The Xbox has had the Kinect, PS3 has got the Move, and Wii has the Wii Remote, now it’s the PC’s turn. Razer, the makers of the finest PC gaming mice and keyboard on the planet has come forward with the world’s first PC gaming-grade motion sensing controllers.
The Razer Hydra is powered by Sixense, using an advanced low latency, high precision magnetic motion sensing technology. The Razer Hydra’s compact base station computes the exact location and orientation of controllers in your hands, down to a millimeter and degree, for maximum precision.
Gabe Newell, President of Valve, commented: “The Razer Hydra is a significant step forward for the PC gaming industry because it not only affords an almost-physical experience for gamers, but also presents developers an opportunity to innovate and significantly push the boundaries on new forms of gameplay and entertainment.”
Tech Specs
| Package | 2 Motion Sensing Controller Base Station |
| Controller | Thumb-ergonomic analog stick for fluid control 4 Hyperesponse action buttons Rapid-fire trigger and bumper for faster in-game response True six degree-of-freedom magnetic motion tracking Lightweight, anti-tangle braided cable |
| Base Station | Low-power magnetic field, low power consumption Ultra precise sensor for 1mm and 1 degree tracks |
| System Requirements | PC with USB port Windows® 7 / Windows® Vista/ Windows® XP Internet connection (for driver installation) At least 35MB of hard disk space |
.
The Hydra features an analogue thumbstick, four Hyperesponse buttons, a rapid-fire trigger and a bumper connected to the base station by a braided cable. The controller does not need a line of sight to operate and can function around 2-3 feet from the base station, enabling 3D game immersion. The Razer Hydra will be compatible with over 125 PC games on release, including Portal 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Watch Razer Hydra in action: Portal 2 Gameplay
The Razer Hydra is powered by Sixense technology, which provides “six degree-of-freedom magnetic motion tracking”.
Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders for the Razer Hydra will start next month with a Razer Hydra Portal 2 bundle priced at US$140, including two motion sensing controllers, a base station and a full copy of Portal 2, along with six exclusive Sixense TrueMotion levels. The Razer Hydra will be available in June. You can find out more about the Hydra here.