When I happened by all of the gaming peripherals at CES, one of the more fun booths I dropped by were BoomChair and PlaySeat. I had a better feeling about PlaySeat, but more about them when I get their press kit in the mail so I can write more about their products.
BoomChair on the other hand, was also a lot of fun – they released a number of new game chair models that all look pretty exciting, especially if you’re the type to sit in front of your huge screen TV on the floor with your controller and you’re looking for a seat that works pretty much like a peripheral for your console. BoomChair’s gaming seats are those comfy rocker-style seats on the floor that plug in to the audio output and in some cases the controller port for your consoles.
BoomChair’s products are those kinds of gaming seats with speakers built-in that are designed to rest on the floor and be comfortable to sit in for long gaming sessions – the speakers tend to be in the headrest and give you the feeling of surround-sound without having to wear headphones, so if someone is moving around behind you, the speakers in your chair will let you know. Depending on the seat, they can even plug into your console to give you the force feedback (vibration, rumble, etc) you would normally get with your controller.
One of the big moves BoomChair made this year at CES is to pick up some of those chairs from the floor where they traditionally sit and put their audio systems into standing chairs on rollers and wheels that can double not just as console gaming chairs that can sit in front of your TV, but also that you can roll over to your desk and use while you’re sitting at your PC if you choose. BoomChair’s newest products are in the image above: the Sky Lounger, the Stealth, the E-Tec, and the Admiral. All of the new ones will run between $200-$250 each. Some of BoomChair’s previous models are a bit more affordable if that’s too steep for you: some under $100. Some of them are sold out, so you’ll want to contact BoomChair directly if you’re interested!
Additionally, BoomChair also unveiled a completely different product at CES this year called the Rock Show – a series of speakers and a microphone that you can plug into any audio device that will automatically turn your favorite songs into a karaoke light-show. The Rock Show even auto-mixes the music so the vocals come off louder when you start singing, and will flash the lights on the speakers in time with the music. If you want, you can even plug in the Rock Show to your console and it’ll work while you’re playing Guitar Hero or Rockband, flash the lights in time, and give you a little more audio oomph when the person you have on the microphone starts singing. I watched some people playing Guitar Hero while using the Rock Show, and it definitely adds a little star power to the game.
[ BoomChair ]