Razer's face mask features transparent design, RGB lighting and voice amplifier

Razer's confront mask features transparent design, RGB lighting and voice amplifier

(Image credit: Razer)

Every year at CES, Razer pitches ane or two "concept" products that may or may not ever come to market. In addition to laptops, mice, headsets and whatever else is on the agenda, Razer likes to pitch something imaginative, simply to see whether its futuristic ideas are viable — and, no doubt, how potential customers might react.

This twelvemonth, Razer's concept projects include Project Hazel and Project Brooklyn: a futuristic face mask to accost public wellness concerns, and a gaming chair that doubles equally an immersive entertainment middle, respectively.

In the past, Razer's concepts have included a full-fledged racing simulator, a laptop that ran off of a smartphone and a laptop with 3 screens. These concepts don't ofttimes become salable products, although its "Project Breadwinner" toaster did (surprisingly) go a reality, so anything is possible.

Projection Hazel

Razer Project Hazel — (Epitome credit: Razer)

Projection Hazel is the timelier of Razer'due south two concepts from CES 2021. This wear device is a face mask, much like the ones we've been encouraged to wear to curb the COVID-xix pandemic. While cloth masks reduce the gamble of affliction, however, Razer pointed out how they create some bug. Non beingness able to run across people's mouths makes it hard to read facial expressions (or lips, for the hearing-impaired), while textile tends to muffle conversation and does an imperfect chore at filtering out microscopic particles.

Project Hazel, by contrast, is a reusable mask with a more rigid structure and a transparent faceplate. It relies on two rechargeable air filters (with programmable RGB highlights, naturally), and even uses Razer VoiceAmp technology to clear upwards any the wearer is proverb. In theory, Projection Hazel is more sanitary, more durable and more than functional than an everyday cloth mask.

Notwithstanding, there are some roadblocks that might forestall Projection Hazel from becoming a reality. The first is that mask usage is (hopefully) about to get a lot less necessary, thanks to a widespread COVID vaccination project. The second is that a device like Projection Hazel would necessarily be quite expensive, because of all the parts that become into it; reusable cloth masks, which are relatively effective at preventing the spread of illness, oft get for $15 or less.

The other interesting ascertainment is that Razer has already arguably obviated the need for Project Hazel with its stylish cloth face masks. Not just are these masks condom and affordable, but Razer has really donated a considerable amount of them to frontline healthcare workers, taking tangible steps to fight a pandemic. Project Hazel may take cooler features than a standard textile mask, but the truth is that Razer has already done a lot of skilful with the materials information technology had on hand.

Project Brooklyn

The more traditional Razer Concept from CES 2021 is Projection Brooklyn, which combines a rollable OLED screen with the design from the Razer Iskur gaming chair. It's substantially a gaming pod, similar the gargantuan Acer Thronos, merely with a much more restrained, minimalist design.

Here's how it works: You lot sit in the chair, which looks and functions essentially like an Iskur. You lay out a bar in front of y'all, which supports a keyboard and a mouse. A panoramic OLED screen rolls downwards from above. As you play games, the chair's built-in haptics respond to what'southward happening onscreen, like a full-body DualSense controller. There are fifty-fifty RGB LED strips on the side of the Brooklyn, which tin can go along spectators entertained with colorful patterns.

In theory, it's easy to see how Project Brooklyn might do good gamers, particularly those who don't take enough infinite for a total amusement center or dedicated PC desk. On the other hand, it relies on a lot of engineering science that isn't bachelor to consumers yet, and probably won't be priced affordably for years to come. Still, it'southward not a ridiculous idea, and it certainly has a much more approachable design than the Thronos or — lest nosotros forget — the terrifying scorpion chair.

Since Projection Brooklyn is but a concept, there's no way to judge how much information technology might price, or when information technology might come out. Just it's at least an interesting idea that solves a real problem for gamers without much extra space.

For gamers who are interested in something a little more tangible, Razer also recently announced upgrades for its Razer Blade 15 and Razer Bract Pro 17 gaming laptops. You tin can now become them with Nvidia GeForce RTX thirty-series GPUs built in. Information technology's not quite as futuristic as an RGB mask or a rollable OLED gaming chair, but it's about the best nosotros tin can do in 2021.

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site'southward coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. Later hours, you tin can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on archetype sci-fi.