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No Excellent Planet of the Apes Video Game

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

The “Planet of the Apes” films are up there with my absolute favourite movie franchise. The Matt Reeves films are masterpieces. Reeves has this little movie out in theatres called “The Batman.” You may have heard of it.

The first “Planet of the Apes” film, released in 1968, starring Charlton Heston, is easily one of the top five, greatest science fiction films ever made. The movies makeup, created by the legendary artist John Chambers, is still revolutionary. And the 1968 film has one of the greatest endings in film history. The final shot and line by Heston is still chilling.

image source: Steam

When it comes to video games, unlike the exceptional films, there is only one moderately entertaining “Planet of the Apes” game, and it’s The Imaginati Studios’ “Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier.” Released on Playstation 4 in 2017, “Last Frontier” had amazing graphics and single and multiplayer interactive action. The game was released quietly and disappeared with little fanfare. “Planet of the Apes,” the 2001 action-adventure video game, was the first game in the franchise. It was released as a tie-in to the 2001 film, directed by Tim Burton. The game was as mediocre as the over produced film.

It feels like the “Planet of the Apes” property is being underused now. It’s a large world for games, television shows, and films. Disney now owns the successful franchise, and Disney has so much on their plate now with Star Wars and Marvel. However, they’re big enough to focus on a “Planet of the Apes” project and balance all the other entertainment plates they have spinning; and I left out Pixar.

I have a pitch for a “Planet of the Apes” film: It takes place shortly after the event of “War of the Planet of the Apes.” After a large aerial dogfight in the Pacific Ocean, a veteran APE soldier is stranded on a remote island atoll. He soon discovers a MAN, a crusty fighter pilot who has crashed his plane. Not communicating verbally, the two enemies initially provoke each other and refuse to cooperate. But when they begin to face famine, dehydration, and exhaustion, they are forced to put aside their differences and depend on one another for survival.

I want another “Planet of the Apes” film. And hopefully it can produce a great video game. The world created by author Pierre Boulle is a fascinating, rich one.



Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure – Review

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Zen Studios teased us late last year with their Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure game for their Pinball FX3 platform and we have been eagerly awaiting the release ever since!

Well, the day has come where we can now play the famous and popular 1993 Williams Indy pinball title right on our Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S! We loved playing the Mark Ritchie designed IJ:TPA pinball machine back in the day at our local arcade centre, with many many coins being pumped into it – it was very addictive. Luckily for us, this version doesn’t require coins to play it, but you will need Pinball FX3 (which is free!).

The Indy trailer that Zen Studios teased us with late last year!

source: Zen Studios

Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is the 100th table to Pinball FX3 and the first Williams recreation to Pinball FX and the newest classic to Williams Pinball mobile too. Zen Studios have recreated many other popular Williams titles, and we are here to tell you that this latest one is just as awesome, fun, addictive and faithful to the classic pinball machine.

The real pinball machine that this game is based on was released in 1993 as part of Williams/Midway’s “SuperPin” line of widebody games. It was also the very first pinball machine to use Williams’ DCS sound system (Digital Compression System). The Indy machine has a plethora of playfield features to keep you flipping, like pop bumpers, slingshots, active pinballs, standup targets, kick-out holes, ramps, 3-bank drop targets, captive ball and three video modes. The cooler features and toys are the player-controlled tilting upper playfield and the rotating idol head which releases the balls into play. Of course no pinball machine game is complete without multiballs! This one has plenty, with a 3-ball regular multiball, a quick 2-ball multiball, a “Well of Souls” 6-ball multiball and an “Eternal Life” wizard mode (6-ball).

Nothing beats playing Indiana Jones on our PinSwitch cabinet!

All of this grabs and immerses the player in Indy’s adventures and gets the heart racing. As soon as we started playing the game on our Switch, our heart was racing and we couldn’t wipe off the smile from our face – it was that awesome!

