Customer Reviews

Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard with USB Port

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I got this keyboard to replace my G15. I have had both G15s so this is my third gaming keyboard. In general the keyboard is very nice, but I suggest consider what game you want it for. I purchased the keyboard for Warhammer Online, to help me with the extreme number of keys that need to bound for your abilities.

The first thing to be aware of, is the macros are driven by software driver. There is also a deficiency in the drivers that do not allow the macros to execute in games that require administrator mode in Vista. I know, I know this probably isn't a deficiency in the driver but in the game software. All I care is it doesn't work in Warhammer unless I disable User Access Control (UAC). Also this is a result of the decision to support macros via driver.

Also the num-pad switching position is nice, but I haven't found a use for it. If your hands must always be on the a,w,s,d for moving, then the number pad is too far out of reach to reach easily. I have yet to come up with a creative, and trainable solution but am going to keep trying. There has to be gold in there somewhere. (The num pad can be made to be all macro so I will probably start down that route.)

OK Those are my negatives, the positives:

The keys press firmly and nicely. The volume knob is very nice. And the dual lighting on the keyboard is very nice. I have a hard time finding these keys but I figure that is just a training issue, but the alignment feels different (I hit ~ a lot when going for the 1 key).

It goes very nice with my MS Gaming Mouse, although I have not found any particular synergies. The Macro keys on the left are nice but I still find them hard to get to with a pinky if I'm required to work my movement keys.

So all in all, a very good keyboard with a few issues with my play style and/or hand size (I have long fingers). I would give it 5/5 if weren't for the driver issue that interferes with my play patterns.

I'm going to say right out that I'm not a heavy gamer. I do play occasional games, but plenty of other reviewers have covered the pros and cons of this keyboard for game use; what I haven't seen are a lot of reviews for general use.

When I recently built a new computer, I decided to treat myself to a back-lit keyboard. I write quite a bit at night, don't like keeping my office lights on, and, while I can touch type, I do need to be able to see function keys, the number pad, music controls etc,. The sidewinder is on the (rather short) list of keyboards that have this feature.

But while I bought it for the backlighting, I'm keeping it because as a keyboard on ANY terms, it's great. Key action has just the right resistance and clickiness; it feels great and is never annoying. Travel is less than any other keyboard I have, though more than a laptop, and the keys don't stick up annoyingly far; they are flatter than other desktop keyboards I've worked with. The action is also firm and not spongy at all: stroke feels positive and reminds you that you are using a well-built keyboard. So for me, it's an "A" in ergonomics.

As for the unique features, the back-lighting is great, and fully adjustable from off to bright-but-not-obnoxious. Some folks have complained that you can't change the color, but I personally like red, and find color changing keyboards a bit gimmicky (and just one more thing that can go wrong). The vertical row of six keys on the left are fully programmable using the Microsoft software (download only, strangely - if you don't have a fast connection you'll be waiting a while as it isn't included on a CD). Each can hold two macros (you switch from one set to another with a small switch at their base) and they are lit in yellow-orange to make them easy to delineate quickly. There are also three different keyboard profiles that you can set up and select based on use. I find ALL of these features useful, even when not gaming, particularly the programmable macro keys.

So overall, if you're looking for a nice looking keyboard with great action (really - I like the action on this keyboard more than ANY other keyboard I've ever had, and I've had a few), think back-lighting would be useful, and, like I, find the occasional delays and connection problems associated with wireless desktop sets an irritant, I'd urge you to give the Sidewinder a shot. For me, the gaming capabilities are just a great bonus to a wonderful keyboard.

Highly Recommended.

I have the Logitech gaming keyboard, and have owned a number of keyboards, and this is by far the best. The simple reason is that it is a gaming keyboard that allows the number keypad to be placed on the left side of the keyboard.

I am right handed, so this may seem a strange reason to recommend this keyboard, but ergonomically moving out the keypad puts the main part of the keyboard and the mouse closer together. You don't reach far to move the mouse. For regular and gaming use this is a big win.

