GAEMS G190 Halo UNSC Vanguard Personal Gaming Environment for XBOX ONE S, XBOX ONE, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 (Xbox Console NOT Included)

This is a bit long-winded sorry but bear with me as I'm trying to be thorough.I preordered my Vanguard back on Sep 29th when I stumbled upon it while browsing Halo 4 stuff. I had previously seen the G155 unit in action, and while thoroughly impressed with that unit, I had always hesitated to pull the trigger because of minor qualms such as the viewing angle and the speakers not being quite powerful enough for my liking even though they were plenty loud.When I saw in this product's description that the viewing angle had been overhauled to allow for viewing from just about any conceivable real-world use scenario, and that on top of that they upgraded the speakers for a more robust audio experience, I decided to bite.Needless to say, I am not only not disappointed, but the unit and the overall customer service experience has exceeded my highest expectations and then some! I have already ordered a 2nd Vanguard from them.Display--------My litmus test of the display was for bright-lighting scenarios. I placed the unit on my kitchen island with my Halo 4 console strapped in and ready to go and popped in the Halo 4 disc. My kitchen window at that time of day lets in direct sunlight, and even with the brightly lit room the contrast on the screen was absolutely superb, with zero glare on the screen thanks to the matte-finished outer layer of the screen. I wish my 50" plasma TV had this type of outer layer, seriously. I was even able to take a picture using my crappy cell phone camera of the cinematic with Dr Halsey without even being able to pause the playback and the picture came out crystal clear. My cell phone is not known for pictures that good of moving images, speaking further to the crisp resolution and glare-resistant display.Audio--------You can read reviews all day but you seriously have to hear this thing to believe it. I've had high-end gaming laptops in the past the likes of Asus and Alien Ware, and these speakers blow most of those out of the park. You could use this unit as your home television if need be, the audio is THAT good. I'll almost be sad to have to use the headphone jacks when my wife is watching the big TV when I'm gaming, because I just loved the sound of these speakers. Now if I REALLY need to be truly nitpicky and find a single flaw, the bass isn't going to boom you out of your seat. Don't get me wrong. It's plenty loud even at 40% volume; full, rich, and deep and allows for appreciation of the full range of the orchestral score in any AAA game or movie, but don't expect the thumping you hear when some teenager drives down the block with 24" speakers in his trunk that are rattling his windows loose. I could not detect any audio distortion even at max 100% volume either. Why anyone would play with the volume THAT loud is beyond me, but you could if you wanted to.Build Quality-------------The case itself feels very solid. While I wouldn't want to, I also wouldn't freak out if my unit gets dropped by some less-than-attentive airport security official. The pad under the Xbox feels like it would absorb any shock from short drops if it lands on its bottom, and if it lands on its side or top the straps have just enough stretch to absorb some shock without letting the Xbox come loose and damage itself or the screen. My one minor qualm with the case's build is the hinge between the base and the top portion that contains the screen. The hinge itself works fine, but it just feels a tad bit "soft" compared to the rest of the case. I can't describe it very well, but basically when the hinge rotates when you're closing the unit, it has a tiny fraction too much play in it, meaning you have to make sure you align the perimeter of the top over the edges of the bottom to properly and securely close the unit. I think this stems from the fact that the hinge ends a couple inches or so from the edge on either side, allowing for a slight bit of torque or twisting of the top portion as you're closing it. Perhaps in future iterations GAEMS could run the hinge all the way across the back of the unit to prevent this or rethink how the hinge mechanism works. This is a very minor qualm and doesn't bother me all that much, but I want to mention it so people don't think there's something "wrong" with their unit if they purchase one. Overall though the build quality is superb.Portability------------This unit is definitely tops in portability. It's so light that even with my Xbox, power brick, and controllers in it I don't feel like my arm is going to fall off carrying it through the airport. I haven't travelled yet but I carried it around my neighborhood for about 30 minutes and had no problems. Even if your arms get tired, the shoulder strap that comes