SteelSeries Desmo Review – Do My Eyes Deceive Me?

I have long been a skeptic of gaming gear.  Companies have pushed things like chairs that are supposed to improve play, computer mice with 14 buttons, and even gloves that they said could control every function in a game by touching your fingers together. Most accessories I tend to shrug off, finding either no use for the product or an incredibly outrageous price tag. For a while, my friends have been telling me about how gaming glasses really work and improve, more than anything else, their FPS skills, so when I got a chance to review the new SteelSeries Desmo glasses from Gunnar Optiks, curiosity took over and I accepted the challenge.

The first thing I have to say is props to SteelSeries: you sure know how to package a product! The glasses came in a neat little box with a flap that opens to show you the new specs. It also contained a little white carrying bag in which to store my new treasure. The Desmo glasses themselves are very stylish. SteelSeries went nearly rimless with their new design; the lack of black metal rim on the top and bottom of the lenses increases your peripheral vision. In fact, you get to see more of the game that you are playing, as if you weren’t wearing glasses at all. The other upgrade from the previous version is the temples of the glasses (the parts that sit against your head). The new design allows for you to easily wear an over-the-ear headset with no loss of comfort, which is a major factor for most gamers.

I put the glasses on and suddenly my world was tinted a slight yellow. My eyes had no clue what was going on and took their time to adjust. The first thing I looked at was my PC screen. I noticed what seemed to be a slight difference in depth perception; the glasses add a small amount of magnification to what you are focusing on. There was also a slight reflection on the inside of the lenses while looking around but when focusing it is barely visible. The bands that go above your ears were slightly tight on my head at first (maybe I just have a big head?), but seemed to loosen the more I wore them to fit perfectly. I figured the glasses just needed time to form to me. Now I was on to put them to the test!

What better way to see if something truly works than to do a stress test, right? Right! I chose Halo 3 as the most suitable guinea pig (as it is a fast-paced, focus-heavy FPS) and started up my Xbox 360.  I popped on the new shades and started up the campaign on legendary mode, the most difficult setting. If these glasses were the real deal they would have helped to keep me focused, even in the most challenging game modes. The colors in the game were magnificently enhanced by the lenses. It seemed to pop more, and the scenery was more defined. I noticed even the slightest movement with little to no effort. I even died less than normal! It seemed like I had an easier time identifying what needed to be killed and was able to focus more, keeping Master Chief alive and mowing down the opposing forces. After six hours I felt confident that the glasses were working.  I barely had to blink the entire time, and my eyes felt the same as the minute I started. It was then that I became a believer in the product.

To get me to buy something like gaming glasses is no easy task, but I may have to turn my perspective around after this. With clearly improved gaming performance, no headache, and greatly reduced eye strain, the SteelSeries Desmos are an instant hit. I even used them while doing computer work and I managed to get a lot more done with fewer breaks.  Aside from the slight reflection problem I could not find another flaw in the product. With a price tag of $99.99 they are totally worth the buy!

The SteelSeries Desmo Gaming Glasses get a 4.75/5.0