u/EllistonDow

The Star Wars games discussion today got me wondering how people first get into a franchise. Sometimes it isn't through the films or books—it's through a game.

Maybe you weren't interested in Star Wars until a game let you explore its world. Or you tried a Warhammer game because it looked fun, then started looking up the lore.

What was that game for you? Was it one character, the soundtrack, the world, or getting to make decisions inside it instead of watching from the outside?

I'm also curious about what happened after the credits. Did you go back to the original films or books, try the other games, or end up keeping a small reminder of it—a figure, an art book, maybe a character-themed controller or keyboard?

Which game took you from “I don't really care about this series” to “okay, I get it now”? And did the rest of the franchise live up to what the game made you expect?

Honest question for anyone who owns more than one handheld:

How many of them are part of your regular gaming rotation, and how many are really for collecting, tinkering, or owning one specific game?

My own mental list usually ends up looking like this:

• the everyday device that is easiest to pick up
• the travel device that lives in a bag
• the one with the best screen or controls
• the retro / emulation machine
• the device I bought for one game and barely touch afterward
• the one that mostly looks great on a shelf

I do not think the last two are automatically bad purchases. A handheld can be a tool, a hobby project, or a piece of fandom. A phone with a controller attached can even fill the same role as a dedicated handheld for some people.

The interesting part is deciding whether a new device is actually an upgrade or just a different kind of fun. Better performance is easy to compare. Comfort, pocketability, controls, nostalgia, and the feeling of wanting to pick it up are much harder to measure.

What is the real job of your favorite handheld? And what would make you sell one that you no longer use?

I keep seeing people treat collab keyboards like shelf collectibles, but this Razer x Wuthering Waves setup actually looks usable enough for a daily desk.

The colorway is not too loud, the keycap design is clean, and the matching mouse/mat makes it feel more like a complete setup than a random branded item. My only hesitation is the usual one with limited collab gear: once it sells out, using it every day starts to feel a little risky.

Would you actually daily-drive a keyboard like this, or keep it boxed / display-only?

For me, this is the kind of collab product that works best when it still feels like real gear, not just merch.

EVA-02 mode: fully activated.

This is the kind of setup that makes anime collab gear feel less like “merch” and more like a complete build language: red lighting, mecha-style chassis lines, matching wallpaper, and enough detail that the whole desk feels intentional.

For collectors, this raises the real question:

Would you rather own one rare EVA piece, or build the entire setup around the theme?

Personally, this is the kind of collab hardware that makes sense when every piece has a role: case, keyboard, mousepad, monitor wallpaper, lighting, and display angle all working together.

What would you add to complete this EVA-02 setup?

I love Evangelion collabs, but I’m starting to wonder if most anime-themed keyboards are designed more for the shelf than for actual daily use.

The colors and packaging are usually amazing. EVA-01 purple/green, EVA-02 red/orange, Rei-style blue/white — visually, they hit hard.

But once you get past the theme, the real question is:

Would you actually use one every day?

For me, an anime collab keyboard only feels worth it if it still has solid switches, good build quality, comfortable layout, and keycaps that won’t feel terrible after a few months.

Otherwise, it’s basically expensive desk jewelry.

What do you think? Are Evangelion keyboards legit daily-driver gear, or mostly collector pieces?

Pandawagon x Evangelion keyboards are one of those collab products where the price only makes sense if you judge them as both gear and display pieces.

If you only want the cheapest mechanical keyboard, these are obviously not the answer.

But if you care about Evangelion desk setups, character color matching, and having something that actually gets used every day, I think the lineup is more interesting.

The way I’d split them:

Centauri 80 EVA-00 Rei This feels like the “desk centerpiece” option. The 80% layout is easier to daily-use than a smaller board, and the Rei / EVA-00 color direction is cleaner and less loud. If someone wants one premium Evangelion keyboard that still works as a real main keyboard, this is probably the safest pick.

Centauri 60 EVA-02 Asuka This one feels more like a compact collector board. The EVA-02 / Asuka theme is stronger visually, but the smaller layout is not for everyone. I’d pick this if the setup is more about visual impact and desk space.

MADE68 Ultra EVA-01 This is probably the most “gaming-first” option. Smaller layout, EVA-01 styling, and more of a performance-board feeling. If someone cares more about fast gaming use than a full desk keyboard layout, this one makes more sense.

For me, the real question with collab keyboards is:

Would you rather pay for the best keyboard specs, or for a board that makes your whole desk feel like a themed setup?

Because if the keyboard stays in a box, it becomes a collectible.

But if you actually type or game on it every day, the collab premium feels a lot easier to justify.

Some anime collab hardware is easy to judge from photos: either the art works, or it looks like a normal product with a skin on it.

This EVA-02 Apex 5 is harder for me.

Visually, it feels like one of the rare collabs where the loud design actually makes sense. EVA-02 is not supposed to be subtle. The red shell, black grip, gold accents, Asuka artwork, and mecha-style details all feel more natural on a controller than they would on something like a laptop or office keyboard.

The part that makes me hesitate is also the part that makes it interesting: this is not just a shelf piece. It has the real controller checklist people usually care about: wired, 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, multi-platform support, force feedback, extra buttons, and a charging dock setup.

So the annoying question is: would you actually use it?

If I only wanted a cheap controller, no. That would be overthinking it.

But if I wanted one EVA item that still feels like usable gaming gear instead of pure display merch, this is probably the kind of collab I’d look at first. I’d just be weirdly careful with it, which is not usually how I treat controllers.

Would you daily-use a limited anime controller like this, or keep it clean as a display piece?

Some collab products feel more like collector items. Others are the kind of things you can actually use every day and still enjoy long after the hype wears off.

That’s why Hatsune Miku gear is interesting to me, especially for desk setups.

If you were building a Miku-themed setup, which piece would you buy first:

• keyboard
• mouse
• headset
• something else entirely

I feel like each one makes sense for a different reason.

A keyboard feels like the centerpiece. A mouse is probably the easiest daily-use choice. A headset might be the most fun if the design is strong enough.

So I’m curious how other people think about it.

If you could only start with one piece, what would it be? Are you choosing based on looks, practicality, or just which item feels the most “Miku” to you?