As far as getting the physics right, this is as close as you’ll get to playing the real pinball machine in the digital world. Zen has painstakingly and lovingly put together a brilliant recreation, remaining faithful to a timeless classic Williams pin. But that is not all, Zen have also injected a new way to play the machine with extra 3D effects in the ‘Enhanced’ version that includes side wall art, ball trailer effects, particle effects and a whip-wielding Indiana Jones. Playing this title was non-stop fun, from playing it on our 55″ TV, in handheld mode to playing it on our custom PinSwitch cabinet – it’s a whole lotta flippin action!

There’s a lot to live up to when a huge franchise is taken on, and we can confidently say, the Holy Grail of Pinball finally arrives in a first digital recreation. If you are into pinball games, then this is a must have!

Title: Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure (Pinball FX3)
Available: March 10, 2022
Platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Switch & PC (Steam)



Disclaimer: Nintendo Switch review code for Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure was provided by Sandbox Strategies.

Melbourne International Games Week & PAX Aus Are Back!

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After 2 years of virtual events, 2022 is shaping up to have two massive events back in-person!

The Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW-22) (Oct 1 – 9) and PAX Aus 2022 (Oct 7 – 9) events are back! Save the dates, book in your annual leave, get a sitter and get ready to be back catching up with likeminded peeps at these (industry and public) events.

We are mindful that it has been a while since these events were held in person, so there may be some anxiety, but please be easy on yourself and only attend if you are sure and feel comfortable in mixing in large crowds, especially after these last couple of years.



Mini Review: Moto Roader MC on Nintendo Switch

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We have fond memories playing NCS’ Moto Roader series on the PC Engine, so when we heard that Ratalaika Games were bringing the third instalment, Moto Roader MC, to modern gaming systems, we got quite excited!

Moto Roader MC was the third and final game in the NCS developed series, originally released on the PC-Engine (Super CD-ROM²) in 1992. Moto Roader MC played a bit different from the first two MR games, which was actually a good thing – and we are glad Ratalaika Games picked this one to modernise.

If you are a fan of overhead racing games, like the classic Atari arcade game, Super Sprint, with weapons to blast your opponents off the track, then you will absolutely love Moto Roader MC. Raitalaika Games have managed to keep the whole experience authentic to the original, including the “PUSH RUN” button to start the game, which obviously doesn’t appear on any modern gaming controllers – but it did on the PC-Engine ones.

The racing is fast and frantic, with numerous varied tracks with differing obstacles that add extra difficulty while trying to pass the other drivers by either speeding past them, or shooting them if they are in your way. You can play head to head against the computer or locally with a friend in multiple modes of futuristic racing. The Nintendo Switch version goes one step further to make this game even more fun by being able to play with up to 5 players locally – imagine you rivals sitting near you! There is a an array of cool cars and drivers, as well as a variety of gameplay modes, including bumper car challenges.

Moto Roader MC is another classic retro title that we are glad to have on a modern system. It’s a fun pick and play racing title with enough play modes and challenges to keep you coming back to it. This game truly shines if you have a few friends over for some local head to head racing!

Ratalaika Games is bringing Moto Roader MC to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on February 25th, 2022. We recommend you add this game to your library ASAP and have fun – it’s honestly great!



Disclaimer: Nintendo Switch review code for Moto Roader MC was provided by PR Hound.

Regressing To A Simpler Time With Modern Devices

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It is amazing how far technology has come in the last few decades, with a super computer in our pockets and gaming consoles that blur the line between reality and the virtual world.

We are in awe of our smartphones and can’t even imagine what our 15 year old self would have thought of this contraption if we were able to time travel back to the 80s. Back in the old days, we would play and then trade or sell our last gen system to fund the next big shiny new gen gaming system – this cycle was repeated for close to 3 decades! As we have gotten older and perhaps wiser, we keep yearning for the good old days, hence why we have immersed ourselves in retro gaming, reliving and revelling in games and systems from our distant past that gave us (and are still giving us) much joy.

The PocketCHIP beast!

Anyone for tennis?

