Razer Creates a Gaming Haptic Pad for Your Chair
Following Razer’s widespread release of its controversial Snap Tap feature earlier this week, which arguably gives owners of its keyboards such an advantage in some games that Valve banned it from Counter-Strike 2 , the company is now announcing even more pro-grade hardware. This includes the expected pro upgrade to the Kraken V4 headset, but more interestingly there are also new technologies such as a laptop cooling pad and what I can only describe as a gaming massage pad.
Kraken V4 Pro
The Kraken V4 Pro is the most obvious announcement here, giving the existing Kraken V4 headset an OLED control center, putting it in closer competition with other premium headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. There’s also 9-zone RGB lighting, which is typical for Razer, and conveniently, connectivity via Bluetooth, USB, 3.5mm cable, or the Razer Hyperspeed 2.4GHz wireless adapter. There is no active noise cancellation, and in its place are the same vibration motors, which give the headset the features of a hum, akin to a controller. Razer places a lot of emphasis on the immersive experience they provide, but at $399, that price is still a steep ask for a non-ANC headset.
Razer Laptop Cooling Pad
Also in high demand is the new $149 laptop cooling pad, which is essentially a laptop stand with built-in fans and a USB hub located on the back of it. Razer’s version is meant to be more premium than the $30 versions you can buy from regular brands on Amazon, and it also features a dust filter and three magnetic frames to provide a tighter air seal with different sized laptops, as well as adjustable motors with smart cooling.” “, which automatically changes fan speed to balance noise and cooling.
Razer promises the cooling pad can reduce temperatures by as much as 16 degrees, and noise is low thanks to a “vacuum-proof” air seal, although time will tell – this type of device needs testing more than most, especially with such a premium device. to this.
Razer Freya
Surprisingly, Razer’s most exciting listing is more reasonably priced for what you get. Finally, Razer is taking one of its most promising CES concepts and bringing it to life. Originally announced earlier this year as Project Esther , the Razer Freyja bills itself as the “world’s first haptic HD gaming pad,” and while there have been a small number of similar products before , it does offer a lot for its $299 price tag.
Instead of buying an entire haptic gaming chair , the Freyja is more like a massage cushion, so you can place it on top of the chair you already have. The straps are adjustable to fit a variety of chairs, and there are six haptic motors around the device, as well as a control panel for adjusting the intensity of the haptics.
I actually got to try out Freya when she was still Esther and was impressed by her versatility. In Street Fighter 6 , I could feel the hadoukens flying across the screen and each hit really made an impact on me. It wasn’t as simple as a binary on/off, as the direction and position of attacks and characters played a role in how I felt.
This works thanks to haptic audio, which means the panel can automatically generate vibrations based on game audio, so you don’t have to worry about whether your game supports Freyja. Instead, the pad will use factors such as bass intensity and which channel’s sound to decide how to use its motors. This is similar to how vibration works on the Kraken V4 Pro, which also means you can use Freyja with music and movies as well. However, Razer has said it is working with developers of games like Hogwarts Legacy to create haptics specifically for the Freyja, and this is where its “HD” claims come into play.
The Freyja connects via Bluetooth or the Razer Hyperspeed 2.4GHz wireless adapter, although it requires a cable for power. For safety reasons, the cable is quick-release, so you won’t trip over it if you need to get up quickly.
Both the Freyja and the Kraken V4 Pro are available starting today, although a release date for the laptop cooling pad has yet to be determined.