with the Vanguard would solve that problem. I've been looking around lately just to see what else is out there because I've never really known of similar items prior to seeing their G155, and there really just ISN'T anything else like it out there. Making console gaming portable was definitely an underserved market prior to GAEMS, but any new contenders in the arena are going to have a decidedly uphill battle on their hands because I can't brainstorm any better alternatives. Even pie-in-the-sky scenarios I try to come up are too far in the future based on technology limitations. For the foreseeable future, GAEMS is the end-all of what we as gamers both want and need in making our systems travel-ready. They have some other things in the pipeline that aren't out yet that will also take this to the next level.Customer Service----------------------While I don't normally include customer service in reviews, I think it bears mentioning here. If you read the GAEMS Vanguard discussion here on Amazon you may see some "heated" posts by users upset that they didn't get their unit on Nov 6th as anticipated. This stems from two main factors: hurricane Sandy possibly disrupting shipping channels, and GAEMS being inundated with preorders far surpassing expectations and thus creating a demand larger than initial supply could keep up with. The Vanguard unit (perhaps not Halo-themed, but the same basic build) was originally slated for a 2013 release. GAEMS ramped up their schedule to meet a request from Microsoft and 343i to have the Halo-themed version ready for Halo 4's launch. With preorders growing more rapidly than production could keep up with, a bottleneck arose that led to some frustrations.All that said, John (co-founder of GAEMS) personally answered numerous questions and went so far beyond the typical canned-response actions we've come to expect as consumers that it deserves praise. I had resigned myself to receiving my unit in mid-December rather than Nov 6th. To my surprise it came via overnight FedEx on Nov 8th. GAEMS made the decision themselves to make sure buyers got their units as fast as possible, including overnight-shipping most (to my knowledge) if not all of existing preorders as they became available. Overnight shipping is costly and cuts into their profit margin, but they are making sure they make the experience as pleasant as possible for us.Beyond that, they actually WANT us to send back units that have even the most minor flaws such as 1 or 2 dead pixels. Every, and I mean EVERY high-def TV or display I have ever owned has had the stray dead pixel or 2. I just assumed it was normal and it doesn't bother me. I'm typing on a screen with a few as I write this. Despite the commonality of this, GAEMS says NO, if you have dead pixels send it back to us and we'll replace it. Usually you have to fight with a company, or at least REQUEST an exchange, even for more significant problems. For GAEMS to preemptively tell their customers that they want to make sure we swap out our units for even the slightest most insignificant of flaws so that we receive a "perfect" product speaks volumes. Speaking with John on the phone, I could tell beyond doubt that what they say about their company is true. They are Gamers building products for Gamers, not just suits out to make a buck. They will be my go-to for gaming-related gear from here on out.

I'm sure the readers of this product may want more info, so I'll do my best to provide additional details (G155 comparison included):Case------The case is made out of thick plastic just like G155, so its sturdy. The dimension almost identical at 20" x 14" x 6.5" excluding handle, which satisfies virtually all major airlines carry-on size requirement. The handle adds 2" and makes the height 16", but no one at airport will realistically factor that in. The screen side of the case is less round, perhaps to accommodate the larger screen. I think this design also strengthens the latch gripping better under stress. The shoulder strap with padding (has UNSC logo) is a greatly appreciated item when an extra hand is needed. The design permits the strap to be attached or removed within a few seconds.Screen--------With the case having the same length and width of the 15.6" G155, it is remarkable that GAEMS fitted a 19" screen. Actually, the screen measures 18.5" diagonally but looks bigger than that! The lighting on buttons are all blue (G155 is red). The blue background lighting on two sides of the screen is a nice touch - not fancy so doesn't compete with the game content. Like G155, my PS3 recognizes it as 1080p with 2 audio channels. The display is much brighter and seems faster in response time.The best part of the display other than size? It's the vastly improved display angle. Horizontally, I can line up 4 kids in front row and all can see the screen well! Vertically, kids