SideWinder Game Voice Score: 95% Developer: Microsoft Device Type: Controller

Function: Microsoft?s SideWinder Game Voice is a great product. It enables chat with up to 64 other people while gaming in addition to voice command recognition. The Game Voice sports a high quality headset and a very durable base. On the base, you can toggle the speakers on and off, mute the mic, enter command mode, and choose which people to talk to. You can group all of the players into four groups. By pressing the 1, 2, 3, or 4 button, you can broadcast to them. There is also a team button to talk to just your team. And to shout out to everyone, there is an All button. All of the team setup is done using the software before the game is started. Next to a good mouse and joystick combo, the Game Voice is the best thing you can have for your multiplayer games. It works great. The sound quality is great, and there is only a small delay (about a second). I will venture to say that this is a must for games like Counter Strike and Unreal Tournament. No more time lost in typing messages back and forth.

Performance: The quality of the hardware itself is great. It is built sturdily and functions great. The voice command feature is nice, but you will probably never use it. It doesn?t work well enough to rely on. The actually chat quality, though, is great. The only drawback to this product is compatibility. I highly recommend Game Voice to anyone who is serious about multiplayer games. The first step in the installation is to install the software. Once the software is installed, the screen will prompt you to plug in the headset device. Of course, you will need a USB port as well as a sound card. The command box plugs into a USB port and into the speaker output jack on your sound card. Your speakers and the headset both plug into the command box. That?s all there is to it.

Features: Multi-channel chat (five different groupings) Voice command recognition Supports up to 64 users at a time Hardware to mute the mic, adjust the volume, or toggle from speakers to headset Quality noise cancellation mic Free software for users without Game Voice to communicate with you Preprogrammed with other profiles available on the web Can also be used for standard voice chat and voice dictation

Drawbacks & Problems:: The only real problem lies in compatibility. Most 16-bit sound cards will not support Game Voice. Some computers with integrated sound cards will also not be compatible. The best way to check is to go here and download Voice Share. If this program works, you will have no problem with Game Voice. In the area of voice command, well, it?s still a bit lacking. Of course, it will never be perfect, but there are a lot of commands that sound the same, so don?t expect it to be too accurate.

-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso

Minimum System Requirements: Windows 98 or later, Pentium 233Mhz, 64 MB RAM, 45 MB HD, 4X CD-ROM, 256 Color Mode, USB Port, At least a 33.6 Kbps modem Recommended System Requirements: Windows 98 or later, Pentium 300MHz, 128 MB RAM, 45 MB HD, 24X CD-ROM, 16 bit Color Mode, USB Port, At least a 33.6 Kbps modem   Test System: P3 800, Windows ME, 256 MB PC133 RAM, 3D Prophet 2 Pro, 6X/24X DVD-ROM, Monster Sound MX 400/4 point sound, DirectX 8.0