At E3 2014, Polk Audio dropped something of a bomb on gamers. As one of two headset makers licensed to produce official headsets for Xbox One (the other is Turtle Beach), Polk plans to deepen its gaming audio offerings this fall with the introduction of the Striker, a headphone that can plug into an Xbox One controller for in-game audio and communications as well as into conventional phones and audio players for music and phone use.
Coming in at $90 (about £53, AU$95) and due in stores in October, the Striker fills out the mid-range for Polk's gaming offerings. Polk representatives said that while it's officially licensed for the Xbox One, the headset will also work with phones, as well as the PlayStation 4 and the Wii U.
The company made its first foray into the gaming market at last year's E3 with the announcement of its $160 (about £94, AU170$) 4Shot gaming headset and the N1, a $300 (about £176, AU$319) gaming-tuned soundbar.
The Striker features a flexible boom mic that automatically shuts off when retracted into the headset housing and comes with two cables, one with an adapter for Xbox One controllers, the other a standard phone headset cable for phones and audio devices.
High-end audio for everyone
"With the Striker, our goal is to fill a void in the gaming headset market by offering an affordable headphone option that delivers dynamic sound during all aspects of a game - whether it's dialogue between characters or an intense action sequence," said Mark Suskind, vice president of user experience at Polk.
With Polk's audio pedigree, this value-priced headset aimed at the mid-range could be a winner. We look forward to putting the Striker through its paces when it debuts this October.