Even with all of the classic gaming systems and games we have in our possession to intoxicate ourselves with nostalgia, we felt like something was missing, but we didn’t know what. We then stumbled upon contemporary technological marvels that stirred up something deep within us that made us take note. Thanks to playing retro-inspired games on the fantasy video game console, the PICO-8, we went down the rabbit hole of finding out more about playing pixel perfect 8-bit style games on modern devices, which also allowed us to tinker and do other stuff like coding! Welcome to the world of the PocketCHIP and Arduboy FX! Yeah, yeah, we are aware that you can play 8-bit style games on modern consoles, but these two little beauties are different – they are simple (in comparison), yet powerful, and very very elegant indeed.

Bit of Linux action

The Arduboy FX modded to be used as a gamepad for playing PICO-8 games on the PocketCHIP!

Selecting our next PICO-8 game

The PocketCHIP and Arduboy FX are both marvellous technological achievements, which fit the bill of being modern enough to be able to get on the net, code, tinker and also create our own games! The fact that you can also play games that other people have created is certainly the cherry on top!



Doing The Math on the Atari VCS Classic Joystick & Modern Controller

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“Have you played your Atari today?”

We have been on a roll lately with product reviews that have surprised us. For this review we test drive Atari’s VCS Wireless Classic Joystick and their Wireless Modern Controller.

Atari needs no introduction for many of you, so we will spare you their history, as it stretches back almost 50 years! The modern Atari company is a very different beast from the one that Ted Dabney and Nolan Bushnell found all those years ago.

With a back-catalogue of awesome Atari IP to choose from, the modern Atari has brought two controllers to the market, one being a throwback to their single button CX40 joystick with a modern twist with their VCS Wireless Classic Joystick, and the other, the Wireless Modern Controller being for the modern gamer that requires total control for their games on contemporary gaming systems. Oh yeah, seeing the Atari logo on a controller is another big selling point!

Atari Wireless Classic Joystick – $104.95 at GAMORY

First cab off the rank was always going to be the joystick! We started our gaming life on a joystick with a single fire-button, so the Atari VCS Classic Joystick felt right at home. We must admit, we were sceptical at first, but upon opening the package, the joystick looked top notch. But looks aren’t everything if the device isn’t much chop. The stick is on the short side, so if you like to grip the joystick by forming a fist around it,  then you are out of luck – unless you have really small hands. However, we never like to grip our joysticks that way, preferring the thumb and index finger control, which works and feels superb on this Atari modern joystick. The fact that the joystick doubles up as a paddle for games like Break Out (and Arkanoid), is another feather in the cap for this modern take on a classic stick. Oh yeah, there is also a second fire-button, which is conveniently positioned on the base for those games requiring two fire-buttons. Remember the orange band around the rubber boot/base of the original Atari joysticks? Well, on the modern stick, the band is replaced with a very cool LED light effect, which immediately makes you smile. Rotate the stick and watch the orange lights glow! It is these little touches that add up to a darn cool joystick for any retro or modern gamer.

Getting a grip!

We much prefer using our thumb and index finger for precision control

The joystick can be connected via USB (micro-USB cable supplied) or Bluetooth – we had a few issues trying to connect via Bluetooth (getting the dreaded unknown device message) on our Dell XPS laptop, but didn’t experience this on our other Lenovo laptop. With that said, once you are connected, you can really only play games that require one or two fire-buttons, which means this joystick is perfect for playing your old Amiga, C64, Amstrad, ZX Spectrum, Atari 2600, 7800, 400/800 and ST games (via emulation).

Love the orange light-up ring!

We tested this joystick on our LaunchBox (RetroArch / MAME) setup playing all of the two button Neo Geo games, and we must admit, the stick was absolutely flawless playing Sonic Wings 2 (Aero Fighters 2) with no lag, just total precision movement and firing, which helped us get very close to our personal best score, which says a lot for a stick we’ve had minimal amount of play time. The stick does have more freeplay when compared to something like the old TAC-2 joystick, but it snaps back to centre quite rapidly, which is exactly what a gamer needs, especially in games requiring ultra quick reflexes with precision control.

