Razer introduces haptic cushion so you can feel your games

Of all the concepts I saw at CES, Razer's project Esther protoype is my favorite. It's a cushion that provides haptic feedback in gaming and puts us one step closer to Ready Player One level immersion.

What is Project Esther from Razer?

Project Esther is a prototype, but the platform behind it is very much active and ready for adoption for game developers. Esther is the cushion, Sensa is the technology.

Let's start with Esther. They had a tricked-out version with Razer Chroma RGB on a gaming chair and it looked slick. For my 15-ish minute demo, I first experienced how the haptics reacted and changed to objects in a game that moved further and closer to the screen. The demo later transformed into a forest setting, where wind and raindrops triggered different sensations across my back and shoulders as I watched and felt the haptics of Esther.

What is Razer Sensa HD Haptics?

Project Esther was created to demonstrate the new Sensa technology, which unites what you see and hear on screen to a tactile feel during gameplay. What Chroma RGB was to color for gamers, Razer would like Sensa to be the haptic version of this - a diverse ecosystem of produtcts that people can choose to match their gaming style.

Any audio content can integrate with Sensa. So whether you're playing a game or watching a movie, as long as there's audio, Sensa can create a corresponding sensation to go with it. I played Mortal Kombat with Sensa, and it was pretty cool, but things got very interesting when I tried a demo game where the developers specifically built it around Sensa technology.

In the game demo, I was commanding a rail-guided vehicle that was equipped with different weapons. Each weapon had a corresponding different tactile effect within the gaming cushion. The laser had more of a pulsing feel, whereas the machine gun had more of a jolting feedback.

Ready player one?

If this is the future of gaming, I'm pumped. It's an interesting way to enhance a gaming experience. And while Razer is using it in cushion form, there's nothing preventing someone else from using Sensa to create their owner version of Nintendo Power Glove, or a gaming vest, or a full-on suit, and developing around a completely immersive experience.

The giddiness I felt while testing out Project Esther took me back to the N64 days and getting my first Rumble Pak, my first experiencing "feeling" a game. While it may remain niche for awhile, I hope we see a lot of developer interest and find a future with more Sensa-powered devices.