Hardware & Tech

13Jul

By JohnNo Comments

QPad QH95 Pro-Gaming Headset Review

The QH95 is the latest headset from QPad and has been designed to be an ideal choice for multi-platform gamers. As well as having full support for the more traditional uses of headphones (such as watching movies & listening to music). This is my first headset review & in truth, it isn't a piece of hardware that I've used that often in the past. However, it couldn't have come at a better time with everyone still being very much in lockdown. As such, I used the headset truly for multi-platform purposes. I put it to the test gaming on my PS4 & Nintendo Switch as well as using it for work purposes on conference calls while working from home. The question is does it truly live up to the claim of it being the ideal choice for multiple platforms? Design & Comfort The Q...

17Jun

By ArNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

SADES A6 Gaming Headset Review

As a huge lover of all things tech and peripherals, I was really excited to have the chance to review the SADES A6 PC Gaming Headset. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, so I was immediately intrigued by the bright black and orange styling of the packaging. On unboxing, I was pleased to discover the vibrancy of the outer design reflected well in the actual headset itself. Design and comfort The SADES A6 has a sleek, bold-orange and black style of design with an extremely lightweight feel at only 344g. This is something I instantly liked; a personal gripe about headsets is being able to feel their weight on my head and more specifically, the sensation of pressure I often get around my ears. The SADES A6 PC gaming headset offers a refreshing alternative to this, providing a real...

Razer Panthera PS4 Controller Review – Let The Battle Commence!

15May

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Panthera PS4 Controller Review – Let The Battle Commence!

Ok so for my latest review I am going to write about the Razer Panthera Fight Stick. Don't confuse this with the Razer Panthera Evo. There are differences between them which I'll discuss later in my review. The Razer Panthera comes in a few different themes. The two that caught my eye were the Street Fighter V version and the Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite version. These are just my personal choices although I finally decided on the Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite version in the end. I won't lie this decision was purely based on pricing as the Street Fighter V version was £40 more and the only difference was the graphic on the fight stick facia. My Razer Panthera is fully customisable, so I can change the graphic, stick or buttons down the line if I want. The stick and the buttons are m...

21Apr

By JasonNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Soundblaster G3 DAC Hardware Review

For the last couple of weeks, I have had the honour of testing out the Soundblaster G3 portable gaming USB DAC amp. What is one of those I hear? Well, basically it is a small device that you can plug into a Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC or Mac via the USB port and from it, you will get a far superior sound quality. DAC, for those that want to know, stands for Digital to Analogue Converter and is famed for enhancing what you hear. At £54.99 does it make a massive difference to what I can hear? Well, I put it to the test! What do you get? In the box, you will find the USB powered Soundblaster G3 DAC amp, a 1m mini-Toslink cable (optical lead) and a USB-C to USB-A converter along with a pamphlet entitled "Audio Survival Guide". How easy is it to setup? Very easy! If you follow...

6Apr

By DanNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Kraken X Review

Budget headsets aren’t supposed to be this good. Seriously, The Kraken X is a whole new level. I’ve never known such great quality from such a meager priced headset. You’d expect a headset in this price bracket to come with some huge and numerous concessions that hamper the quality - but simply put, it doesn’t. In fact, it comes with very few. Razer has turned one such concession on its head and used it to its own advantage. The build is pretty much entirely made from plastic. Wait, what? I hear you cry! This leaves the Kraken X weighing in at a featherweight 250g and it’s one of the lightest headsets I’ve ever used. ‘ULTRA-LIGHT COMFORT’ claims Razer on their website, and for once, the marketing blurb is spot on. After a prolonged (and mainly fruitless) session of Battle Royal mo...

24Mar

By JasonNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Roccat Vulcan 121 Aimo Gaming Keyboard Review

With all that extra time you may all of a sudden have sitting in your house, perhaps now could be a good time to take a look at those PC upgrades that you have never got around to. Roccat kindly sent me a Vulcan 121 Aimo gaming keyboard a few weeks ago to test and wow it really is something else! On first looks, the mechanical gaming keyboard looks striking as it comes out of the box, set on its dark anodized aluminium plate with its black keys seemingly hovering in the air as they sit on the clear Titan Tactile Switches below. The magnetic palm rest that connects onto the bottom of the keyboard is a lovely touch and it very comfortable when using the keyboard for long durations. The Vulcan 121 Aimo comes fully loaded with all of the high-class features that you would expect...

23Mar

By JasonNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Roccat Kone Pure Ultra Gaming Mouse Review – Ergonomic Feather

I am quite particular when it comes to mice. Having come from the days of the heavy mouse where you had to regularly clean your ball and scrape the dirt from your rollers and then advancing to the optical versions I do sometimes struggle when I encounter a lightweight variant. Roccat was eager for me to try their new Kone Pure Ultra gaming mouse however when I read that it was only 66grams I did start to worry. Would I throw it off the desk? would it feel cheap? would it be ok under my palm for long durations? In the past when I have reviewed mice I have been hard to satisfy, particularly when it comes to ergonomics as I can suffer from cramps fairly easily and have had injections for carpal tunnel. So what did I think of the Kone Pure Ultra? Straight from the box, the first th...

10Mar

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Sades Axe RGB Gaming Mouse Review

Recently I got approached to review the Sades Axe RGB Gaming Mouse, and what kind of PC Master Race gamer would I be if I turned down the opportunity to get to grips with this piece of kit. So here we are, approximately a month after receiving the mouse and putting it through all kinds of tests, from general gaming to competitive gaming, and even just some day to day working in the office. Features The Sades Axe Gaming Mouse comes with a whole host of brilliant features. Including the following. Detachable Weight 5 Extra Buttons Esports Mouse Design DPI Shift Button RGB Illumination. Now I know you are thinking "What does this all mean?" or even "Why should I care?" and in general I would have to agree with you, all of this is just fluff, it's all just words unless...

29Jan

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Creative Pebble V2 Review

Creative is well known in the PC hardware market, for their affordable speakers as well as more high-end products. So when they reached out and said they had a set of the Pebble V2 that I could get my hands on, I jumped at the opportunity. So having received them just before Christmas it was time to put them to work through a multitude of scenarios. How did they sound? Well, let's take a deeper dive and find out! Features As with any speakers, generally, you look at performance overlooks (for the most part) and the Pebble V2 is no exception in this area. With a stereo 2.0 system in place, it uses USB-C to power that pair of 2" full-range drivers. Along with a high gain switch, so if your plugging the Pebble V2 into a 10W source then you will get the advantage of rich audio, with super...

9Dec

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Drown Tactile Headphones Preview

While running the site here at Thumb Culture we have been lucky enough to get our hands on some great technology from some of the tippety top companies out there. From headphones to mice, we have sampled a very wide variety of hardware. In general you know kind of what to expect when something new comes onto the desk. Yes, there are different innovative technologies at work, but generally you know how to approach the review. Well, the innovative thinkers over at Drown may have just changed the headset/headphones game completely! Introducing the Drown Tactile Earphones! How are they different, I hear you asking? Well, let me try and explain in the most simplest to understand way. The Drown Tactile Earphones allow a higher level of precision when it comes to locating sounds relative to...