The stick is about as tall as the Sega Master System Control Stick

The old school QuickShot is built for a fist grip, whereas the Atari Classic Joystick isn’t!

The Atari Classic Joystick looks retro but has all the modern conveniences, like Bluetooth connectivity – the best of both worlds!

The more we played with the Atari VCS Classic Joystick, the more we grew to love it. It doesn’t knock the TAC-2 off the perch for our favourite joystick of all time, but the advantage of the Atari joystick is that it can be played on a multitude of gaming systems, albeit via emulation (mainly). We were going to test hooking up the joystick to our THEC64 Maxi, but ran out of time for this review. We will be sure to update this post when we do so and tell you all how we fared.

If you are yearning for a joystick to play your (one or two button type) games on PC or Android, then we highly recommend this Atari Wireless Classic Joystick – it is pretty darn awesome!

Atari VCS Wireless Modern Controller – $104.95 at GAMORY

After the awesome experience with the Classic Joystick, the Modern Controller had a lot to live up to!

It really isn’t fair to compare the joystick with the modern controller, as they couldn’t be further apart in aesthetics, controls, buttons and their use. Where the joystick can only really be used on games that don’t require too many buttons or multi-analogue input, the modern controller is right at home to be used on most (if not all) modern video games.

Just like the joystick, the controller can be connected via Bluetooth or cable (micro USB cable supplied) to your PC or via Bluetooth with an Android device. The detection and setup was a cinch. For comparisons, the Atari VCS Modern Controller is closest to the Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One controllers, so if you are familiar with those, then the Atari controller will feel right at home.

Atari vs Xbox

Face-off!

Since we do love our Xbox Series S controller, holding and using the Atari one to play games on our PC felt familiar and comfy. The triggers are just as clicky and the analogue sticks were equally as good. The D-pad is great and I prefer it to the clicky Xbox Series S controller. The Atari Modern Controller is great in hand, with smooth to touch surfaces – oo’er! We obviously love anything with a nostalgia inducing Mt Fuji logo, which is great to see dead centre on this controller. There is a feature that we didn’t understand which was the ability to switch the controller between PC or Xbox mode – we couldn’t figure this out, so if anyone has, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

Both the joystick and controller charge quite quickly and hold their charge for a fair few hours – we only had to charge them once while using them during this review (and they still have charge juice left!).

If you are after a modern controller to play on your PC, be it Xbox Game Pass games, AntStream, Prime Games, Steam, emulators and anything in-between, then you should check out the Atari Modern Controller. And if you are a sucker for the Atari brand, like we are, then you may not need too much convincing.

Where to buy:

Both the Atari VCS Classic Joystick and Modern Controller are available at GAMORY.

Too Cool For School!

 



Disclaimer: The Atari VCS Classic Joystick and Modern Controller were kindly supplied by GAMORY for this review.

A New Season of ‘The Witcher’

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

The second season of the Netflix Original Series “The Witcher” will be released this week (in the US) and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

“The Witcher” is not “Game of Thrones.” It never was. I never understood in all the reviews of the first series how almost every critic took the time to point that out. “The Witcher” is its own unique adaptation of the books and popular video games. I have friends who think “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” is one of the greatest games ever made. I like it, but I enjoy the television series just as much. And we know how hard it is to adapt a video game property into an entertaining live-action series or film. “The Witcher” could be one of the best.

“The Witcher” is always good when Henry Cavill gets screen time. His who cares, flipped attitude as Geralt of Rivia never gets old. Geralt may be cold at times, but he really has a heart. When Geralt isn’t slaying some disgusting beast for coin, he’s just trying to keep to himself. He grunts and says a certain four-letter word a lot throughout the series. The greatness of Cavill’s character is his subtlety. The way he plays Geralt is the exact way I thought the character would be in the iconic games.

image source: Netflix

Anya Chalotra, the actress who portrays Yennefer of Vengerberg, had an intense, charming chemistry with Henry Cavill. Yennefer is my favourite character on the eight-episode first season. Her story had an arc that was fulfilling and tragic. I felt for her character and where she came from before she grew powerful with her witchcraft skills. I like the episode when Geralt and Yennefer finally met. It was quite a “memorable” scene.