As a gaming keyboard it is fine, and the keys feel adequate (not stellar). If Logitech made a keyboard with this break-off keypad design it would beat the Microsoft keyboard in most respects. But again, an adequate gaming keyboard with one really great feature.

I also like the big round knob used for controlling volume versus the usual + and - buttons.

Minor quibbles include the placement of the "Esc" key, I keep hitting F1 by mistake and that it has a non-detachable hand rest.

But the detachable keypad for ergonomic reasons makes this keyboard a "must have", and deserving of 5 stars despite minor problems.

I received this keyboard today and have had nothing but good experiences with it so far!!

The back light is bright but not offensive; the numberpad/macropad easily switches between sides and removes completely when not needed; macros are easy to program, though the macro programing ui could be a bit better (software complaint - the hardware is great!); and it feels really well made. The different modes makes it easy to turn off buttons that annoy me during game play (windows key, app key) without remapping them or using custom keybinding software (I realize that this came with just such software, but the button on the keyboard itself is much easier!).

All in all I love this thing and can't wait to play more games with it!! If you're in the market for an illuminated gaming keyboard that provides plenty of options, this is the one!

Preface : I am an avid gamer and 60+ WPM typist. I had been looking for an old Logitech G15 keyboard lately and decided to purchase Sidewinder X6. I run 7 instances of WoW with Vista Speech Recognition. This keyboard was to complement voice control through macro keys.

Detail :
1. Ergonomics
Touch typists are very sensitive to key mechanism. Click on the keyboard on the Sidewinder is soft but luckily click has good solid feedback. Each key is not mounted solid and gives a little. Key rocks side ways a bit unlike IBM/Fujitsu type old keyboard.
Keyboards do not have legs to angle the keys. It feels a bit flat to the desk. When typing, it is bothersome. Too many of current keyboards just aren't angled right.
Two Dials that control light and sound is good size and has decent resistance that works well.
Keyboard layout has fatal flaw. Microsoft put this X6 out as a gaming device. But they have placed ESC key in the wrong place. It looks like a compromise that Microsoft took for the looks instead of following traditional keyboard layout. This is fatal. I have clicked the F1 and my finger is wandering too much whenever I need to click ESC and that is fatal. Look at Logitech G15 and see where ESC should be at. If you are an avid gamer, do not buy this keyboard. You will be frustrated by the fact Microsoft so casually misplaced the ESC key.

2. Numeric Keypad
Detachable keypad is a good thing to have. Most of the time, you do not need it and removing it can reduce the space your keyboard takes up. There are 18 buttons including the dedicated calculator button.
Attaching mechanism is well designed. It uses magnet to pull two parts together almost automatically. The connection is solid enough that it will stay in place on the desk but when you lift up the keyboard it may fall off. Attaching and detaching does not affect the computer.

3. Quality
The keyboard is made of cheap plastic. They finished the same sheet of platic glossy in the middle and matte top and bottom. It is put together just good enough. If you press middle part of the keyboard, keyboard bends in 1/8 of an inch. Just to show how cheesy the keyboard is.
Lighting scheme of using orange for macro keys and red for normal keys works well with black keyboard.

4. Software
I was upset when I saw amount of HD space software required, 100MB. But the application did not actually used all that. It loaded itype.exe which was 2.2MB in size which took about 484KB of memory when loaded.
It uses keyboard properties in the control panel instead of using its own utility program. There is no hint of Macro features until you go to Key Settings tab and click on Assign/Manage Macro or Configure key. Then you are presented with Macro Editor.
Macro Editor is another huge disappointment. Macro Editor is just a glorified keystroke repeater. No other feature. You would think it could possible have Macro/Scripting ability. Nope. You will have to rely on third part software still like AutoHotKey.
BTW, there is no printed manual. Help file that supposed to help is not specific for this keyboard but a general help for all Microsoft Keyboard. So is the driver. ;)

5. USB
(Or lack there of). Initially I thought Microsoft was doing something spectacular with USB power that it could not simply spare extra power to give us 2 USB ports on the keyboard. But no, there is nothing fancy going on on this keyboard. 2 USB ports on the keyboard is very practical and it was simply taken out to save pennies for Microsoft. "period". You will miss that extra ports.

