Nyko’s USB-powered Air Flo EX takes aim at one of the most vexing problems facing the gaming world—sweaty palms. Underneath the Air Flo EX’s hollow core sits a fan that sucks air through small holes in the pad’s rubberized grips. It’s a bit noisy but nothing you’d notice when playing a game at a reasonable volume. However, it might drive your dorm roommate to distraction if you’re playing with headphones on.
But the real beauty behind the Air Flo EX is its key-mapping software. This lets Mac users configure their Air Flo EX game pad to simulate keyboard and mouse input on games that don’t support OS X’s built-in controller software. You can download this free software from Nyko’s Web site. It’ll work with any Air Flo EX you find on store shelves—even if it doesn’t advertise Mac support on the blister pack. (The key-mapping software takes a while to configure. It’d be nice if Nyko included some key-map sets for commonly used games and applications.)
The Air Flo EX is tethered by a ten-foot cable—not as elegant as a wireless controller, perhaps, but certainly long enough to stay out of your way.
The Bottom Line
The Air Flo EX’s fan is a great way to keep your palms from sweating. But the real gem is the Mac key-mapping software.