I could’ve gone without the singing. I thought the songs were silly and the character of the bard Jakier was just on the series for comic relief. His character felt like annoying filler. The battle in the final episode lasted way too long. I enjoyed how Yennefer kept the attacking forces at bay using all her powers. It made for a somewhat satisfying ending that left the audience with more questions than answers.

I’ll watch the second season when I have the time after Christmas. I like to watch a series in one long binge session. Season two of “The Witcher” is a nice Christmas gift for fans of the series. I just wish Netflix marketed the show better.



Conducting Our Reconnaissance on the Recon 500 Gaming Headset and Recon Controller

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Objective reviews are always tough! What we love may be absolutely loathed by someone else. But, we are always up for a challenge, especially when it is to convince us that a set of products we’ve never used would blow our minds. This was the case with being urged to review the Turtle Beach Recon 500 headset and the Recon Controller on our Xbox Series S – let’s say that we didn’t need too much convincing to accept the challenge!

Now if you are not one for wired gaming peripherals, then you may want to stop reading here and go and play some video games. If you are intrigued and want to know our thoughts on the headset and controller, then read on!

Recon Controller (Wired) – Xbox (Series X|S & Xbox One) & PC (Win 10)

There is a lot to love about the Recon Controller. Firstly, it is versatile to be used on the latest Xbox consoles (Series X|S), Xbox One and also on any PC running Windows 10! The other very obvious one is the additional buttons and controls on the face that manage all of the audio controls – this was probably our favourite aspect of the controller, as we could easily mute/unmute ourselves instead of fiddling the same controls on our headset. The four EQ presets were also cool, which you can choose to suit your own aural tastes. The mic monitoring and control was a welcome feature, as we could manage and adjust our own voice for clear online chat comms.

From an ergonomic perspective, we actually preferred using the Recon Controller over the Series S pack-in controller – which we didn’t expect! The grips, which are purported to have micro-cooling channels and are a comfy shape to hold, did feel good in hand, especially when playing Forza Horizon 5 for a few hours. Even after a couple of hours, we didn’t suffer any sweaty hands or fatigue, which meant we could game longer without giving our poor hands a break. The analogue sticks were a tad clickier than the Xbox Series S controller, but that didn’t deter play and we got used to their smooth control pretty quickly. On the other hand, we immediately loved the D-pad on the Recon as it wasn’t as harsh with its clicking as the Xbox controller – it was way quieter,  meaning we can use it at night when the household is asleep.

The 3 metre (10 foot) cable is a nice length, but it depends how you have your gaming system setup – if you are sitting 4 metres away, then you may need to move your chair (or couch) a tad closer. Since our gaming chair is within a metre of our console, the cable didn’t really hamper our play. Another very welcome addition are the two (Pro-Aim) mappable quick action buttons underneath the controller. These buttons can be used to program your favourite functions, which you can also save up to four profiles.

The Recon Controller took us by surprise as it blew our expectations by a long long way. It is now our go to controller on the Xbox Series S. Having our Windows 10 laptop nearby, it is versatile to unplug from the Xbox and into our laptop to play on it. If you are in the market for another controller for your Xbox (Series X|S and XBOne) or PC, then you should seriously consider this one!

Recon Controller (Wired) by Turtle Beach retails for $99.95 on Amazon AU.

Recon 500 Multiplatform Gaming Headset – Xbox (Series X|S & Xbox One), PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch & PC

It is always welcome to have a gaming peripheral that can be used across multiple devices, and let’s face it, we all have a mix of gaming system, from green, blue to red!

