Dedicated gamers are very familiar with loading chat apps like Teamspeak or Ventrilo to coordinate their multiplayer sessions, but such software usually sits in the background -- it's hard to tell who's speaking without switching apps and losing focus. Razer's new Comms open beta may just give players a chance to stay in touch without those rude interruptions. The Windows app provides the obligatory home for group voice and text chat, but its real standout is an optional on-screen game overlay that will keep the conversation going, either with a full window or a minimalist ticker that shows who's speaking. Razer's war on lag persists here, as well: Comms' servers reportedly minimize delays and hiccups in the heat of battle. Not everyone will need the beta when many games already have chat baked in. Those that want a more consistent experience, however, can give Comms a spin today.
The internet is often renowned for its amazing bargains, but in the uncharted waters of cyberspace the best deals are usually too good to be true. This isn't one of those times. Recently, a bogus coupon for 90 percent off at Razer's UK store went viral, which resulted in a frenzy of online purchases. While internet scams are all too common, the company's response to this matter is somewhat shocking. Instead of canceling the shady orders, Razer has decided to honor them, but with some limitations. The company will uphold the discount on individual purchases for different products, but void repeat transactions on the same item. Due to some back-ordered items, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan warned that it'll take a few months to fulfill all the orders, and professed that his outfit would incur "an insane amount of losses" in doing so. Good form, Mr. Tan, but we can't help but cringe when trying to fathom how many of these were sold for around £11.
Oculus Rift's Tuscany demo was built with a good ol' fashioned keyboard and mouse setup in mind, but now it's unofficially scored support for motion controls. Sixense, the outfit behind Razer's Hydra, has cooked up a custom version of the Italian-themed sample for use with their controller, and it gives gamers a pair of floating hands to pick up and manipulate objects. Originally shown at GDC, the tweaked experience is now up for grabs, and can even be played by those who don't have a Rift -- albeit with just the controller's perks.
Booting up the retooled package offers users a new 3D menu, giving them options for arm length, crouching, head bobbing and a crosshair. It's not the first project to combine Rift with Hydra, but it certainly helps illustrate the potential of such a setup. Sixense says it plans to release updates and the source code, and it recommends folks sign up for their project-specific email list and keep an eye on their forums for word on availability. Hit the source links below for the download, or head past the break to catch Road to VR's hands-on with the Hydra-friendly Tuscan villa.
That guard you just stealth-killed in Dishonored never heard you coming. But everyone else did. Which is why you might want to consider a noise-dampened mechanical keyboard of some sort. There are a few of 'em out there, not least the Matias Quiet Pro we reviewed last year, and now Razer has a keypad option solely for gamers: a new Stealth Edition of the original Orbweaver that came out in January. The price is unchanged at $130, as are the main specs and adjustable design, but Razer promises "silent tactile feedback" that provides an "entirely new feel," alongside a slightly reduced actuation force of 45g (instead of 50g). Perhaps your long-suffering colleagues will throw in a decent headset to go with it.
Back when the Razer Edge pre-orders kicked off, on March 1st, the company wasn't quite clear as to when exactly the device would commence shipping to early adopters, only going as far as saying it would be later that very month. Well, the good news is today Razer took to its own Facebook page to announce that its new-era gaming PC is now on its way to folks who put in a pre-order "from the March batch." Meanwhile, Razer's hoping other gamers will also shell out the hefty amount of $999-plus for its novel piece of hardware, urging potential buyers on the social network to snag a unit (or two) before they go out of stock -- just don't expect to get a keyboard dock with your order, as the previously reported Q3 availability for this add-on remains intact. Above all, however, it's a great thing to see that what was once just a project, is now getting ready to arrive at consumers' doorsteps.
Razer's Onza Xbox 360 controller is very, very nice. Sure, it's got an unbelievably long, non-detachable wire sticking out of it, but its build quality is top notch and its ultra-clicky face buttons are a pleasure to use. In the company's second Xbox 360 controller -- the Sabertooth -- Razer's focusing on the tournament gaming crowd rather than simply outfitting its Onza with "Tournament Edition" specs. That aside, the Sabertooth retains the quality we've come to expect from Razer products. Oh, and that crazy long wire is thankfully detachable!
It's apparent from first glance that the Sabertooth is intended as such, given the six extra (programmable) buttons found on the shoulders and back of the controller, and the tiny OLED screen found along the bottom (allowing for the programming of said buttons). Considering that a regular Xbox 360 controller comprises 12 (!!) buttons not counting the d-pad, adding another six and an OLED screen is ... intense, to say the least. While we didn't have occasion to test the programmability, we can definitively say that the Sabertooth's other functions are just as solid as with the Onza. The analog sticks are as good or better than a standard Xbox 360 controller, the d-pad is an improvement over the Onza (which was already an improvement over the dismal d-pad included on most Xbox 360 controllers), and the triggers / shoulder buttons are appropriately springy and responsive. There's even a silly backlight for several face buttons, should you be playing video games in a cave (you can opt to turn off the backlight, too -- we certainly did).Razer Sabertooth hands-onSee all photoswhen.eng("eng.galleries.init")
Jokes aside, between the extra bells / whistles and an $80 asking price, the Sabertooth is squarely aimed at the tourney crowd -- this certainly isn't meant as a replacement for little Sally's standard issue Xbox 360 controller. Whether it holds up in that community is a question for time (and, uh, that community), but the stuff that it needs to do right is all more than accounted for, and that's what we care about most.
Belkin made gamer's hearts flutter with the original N52te speedpad, which Razer took over a couple of years ago and developed into the Nostromo. Now, that peripheral-maker has taken the concept to a new level (and price) with the $130 gadget-tastic Orbweaver gaming keypad. Each of the 20 mechanical keys is programmable with unlimited-length macros, and produces a tactile click when actuated with 2mm travel / 50g of force -- all in the service of max speed to give gamers the drop on foes, according to Razer. Also provided is an eight-way directional thumbpad along with adjustable hand, thumb and palm-rest modules, plus Razer Synapse 2.0 software for re-binding buttons and assigning macros. It's available now for Windows or OS X, so if you're looking for a way to get that tricky drop, roll and fire combo into a single, satisfying click, check the source.
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