standing up in second row can see also! As for the player, I tried sitting on the floor, sitting on a soft mattress (sunk in deep), and sitting on a chair with Vanguard on higher desk. The display angle passed in all scenarios! This wasn't the case with G155. There is a little kickstand allow the screen side to adjust up by a few degrees, which is really thoughtful feature. Kudos to GAEMS for listening to users on these improvement!Audio and Controls--------------------The speakers are located on the bottom left and right corners. The drivers are about size of a golf ball (1.25" I think). They are open and masked slightly by 5 horizontal bars - more like the cosmetic mud guards installed on 4x4 SUVs! The sound quality is vastly improved. The Halo 4 main menu music is a STUNNING demo of its range and depth. It's pretty good at high and mid-range. The debris and electrical buzzing effects from Halo 4 are sharp and realistic. Bass can be adjusted in menu, and it's adequate. Voice is still deep and clear! It has pretty good power too. I put Vanguard on 70% volume in a room, then go to kitchen about 50 feet away with 3 walls in between and I can hear the music pretty well. I also didn't hear distortion at 85% volume! With such loudness, there is really no need for external speakers to truly enjoy gaming away from home!The bottom center of the display panel has the same two headset output, an HDMI input with the 7" cable, and DC 12V input from the power supply.Console Strapping-------------------The console rests on a pad. One side has inset shaped to fit XBox and PS3. The other side has a small 9" x 7" footprint, which fits neither consoles (Nintendo Wii?) The two straps are thinner than G155, perhaps to allow better ventilation on the XBox 360 Slim.The 2 side storage bags can be freely picked up (no Velcro underneath). They are same size as G155. With XBox having an external power brick, one storage bag will be used up for the two power supplies (one for display). This leaves the other for two controllers. Quick thought: since both XBox and the screen display use DC 12V as input, I wonder there is an DC Y-adapter that can allow both device to share one large power supply...Since PS3's transformer is built-in the machine, there will be extra room available in the storage bags.Note on Portable powerpacks---------------------------I have two battery-based jump-starters with inverter kept in family cars. I used them to power G155, and will power the Vanguard as well when AC outlets are not available (e.g., picnic/camping). Vanguard consumes average of 90 watts (XBox 360S 4GB w extra 256GB HDD and Wi-Fi active) with medium volume and brightness during play. Here are actual run times with the two that I own:Duracell DRPP600 Powerpack 600 Jump Starter and Emergency Power Source: 1hr 55minWagan Power Dome EX 400-Watt Jump Starter with Built-In Air Compressor: 1hr 3minI'm sure with Wi-Fi turned off one can run longer times. Same if the HDD is not needed or replaced with SSD.Summary--------When GAEMS released G155, I was excited - finally a practical solution for console gaming away from home. I used it on travel and always in awe just having that ability to play console games somewhere else! Even as a happy user, there is always room for improvements. GAEMS was listening to the passionate G155 owners and all key improvements are in this Vanguard product. After playing with Vanguard for few hours, I'm thoroughly impressed, satisfied, and with absolutely ZERO complaints (for now)! For us console gaming lovers, GAEMS has done a great service to not only make gaming away from home possible with G155, but now with truly immersive experience with Vanguard. It's absolutely worth the price.

OK so I liked it when I first got it. It was great. However when I was traveling the screen got cracked somehow. Since the crack is on the side where the controllers were stored. I am assuming one of the controllers hit the screen. When trying to get support for the product I have gotten no where in the past 4 days trying to get it replaced. I am a desktop tech and am hardware certified so if I could find a replacement part I have no doubt it would be an easier replacement than most of the iPads I have repaired. Trying to Google the product only produces parts for the older model. I am at a loss and now have a $380.00 paperweight which I am not happy about. The product itself looks great, performance in playing games was great. However the transportation/storage and definitely the support lacks greatly. If their support structure ever reads this I apologize but I am really frustrated. I was hoping to take this unit on my next trip but it's sitting in my living room doing nothing and I am back to carrying a PC monitor. All I ask is for a little help in finding a replacement part. I don't want a freebee and I think that is fair enough to ask.