We used the wired Recon 500 headset with our Recon Controller on the Xbox Series S and let’s just say, they go together like hand in glove. However, the strength of the Recon 500 being wired with a 3.5mm jack, is that it can be used on pretty much all modern day consoles and PCs. Since we had recently reviewed the EPOS H3 Hybrid headset, we could pit the Recon 500 against it and see which one we preferred.

The Turtle Beach over ear headsets we have previously tried, all seem to have large cups, which for us, is great. Perhaps the shape of our head and ears are perfectly suitable for this, as the cups sit nicely over the ear, meaning they are comfortable and you get the best audio blast from the larger cup. Pitting these against the EPOS H3 Hybrid, we found the Recon 500 to be a lot more comfortable on ear. The headband is nice and soft, ensuring the top of your head is well looked after, especially if you don’t have too much hair to provide cushioning!

The build quality is pretty good and durable for a $130.00 headset, but it does not compare to the higher quality of the EPOS H3 Hybrid, but then again, the EPOS headset is 120% more expensive – so don’t forget that. More importantly, how does it sound? Well, the patented 60mm Eclipse dual-drivers that separate the high and low frequencies gives you an immersive and ultra-detailed gaming audio – It’s like having a massive soundstage between your ears. As mentioned earlier, the precisely engineered earcups (injected with wood pulp composite) deliver rich and natural sounds that need to be heard to be believed. We keep going on about the earcups, but that is because they are supremely comy and suit our head and ears so well – they are amazing!

Coupled with the Recon Controller, we were able to use the EQ presets (on the controller) to change the sounds, which the headset happily obliged. We did find an EQ preset that we liked, so we stuck to it. Playing modern games with such personalised sounds is a great immersive experience. We also tried the headset on our Switch, and just like the Xbox Series S, the sounds were crystal clear and meaty for us to fully enjoy our gaming experience.

We aren’t eSports professionals, we found the TruSpeak removable, noise cancelling mic delivered reliable and super clear voices in online chats. Having a removable mic meant that we could also use the headset with out smartphone to listen to some tunes.

If you are in the market for a gaming headset that you can use on pretty much on all current gaming platforms, and you don’t want to spend more than $130.00, then we’d say you can’t go too wrong with the Turtle Beach Recon 500 (wired) headset.

Recon 500 Gaming Headset (Wired) by Turtle Beach retails for $129.95 on Amazon AU.

image source: Turtle Beach



Disclaimer: The Recon Controller and Recon 500 headset were kindly supplied by Five Star Games for this review.

Insomniac’s ‘Wolverine’ PS5 Trailer

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Marketing is best when It’s simple. A trailer for a video game is supposed to get gamers excited to play something new and create a buzz. The trailer for Insomniac Games’ “Wolverine” at the PlayStation Showcase 2021, checked all those boxes. It’s titillating and you want to see the gameplay immediately.

“Wolverine” is one of the greatest game trailer announcements ever. The trailer begins with a slow camera pan on a destroyed bar where bloody men are scattered all around; some are conscious, some are not. One beat up man’s lifeless body is sprawled out across a pool table. You see a man in a cowboy hat, sitting at the bar, having a drink. His fists are extremely bloody and bruised. When an injured man starts walking up behind the mysterious patron at the bar with a knife, three steel claws shoot out of the patron’s wrist. And then the trailer slam cuts to black.

The trailer is like the trailer for 2017’s “Logan”, Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Logan/Wolverine. The trailer for the game is much shorter than the films, but they’re similar in the phenomenal music they use. James Carr’s “The Dark End of the Street” sets an incredible mood, just like Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt” did for the iconic film’s trailer.


source: PlayStation

Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” was what I was most anticipating seeing during PlayStation Showcase 2021. But that was until they showed Insomniac’s “Wolverine.” The trailer has been viewed 3.7 million times on YouTube. Will we see Sabertooth, Omega Red, or even Deadpool? A PS5 game with Logan and Deadpool would satisfy so many Marvel fans who have wanted to see them together for years. And “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” doesn’t count. Fans want to see the current Deadpool, of the 20th Century Fox films, which are now owned by Disney, with Logan in some way, even if it’s just a game.

