Belkin’s n52te Gives Gamers Full Control

For those who live and die by the crunch of ogre skulls, there's Belkin's fully programmable left-handed gamepad to help you get there.

If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re at the wheel of the Nebuchadnezzar, Belkin has the gamepad for you. The company’s new Matrix-esque n52te SpeedPad was built to give players a stack of programmable controls for first-person shooters, MMORPGs, and real-time strategy games. We think you could fight off Sentinels with it, too.

Belkin’s introduced the device’s predecessor, the n52, four years ago, and built the n52te based on user feedback. The company refined tactile feedback for the unit’s 15 programmable keys, and as a neat bonus, they’re also backlit now. An 8-way thumb pad, scroll wheel, and wrist rest are also included. A partnership with Razer permitted Belkin to borrow the company’s software, which allows gamers to fully customize the pad and keep their settings organized in personal profiles.

The n52te SpeedPad will make a November debut in the United States, Europe, Australia and Korea. Asia, Latin America, and Canada will have to wait until February 2008 to get their hands on it. Prices will be $69.99 in the U.S., £49.99 or €69.99 in Europe, $99.99 in Australia, and 69,000 won in Korea.