6. Conclusion
Microsoft Sidewinder X6 is not for the pro-gamers. It is designed and made for home consumer market. It is a good keyboard even though it is not the best. But if you are paying what they are asking, you should look for best keyboard that you can click away day and night. Its macro feature is a joke you will still be relying on third party software for that. I expected a lot because it was supposedly a product focused on gamers. I believe this keyboard was designed for teens who like fancy looking keyboard instead of providing a true utilitarian keyboard for real gamers. Buy it but without the expectation of pro gamer quality tool.

* Based on quality of its software and design, I believe this product was designed and marketed with sole purpose of diluting recent programmable keyboard market boom for gamers. Without any features that really had any thoughts and actual research in it, this product will quietly disappear into shadows soon enough. What good is macro when it really doesn't macro? Do you think they will let AutoHotKey hook into it? I don't think so. Microsoft isn't about making things work if it doesn't make money on it. I am regretting this purchase. I will update when other third party program actually make this keyboard useful.

** (Update) My keyboard driver crashed while playing WoW. Below is the error message I got. I am sure I am at fault not Microsoft. Poohaha.. How in the world they manage to crash the keyboard driver. So what happens when your X6 keyboard driver crashes? All your non-standard key don't work. Keypad don't work. You have to restart your computer.
"Runtime Error! Program****itype.exe R6025 - pure virtual function call."

Every relationship between a user and their keyboard is unique. Many factors shape the relationship -- the size and shape of the user's hands, the user's sense of tactile aesthetics, what the keyboard is used for, for how long, etc. The point being, there can be no single keyboard that is ideal for everyone. Issues that may be not matter to most people may be glaring flaws for others. No matter how many reviews you read, ultimately, the only way to find out if a keyboard will work for you is to try it out.

After having tried it out, my executive summary of the Microsoft Sidewinder X6 is: This clearly was not designed by a 'vi' user.

I'm a software engineer, and use my keyboard for programming and command entry. My Saitek keyboard was starting to behave strangely, and needed replacing. Although the Sidewinder X6 is billed as a "gaming" keyboard, I've found such keyboards in general to be of overall higher quality than "regular" keyboards and excellent for general use. The macro programming and "gaming" features were not of primary interest to me. I'm very particular about a keyboard's tactile qualities. If I can get those qualities out of a so-called gaming keyboard, then so be it. (And I'm also a sucker for decorative lighting.)

In many respects, the Sidewinder X6 is a very fine product. Key feel is firm and decisive, with no mushiness. They keys are stiffer than is common and require more downforce, which is exactly how I prefer it. Despite the "hard bottom" of the keypress action, the keyboard is fairly quiet and won't disturb your cube neighbors. Backlighting is as intense or subdued as you wish. And the volume control knob is a welcome and superior departure from the '+' and '-' volume keys that so plague keyboards today.

Some minor issues with manufacturing were apparent. The keycaps were not as smooth and well-finished as the keyboard's price tag would suggest, and I found myself scraping small bits of plastic flashing off the surface of some keys to smooth them down.

But, for me, the X6's greatest handicap is a consequence of the text editor I've been using since 1982 -- 'vi'.

'vi' ("vee-eye") is a text editor from the UNIX world which, by its design, requires frequent use of the Escape key, and this is where, in my use case, the X6 inexplicably and perhaps fatally fails -- the Escape key is in the wrong place.

ESC is normally placed above the tilde ('~') key. However, from the photographs, you can see that Microsoft added a column of macro keys on the left side of the keyboard, and placed the ESC key above this new column. They then stretched the row of function keys out such that F1 is above the tilde key. The result is I've been hitting F1 nearly every time I actually wanted to hit ESC.

