Mad Catz: Xbox 270 Degree Force Feedback Wheel, FREQ9 Headset (preview)

Written by Gina Smith

Mad Catz’ next-gen FREQ9 noise-cancelling headset and Xbox One Force Feedback Racing Wheel — 270 degree turning — blew the doors in! Here’s a preview — and a video interview with Mad Catz’ madcap spokesman, Alex Verry. Enjoy.

aNewDomain.netMad Catz (NYSE: MCZ) is about to unleash a range of edgy gaming tech products that truly are worth waiting for. Several are soon to ship, including the FREQ9 next-gen noise cancellation, MEMS-equipped headset, due in April for $300. Scroll below for a rundown of the tech in the FREQ9 and other upcoming products. Below that, find my video interview with Mad Catz‘ ever ebullient spokesman Alex Verry.

You might remember Mad Catz from last year, when it made headlines by leading the Gamesmart Initiative, a way of getting mobile game hardware and software makers on the same page across various devices and formats. Also last year, it announced its MOJO open platform Micro Console as part of that Gamesmart Initiative. Mad Catz, in fact, is all about gaming consoles and add-ons — and a range of them are available now or are about to be.

This year, Mad Catz is busy showing the latest version of its Android-based MOJO micro console, which won a CES Design and Innovation honoree award. The company is also set to ship the latest rev of its award-winning RAT mouse and the fancy Mad Catz Xbox One Force Feedback Racing Wheel.

Execs told me the Xbox One Force Feedback Racing Wheel was part of its intelligent Force Feedback next gen tech. It is an ultra-realistic add on. The Xbox One Force Feedback Racing Wheel has a turning radius of 270 degrees. That is uber impressive.

And upcoming from Mad Catz is the F.R.E.Q.9, a new luxury lifestyle headset that the San Diego firm unveiled at the show. A CES Design and Innovation winner, the Bluetooth F.R.E.Q.9 works with game formats from consoles to PCs to smartphones and offers a lot of other tech. That includes next generation noise cancellation and AM3D SurroundSound, which the military uses. The headset will be available for about $300 in April. Watch for our review.

Reading about it isn’t the same as hearing and seeing it. I had a run-in with the Mad Catz’ madcap Alex Verry at the ShowStoppers press event. He sure packs a lot of information into a couple of minutes. Check out the video below.

Video: Kerry Kinsey for aNewDomain/producer Justin Webb and shooter Marc Klempf for aNewDomainTV

For aNewDomain.net, I’m Kerry Kinsey.

Based in Atlanta, Kerry Kinsey is the sports editor at aNewDomain.net. He’s an Emmy-nominated and seven-time AP Award-winning television sports and news anchor/reporter. Kerry has worked in many TV markets including Houston, Philadelphia, Louisville, and Salt Lake City. He’s covered major sporting events, such as the NCAA Final Four, the World Series, the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, the Kentucky Derby, the PGA Championship, and the Heisman Trophy presentation. As an “Army Brat,” Kerry lived in Japan, Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. Kerry is passionate about sports and in particular his Atlanta and Georgia sports teams—Falcons, Braves, Hawks, and Bulldogs. His email address is Kerry@aNewDomain.net.

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