KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Mobile gaming has grown at a startling pace over the last few years or so, with smartphones growing in power and gaming capabilities — game developers have subsequently placed more focus on the mobile platform as well. But when it comes to using headphones, most serious gamers prefer to stick to traditional wired options, with the lag times associated with wireless headphones very often the difference between in-game life and death.
Gaming peripheral specialist, Razer, has now come up with a solution of sorts. The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds feature a Gaming mode that reduces latency to just 60ms, and delivers “ultra-low-latency for immersive sound and gaming advantage”.
Designed for iOS and Android devices, the Gaming mode can be enabled with a dedicated app on your smartphone, although the earbuds can also be used with PCs.
According to Razer, the Hammerhead uses a customised version of Bluetooth 5.0 to enable the low-latency mode, along with battery life and audio quality. They’re also promising up to 3 hours of battery life, with 4 charges from the charging case (which can be charged via USB-C) bringing the overall battery life to 15 hours.
However, the Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds don’t appear to come with any form of noise cancellation technology. In fact, it’s worth noting that the design of these earbuds isn’t “in-ear”, which means that they’ll sit in your ears in a similar way that the AirPods do. In other words, there isn’t much in the way of passive noise cancellation either.
They aren’t waterproof, but they are rated at IPX4 for sweat and splash protection, which is the same level that the new AirPods Pro feature. Much like many earbuds in the market today, the Hammerheads feature touch controls on the earbuds, which can handle basic tasks like switching songs, answering calls, or activating your chosen virtual assistant.
We aren’t sure when the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds will be coming to Malaysia, but they’re being priced at US$99 (about RM413) in the US, which is certainly a competitive price. However, the success of the earbuds arguably rests on the low-latency mode, with nothing else in particular really standing out. — SoyaCincau
