Remember amBX ? That was the Philips subsidiary that wanted to take PC games beyond the computer screen with flashing lights, rumbling wrist rests and even a pair of small fans to simulate the thrill of being in the open air without leaving your desktop? Well, it's back with a new set of experience enhancing peripherals, the Cyborg amBX Gaming Lights .
A lot has changed for amBX since it launched its first - very expensive - kit in 2008. It's been spun off as a separate company and quietly working away to develop its ideas into something a little more, um, cost effective for the average gamer. The first fruits of this work are now available via a partnership with Mad Catz under the Cyborg brand.
Each pair of lights connects via USB, can display millions of colours and uses the same amBX scripting language as the original kits. Games devs can code their own effects, or the amBX drivers can do a best guess at the light most suitable for filling your peripheral vision. Ambient lighting effects can also be added to movies and music.
Games which are fully scripted for amBX include Age of Conan and Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway.
At nearly £90 a pair, though, the Cyborg amBX kit isn't exactly cheap, but I'm not passing judgement yet. Review samples are apparently heading labwards next week - co-incidentally, they'll be up against Antec's single colour Halo 6 lights, which turned up on my desk the other day (and I haven't had chance to try out yet).
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