XFPS 3.0 Sniper - Keyboard & Mouse Adapter for Xbox 360

by XCM

Product Features

• Ideal for use with all FPS titles such as Call of Duty and Halo series
• Allows gamers to use PS2's Dual-Shock 2TM controller on the Xbox 360 TM
• The latest revision of XFPS 3.0 Sniper which offers even greater sensitivity, precision and smoothness,

Product Details

• ASIN: B0010ZH3V8
• Product Dimensions: 4 x 6 x 1 inches ; 6.1 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,264 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

The XFPS 360 is an innovative keyboard and mouse adapter for the Xbox 360 which begins an unrivalled First Person Shooter (FPS) experience to the next-generation gaming console. Not only is the XFPS 360 compatible with all standard PS/2 input devices but also modern USB keyboards and mice. But wait, there's more! The XFPS 360 even makes traditional PS2 DualShock2 controllers compatible on the Xbox 360, as well as a plethora of peripherals. This exquiste device even manages to bring auto fire functionality to the Xbox 360, now that tops off what promises to be the must have peripheral for years to come!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Aviod the XFPS360 at all costs!, April 25, 2007

By 

M. Richardson (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 

Trust me; not only is it NOT compatible with the advertised mice, it also doesn't work with any of the games they list it works well with. It's like they didn't even test the damn thing! I've tried four of the mice they claim will work; three USB, one PS2, and none of them work. Either it won't respond at all, or the slightest mouse movement will cause the dashboard menu or pause menu to come up in game. The thing literally goes nuts and does everything BUT what you want it to, which is basically mimicing R-Analog Stick. MEH!

The keyboard is just dandy, but it's not at all important if the mouse doesn't work... I haven't tried it for anything other than using a keyboard and mouse on the X360. Anything else you would want to use it for has a MUCH cheaper alternative. This thing is so useless now, I feel like I've been scammed! It'd be an amazing product if it did ANYTHING it advertised... which it doesn't. This product gets -100 stars (Yes, -100!)and is for me (and you) to poop on. Please do not give these horrible periphial designers any of your money.

They most certainly don't deserve it; not with this product anyway.

Also, there is rarely ANY return policy on this item from resellers, as they too know this thing doesn't work anything near what it's maker claim. Just check the net for other reviews...what a disappointment. BEWARE: If you're going to be screwed out of $80, at least get an STD out of it; it'd be more thab what you'd get out of this useless thing!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works like a charm with some caveats, January 18, 2008

By 

Alexander Jhin "DoomGoober" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: XFPS 3.0 Sniper - Keyboard & Mouse Adapter for Xbox 360 (Video Game)

The XFPS 3.0 works. You can play 360 games using a mouse and gain all of the advantages it provides: transition quickly between fast movements and slow, stop fast movements on a dime and make really precise small adjustments. Overall, FPS games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 feel much more natural and precise with a mouse and the XFPS.

But there are some caveats:
1) The device requires that you own an older model of the wired 360 controller. It doesn't work with newer controllers that are revision X811616-005 and above. If you're buying a wired controller specifically to work with this device, buy a used controller with a lower revision number.
2) Don't expect gameplay to be identical to playing on the PC! Something gets lost in the translation when faking mouse commands with controller commands. It feels slightly sluggish at times, even with the sensitivity set really high. At other times, it feels slightly laggy.
3) Playing in the living room, it's hard to find a place to comfortably put the mouse and keyboard. The mouse cable plus the tiny cable on the XFPS don't exactly stretch across the room.
4) You have to own an older mouse that doesn't require special drivers. I use an old Logitech MX518, but I've heard good things about the Logitech G5 in conjunction with this device.
5) You have to own a keyboard.

Overall, my COD4 scores improved dramatically by using the XFPS. It might be that I'm just used to playing on mouse and keyboard. But more likely, mouse and keyboard are simply a superior aiming device over controllers. After all, FPS games are like modern browsers: You point at something and click. Who in their right mind would choose a 360 controller over mouse to surf the web?

