Razer

The DeathAdder is the newest addition to Razer's growing family of high-end gaming mice. Gamers who play fast-paced first person shooters will probably get the most out of this mouse because it is equipped with Razer's new 3G Infrared Sensor. While I can't provide quantitative data support its name (it's actually named after a snake), I suspect that gamers will appreciate the unique combination of engineering, design, and flexibility that the DeathAdder offers.

While playing first-person shooters, most gamers tend to keep their sensitivity settings low to maintain accuracy. A low sensitivity setting allows you to line up your shots with care, but you'll find that more substantial movements, like reacting to a sniper on a rooftop, require you to move your mouse a greater physical distance. While these high speed motions often confuse other infrared and laser mice, the DeathAdder's 3G Sensor is capable of tracking movements at more than 60 inches-per-second without suffering from random cursor movements.

Microsoft and Razer announced their next co-branded product today at CES. After working together to create the Habu gaming mouse, the two companies will join forces to create the Reclusa, a gaming keyboard that will have some innovative features. Following in the footsteps of Razer's high-end Tarantula, the Reclusa will aim for low latency. The keyboard will have backlighting, two jog-dials, four bumper buttons, and six programmable keys. Expect to see the Reclusa go on sale this spring for about $70.

[UPDATE: Added the picture.]

Razer's lineup of peripherals is growing to include everything a serious PC gamer needs. They now provide an selection of mice, two mousing surfaces, a pair of high-end headphones, and the newly released Tarantula keyboard. The Barracuda audio card is on its way, along with a new laser mouse called the Habu. The Habu is a collaborative effort between Razer and Microsoft, due out by the holidays. During this interview, Razer president Robert Krakoff (Razerguy), discuses the development of the Habu, gives some info about Razer's line of products, and comments on the possibility of Razer creating products for consoles. Read the full interview after the jump.

Razer announced its sponsorship of CPL Singapore 2006, also known as the The Ultimate Southeast Asian Shootout. From September 15th to 17th, Singapore's Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza will host to the first event of the 2006 CPL season. Counter-Strike 1.6 and Quake 4 will be at the center of the action. Registration begins on July 15th August 1st and is open to gamers 17 years and older. The fees consist of $30 for a single Quake 4 player and $150 for Counter-Strike 1.6 teams.

[UPDATE: Changed registration date to August 1st after CPL announced the postponement.]

Right before Razer's appearance at E3 2006, the company released the Krait, a mouse designed for Real-Time Strategy gamers, the Mantis, a massive mouse pad with several unique features, and the Armadillo, a clever cable management system. I gave each of these a try to see if they make the cut when it comes to high performance PC gaming.

The Krait is Razer's first mouse designed to provide the speed and precision needed for RTS games. It aims to provide high precision mousing without sacrificing precious time. A 1600 DPI sensor a 16-bit data path allow it to send more information to you PC quickly. With its Teflon feet, the Krait is able to glide across most surfaces--including computer paper, bare wood, and of course the Razer Mantis (we'll get to that later). I used the Krait to play several hours of Age of Empires III and The Battle for Middle Earth II and did not experience any skipping or delay. These are good results for a mouse of this price.

Razer has enjoyed a hardcore cult following for years. The people who buy Razer products are looking for a competitive edge. The specialty of the company has always been high precision mice, but they aren't just a mouse company. We sat down with Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff to take a look at several new products that will be coming onto the market very soon.