What you need to know
- The Razer Iskur V2 gaming chair launches today and retails at $649.99.
- Unveiled at CES 2024, it boasts superior lumbar support to it's predecessor with a spring loaded mechanism designed to adjust to the curvature of your spine.
- Razer also showed off the innovative Project Esther, the worlds first haptic gaming cushion which fits to a chair and uses 16 haptic actuators to immerse you into your video games.
Razer's CES 2024 showcase, as we've come to expect from the brand, was full of welcome upgrades to its existing product line along with something trying to push the gaming accessory market further when it comes to enhancing our gaming experience. Amongst other announced products, we got a Razer Iskur V2 gaming chair which is available to purchase right now for $649.99, and something all altogether more unusual in the conceptual product, Project Esther. The world's first haptic gaming cushion, yes that's a haptic feedback seating device — we are edging closer to the Ready Player One reality. And yes that was a totally intentional pun. Alas, it's purely conceptual at this stage so let's look at the very real and very much available to buy Razer Iskur V2 first.
The Razur Iskur is one of the best gaming chairs you can buy, and the V2 looks to take that to the next level
The Razer Iskur V2, unveiled today at CES 2024 aims to be a leap forward in gaming comfort and lumbar support. We already reviewed and loved the Razer Iskur, so this launch has more than piqued our interest. The chair comes in 3 iterations, Black leather, Black and Green leather and a fabric finish.
The main focus of the Iskur V2 is its '6D adjustable and adaptive lumbar support system', a feature completely unique to this chair. This cutting-edge system adapts to the natural curvature of your spine, ensuring real-time adjustments based on your body's weight and posture. The integrated lumbar curve adjustments, including protrusion and height tuning, allow for an entirely personalized fit, catering to individual preferences like no chair before it. A bold claim, and for $649.99 you're certainly paying for the best in chair development. Not unike a good mattress, something you sit on for many hours a day should be the best you can get if you can afford it and the Iskur already set the bar incredibly high. The V2 is an exciting update to the range and we can't wait to try it out.
The 4D armrests provide extensive customization options, allowing you to adjust height, position, and angle to suit your unique preferences. Additionally, the memory foam head cushion ensures tailored head and neck support during extended gaming marathons.
Razer went hard with it's claims on this chair, quoting that it is "the best gaming chair on the market." If you want to find out if that claim is true, you can purchase it today direct from Razer.
Project Esther, the world's first haptic gaming cushion brings us closer to a Ready Player One reality
Razer likes to push the limits of what's possible with gaming tech, and they're even experimenting with making gaming seating more exciting as shown with Project Esther — a haptic feedback gaming cushion. Razer has announced Razer Sensa HD Haptics, a combination of its work with HyperSense haptics as seen in the Razer Nari Ultimate gaming headset, and its acquisition of Interhaptics, a haptic development platform for game studios.
Aiming to blur the lines between gaming and reality, Razer Sensa HD Haptics allow developers to customize the haptics to their own preferences for directionality, multi-actuator function and integration for their games on different platforms and peripherals. To best display this innovation, Project Esther was revealed, a gaming cushion that has a universal fit for most chairs (though just so happens to look perfect on the new Razer Iskur V2).
Haptic feedback, for your butt? I hear you ask. From feeling the car turn the corner in your favorite racing simulator, to feeling the impact of a bullet in a Call of Duty. Or, exactly where my mind went, feeling the cheeky pat on the butt from your romantic companion in Baldur's Gate 3. "Babe I bought it for the immersion, honestly!"
A haptic gaming seat could be the next big thing in gaming accessories. It's a sensory upgrade that could bring every explosion, heartbeat, and subtle touch palpably to life. It's not quite the full-body suit from Ready Player One, but it's a step in that direction and hopefully, it won't cost 15K like the Teslasuit.
We've no news on if and when Project Esther will come to the retail market, but attendees at CES 2024 get to experience it in person, and you can find out more information on the project here at Razer's website.
