SteelSeries team up with GUNNAR to provide some exclusive eyewear for gamers. All herald the beginning of digital eyewear.
Product on Review: Scope Pro Gaming Glasses
Manufacturer & Sponsor: SteelSeries
Street Price: £90 inc. VAT (At time of review)
Those ignorant of the gaming industry would be unaware just how large this market now is. Going back to the 90s no-one would have imagined that you could begin a career playing games by adopting the classification “Professional Gamer” but there are numerous examples of individuals who have projected to gaming stardom due to their talent and support by manufacturers.
I was fortunate enough to experience Intel Extreme Masters at CeBIT this year and just getting a small glimpse of this event puts into perspective how big Professional Gaming now is.
So here we are with something quite different today. SteelSeries are well known within the gaming community for their high-quality gaming peripherals. They stand out as a brand that are concerned with delivering products that serve a purpose. Knowing their products well and speaking with them recently I know that they are keen to design products that are purposeful rather than gimmicky. Today’s product under review may on initial impressions appear to be the latter but read over the pages and you will be assured otherwise.
The eyes are probably one of the most underrated organs in the human body when we contemplate gaming. We have high-quality gaming mice with hundreds of features, DPI settings, macros, gaming pads, different textured surfaces, gaming keyboards, and the list could go on… all of these products are designed for the hands, just 1 of 3 elements that interact with the game. No company has yet designed an eyewear product – (yet the eye is a key player in the operation of gaming) until now.
SteelSeries take on Scope Pro Gaming Glasses:
SteelSeries Scope Pro Gaming Glasses, powered by GUNNAR i-AMP™ lens technology, are designed to improve a gamer’s visual efficiency, endurance and recovery. SteelSeries’ unique lens design provides superior peripheral vision with less frame obstruction. Custom Socket Sets™ fused with and exclusive frame fabrication offer gamers a distinct style and fit for greater comfort and clarity.
Technical Specifications
Unpackaged Dimensions
– hinge to hinge: 135mm
– temples: 132mm
– frame height: 36mm
– lens height: 34mm
Weight (without packaging)
– 20 grams
Lens
– Amber-colored lenses tuned with +0.2 diopters
Warranty
– EU: 1-2 year manufacturer warranty depending on geographical location
– US: 1 year manufacturer warranty
– ASIA: 1 year manufacturer warranty
(All products are covered by local warranty regulations. Please check with your local distributor or retailer, if your country is not listed)
Packaging & Bundle
The SteelSeries Scope glasses come in a box that has a clear plastic window giving you a sneak preview of the glasses. All styling is of course typically presented in SteelSeries fashion. Orange accents and very clear, to the point specifications.
SteelSeries Scope Box
Flipping the box over we see that SteelSeries are keen to emphasise their involvement with GUNNAR and the technology that has been implemented with this eyewear. By all intents and purposes, SteelSeries Scope hope to provide clearer vision, sharpen things up and remove any glare. A little later I will be reporting on first-hand experience of these glasses after a week of testing.
The back of the packaging, identifying key elements
Within the package:
* SteelSeries Scope
* A microfiber cleaning pouch
* GUNNAR RX program/warranty leaflet.
SteelSeries Scope bundle
Closer Look
SteelSeries have never been a company to over market a product by the way they describe it, the following aspects that I will describe about these glasses are proven methods so please absorb them in this way. This isn’t marketing speak!
SteelSeries Scope from the front
The shape and design of the frames GUNNAR have used with SteelSeries scope is what they call FRACTYL™. Put simply, the frames have a wrap that limits the airflow around the eyes thus causing moisture and warmth around the eyes to prevent dryness/irritation. The lens are iONik NEOscopic which have been fine tuned for computer usage and in particular – close contact or close viewing applications which is ideal for most of us who spend hours looking at the screen of a computer. You should have already recognised that the SteelSeries Scope lens have an amber tint, GUNNAR have used this colour of to improve contrast, this will relax the eye by providing a spectrum of warmth. This means your eyes are doing less work so tiredness and eyestrain should be reduced. The lens also have a coating that is anti-reflective to prevent as much glare as possible, this coating also features a layer that protects against smudging, finger-prints and scratches.
GUNNAR branding and Onyx/Carbon construction
From the side you can see the arms have a plastic coating that has a leather stitch appearance. Picking these glasses up you realise just how light they really are – 20g. Of course being lightweight they are thin and aren’t the most robust set of glasses around, but since you won’t be wearing these outside of the house they are fit for their usage. Wearing them for hours whilst sat at a computer its essential they are comfortable and lightweight.