Microsoft's choice to do this is bewildering. Perhaps, in a gaming context, access to function keys is considered more important than putting ESC in the standard location. But other "gaming" keyboards have not made this choice. The Saitek PC Gaming Keyboard, which my X6 was intended to replace, puts ESC in the standard location. Even the Razer Tarantula, which also has an extra column of programmable keys on the left, still places ESC above tilde.

This isn't the first time I've dealt with a misplaced Escape key. My ThinkPad also has F1 above tilde, and placed ESC all by itself above F1 (sort of like hydrogen on the Periodic Table). I've managed to adapt to the ThinkPad. I don't yet know if I'll adapt to the X6.

In all other respects, the Sidewinder X6 could be a winner for me. I like the key feel, the cutesey lighting is nice, and the knobs are a welcome addition. But if I can't adapt to the Escape key's non-standard location then, for me, the X6 will be a failure. And that would be a damned shame.

The Sidewinder X6 is solidly built. The variable keyboard illumination is sharp, and the use of an analog dial for volume control dial was a sound and welcome usability decision.

Unfortunately, as a keyboard billed primarily for its "gaming performance," it suffers significantly from ghosting issue that makes it unsuitable for a certain style of gaming: The keyboard is unable to process many 3-keypress combinations, such as CTRL + W + R. If you're a touch-typist comfortable with and reliant on key chording, this keyboard will disappoint you.

The problem appears to be with the hardware, because it occurs whether or not you use the keyboard software support specifically intended for it.

I found the keyboard so good in all other respects, that I found this crucial design flaw severely disappointing.

Positives:
Packaging of the keyboard was excellent, but it could have been improved on with a window to tease potential buyers.
The keyboard looks absolutely fantastic with its new bold stealth fighter like design or it can be associated with Darth Vader. It is the gaming keyboard for Sith lords!
The number pad is detachable and the magnet that holds the two parts together is pretty strong so you will not detach it by accident. This is my favorite design and the main reason why I chose this keyboard over all other gaming keyboards.
The keyboard has a flat laptop like design which may or may not be what you want.
There is a dial / wheel for the back light and also for the volume! I highly prefer a dial / wheel design over buttons.
The back light has a true red color while the back light for macro keys are amber.
Has a few media keys and also has a calculator key (on the detachable number pad).
Has cruise control, mode switching, macro keys, etc for gamers who may chose to utilize those.
3 year warranty!
(Logitech G15 - 1 YR | Razer keyboards - 1 YR | OCZ keyboards - 1YR | Saitek - Hard to find..., but either 1 or 2 YRs)

Negatives:
The keyboard has a flat laptop like design with less gaps between keys, than standard keyboards. This makes me look down to see where I am going to type much more often compared to normal keyboards.
Perhaps with more time I will get used to the X6, but I prefer typing on the G15 compared to the X6.
The esc key is not above the ~ key whereas the esc key is above the ~ key on probably all other keyboards. This is one of the more annoying aspects of this keyboard. The reason is Microsoft decided to make the F keys longer than normal...
Would be nice to have switchable colors so it can match certain desktop setups, such as a blue back light. I would prefer green since it is the color of good ol' paper back money. :)
Yes, I would also very much like a dark green lightsabre instead of a red/blue.
Might accidentally snap the connections between the keyboard and number pad (be careful).
There is no keyboard feet/legs/stands on the top back side so you cannot adjust the height. It may take some getting used to for some users.
I'm not sure on the exact number of keys that can be hit simultaneously, but so far I have had absolutely no problems in any game.
Edit: Just found out it does indeed have a moderate sized flaw in that the user cannot reload while crouching and moving at the same time...

