The CES 2024 is being incredible. For all of us who love technology, the announcements we are experiencing these days are our reason to keep getting up every morning. And if you don’t believe me, take a look at this news.
Now it’s time to talk about Razer, company that already showed us its new Blade 16 and Blade 18 laptops a few days ago. Now it’s time to talk about an incredible cushion that we can’t wait to try.
Although I have tried several products with Razer’s HyperSense haptic technology, the vibrations never seemed to match what I expected, and it was only incorporated into the headphones, which didn’t make much sense from a perceptual standpoint.
Now the company is replacing it with a new generation of vibration, which they call Sensa HD Haptics. Project Esther, a cushion for gaming chairs, is the first demonstration that Razer makes of the new technology, which comes after the acquisition of Interhaptics in 2022.
What we know about Project Esther
A back and seat cushion makes much more sense than headphones, although it can be integrated into multiple types of products thanks to the complete developer kit, which allows game creators to control directionality, mixed intensities based on location, and device integration capabilities to achieve coordinated sensations.
In addition to game compatibility, the software can convert audio into haptic feedback on the fly, hopefully better than HyperSense did.
The “HD” reflects the wide range of frequencies it supports, which theoretically can provide more accurate sensations; Project Esther has 16 actuators placed around the cushion intended to provide better sensations of direction, distance, and location.
This implementation seems much more developed and commercially viable than many of Razer’s previous concepts at CES, at least in the absence of prices, which is one of the major issues the company usually faces with its prototypes.
In this case, the cushion is attached to a chair, not just Razer chairs, which makes a big difference, and it works together with Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless.
It would depend a lot on the materials, because durability and comfort are key factors, assuming the technology works well. Since it is still a concept, Razer has not communicated the price or availability, or even in which other products Sensa HD could appear.
