SteelSeries Announces 'Freedom to Play' Mobile Peripheral Lineup

It's gamescom time, and that can only mean one thing: lots and lots of announcements. Helping to kick things off, SteelSeries has just announced a new line of gaming peripherals for tablets dubbed "Freedom to Play". These peripherals are designed to enhance your tablet gaming while keeping things portable. So far, a headset, earbuds, on-screen joystick and wireless gamepad have been announced.

The product that stands out to me is the "Free Mobile Controller" (free as in free of wires). This lightweight offering connects via Bluetooth and is supported on Android and iOS devices alike - if the games support them, of course. The gamepad has somewhat of an old-school aesthetic to it, offering a D-pad, two analog sticks, four buttons and a select and start button. It's hard to get a feel for this based on pictures alone, but it has potential.

If the gamepad isn't for you, then the "Free Touchscreen Controls" might be. These simply adhere to your screen and allow you to use an analog stick and up to three buttons. This product intrigues me as any lengthy session of an FPS on a tablet usually results in me having sore or aggravated fingers. It might look fairly ridiculous, but it works.

On the audio side of things, SteelSeries has announced the Flux Headset and Flux In-ear Pro Headset. Both are designed to be as lightweight and comfortable as possible and to provide good sound. The Flux Headset is of particular interest to me thanks to its simple aesthetic and also the fact that you can choose which side the cable plugs in. If the base aesthetic doesn't really suit you, you'll be able to fully customize your pair with different plate designs, cushion colors and even cable colors.

You can visit the link below for a bit more information on these products, but don't expect to find pricing there. All of the products are set to launch in mid-September, so it won't be too much of a wait to find out that information.