Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
For people of a certain age, it's hard to forget the first time haptics made their way into video games. For many, it happened after renting Star Fox 64 from Blockbuster Video and coming home with this odd, bulky controller attachment. The Nintendo Rumble Pak was there to add haptic feedback to games and the industry hasn't looked back, adopting vibration for controllers as a standard feature. Nearly 30 years later, Razer is taking a leap forward with Freyja, a cushion that extends haptic feedback to most of the body. It can sometimes go a little bit overboard, but there's no denying that Freyja shows incredible potential, a strong first act toward a vibrantly vibrating future.
The Razer Freyja package is bulky while also feeling minimalistic. It's a big box, but it only contains the Freyja cushion inside a felt package and a pair of boxes containing multiple plug attachments and the instructions. It gives off the impression that it's a plug-and-play device. It certainly is, right up until it isn't.
Setup was a simple matter of strapping the cushion into any office chair. It's built for most office chairs, though I had somewhat of an unfair advantage, already having the Razer Iskur V2 to work with. A Razer cushion fits like a glove on a Razer chair. Who could have guessed? With that said, the cushion, vertically from the seat upwards, measures roughly 21 inches and covers most gaming chairs. It does not cover smaller office chairs, which is unfortunate for folks who find those IKEA bargains.
Freyja does have a pair of connectors. There's an AC adapter, meaning users need to be relatively close to a power strip to make the device work. It also means users will need to watch their feet and where they drag their chair, which comes with the territory with a device like this, but it's still a slight annoyance. The other connector is a little more concerning. It's a thimble-sized USB-A dongle that powers the cushion via 2.4Hz Razer HyperSpeed Wireless. Razer cites environmental reasons for going so small, but the downside is that it's really easy to lose the dongle. It's small enough that it can fall under a cabinet or blend in with random junk on the ground.
The last thing to note is that Freyja does require software to work. It's back to our old friend, Razer Synapse. Razer's proprietary software is now up to Razer Synapse 4 and is required for initial setup. This can take a series of restarts and can be more time-consuming than anyone would hope.
Setup issues aside, Freyja does its job capably in most instances. It offers haptic feedback for nearly every game, though it can go slightly overboard in doing so. It works as expected in first-person shooters like Team Fortress 2, but it also functions capably in card games like Marvel Snap and Hearthstone, my two primary leisure games of choice. However, it's less tied to the action and more tied to the music, which seems like an unusual route to take. Fortunately, the intensity can be lowered through buttons on the cushion's side, as well as through the Razer Synapse app.
Freyja is at its best when tied to games that specifically utilize Razer's Sensa HD haptics, which utilizes directional vibrations to any of the device's six motors. Unfortunately, this list is fairly small, only working on games like Final Fantasy 16, Hitman World of Assassination, Frostpunk 2, Silent Hill 2, and Pinball FX. One would hope that this list expands sooner than later, because Razer's vision for directional haptics is best realized through these titles. Otherwise, the Freyja is a great massage cushion... which, honestly, isn't terrible in itself.
The small list of Sensa-supported titles is part of why Razer Freyja feels like a first outing. As such, it's good for what it is. It's a great introduction for what this could become, similar to how that initial Nintendo Rumble Pak eventually iterated into something small enough to fit in any normal-sized controller. For those looking for a more refined product, it may be best to wait, because $299.99 USD can be a big ask. A better version of Freyja is coming someday, so maybe sit in your non-haptic chair and enjoy the wait.
This review is based on a unit provided by Razer. Razer Freyja is now available at select retailers and at the RazerStore for $299.99 USD.