Razer just shook the gaming market with HD Haptic headphones and seat cushion
The Razer Freyja gives your gaming seat full sensory feedback, while the Kraken V4 Pro gives your head the same experience
by Mat Gallagher · T3Razer Con 2024 has just shaken up the gaming industry, quite literally with the announcement of two new HD Haptic products. The brand new flagship headset, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro and the very clever Razer Freyja seat pad provide vibrations to your head and body that not only range in intensity but can also simulate direction. These subtleties in the haptic rumbles makes heightens the experience for both music and gaming.
These two new products were revealed alongside a new version of the Razer Blade 18 laptop, a new laptop cooling pad and the full release of the Razer Synapse software to better customise your Razer products.
I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at these upcoming Razer products ahead of their release, and got to experience the combined effect of the Kraken headset and Freyja seat pad for myself.
Razer Kraken V4 Pro
The Kraken V4 Pro feel like a really high-end pair of headphones in your hand. The soft ear cushions now oval to better fit over your ears and the cups seem narrower. For the first time, the cups also rotate so the headset folds flat for storage, or while round your neck. The all black design is brought to life by the LED lights on the outside, giving it a premium gamer vibe, while the microphone (the same as featured on the BlackShark V2 Pro) retracts into the cup when not in use.
Then there's the sound, provided by the 40mm Razer TriForce Bio-Cellulose drivers and THX Spatial Audio. Under the ear covers there's now a honeycomb like design to allow the sound waves to better pass through to your ears. Then of course, there's the Sensa HD Haptic technology which can provide directional vibrations when gaming, to better immerse you in the experience.
It also comes with a new OLED Control Hub, which connects directly to your PC, console or other source with a choice of three inputs, and can even switch between multiple sources. The headset then connects to the hub via Bluetooth or WiFi – or can connect directly to the source if required.
I tried this out with a couple of games on the Razer Blade and the rumble effect of the HD haptics worked really well to not only provide that deep bass without extreme volume but also to simulate movement within the games.
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Razer Freyja
Calling the Freyja a seat cover doesn't do it justice. This, according to Razer, is the world's first HD Haptic gaming cushion and it really does change the gaming experience. The tech inside this device reminds me of the Body and Soul seats on the new Range Rover Sport SV, created by Subpac and the idea behind it is principally the same.
Rather than being designed to destress the driver though, the Razer Freyja is designed to intensify the gaming experience. It provides a range of intensities and, like the Kraken V4 Pro headset, it can even provide direction for the sound, thanks to the six motor actuators in the cushion.
It's an experience that feels a bit like the heavy bass from huge speakers at a gig, but delivered silently direct to your body. For gaming this can replicate the rumble of an on coming tank, or the casting of a spell, while for music it just adds to the overall experience.
The effect that is delivered is controlled via the Chroma RGB app, rather than the main Synapse controls, and allows you to customise the experience for either gaming or music, with fine tuning of all wavelengths.
The great thing about the Freyjia is that it will attach to just about any high backed chair – it doesn't even need to be a gaming chair (though it does help). There's a touch control on the back too, so you can adjust without going into the app, and it just connects with one lead to a power supply. It's a slight shame that it's not rechargeable, as I can imagine it's easy to get that power lead caught under your chair wheels.
The downside is that it's not coming to the UK – due to our safety laws being some of the strictest in the world. It is available in Europe though, and through the Razer store, so if you want one, there's probably a solution.
The Razer Freyja is priced $299.99 / €299.99, while the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is priced £399.99 / $399.99 / €449.99. Both are available now from Razer.com and authorised sellers.