Razer’s commitment to haptic feedback could change PC gaming forever

Razer is well-known for providing gamers with great devices with solid build quality but over the years they haven’t released consumer products that could be seen as innovative. Interesting projects like Project Christine, a fully modular PC, and the triple-display Project Valerie laptop had the potential to move the industry forward – they just never actually got released.

Razer is changing. Just yesterday we released our review of their new Nari Ultimate headset. Using HyperSense, a fancy buzzword for Haptic Feedback, the Nari is a unique and almost ground-breaking device despite some minor faults. Unlike other devices, the Nari utilizes this technology to react in real-time to low-tones and replies with a unique vibration.

However, Razer’s haptic technology isn’t just stopping at the headset level. At CES, the company debuted some prototype technology that pushes this innovation into every device you could own for gaming. Mouse, keyboard, wrist rests, gaming chair and, of course, the Nari headphones.

A video by tech YouTuber Linus Tech Tips showed the prototype technology in action. Firing a rocket in Blizzard’s Overwatch, for example, had differing effects thanks to its clever audio set-up. If the rocket shoots behind you, the back of the chair rumbles. If the rocket blasts up-close to your front, your mouse and keyboard react accordingly.

[shunno-quote]Skip to 3:43 to see haptic feedback in action[/shunno-quote]

But why is haptic feedback important to PC gaming? Well, simply put, it’s much more immersive than traditional play.  You don’t have something as immersive as pulling a trigger on a mouse – it’s just a click – but this has the potential to make a simple click of the mouse feel so much better.

As a predominantly console gamer that moved from PCs to consoles, controller rumble and the feedback you’re given is, frankly, amazing. Xbox One and Nintendo Switch do it the best: Xbox’s Impulse Triggers, when combined with the standard controller rumble, feels insanely satisfying, the Switch’s HD rumble can be subtle and intense in very specific parts of the controller.

Razer’s technology? It has the potential to change PC gaming forever. Shooting through DOOM, blowing up bases in Just Cause 4, feeling the 3D audio of games like Fortnite or PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – all of these are intense games that really benefit from the feedback and immersion on display here.

In recent years, we’ve seen innovative audio technology like Dolby Atmos, an audio set-up that lets you hear the movement of a vehicle like a helicopter fly above and around you in a realistic fashion. That was immersive. If Razer, in the future, could pair this technology with their haptic technology, PC Gaming would immediately be the most immersive experience available.