Target Nexus Soft Tip Dartboard
PRODUCT REVIEW: Target Nexus Soft Tip Dartboard
Review Date: 29th November 2018
Many thanks to Target for sending this Nexus board for review!!!!! 🙂
For info check the Nexus site here: http://www.target-darts.co.uk/pages/nexus/
The Target Nexus soft tip board I think was a surprise to many when it was shown at the 2019 launch. When you look at how soft tip is growing around the world though it does make sense for one of the biggest darts brands to get a proper foothold in the online home soft tip market. It seems like there has been some long term developing of this product and some deep thought gone into the features to make it a standout among the many home soft tip boards available but have Target succeeded?
The board is geared around the Nexus online network which is reflected in the stand out features built into the board, namely the built in interactive touch screen and the built in camera and microphone which will allow you to see and talk to your opponents anywhere in the world.
There is a variety of languages built into the system
Its not the first soft tip board to have a built in screen but I am certain its the first to have a built in interactive touch screen. The screen is a 7″ Android device. I think its the first to also have a built in microphone too.
The board has a gel membrane to help dampen the noise of the darts hitting and the segments are a pro level robust plastic.
There is also an in built battery which is charged when the power cable is connected and the battery can last 1 to 2 hours dependent on how much the screen is used I guess. So once its fully charged you can still use it any where there may not be a power source if needs be.
There is no optional out puts for a larger screen or speakers but I think the in built speaker sounds fine and the screen is big enough to see from the oche.
All these extra features I think are adding to the cost of the board which is a hefty £325. I am not sure if that makes this the most expensive home soft tip board, I think its on par with the Hi Darts board for price but I guess if you look at it another way your getting a built in tablet.
You can have 4 players locally or online anywhere in the world to play single or doubles.
I was not able to get any online games yet, guess its too early so will have to do a review part 2 when I get chance but will talk more about the board below.
Well its obviously early days so I have no idea of how the online side of things will progress and as I had no one to play against I cant comment too much on that side at present so will do an update when I get chance.
But there is also the fact that I wont know how well the board holds up to repeated use but thats the sort of thing thats going to be a long term test and I am sure that as more people start to get one then we will hear more about that if there is any issues that arise.
So for now all I can talk about is what my initial impressions are. So far they are mostly very positive but I do have a few concerns to talk about but lets talk about the good things first.
The board does feel like a decent quality, it feels strong and the segments are not loose like on some boards I have tried, it has a good solid feel to them. I think the gel membrane is helping to some extent to keep the sound dampened as it was a more muted thud than the usual loud clattery sound. But soft tippers are used to the sound being louder than a steel tip board anyway.
The interactive screen built in is for me a great idea, I much prefer it been an all in one unit than having to prop up other devices and mess about setting them up or making sure they are charged etc.
The camera and microphone is a great addition for online play but I dont yet know how well it works so not going to say too much about that yet.
Having a built in battery that can be charged is another great addition although would have been better if it had a longer life than 2 hours max.
The speaker sounds loud and clear and perfectly suitable for the soft tip experience at home.
Its very early days but the online network and Nexus software is mostly very slick and easy to understand but will no doubt grow better in time, best to see the video for more details.
Now for some concerns or nit picks if you prefer.
Firstly the power button looks a little cheap and nasty, not sure why but I think it just looks like it spoils the board a little.
I would have preferred a longer power cable but again thats no big deal.
For me the touch screen sometimes seemed a little unresponsive, I dont know if it was because my fingers were cold or what but it took a few attempts at times to register.
For people that would like to output to a larger screen I dont think its possible, there is no external output so unless there is some other way it can be done I dont see that been an option but as one of the features is the fact it has a built in screen, may be Target dont want that to be an optional choice anyway?
Regarding the software I think at this early stage there is pluses and minus like already mentioned, its fairly slick and easy and some features like been able to unthrow an errant dart and the fact that it will record a miss is great.
The parameters for setting the games up for 01 etc is all what you would expect to find but there is only a limited amount of games at present but that will surely grow.
The one thing that I could not find was an option to play against the CPU. I dont know if its there and I just cant see it but I tried a few times. I think it really needs to have an offline versus CPU mode though.
So just like all new boards like this I think its how they progress that determines the success or not but as there is a few established home systems already I am not sure how many will want to switch to a new one, but I would say if any one is going to make a success of it then its very likely going to be Target and from what I have seen so far it looks very promising. I guess the price is still going to be a stumbling block but your getting a built in tablet effectively which are usually around £100 or more so may be its about right.
Looking forward to seeing how it develops though 🙂