When comparing PC and console shooters, invariably arguments about controllers will arise. PC gamers will always hold that the mouse and keyboard is more precise and faster than a gamepad. It's not an uncommon event to hear PC gamers downplay console titles simply because the gamepad is an inferior control device. Well, SmartJoy doesn't think that PC gamers should go without console games, and provides a solution to help PC gamers get along with a console. That solution is the SmartJoy: FRAG.

The FRAG allows gamers to map the functions of the Xbox controller to the keyboard and mouse. How does it work? Pretty well actually. The FRAG comes with 8 predefined keyboard and mouse layouts, as well as a single blank keyboard and mouse layout. Out of the box, SmartJoy: FRAG supports Halo, Medal Of Honor, Riddick, Counter-Strike, James Bond, Rainbow 6, Return To Castle Wolfenstein, as well as Unreal Championship. The default layouts are pretty natural, often being within a few keys of the same layouts I use on PC games. Most PC gamers will be able to swap back and forth between the PC and Xbox versions with ease.

There are several additional functions to the SmartJoy: FRAG that help transform it from a geeky gadget into a tool no Xbox gamer should be without. Analog deadzones control how much force is applied to an analog control, and can be controlled in real time. The mouse controls can also be inverted in real time with a simple button combination. Reprogramming the keyboard and mouse combo is also easily accomplished in real time. Reprogramming the connection is pretty easy to accomplish with a few strokes. The SmartJoy: FRAG natively accepts a PS/2 mouse and a PS/2 keyboard. However, using adapters, it is possible to use USB keyboard and mice as well. During testing, the SmartJoy: FRAG accepted 6 different types with no problems; however it is advised to use a mouse with scroll wheel in the middle.

If the SmartJoy: FRAG has a fault, it is the lack of save options available. There is only one free memory slot to save a keyboard and mouse configuration to. Although Halo 2 can use the Halo default, gamers will probably want to make a slight change to add the Left trigger to the second button on the mouse. And with Unreal Championship and Doom 3 right around the corner, the lack of extra save slots will mean that some defaults will probably have to go. Hopefully a second generation of the SmartJoy: FRAG will see the configuration amounts addressed.

Perhaps another downside is that the SmartJoy: FRAG serves to reveal how poorly console controllers handle first person shooters. Halo's Legendary mode ceased to be a challenge under the precision offered by the mouse. Riddick as well ceased to be a challenge, and setting up for the kill on Bam was easier than ever using a keyboard and mouse. After a bit of configuration, the Convenant fell quickly against the onslaught of dual needlers in Halo 2. Most players will find that the keyboard and mouse combo offers a much better level of control over the Xbox controller. Combining the level of control with the natural tendency of console games to compensate for the controller with oversized hitboxes, oversized gun sights, and slight auto aim routines, results in a slightly odd feeling. It is akin to taking a high powered sniper rifle, standing 1 foot from a barn, and then being told to hit the broad side of the barn. Placing shots is almost too easy, and most casual gamers will probably have to notch up the difficulty levels to get a challenge.

As the SmartJoy: FRAG fools the Xbox into thinking that the input is a genuine Xbox controller, the keyboard and mouse combo is not necessarily limited to First Person Shooters. Just on a whim, Jet Set Radio Future, KOTOR, Ninja Gaiden, and SSX 3 all could be controlled with the keyboard and mouse. Whether one would want to do so is questionable, but this does make for some interesting possibilities. RTS games should be substantially easier to control with a keyboard and mouse, and other uses can probably found as well.

Recommending the SmartJoy: FRAG is almost too easy. PC gamers just don't have to do without hot titles like Halo 2 and Unreal Championship 2 anymore. Weighing in at about $30, the SmartJoy: FRAG is almost a complete steal. Want to pick one up? Give Lik-Sang a visit.


[Editor's Note: Gamenikki gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Lik-Sang in the publication of this hardware review. If you found this article helpful, and the SmartJoy FRAG appeals to you, why not order it from Lik-Sang, and help us bring you more hardware reviews in the future?]