For months we’ve been waiting on Razer’s Blade notebook, a $2800, 17-inch beast that we weren’t sure whether to laud or mock. It’s just that it’s kind of a strange thing to see making a big debut when people are more cautious than usual with their money, and PC gaming (as ever) is being declared dead. But after our hands-on at CES, we were convinced that it was at the very least impressive and well-built, and apparently enough other people thought so that Razer sold out almost immediately. → Read More
We couldn’t go to CES and not see what Razer had on display, and fortunately, CEO Min-Liang Tan was on hand to take us on a quick tour through the company’s booth. In between talking about the company’s new gaming accessories and their Synapse cloud storage system for game settings, we were (thankfully) able to get our hands on the Project Fiona tablet and the long-awaited Razer Blade gaming notebook. → Read More
Gaming hardware company Razer has been on our radar for quite a long time: they’ve made high-end gaming peripherals like mice and keyboards for years, and have recently expanded into more esoteric devices and game-specific partnerships. They’ve been running under their own steam this whole time as what’s called a “successful business,” but they’ve decided to take a big funding round to expand their reach.
IDG-Accel, specifically their joint China Capital Fund, has chipped in to the tune of $50 million, a minority investment that allows the fund to join the board at Razer, and allows Razer to expand further into the whole-systems business, something that requires considerably more R&D and space to manage. → Read More
You know what? 2011 has been a long year. With only a few more weeks to go until we ring in 2012, why not treat yourself to something nice completely ridiculous to finish out the year in style?
According to Kotaku, Razer’s high-end Blade gaming laptop will be going up for pre-order in the next few days, and should be hitting doorsteps by Christmas. → Read More
We’ve been eagerly awaiting more news of Razer’s Blade, a 17-inch beast that they claim is “the world’s first true gaming laptop.” Alas, we didn’t think the news would be of the troubling variety: Razer says that two of their prototypes were stolen from their Bay Area R&D lab.
Razer is working closely with the authorities, as you do when something this valuable is stolen, and they urge their fans not to buy any suspiciously Blade-like laptops in back alleys or out of the backs of pickups. → Read More
Perhaps best known for their myriad gaming peripherals with dramatic names, Razer has just made a huge move into the PC hardware space. Announced today at PAX Prime, Razer’s new Blade gaming notebook packs a whole lot of gaming horsepower into an aluminum body that’s less than an inch thick.
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Very few headsets out there are “true” surround sound. Most are traditional stereo headphones with “virtual surround sound” — a process that adds depth and directionality, but delivers it through two speakers. Headphones like Tritton’s and Psyko’s actually use multiple drivers to simulate being in a room with, say, five speaker channels and a subwoofer. They’ve had mixed success, but maybe Razer will have more luck. Their upcoming Tiamat headset uses no less than 10 individual drivers (5 in each earpiece) to produce what they are saying is a world-first 7.1 sound experience. → Read More
Short version: Looks good, sounds good, fits… okay. It’s not for marathon gaming or all-day use, but the Chimaera is a solid headset for home gaming. Nothing out of the ordinary. → Read More
The latest Transformers game hasn’t been getting very good reviews, but that doesn’t mean you can’t represent your Cybertron love with some Transformers gaming swag. Razer’s got a new line of Death Adders with Autobot and Decepticon logos and colors, along with a Prime-emblazoned Vespula mousepad and some serious-looking laptop sleeves. Personally I’m not a big fan of the Transformers relaunch (the 1986 movie has yet to be surpassed), but these tie-ins seem tasteful enough. → Read More
The Old Republic is, potentially, every Star Wars-loving gamer’s dream. Own your own ship, travel the galaxy, pick a side in an epic conflict… if they pull it off. Razer’s taking the chance they won’t, though, and have put out a few peripherals customized for the Old Republic experience. → Read More
Mousepads haven’t really advanced much for a long time, but it’s worth noting when a nice one like Razer’s Goliathus gets a little tweak. They’ve added a little edge reinforcement to the things so they don’t fray. I found that the greater danger to cloth mats after a long time is dirt and oil soaking in and making it overly reflective (not all sensors are good for it), but the fraying did happen to mine as well, and made it look cheap. Unforgivable! The new mats come in two finishes and a number of sizes. Check ‘em out here. → Read More
We first saw the Hydra, then called the Sixense (after the company that originally developed it) back at CES 2010 almost a year and a half ago. I was impressed with it then, as it felt more natural and responsive than a Wiimote (what doesn’t now?), and used a genuinely different and powerful technology. It’s based on magnetic detection of the controller, instead of optical, and it felt great then, though they had some work to do on latency.
It seems like they’ve finished polishing it off, because it’s headed our way in June. → Read More
When the Razer Switchblade first showed up at CES, I have to say I was pretty skeptical — and I’m still skeptical now. Not that they won’t put this thing out, but that they’ll be able to do so for any kind of affordable price. Still, it’s good to know they’re taking serious steps to make it a reality. Today they announced a partnership with Intel and Chinese gaming biggie Tencent to provide some launch readiness for the experimental gaming device. → Read More
Short version: These tiny speakers are more powerful than you’d think, but still not quite capable enough for anything but casual use around the house. Gamers at the very least will be disappointed, though they’re handy for the occasional TV show or spontaneous music-sharing moment. → Read More
Looking for a new headset for your 360 audio pleasures? You might have heard of the Chimaera when it was announced back at CES. They weren’t quite fully baked back then, but they’re ready for your dollar now. I just hope you’re well-provided with said dollars, because these wireless surround sound headphones ain’t cheap. → Read More
When I look back over all the mice I’ve reviewed in my time, one particular thing always comes to mind: “What the hell are you doing with your life?” But then I get over it, dry my tears, and continue thinking about how many mice come and go, but there are a few that still stand out as the best. The Death Adder is one of them; I reviewed it a couple years back, after it had already been out for some time, and although I love me some G500 and Xai, the Death Adder is still number one with me. So you can be sure I’m happy to see it given some love in the form of a new special edition.
The “Black Edition” Death Adder is just that: black. On account of its complexion. The funny thing is, it was already black. Yes, I’m looking at mine right now, definitely black. → Read More
A good pair of portable speakers is hard to find. Well, not that hard, but non-powered speakers that produce good sound and yet fit comfortably in a bag aren’t exactly littering the ground. Razer looks to remedy this with their Ferox sound system, a pair of egg-shaped speakers that open up at the top and provide “360 degree omni-directional acoustics.”
We’ll forgive them for using that phrase. They have acknowledged they have an overstatement problem, and they are going to see someone about it. → Read More
Short version: This new mechanical keyboard from Razer is clicky and attractive, but some layout and design choices irk me, and this thing ain’t cheap. → Read More
No, this isn’t an actual Razer product (well, the Orochi is). It’s from an Etsy shop, though interestingly not the same one that did the SNES cartridge soap or Carbonite soap. How many geeky soap-makers can there be?! → Read More
