What do hardcore gamers fear most? No, it's not being told to get out the house and find a job -- although that can be pretty terrifying. The correct answer is ghosts. More specifically, ghosting: the unpleasant gaming phenomenon when a keyboard can't handle the amount of keys being pressed down, and fails to register any additional inputs.
When performing the kind of nimble-fingered hand gymnastics most gamers find essential, a crucial key press failing to register can be fist-through-screen frustrating. Microsoft's Sidewinder X4 exorcises this problem -- an unconventional wiring setup means you can hit up to 26 keys at once without any hits failing to register.
That's not the only trick up the X4's glossy sleeves though -- read on to find out what we think of the style, the hardware itself, and the all-important price tag. We'll have a full review of the X4 in two shakes, so stay tuned.