Razer is taking on 2022 with its vision for the office. At CES 2022, the gaming company announced Project Sophia, a concept for a gaming desk. It also has a new Razer Enki Pro HyperSense chair with haptic feedback, which is also a concept despite the lack of branding.
However, Project Sophia isn't just a desk. It's a computer running 12th Gen Intel processors and the latest Nvidia graphics cards. The desk runs on a custom circuit board that snaps to the bottom of the glass desk, showing off the internals.
A series of 13 modules plug into the desk to let you customize the surface, including capture cards, extra screens, audio mixers, system monitors, hotkeys, and more. So, in theory, you could make the surface match your needs for gaming, content creation or other tasks. And, of course, there are wireless chargers and cup warmers.
There's a built-in 65-inch OLED display, which would be a massive improvement over the clunky, old 28-incher I have on my current desk. Razer didn't mention what its resolution or speeds are, though. (Razer suggests a high refresh rate monitor could be "added," suggesting the monitor itself might be a sort of module). There's also an RGB light bar to sync with Razer Chroma lighting on your laptop, peripherals or other Razer products.
Like most Razer concepts, it's unclear when or if this will actually ship. Razer's Project Hazel took the accelerated track, turning into the Razer Zephyr mask within a year. But most other concepts haven't come to market in any recognizable form, though the company has suggested ideas from those imaginative initiatives have moved forward in other products.
These proprietary modules make for one idea of a futuristic gaming desk. In 2019, Lian Li showed off its standing desk with room for PC components inside and then updated it in 2020 with a privacy screen. Those were actual, shipping desks that you could buy. They were, however, more like regular PCs and didn't have this level of customization.
Razer Enki Pro HyperSense
Razer's other concept is the Enki Pro HyperSense, a gaming chair with haptics to make you feel like you're sitting in the game. Razer is working with D-Box, which makes seats shake at expensive movie theaters.
The company claims that the chair will have native support for more than 2,200 games, movies, and songs. They include video games like Forza Horizon 5, F1 2021 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It isn't immediately clear what development work, if any, is necessary to work with the chair. For movies and TV shows, the company says those on streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime and Apple TV should work, as long as they're watched on your PC. You can see D-Box's full list of supported content here.
For games that aren't supported through Razer's software, you can still get feedback through Direct Input Haptics, in which the chair will react to inputs from a keyboard and mouse or a controller.
The chair has an engine with 65,000 different "haptic variations" and can make your seat tilt up to 1.5 inches.
The chair itself has a 22-inch wide seat base and 100-degree shoulder arches, which should provide plenty of touchpoints for your back and shoulders. There's also built-in lumbar support, which means you shouldn't need a pillow to support your lower back.
While Razer does have a working demo at CES in Las Vegas, there's no price or release date for the chair. Razer first showed a chair with this technology at CES 2019, along with concepts for a mouse, keyboard and more. But while this has far more detail, it's unclear if it's any closer to landing in your home.