Some online think “Wolverine” could be Insomniac Games’ masterpiece. I hope the gameplay is solid. I think Insomniac will get this right.



Review: EPOS H3 Hybrid Headset

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We are the type that get freaked out by noise cancelling over-ear headsets. This is a personal preference, so when we received our Ghost White EPOS H3 Hybrid headset, we were eager to try them out on multiple platforms, from our current gen gaming consoles, Windows 10 PC, to our Android and iOS devices.

The beauty of the EPOS H3 Hybrid headset is that it has multiple connectivity options, so no matter if you are using it on PC, Mac, Xbox (One or X|S), PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch or any other Bluetooth compatible devices, the H3 Hybrid can be your one stop headset, so no more carrying different headsets for multiple applications. Being an EPOS product, you expect a premium gaming audio experience, which we can safely say the H3 Hybrid delivers. The high quality digital audio extends to mundane uses, like those daily never ending Zoom calls – which we must admit, our colleagues were quite in awe of our headset and wanted to know more about them, which speaks volumes of the design.

The EPOS H3 Hybrid follows on from the success of the recently released H3 wired closed acoustic headset, but amps it up with multiple connectivity options, a removable boom arm, simultaneous Bluetooth® for audio mixing, and a very importantly, a long-lasting battery for on-the-go Bluetooth® audio – unlocking the Power of Audio anywhere. This is where the H3 Hybrid really shined – we took it to task during our 8+ hour work day, connected via Bluetooth to our PC, which we had multiple Zoom, WebEx and MS Teams meetings. We also had music pumping throughout the day, which was tremendous to listen to with amazing acoustic clarity and deep base (via EPOS’ 7.1 surround sound) – our ears were truly in aural heaven! Our work colleagues also commented on how clear we came across in our calls, so that is testament to the detachable boom arm (main mic, with the secondary mic in the ear cup – which can be used when the main boom arm is detached). Even after all that work day punishment, the battery was still green, meaning we had heaps of juice left to use our H3 Hybrid headset on our gaming systems. According to EPOS, the headset provides 37 hours of Bluetooth audio (between charges), which is great, as we loathe to be charging stuff every day.

The headset feels like a quality product in your hands, but how do they feel on your head and over your ears. Well, we can say that they felt pretty good. We did find that after 3 or so hours of continuous use, we had to take them off to give our ears a break, which again, is a personal preference. The headset can be adjusted via its built-in stainless steel headband slider, so no matter the size of head, it can be adjusted to fit accordingly.

There is no doubt the H3 Hybrid is designed and aimed at gamers that want one high-quality headset that has the versatility to be used both wired with their preferred gaming platform and simultaneously or separately connected via Bluetooth for other uses, like using a 3rd party chat app on their smartphone while enjoying latency free in game audio on their PC, which it does with ease and does it brilliantly. The headset is available in Onyx Black or Ghost White, so not much choice in the colourways – but who needs a turquoise headset anyway?! Inside the package, you’ll find the headset, USB cable, 3.5mm console cable and the boom arm cover plate.

With its renowned EPOS engineered high quality build, multiplatform compatibility, simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity, dual microphones, EPOS Gaming Suite (Windows 10) compatibility and the detachable boom arm, the H3 Hybrid does feel like a next-level headset which we highly recommend you try out! Now, to connect these babies to our pinball machines……

The Details:

  • Make/Model: EPOS H3 Hybrid (review unit – Ghost White. Also comes in Onyx Black)
  • Compatible with: 
    • Wired: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
    • Wireless: Bluetooth devices
  • Release Date: September 14, 2021
  • Price: $258.89 via Amazon

image source: EPOS

Disclaimer: The EPOS H3 Hybrid headset was kindly provided by Events Engine for this review.