Razer comes out with wacky concepts every year — it’s hard to forget about the RGB-ridden Project Hazel face mask — but its recent Project Esther is turning into a real product. It’s called Freyja, and Razer says it’s the world’s first HD haptics gaming cushion. While not exactly a market that’s popping off, if there’s any company to sail into uncharted waters with haptics, it’s Razer.
We’ve seen attempts from Razer in the past to bring haptics to your back and butt, but Freyja looks much more practical than a full chair like the Enki Pro HyperSense. It’s a cushion that fits over most chairs with a tall back, including both Razer and non-Razer options. It needs power, but Razer has built a single-cable solution for Freyja with a quick-release connection so you don’t have to worry about pulling down your setup if you roll over the cable in the wrong way.
The cushion is sliced up into six zones, down from the 16 on the original concept, each of which can activate individually depending on what you’re doing. In games, Razer says Freyja will support some native integrations, where the haptics are designed specifically for the game. In other titles, the cushion will still work by simulating haptics based off of game audio, using sound direction and distance to create the effect. And, if you have other devices with Razer Sensa haptics, they’ll work together.
Gaming is the focus, but the haptics will work with just about any audio. You can get haptic feedback in a movie or music, for example, or the sensation of a live concert if you’re watching a stream of one. It’s hard to say how accurate the feedback will be, especially when it’s based solely off of audio. As we saw with Razer’s vibrating Kraken HyperSense headset, the sensation isn’t always consistent. Different forms of media mix audio in different ways, so some forms of media will be more extreme with the haptics while others will be more subtle.
If you’re interested in the Freyja, you can pick it up now, assuming you can stomach its steep price of $300.
The cushion was announced as part of RazerCon, and Razer shared several other announcements at the event. It showcased the recently released Black Widow V4 Pro 75% Wireless, and it also announced the Kraken V4 Pro headset and Razer’s first laptop cooling pad, which promises to reduce temperatures by up to 18%.
