At E3 2016, Razer propped up their standardly large booth, showing all of their goodies, both new and current. E3 goers got to tinker with their latest game-themed equipment made specifically for Overwatch. Some the goodies we covered at previous conventions were also on display, such as the Razer Wildcat controller, the Razer Blade Stealth ultra-book, and the ultrabook-into-gaming-machine transforming Razer Core. This year, Razer’s E3 announcements were for two gaming markets, MOBA gaming and VR. Let’s dive into each…
HDK 2 and OSVR Developer Fund
With Razer handling all things gaming, it comes to no surprise that they have their hands in VR as well. Co-founded with Sensics, they organized Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR), a vast hub for open source virtual reality. At E3 2016, OSVR unveiled their latest Hacker Developer Kit VR headset, the HDK 2. HDK 2, endeavoring to perform on par with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, houses upgraded visuals and technology from its predecessor, the HDK 1.4. In the HDK 2’s lenses rests a 90hz low-persistence OLED dual-display at a resolution of 2160×1200 with the potential of reaching 90 fps. It even utilizes Image Quality Enhancer (IQE) technology for combating that grainy (screen door) effect.
The HDK 2 will house innovations seen in the HDK 1.4, like my personal favorite, the dials on the bottom of the headset for individually focusing each lens on the fly. Also, to further exemplify their commitment to the project, OSVR announced at E3 the OSVR Developer Fund, a content accelerator program led by Razer that will fund $5 million to the developer community. Whether you’re a major or independent game developer, you will have the chance to apply for this program and potentially have your game code purchased by fund contributors and receive compensation for your work!
With the HDK 1.4 continuing to come in at $299, the upgrade in the form of the HDK 2 will start shipping in July at $399.
Read more about the Developer Fund here.
Or just check out OSVR for yourself at http://www.OSVR.org/
Razer Naga Hex V2
With MOBA’s (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) being so prevalent in the eSports and professional gaming industry, gaming companies dove depper into the gaming mouse fray while focusing on MOBA-specific designs. Whether it be for professional or casual endeavors, your League of Legends or DOTA gamers fought using mice with up to (or more than) 16 buttons. Great for when you have many skills or macros to map; Potentially daunting when you’re under pressure and your muscle memory gives up on you as you reach for the wrong button.
Enter the Razer Naga Hex V2, an upgrade from Razer’s previous Naga Hex mouse of a similar design, using a sort of “button wheel”. Here with the Naga Hex V2, the ergonomics and design were improved, giving you not only a new 7th side button, but also a perforated rubberized thumb rest for extra stability. This new 7-button mechanical thumb wheel gives the Razer Naga Hex V2 a total of 14 programmable buttons. The mouse’s 16,000 DPI 5G laser sensor and button actualization speeds are also nothing to scoff at, touting 1000 Hz Ultrapolling with a 1 ms response time.
Additional Naga Hex V2 specs include a tilt click scroll wheel, a 7 foot braided cable to combat wire snags, and zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet. The Razer Naga Hex V2 is available now for $79.99. Check it out for yourself here.