Notes/other thoughts:
I went from using a Logitech G15 (blue) to this. The G15 was a great keyboard, but it was quite long and I never used the LCD. I loved the volume dial / wheel on the G15 so getting another keyboard with the dial / wheel was a must.
The X6 keyboard is isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) friendly unlike the G15. I ruined the pain job on two G15 keyboards since just a bit of isopropyl alcohol can make the paint smear.
Since the X6 does not have a LCD screen I would love to one day try out the dishwasher method to clean the keyboard. This cleaning method worked well with other standard keyboards, including a Saitek Eclipse, but I was too afraid to try it with the G15 (LCD).
I would imagine pairing the X6 with the Microsoft sidewinder mices would give a better gaming setup in terms of having a uniform look.
I have not tried and do not intend to try out the macro keys so I am unfamiliar with how well it functions and if the software is user friendly. If needed to be the number pad can also function as macro keys.
It would be awesome if the detachable number pad was wireless so I would not have to reattach it to use it.

Conclusion.
The Microsoft sidewinder X6 is an excellent gaming keyboard geared towards users who want a keyboard that has a cool stealth fighter or Star Wars dark side look, and also is bundled with a lot of gaming and practical designs. The most distinguishable feature compared to other gaming keyboards is the detachable number pad, for the user that needs a little extra space.
There are a few downfalls (i.e. laptop/notebook flatness w/ lack of adequate space between keys) or conflicts with user preferences (i.e. back light color), but overall I would give this keyboard an 8.5/10.

*The biggest downfall is the lack of feel while typing which makes me have to look down in order to find the correct keys. A huge negative for gamers who need to react quickly in a competitive setting.*

Edit: Listed in the negative section, but... "Just found out it does indeed have a moderate sized flaw in that the user cannot reload while crouching and moving at the same time..." I would take another star off of my review for this reason, but unfortunately I cannot edit the number of stars.

Got this for a leftie gamer and it works brilliantly for him !! It is much easier to play and/or type now.
The switchable side idea was brilliant !!

It looks great! It blends nicely..streamlined, black, low key.

It is excellent for those who are using a lot (like my daughter) and who are developing a carpal tunnel like problem. This gives the wrist support by being so low that the wrist can rest comfortably. the doctor liked the design for her to use.

The backlights help people like me who really need to see the keyboard..
I will never have it memorized it seems.... so i need to see it clearly. Backlights do this quite well for me.Day or night.

And last, but not least, the leftie gamer lOVES his Sidewinder !! He's 12
and they are fussy !! He's had no complaints, he loves it. Uses for everything.

This is my first gaming keyboard, and I like it overall.

Pros:

*Macro keys: I love this feature. They are easy to program. You just press the "macro record" key, select a macro key, and then hit whatever key combo you need. Press the record key again and you're done. I have used this for various things, including:

*Remapping W, A, S, D to the keypad (I'm left handed). Some games don't let you use the arrow keys.
*Making multi-key combos into a single keypress (I use Shift+space to read through my Google reader from the oldest to the newest.

*Volume knob: This is wonderful too. The thing that annoys me most about video games is that once it's running, you can no longer adjust the Windows volume level. If I turned it down while on the web, I had to exit the game to turn it on again.

*The keypad is removable: yes, you can move it from side to side, but you can also get it out of the way completely if you don't need it.

*The cruise control button is also nice (and it may help with those people having the "Ctrl+W+R" problem).

*Good solid construction overall.


Cons:

*Like others have mentioned, the keys have been rearranged some. I have definitely found myself pressing "~" at odd times.

*The backlight (which can be turned off) makes the keyboard hard to look at when the lights are on. As I am not in the habit of gaming in the dark, this stays off most of the time.

*The knob for the volume seems a little flimsy. I'm not sure how it will hold up in the long run.

*You are supposed to install the software before plugging in the keyboard. This could be problematic if you don't already have a keyboard.


**************


Final thoughts:

This is a solid keyboard, and I like it a lot. Until I found this one in the store, it never occurred to me that there were keyboards with macro keys (for a reasonable price). I am very happy with this purchase.