CES 2022: Razer & D-BOX Design the Throne of all Gaming Chairs

Ryan Epps, Tech Times 12 January 2022, 04:01 pm

For nearly 25 years, Razer has been consistently improvising, enhancing, and evolving the way we look at computer peripherals. From energizing everyday mouse technology via its customizable (and wireless) HyperSpeed line to facemask air purifiers with RGB, Razer vies to bring cutting edge technology to the random gadgetry PC enthusiasts use on a consistent basis.

Enter (in most stylish form) the Razer Enki Pro HyperSense, a gaming chair concept designed in collaboration with 4D theater haptic lounge chair whizzes D-BOX. Although just as - if not a bit more - comfortable than its Razer counterparts, the Enki Pro HyperSense sets itself apart via intense game-oriented haptics, which are encoded from specific games by D-BOX.

Forza Horizon 5 was the go-to for our trial, and it was something spectacular. Haptics, bumps, crashes are all one thing, right? But death-defying leaps into the air, something you may not initially consider for a haptic-driven device, are expertly interwoven into the feel through the chair via a sense of zero gravity. It's, to put it mildly, mesmerizing and all-encompassing.

With well over 2,000 titles, including movies and other various forms of entertainment aside from video games, the Enki Pro takes immersion to a whole new level of fidelity. Blended with VR goggles and a truly crisp experience, say Half-Life: Alyx, reality may well soon become blurred when plopped in this intense gaming chair.

Haptic feedback has no sooner become a major selling point for consumers, as Sony itself even integrated its newest generation of PlayStation console hardware with proprietary dual actuators in its DualSense controllers. As observed in games like Returnal and Demon's Souls Remake, everything from a weapon's recoil and damage is taken to rain effects and the flapping of a dragon's wings can be felt solely through the DualSense.

It's here where the Enki Pro HyperSense shines, delivering something truly immersive as it is enjoyable to experience. Set alongside even the sleek and showstopping Project Sophia desktop (a literal PC-infused modular desk concept), the Enki Pro HyperSense still proves to be something of an enigma, despite the indeterminate nature of its future.

Thus, the big question: will this full-body haptic throne find a home on the consumer market? It's, as of yet, unclear. Razer and D-BOX haven't alluded to any potential release, and pricing may well reach the $1,000 threshold. The base Enki Pro itself isn't even on the market yet. Thus the demand for this iteration may well serve as a baseline for Razer's efforts with its updated full-body haptic experience.

This wasn't. However, the only haptic chair shown off at CES 2022. Tucked into the far back corner on the second floor of the Eureka Park exhibits was Model Solution, which had on display its "XTA Motion Player." It's essentially the same concept as Razer's HyperSense, yet less intense and more so targeting metaverse applications. These expensive toys beg where such tech can be integrated and how best can consumers utilize such devices without upending their entire wallet.

Still, while gaming chairs in and of themselves are more or less luxury items for PC enthusiasts, streamers, and the like, full-body haptic thrones like these will no sooner become less conceptual. Companies are clearly buying into the haptics tech concept, and the immersive properties are there. Time will only tell how well these technologies are formulated, whether via XR integrations, metaverse applications, everyday consumer demand, or all of the above.