On Monday Razer introduced the open beta of Razer Comms, an all-in-one communications solution for gamers. It crams three clients into one – VoIP, instant message and IRC – so that gamers all over the world can connect to one service, free of charge. It even includes an in-game overlay that integrates with PC games so that users aren't required to leave the action to answer incoming calls and messages.
Razer Comms was originally an internal project built by a couple of engineers in their spare time (aka 10-percent passion time). However fans requested that Razer make it a public service, so the company obliged by assigning a full, dedicated team to continue development. Now it arrives as an open beta after first appearing as a community-based closed beta program.
Razer said on Monday that the new chat client uses complex audio algorithms and an ultra-fast server infrastructure to deliver "precise, crisp and clear" communication with no timeouts or lag spikes. The client also features advanced noise reduction and echo cancelation.
"As a gamer, it gets pretty annoying switching between multiple clients all the time when playing and talking with your friends," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. "Razer Comms offers a way around that challenge. By connecting gamers globally through a versatile software solution without any additional costs for the user, Razer Comms is a way for us to give back to our passionate fan base."
According to the list of features, Razer Comms uses a server-based infrastructure that prevents exposure of personal IP addresses. It also includes a Game Launcher for quick game access at startup, and a push-to-talk functionality for fast and effective communication. Channels can be easily created and managed for real-time discussions.
The new open beta incorporates changes and requests submitted by the closed beta testers. However Razer is encouraging users to continue submitting feedback so that the client can be improved even further. It's available now in English, and will arrive for Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French and German in 3Q13.
For more information about Razer Comms, head here.