A side view showing the profile and arms
The Scope’s hinges are screw-less
Do they really work? Testing
Many reading this may well be sceptical as to whether they do in fact work. Some may have raises the question, “are they really needed?” First, lets just rule out that SteelSeries have employed a marketing strategy here. Below are details of a Survey that was conducted in March-April 2009 by GUNNAR Optiks’s. A set number of patients were given these glasses to reveal whether this performance eyewear really works, and to what extent.
* 100% reported improved ease of viewing
* 96% reported reduction in eye strain
* 90% would recommend the use of GUNNAR Digital Performance Eyewear
* 80% reported their eyes were less tired when wearing GUNNARS
* 79% said that wearing GUNNAR eyewear increased their productivity
* 96% reported reduction in eye strain
* 90% would recommend the use of GUNNAR Digital Performance Eyewear
* 80% reported their eyes were less tired when wearing GUNNARS
* 79% said that wearing GUNNAR eyewear increased their productivity
So, from an unbiased stand-point these glasses really do work in more ways that one. But for the purpose of identifying whether SteelSeries Scope’s are effective whilst gaming, I have conducted my own set of tests. For an entire week I have used the SteelSeries Scope both in and out of games – comparing usage with and without the Scopes over my eyes. Here is my feedback.
You might laugh, but this is not style over substance
Gaming
When comparing usage with and without the Scope’s the difference is quite significant. FPS is probably the most intense of all game genres in terms of sporadic movements and extreme effects with brightness and lighting. Objects move at an alarming rate and the human eye has to focus on all of these actions at a close proximity – all of this can cause tiredness, strain and even trauma to the eyes. I’ve felt this after even short gaming sessions, but I’m glad to report that with the Scope’s these difficulties are considerably reduced.
For the purpose of testing I played the new Crysis 2 Demo and Call of Duty Black Ops. Both games feature this highly intensive action that I have mentioned and are perfect for testing the Scope glasses. Thanks to the amber tint, terrain is warm and even magnified, thus preventing eyestrain. Graphics under the lens of the Scope glasses are much sharper and you can indeed play for longer periods because the eye isn’t straining or drying out. Due to the glasses being extremely lightweight (just 20g) it feels as though you aren’t even wearing eyewear at all.
Normal usage – web browsing, graphic design
Of course, the Scope glasses are primarily intended for gaming use but what are they like for general usage?
Well I can confirm that they are again a useful item to be using. Reading text on a page or editing photos within graphics software may not cause the eye to react in the same way that it does when games are being played but eyestrain can still occur and that’s where the Scope glasses come in. They reduce that glare from the eye. I used the glasses to edit the photos for this review, and when writing the content too – they really are a helpful tool.
Note: When doing graphic design that needs specific colouration techniques, I would suggest removing the glasses as the yellow tint will not reflect true colour!
Conclusion
And so we come to the end of the review. Are the SteelSeries Scope Pro Gaming Glasses a gimmick? Well, if you have read up to this point you will be aware that they are certainly not. GUNNAR are serious about eyewear and likewise, SteelSeries aren’t here to provide glitzy products to make money. These glasses really do work.
Eyewear is unheard of within the gaming market, but when you consider all the work that your eyes do in pinpointing enemy players and sustaining explosive lighting effects it ought to be something of importance. Eyes get tired and eyestrain damage can occur (even long-term) if your eyes are exposed to long sessions in front of the monitor but thanks to the SteelSeries Scope glasses these problems are a thing of the past. Don’t just take my word for it either, over the previous page is a survey that was conducted by GUNNAR and the evidence is there from unbiased members of the public.
After extended periods of time playing FPS games like Crysis 2 and Call of Duty Black Ops my eyes dry out and often hurt. You may have noticed this yourself, that after a period of time playing games you look in the mirror and your eyes are blood-shot. This is because you aren’t blinking enough, the eyes are fixed on the screen – straining on focus and drying out. The warmth of the lens on the Scope glasses helps to prevent this drying out thanks to their shape, design and colour-swatch. Not only is the onscreen action warmer but it is magnified also. Action is sharp and the eyes are no longer straining or drying out.
Priced at around £90 inc. VAT this is going to appear steep to the amateur but not so for the avid gamer. Remember vision is a valued sense, both in gaming and in living a healthy life – so looking after your eyes can only be deemed as a positive thing.
Pros
+ Great for the avid gamer
+ Relaxes the eyes when gaming
+ Presents sharp, clear imagery
+ Prevents eyestrain
+ Lightweight – comfortable for hours
Cons
– Quite pricey for the amateur
+ Great for the avid gamer
+ Relaxes the eyes when gaming
+ Presents sharp, clear imagery
+ Prevents eyestrain
+ Lightweight – comfortable for hours
Cons
– Quite pricey for the amateur
