Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Live Messenger Kit
By Jon Liu
General
The inclusion of Live Messenger on the Xbox 360 console posed a problem for gamers who wanted to utilize this messenger service on their Xbox 360. Shortly after announcement of the addition of the Live Messenger service to the 360, Microsoft announced that they would have a full QWERTY keyboard attachment. This device attaches to the bottom of the controller, originally where the wired headset plugs in.
Early pictures had me excited and curious as to how it would work and feel. Here it is, a few months after the initial announcement and I have good things to report.
What’s Included?
The QWERTY keyboard device and an additional wired headset, along with the normal instruction manual and typical pack-ins.
Performance
The keyboard addition truly has saved me a lot of time. I don’t necessarily use this add-on for Live Messenger on my system; rather I use it to text fellow gamers out there. I’m not too keen on interrupting gamers with a voice message when they can read a message just a bit faster. Using the on-screen keyboard was a pain with the controller, and even worse with my universal remote. The many times I’ve used this new mini-keyboard, I’ve had no problems. Microsoft knew that many gamers play with optimal low lighting so they also added back-lighting to the keys. This helps tremendously when typing in a dark room.
Word of caution: there are a couple things to get used to.
The main thing is the weight. There definitely is a weight difference once you add this peripheral to your controller. I got used to it very quickly. In fact, withing the first couple hours of using my controller with the keyboard attached, I had already acclimated to the weight difference. If it is too hard for you to adjust to this minor additional weight, fear not! Fortunately, the keyboard can be taken off relatively easily. Even with the ease of removel, I think most people will be able to adjust rather easily and will have this add-on connected to their controller indefinitely.
Another feature that took some getting used to were the alternate keys. Almost all of the keys have two alternate functions, and with a press of either the “Green” or “Orange” button you will be able to select unique letters or punctuation marks. Trying to find the proper punctuation took a little searching, but once I found the proper marking I was looking for I remembered where it was pretty easily for future use.
Other than those two points, everything else was a breeze. The keyboard gives a good sense of feedback with a *click* feeling when you press the buttons, so you know you pushed the buttons properly. The spacing and key size felt just right to me. Having worked with keyboards on several smart phones for the last year or so, this keyboard gave me a good sense of spacing and freedom while typing.
When Microsoft initially released pictures of this peripheral I was curious how they were going to implement the wired headset. The bottom of the add-on is a simple mini phono plug instead of the proprietary three-portion plug in that is found on the controller. Microsoft also modified the wired headset slightly to accommodate this change. The new headset features a mini phono plug with a device part way up on the line that has a mute button and a volume dial that gives you the same control of your prior wired headset. The rest of the headset appears to remain the same.
Conclusion
I am very glad that Microsoft released this peripheral for the Xbox 360. The Messenger Kit addresses my main concern about typing messages to fellow gamers. As for the keyboard itself, it does take some getting used to, but I think it is a great addition to the already impressive accessory line-up that Microsoft has. Honestly, since it’s Microsoft’s peripheral, I was expecting to pay a bit more for this addition, but the price of $29.99 seems just about right to me.
