With CES 2023 in full swing, it was only a matter of time until we shifted focus to Razer. Year after year the gamer gear giant unveils exciting new offerings, and it looks like 2023’s priority is all about the basics of the gaming experience.
Increasing immersion, one gadget at a time
Project Carol is likely the most unexpected development from Razer this year – and it’s pretty surprising in its simplicity. You see, Project Carol is the first-ever head cushion to feature both near-field surround sound as well as built-in haptics.
Nestled in this otherwise unassuming head cushion is Razer’s HyperSense tech, providing 7.1 surround sound where you would’ve least expected it. Sure, you may have seen this kind of immersion tech in those arcade racer seats, but this one is better, portable, and much more comfortable.
To pair along with your new head-mounted speakers is the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro – the world’s first beamforming soundbar that also features head-tracking AI. It’s not as weird as it sounds when you break it down though. Beamforming is essentially a type of radio frequency used for stronger, focused signals. Combine beamforming with AI head-tracking, and you have a soundbar that makes sure you’re always in the audio sweet spot. The goal here is to make your gaming experience as realistic and immersive as possible – providing “true-to-life 3D audio”. Don’t worry, it’s still RGB.
While we’re talking about heads, it’s a good time to mention the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra. With two qualifiers like that, you can expect this camera to mean business. The Kiyo Pro Ultra – or KPU, features the largest sensor ever used in a webcam – giving creators a smaller, mountable, DSLR camera. The KPU equips creators with 4K 30FPS footage, easily converted into any combination of resolution and framerate your videos and streams could require. The KPU also features HDR, and automatic lighting, and contrast enhancement while giving you the ability to change ISO, shutter speed, pan, tilt, and more.
Handhelds and carry-ons
Let’s switch gears and move on to the actual gaming part of gaming tech – starting off with Razer’s new Edge and Edge 5G.
As you can probably glean from the “5G” part – the Edge devices are Razer’s new line of gaming-focused convertible tablets – similar to the Nintendo Switch. Featuring a 6.8″ AMOLED screen, FHD, and 144Hz, the Razer Edge (I see what you did there) should be going on wishlists of mobile gamers everywhere. Without getting too deep into the tech talk, the devices feature a new CPU created specifically for gaming and come with built-in active cooling so you don’t burn your digits and K/D at the same time. It’s kind of like having the equivalent of a high-end gaming laptop, but much smaller and for mobile gaming.
Speaking of – let’s talk gaming laptops – starting with the new 2023 Razer Blades. Coming in stronger and sharper than before. The Razer Blade 16 and 18 come with the latest 13th-gen Intel CPU, as well as NVIDIA’s RTX 40 series GPUs and DDR5 graphics, making for a pair of truly next-gen gaming laptops.
The Razer Blade 16 boasts a >3ms response time as well as dedicated Creator and Gamer modes which optimize the laptop based on your needs. Need sharper images? Creator mode has you covered with UHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Once you’re finished, swap to Gamer mode for a jump to 240Hz, FHD+ for your more fast-paced titles. The Razer Blade 18 on the other hand comes with QHD+, 240Hz, as well as a THX 6-speaker audio array, built-in 5MP camera, and upgradeable components. Razer touts this as “the ultimate desktop replacement” and it’s easy to see why.
Gamers keep asking, and Razer keeps providing
As far as innovation goes, Razer seems to have something good going on in the gaming space. From the expected – like new gaming laptops and phones, to the unexpected gaming head cushions, Razer’s CES 2023 showcase gives gamers much to think about.
That’s just a slice of the gaming developments from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, so be sure to keep up with SQUAD for more CES 2023 gaming tech to add to your wishlists!
