Those who are really serious about their gaming gear for the PC probably have heard about the company Steel Series as this company have produced some of the best gear we've seen in quite some time. Owing up to their reputation, they have released yet another product called the SteelSeries SX, a tool the professional CounterStrike Team NoA dubbed as "the purest form of glide in the world".

The SteelSeries SX is made of fiber polished aluminum with an anodized oxide surface. The makers have also pointed out that the surface gives gamers silent gliding because of a rubber base that absorbs noise and vibrations. Jonas 'Johnny R' Bollack of the SteelSeries Development Team spoke about the development of the product and the choice of materials.

With the SteelSeries SX we tried to reach new limits and I can honestly say we reached them. It was our goal to make a pad that would offer smoothness and be very durable and not lose it over time. We knew from experience that aluminum was a perfect material to achieve this goal.

Several months, and after countless tests by professional gamers, later we can finally present the result. An anodized aluminum surface that does the job perfectly and both we and our testers agreed: This is as good as it (aluminum) gets.

This product does not come cheap at US$ 59.95 for the mouse pad alone, or US$ 107.99 for the mouse pad and the SteelSeries IME 3.0 SS professional gaming mouse. It's worth every penny if you're the type of player who is pushing for every little advantage one can get in the professional scene. Casual gamers might want to consider looking at cheaper alternatives.

SteelSeries (a leading manufacturer of various gaming accessories such as headsets, keyboards, mouse pads, and mouse accessories) just struck a partnership with Reason Gaming (a British team that manages squads for Quake 4, Counter Strike, Call of Duty, Battlefield 2, and Halo 2; and was even chosen to represent UK in the World Cyber Games 2005) to produce cool videogame accessories.

As such, Reason Gaming will take part in promoting SteelSeries products. Also, both companies are preparing for various UK LAN events for 2007, so that's something to look forward to.

Says, Kim Rom, Head of SteelSeries' PR & Communications:

SteelSeries have been supporting a wide range of eSports teams since our inception in 2001. We select partners carefully, ensuring they are well suited to represent our brand. Reason Gaming has already had solid results with Gladiator Computers and Western Digital.

The SteelSeries company has come out with a two new types of headsets for gaming enthusiasts to scream profanities at each other with. Known as the SteelSound 4H and 3H, the two headsets were tested by professional gamers to ensure quality headphones for all-around gaming on consoles and computers. Of course, your choice of headsets won't only be a matter of quality, but also a matter of ear size.

For the folks with normal-sized ears that don't stand out, the 3H is your best bet. The gadget is lightweight and foldable making it easy to take around for gaming conventions. It's also got what SteelSeries calls a "retractable, uni-directional microphone" and features a 50 - 18.000 Hz pickup pattern, which seems to be the best bet for gamers who want to use it while doing an MMORPG raid on bosses.

For people who bear "Dumbo ears" like myself, there's also the SteelSound 4H, which has bigger ear cups to keep outside noises away from the gaming experience and felt cushions to make your ears feel nice and cozy. Better still, the 4H is designed to work well with FPS and RTS games, as the retractable microphone is uni-directional, ensuring that your teammates hear you in the middle of a firefight.

SteelSound's 3H and 4H are priced at around US$ 50 and US$ 60, respectively. A lot of bang for your buck, and definitely worth thinking about getting if your team gets creamed in Halo all the time.