Razer has showcased some new tech at CES this year that will likely be on your desk in the next few months. The first of which is a new soundbar that tracks your head to optimize sound. There’s also a new 4K webcam that Razer promises records uncompressed 4K video. Razer also announced new Blade notebooks which will unlikely see a launch in SA after the bumpy rollout in the country back in 2019/2020.
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is the company’s first soundbar that can now track your head and adjust the sound output depending on its position. It includes a built-in IR camera and has been designed with a low-profile form factor to avoid it taking up too much space on your desk.
READ MORE – EcoFlow Showcases New Battery Backups, Robotic Lawnmower and Leaf Collector at CES
Razer created the Leviathan V2 Pro in partnership with THX and Audioscenic. Razer claims the tech can envelop the user with 3D audio by combining beamforming surround sound with head-tracking AI technology. The IR camera detects your position and tweaks the sound by adapting the audio beams to the listener’s position in real time.
The company has taken the audio tech to another level by dividing the soundbar into two modes. The first mode is surround sound tracking while the second mode allegedly mimics positional audio you’ll get if you were to wear a headset. Razer says the Leviathan V2 Pro has THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers with multi-channel support that supposedly fills a room like a home theatre system. Of course, the effects of simulated Spatial Audio are still up for debate.
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro also comes with Chroma RGB support across 30 different lighting zones. There’s also a subwoofer to enhance bass and a 3.5mm audio port. Razer aims to sell this soundbar for an eyewatering $399.
Next up we have the $299 Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra 4K webcam. The company claims this new camera is able to produce DSLR-like video quality thanks to its 1/1.2-inch Sony Starvis 2 sensor.
The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra packs an f/1.7 aperture which, on paper, is able to produce natural bokeh and handle low-light settings. There’s also a privacy shutter to quickly block off the camera if you need to.
When it comes to performance, the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra can produce 4K 24fps uncompressed video. It is also capable of 144p 30fps and 1080p 60fps. There’s also an option for 1080p 30fps HDR video. It also packs an omnidirectional microphone.
Using the Synapse software, you’ll be able to adjust the recording, add filters and even adjust the digital zoom. Razer says the Kiyo Pro Ultra is set to launch later this month.
When it comes to the Razer Blade range, the company announced new 16 and 18-inch models at CES. Both models pack 16:10 displays as well as RTX 4090 mobile GPUs. Every configuration comes with Intel’s high-end 13th Gen Core-i9 13950HX 65W CPU.
The new Razer Blade includes a Mini-LED display that can switch between 3K and 1080p. You can spec it up to 4K 120Hz or use the 1080 240Hz mode. However, the Mini-LED models are more expensive than the base range but Razer hasn’t shared any pricing on them yet. The company did reveal the pricing for the IPS models with a QHD display and 240Hz refresh rate. These are expected to start from $2,699.
There isn’t much that sets these new Razer Blade notebooks apart from the previous models. They look almost identical. Of course, the internals have been heavily overhauled.
At the moment there’s no word yet whether or not South Africa will get any of these products. Chances are, we will likely get the speaker and webcam. As for the Razer Blade range, after the products launched in 2019 at some eyewatering price tags, sales were underwhelming forcing Razer to pull the range out of the region.
