So the review for this came in a little late. I remembered I left my camera at a friend's house so I had to use one of my much older point and shoot digital cameras. Hopefully the picture quality isn't too low for you.

Also, ignore the the black stuff on the carpet. ^_^;

MayFlash XBOX 360/PC VGA Switch



Like many gamers, I use a computer monitor to hook up my gaming systems. The image quality is excellent (better than component IMO) and it reduces the number of devices I need on an already cramped desk.

When I first bought the VGA cable I thought swapping out the cable when I needed to use the computer wasn't going to be a big deal. But as time went on it became more of a chore to tilt the monitor forward, unscrew the connectors, and swap out the cable. Plus I came to the realization that my cheapo Target Black Friday monitor probably couldn't hold up to the constant swapping. So it was time to find a VGA switch.

But that task turned out to be a lot of work. Old VGA switches either didn't work or produced a ghosting image. Some worked well on CRT monitors but not on LCDs. Even the newer electronic switching has some issues and you can forget using some of the KVM switches. They require both "units" to be able to use a USB keyboard and they're on the expensive side.



Through my search one product kept coming up. A black box made by an unknown company. I gotta admit I was a little weary about spending any money on a potentially busted product even if it was only $15. Plus these Chinese products aren't really known for being completely honest with their product information. Hell, even their web site looks like an IGN knockoff.

So I ended up buying one off of eBay. For those of you who don't want to read through the rest of the review, I'll sum it up for you: It works. Surprisingly so.

Packaging



As you can see it has everything to need to get started. It comes with a VGA cable and a head phone extension cable. Often these kinds of products give you the bare minimum and force you to head back out and pick up extra things which pisses me off to no end. MayFlash gets big bonus points for going the extra step and including all the stuff you need.

Connecting the Cables



Armed with at least a 3rd grade education you shouldn't have any problems hooking this thing up. Everything feels stable and secure and you don't have to worry about handling the unit with kid gloves. It's doesn't have the sturdiest feel or the weight but it also doesn't have that ultra cheap cancer causing plastic some other products have.

Ease of Use



There's really no way to screw this up. The switch is silky smooth so you shouldn't have to try very hard to move it. And at the size of slightly less than a 360 controller, you shouldn't have any trouble tucking it away somewhere nice and neat and within reach.

Image Quality




OMG! WTF Spoilers!!!

This is probably what you're waiting for. Does this $15 product perform as well as it advertises? Yes! I experienced no ghosting or lag and the image quality was just as good as plugging the 360/PC directly into the monitor. It handled the switch between 1440 x 900 and 1360 x 768 with no flickering or weird behavior.

So there we have it! My first product review for something you've probably come across but didn't know if it was worth buying. Feel free to post comments or questions. I'll try and get to them as soon as I can. But for right now, time for sleep...