It’s no secret that I am a massive tech junkie. I have to check out the new tech, gadgets, or phones when they come out. I am also a home host. I run a monthly Fight Nights at my house where friends come over and we play fighting games on various systems. Even before getting the chance to review the Guardian XP Pro Personal Gaming Environment, GAEMS already had a huge presence in my house. Every Fight Night event so far has at least one Xbox hooked up to a Vanguard, and a Playstation 4 hooked up to an M155 Gaming Monitor. When I travel on a plane I usually take my M155 Gaming Monitor with me to hook up my Xbox or Switch. So when the opportunity to review the Guardian XP Pro came along, I couldn’t say no.
Let’s get the big thing out of the way first, this beast of a machine is $700. That’s the price of a console AND enough leftover to buy some games. So while the price might seem a bit high, it’s what’s on the inside… and outside… that counts.
Weighing almost 25lbs, the Guardian XP Pro is a hefty unit. It has a hard outer shell that surrounds the interior. The inside comes with a gorgeous 24-inch monitor that boasts a whopping 1440p resolution. One of the biggest problems I had with my Vanguard was that the screen didn’t have great viewing angles and I would have to adjust the screen every time it was set up. The newly upgraded screen in the Guardian XP Pro looks fantastic from any angle and not once did I need to adjust the screen. Going back to the weight, once a console is placed in the unit it obviously gets a bit heavier and becomes a bit of a hassle to carry around. Then again the Vanguard had the same issue. Consoles aren’t light and placing them inside a unit designed to protect them will only add more weight.
Having a 24” screen makes the unit long as well. I went on a trip recently and considered trying to pack the unit in a case so I can game on the go, but in reality it was too wide to fit in a carry-on and there was no way I was going to check it. So the question is, who is this unit for? Where is this unit meant to be played?
I think something like the Guardian XP Pro is best suited for those that go on road trips or travel via bus for sporting events. Here in Seattle, Washington we have GameWorks eSports which hosts weekly events and this would make an excellent set-up to take since it encompasses everything.
Travel logistics aside, the interior of the Guardian XP Pro is impressive. There is a padded foam base that fits consoles snugly. After that, there is a hard plastic covering that locks down with thumbscrews for extra protection. Between the foam base and plastic covering there are also straps to hold down the console of choice. One of my favorite aspects of the Guardian is the special section that holds controllers. Having a dedicated space to hold a controller seems just perfect and gives me one less thing to worry about when traveling.
By far the most impressive thing about the Guardian XP Pro is it’s power. It has dedicated USB ports to charge a controller, or power a webcam. There is a mini rail system at the top so if one can setup say a camera or light so that this unit can be a solid streaming setup on the go.
The Guardian XP Pro came with me on a couple of quick car rides and every time I walked into a coffee shop, hair salon, or restaurant I was looked at like I was a crazy person. As I asked for seats near outlets, the patrons only seemed to be more confused but when I opened up the case to show a video game console and monitor, eyes widened.
The Guardian XP Pro is a sight to behold but for its $700 price tag it is quite the investment. However this unit easily makes road trips, Fight Nights, or house parties change for the better. GAEMS has a habit of creating amazing peripherals and they have knocked it out of the park with the Guardian XP Pro. I am going to be so sad when I have to give my review unit back because after using it and putting it through it’s paces, I don’t think I can ever go back to my Vanguard.
For more information on GAEMS portable monitor solutions and products, check out the official website. The author was loaned a review unit of the Guardian XP Pro for this article.
