When one talks about gaming brands, they’ll immediately think about some of the usual suspects out there. Being a new comer in the space, Vertux doesn’t quite have that luxury just yet, but they are here to make some noise in the local scene because of their comprehensive list of products along with affordable prices.

Vertux is a gaming peripheral brand that released just last March in the Philippines, and aims to provide an affordable option for gamers that are looking for some good quality gear for their gaming setup. We got to try out a number of their products over the past couple of weeks and surprisingly, at its price point, these Vertux products show promise.

Vertux Sensei Gaming Mouse

• 3200 dpi optical sensor
• Side trigger buttons
• Lightweight
• PHP495

The Vertux Sensei Gaming Mouse is a no frills product – No need to set anything up, no software needed to install. Just plug it in and use it in a matter of seconds. The Sensei screams “gamer”, with its sleek but aggressive form factor and RGB lights. I personally prefer a more subtle design myself, but the fit on my hand was pretty good considering its shape.

The RGB lights aren’t subdued, as its translucent plastic casing shows all of the lights once plugged in. There is no setting to dim or turn this off, so if a “loud” peripheral is something that doesn’t sound appealing to you, this may be an issue.

There’s a handy dpi switcher just below the mouse wheel, which is convenient if you want to go from low to high sensitivity in a matter of a few clicks. I feel torn about the mouse wheel though. On one hand, I like that it is silent, with very little feedback in between scrolls, but also it isn’t as sensitive as a normal mouse wheel. If you don’t exert a certain amount of force on it, then you’ll be turning the wheel without any corresponding on-screen action.

It’s a basic mouse, in a sense, so most of what you’ll want and need in an entry-level mouse is available here. With a PHP495 price tag, the Sensei punches above its price range and offers very good value for gamers on a budget.

Vertux Radiance Gaming Keyboard

• 10 Million keystrokes
• Tactile keys
• Low profile
• Rainbow backlight
• 6-key anti ghosting
• PHP995

The Vertux Radiance Gaming Keyboard, similar to the Sensei, is a plug and play product that doesn’t need any setup before you can use it. In that sense, you can’t dim or turn off its RGB lighting as well, so expect some bright lights during those late night sessions.

Since this isn’t a mechanical keyboard, the keys don’t make too much noise when typing. The feel is actually pretty good, and you don’t have to press on the keys too much to register a keypress, so you can type easier and faster. In fact, I typed this whole article on the Radiance, and it didn’t feel to different at all from the other keyboard I was using, which is a good thing.

The Radiance is encased in a sturdy plastic case, with its edges that really give off the “gamer” accessory vibes. It has most of the basic functions from an entry-level keyboard, but is built for gaming since it has a 6-key anti ghosting feature, which means your usual button presses while gaming will still register even if pressed at the same time.

Vertux Manila Gaming Headset

• 50mm Audio driver
• In-line audio controls
• 3.5mm Input jack
• Noise isolating microphone
• Adjustable headband
• PHP1,495

Out of the 3 products that I got to try, the Manila Gaming Headset impressed me the most. My experience with entry-level headsets are usually not that good, since they don’t provide a good enough soundscape and at higher volume levels, the audio become distorted. Pair that with an uncomfortable headband and ear pads and you’ve got quite the problem.

Enter the Manila Gaming Headset. From the box, the headset feels very light despite the way it looks. The frame is mostly made of plastic, but doesn’t feel flimsy. I wish the adjustable headband, or at least the slider inside was made of a tougher material since that’s usually that part that breaks first, but I understand the decision to keep it lightweight.

One nitpick I have is that the leather earcups don’t have a good seal on my ears. It is possible that my head is smaller than the standard profile, so the earcups don’t fully cover my ears unless I press down on them. This puts all the weight on the headband, but wearing it for a couple of hours, I didn’t feel any strain from the top part of my head, so this is good for someone like me who needs a comfortable headset that I can wear for the whole workday.

The best thing about the Manila headset is the sound quality. If it weren’t obvious, these cans won’t spit out audiophile-level tunes, but they are pretty good. Listening to tracks that range from RnB to Rock and even to Pop, the output was clear and was not distorted even at the highest volume levels. For some reason, listening to tracks with some layers of orchestra (e.g. Game Soundtracks) will have some noise during the higher pitches, but it wasn’t bad enough to reconsider. Podcasts also come in clear, so you can be assured that anything you listen to will have decent output.

The Manila headset also works on your consoles, and tested with the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch, it offers pretty clear and enjoyable output. Needless to say, your PC gaming needs are fully covered. And did I say that its cable is double-braided? It’s great.

Overall, despite minor complaints, my experience with these Vertux products has been very positive. It would be easy to dismiss these products as something that cannot compare with more established gaming brands out there, but at a fraction of the price and 2 years warranty, the value given is a very good deal, especially for gamers on a tight budget. With more and more people out there aspiring to become gaming personalities and streamers to follow in the footsteps of their idols, these products from Vertux are a very good entry point into starting their journey.

Vertux is available in selected retail stores nationwide and in their official stores at Shopee and Lazada. For the full catalogue or products, you may visit the Official Vertux Website or reach find them on Facebook and  Instagram to keep you in the loop for updates and promotions.

*Special thanks to OMGLuie for the great set photo of the products!