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Vortx review: The most fun you can have with a desktop heater
Vortx is a ridiculous machine. On the surface, it's a $120 desktop fan — a bulky black box with a hole in the front that blows air at people's faces as they play PC games or watch YouTube videos. However, things get much more interesting on a software level. Vortx responds to whatever is happening on the screen, blowing warm air in reaction to explosions, gun blasts or flames, and room-temperature air in the case of skydiving on a clear day or snowboarding down a snowy mountain. It's a unique immersion device built for an era when game developers are pushing at the edges of escapism from every angle, with every human sense. The most impressive promise behind Vortx is that it'll work with every game, every YouTube video and any piece of media, as long as it includes both audio and visual action. Vortx lives up to this description — in fact, it works a little too well.
Vortx blows air at your face while you're gaming, and it's great
Vortx is ridiculous. It's a cube that you place on your desk, next to your PC or laptop, and it blows hot or cold air in your face, depending on what's happening on-screen. The air responds dynamically to the action: If you're running through the fiery hellscape of Doom, the fan blows hot and fast, but if you're watching a YouTube video about climbing Mount Everest, it shoots out gusts of frigid air. So, yes, it's ridiculous -- but it's also really cool in action.