45 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works as advertised, December 27, 2007

By 

Greg (Springfield, OR, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: XFPS 3.0 Sniper - Keyboard & Mouse Adapter for Xbox 360 (Video Game)

First and foremost, the XFPS is a Keyboard and Mouse adapter for the Xbox 360. There's been a long trend of mouse/keyboard adapters for consoles, starting with the Xbox and Playstation 2, as transitional players who grew up wielding mice and keyboards easily recognized the deficiencies of joypad gaming for First Person Shooters. Game consoles can't, or better yet, won't support simply plugging in USB mice and keyboards as it'd create a bit of an imbalance in gameplay. There's an inherent reason why console FPSes use tricks light minor auto aiming to make up for the inaccuracies of analog sticks. A few companies recognized this issue and decided to make try and tackle the problem head on. Probably the most famous and successful of these devices, was the SmartJoy FRAG. Its a beautiful little device that allowed the mouse to emulate the right thumbstick and the ability gamepad functions to the keyboard. However, the device wasn't complete magic, as gamepads have "acceleration" as the longer you hold a direction with your thumbstick, the faster the tracking on the screen which translated to less accurate long mouse movements. Also console games are not as straightforward when it comes to control configurations. Often buttons are used for multiple functions, such as in Halo, to drop a secondary weapon is also the melee attack so it requires a mild learning curve, learning to think in terms of the console when playing a game. Despite these setbacks, the SmartJoy Frag was a major improvement.

Fast forward a console generation; Microsoft announces it will turn a profit on the 360. One of Microsoft's strategies is that ALL peripherals. This bold decision mimicks Apple Computer and its outrageously successful iPod, where all devices making use of the data port require an Apple licence. To prevent 3rd party gamepads from inundating the market Microsoft setup a device registration system to lock out unauthorized gamepads. Previously, devices could elect to be officially supported devices, where a company would pay to carry the Microsoft Xbox logo on its product and packaging. This meant companies who's will and intent wasn't that of Microsoft's could still make devices, such as the Smartjoy Frag. For a long time it looked as if Mouse and keyboard adapters were dead until a new player, XCM, who started with various 360 case mods, figured out a genius work around using a pass-through USB controller method. Victory! Or at least it'd seem...

The Sniper 3.0 is the 3rd iteration of the XFPS line of adapters, which have had a bit of a torrid past, most of which concerning the deadzones. On a joystick there's a small area where if the joystick is moved, the movements won't be registered. Anyone familiar with old PC analog sticks probably remembers the pain of trying to find the perfect deadzone. Too much, and your analog stick would be unresponsive. Too little, and it'd register 'non-movements'. With the XFPS line, the problem was they had too much deadzone. A mouse doesn't have a deadzone. Part of the appeal of using a mouse is the refined movements one can make by very slightly moving the mouse. Due to the deadzone issues, the XFPS was rendered almost useless. There were numerous hacks, such as using the FragJoy and wiring it to the XFPS Pro, but this process induced a bit of latency. As the saying goes, 3rd time is a charm. The XFPS Sniper, I can report has no deadzones after appropriate calibration. For my test, I used an old Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer, the granddaddy of optical mice which was my favorite mouse many years, sporting 5 buttons and USB. For my keyboard I used an old generic serial keyboard.

Configuring is a bit more intuitive than a Smartjoy Frag, simply press the program button, press the button you wish to configure on your gamepad, and press the key on the keyboard. However there's no way to delete an individual key, so if you screw up, you must revert back to the defaults. Also you can assign a single button to multiple keys, so a mouse button could be mirrored on the keyboard, or a combination of buttons on a single key. Once configured, the XFPS will save your configuration, even after you turn it off.

Also notable is that for whatever reason, the wired headset will NOT work on the gamepad, so one must use a wireless headset. The wireless headsets vary in price but generally cost in realm of $50. If you have any desire to communicate with other players (namely your friends or teammates) while using the XFPS, you'll need to fork out for the wireless headset.

The device works much like the SmartJoy Frag, and I found myself refamiliarizing with Halo 3's controls. Even out of the gate, I was already performing acts that would have been next to impossible on a controller; such as a clever sword dodge that lead to a beat down. Previously with Halo 2, I was able to almost double my rank by simply getting a Smartjoy Frag. Halo 3 ask me, is much improved for balance and controls as for whatever reason, I was able to attain a low 40s rank, something I'd never been able to do with a controller in in Halo 2. The question is how much of a better player will this device make me. If Halo 2 was any indication, it should make me about twice as good, but I sincerely doubt that. If anything, it'll alleviate a lot of my frustration that I have with the controller.

So how much is this worth? That's the $160 question for most gamers. The cost of a wired controller, wireless headset and a XFPS Sniper 3.0 (not counting a mouse and keyboard) puts this in a class for the hardcore, or those with deep pockets.