Ever go to a LAN party and find it’s taking too long to get your gear set up the way you like? Probably not, especially if you own a Razer or other gaming mouse that stores your preferences on its internal memory. Still, it would be far easier if your tweaks were stored in the cloud and available everywhere — which is the thinking behind Synapse 2.0. All of your button, axis and sensitivity adjustments will be available for you to pull down and use with the company’s range of peripherals if you’re at home, the LAN center or at work (after hours, of course.) The service is currently in internal beta but 500 lucky Razer Naga owners will get access to the second beta if they sign up at the source link below. There’s also a press release — scroll down at 5600dpi and click “Read More.”
It seems like the folks at Razer are taking the company’s “for gamers, by gamers” motto to heart, today unveiling a new customizable PC / Xbox 360 arcade stick at Tokyo Game Show that won’t even hit production until the fightstick community disassembles, mods, and judges the heck out of it. The yet-to-be-named arcade controller will first make its way to select applicants of a closed beta program, putting the rig in the hands of some 200-plus gamers who, after having their way with it, will provide the outfit with tips on how to fine-tune the final product.
Razer’s TGS staff gave us a brief overview of the unit, and let us swap around wires, pop out buttons, and fiddle with the rig’s faceplate. The prototype unit is built with Sanwa Denshi components, but Razer tells us that mod-minded gamers are free replace, modify, or otherwise tinker with any of the controller’s major parts without fear of voiding its warranty — only the stick’s control board is off limits. Beta registration is already open, and the first test units should ship out sometime next month. Check out the gallery below for an eyeful, or point your peepers up top for a demo straight from the TGS show floor. Want more text? Hit the break for an official press release.
You know what’s great? Mechanical keyboards — what with their satisfying clicks. You know what’s less awesome? Having to listen to that obnoxious racket all day. Razer claims you can have your cake (in this case, tactile feedback) and eat it too (blessed silence!) with its BlackWidow Stealth Editions. These are, more or less, the same boards that debuted last August, but with quieter switches and a matte finish. Both models are available now, with the same programmable keys and on-the-fly macro recording, while the Ultimate version adds “extreme anti-ghosting” to its already impressive noise pwnage. The standard model will run you a cool $80, while the Ultimate weighs in at a hefty $140. Check out the gallery below, as well as the PR and video after the break.
I can’t think of the last time I was blown away by a laptop. But this. The Razer Blade. It’s 0.88 inches thin. Aluminum chassis. Inside? A 2.8GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 555M video card. And it’s got Razer’s touchscreen Switchblade built in. Oh, it’s $2800. More »
Something big’s been brewing over in Carlsbad, and the time has finally come for it to be revealed to the world: the Razer Blade. The onyx aluminum beaut before you is the culmination of over three years of work by a stealth team of engineers — many of them absorbed from the former OQO team. Despite being only 0.88 inches thick (thinner than another 17-incher we know…), the svelte number still packs a punch with a 2.8GHz Core i7-2640M CPU and GeForce GT 555M graphics replete with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. All that graphical horsepower will splay your exploits on a 17.3-inch LED 1920 x 1080 full HD panel with an HD webcam nestled above. Rounding out the package is 8GB of RAM, three USB ports (one of the 3.0 persuasion), HDMI-out and a 60Wh integrated battery. And it could all be yours for $2,799 when it debuts in Q4 of this year.
That’s dandy, but we’re more stoked on the 480 x 800 LCD trackpad just to the right of the backlit keyboard. It works either as a multitouch-enabled input device or as an additional display for in-game info when the urge to slay demons with an external mouse strikes. North of that hotness lie ten fully customizable buttons, both in appearance (courtesy of a separate LCD) and in function. The keys and trackpad were last seen on a keyboard in a galaxy far, far away, and are running a custom Switchblade UI — inspired by the company’s oh so sexy Switchblade concept that we saw at CES. And just like the concept, Razer’s used a custom lighting panel to ensure you can see those keys clearly from an angle — people don’t look straight down at their keyboards, after all. Follow on past the break for more impressions, video and PR.
Looks like Razer’s not buying the whole “console > PC” argument. The company just went live with a new website that couldn’t possibly be more esoteric. Aside from telling us that “there’s something terribly wrong with gaming today,” we aren’t given much to go regarding its impending announcement. Apparently, something “big” is coming on the 26th of August, and whatever it is (Switchblade, perhaps?), it’ll remind the world that PC gaming is, in fact, not dead. Hit the source link to sign up for more, or head on past the break for a look at the ominous teaser vid.
Is the new Razer Tiamat the first true 7.1 surround sound headset, as the company claims? Maybe, but more impressively, it’s the world’s first set of cans with 10 discrete drivers — that’s five in each ear. The left and right ears each have three drivers dedicated to that side, and both pack a “center” channel and a subwoofer to round out the required eight lanes of sound. Most surround sound sets call it a day with eight drivers but, surprisingly, the two extra speakers here don’t add much to the cost. And, for the control freaks, there’s an in-line volume remote that lets you adjust each channel individually. You’ll find PR after the break and the Tiamat 7.1 on shelves in Q4 for $180.
Are you a gamer and bass-lover on a tight budget looking for a new headset? Razer’s Electra headphones might just be your ticket for dubstepping through your next WoW raid. These stereo cans sport a 40mm driver in each earcup tuned to pump out lows, along with leatherette earpads to help keep ’em comfortable while aiding in passive noise isolation. To sweeten the deal, you’ll also get two detachable cables, one of which has an inline mic; perfect for on-the-go phone calls while your heading to 7-11 for Slurpee-fuel, or a bit of TeamSpeaking when your Carcharias get lost. The Electras will be available come this October, but if you can’t get past the green highlights we don’t blame ya. Full PR past the break.
After what we’re guessing was a fruitful tie-up with Tron, the fine folks at Razer are back at a similar well; this time, the company’s dishing out a limited run of gear that’s been splashed with color and branding from the upcoming Michael Bay train wreck blockbuster, Transformers 3. Outside of being doused with red, yellow, silver and purple paint, the special edition DeathAdder mice ($69.99 a pop) are identical to the version already on the market. If that’s just not enough, there’s also a dual-sided Vespula mouse mat ($44.99) to commemorate the film, not to mention a foursome of colored laptop sleeves ($49.99 each) that’ll make public your infatuation. Curiously absent? A handwritten letter of congratulations from Shia LaBeouf.
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