leader in ergonomic engineering, industrial design and hardware/software compatibility, which helps offer consumers an easier, more convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, which launched in 1999, earned a place on PCWorld.com’s December 2005 list of “The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years” as the first mainstream optical mouse that “brought gunk-free pointing devices” to a broad consumer base. More information about the Hardware Group is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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1 BlueTrack Technology does not work on clear glass or mirrored surfaces.
2 The Quick Launch button will open IntelliType keyboard or IntelliPoint mouse software when using Windows XP.
3 Recommended retail prices. At participating retailers. The price a customer pays will be determined by their retailer.