Haptic Hardware: Razer Teams up With the Elbschule in Hamburg

Razer has invited pupils from the Elbschule in Hamburg to a test event at the headquarters of esports team Mouz to give hearing impaired students the chance to try out haptic hardware. The school will also receive a number of these products.

In collaboration with the Elbschule in Hamburg, which provides inclusive education for hearing and hearing impaired pupils, Razer invited pupils to the Mouz headquarters in Hamburg to try out the Sensa HD products. The products (Kraken V4 Pro and Freyja) provide haptic feedback to the user, making media more accessible to the hearing impaired. The products were of particular interest to the students at the Elbschule, as a large proportion of the 16 pupils are deaf or hard of hearing.

Anneke Hänel, Digital Officer at Elbschule: "I think this way of thinking about games opens up new spaces and gives more people the opportunity to experience computer games holistically. For hearing users, it becomes more immersive, and for hearing-impaired gamers, it gives them information that was previously missing."

For Eric Vezzoli, Razer's Director of Technology, the pupils' response was confirmation that Sensa HD technology can help with inclusion. "While Sensa HD makes a huge difference in terms of immersion for everyone, it can offer much more to gamers with hearing impairments through sensory substitution, allowing them to feel the sound and its direction. This is another step towards inclusion and making media as accessible as possible."

Chris Mitchell, Senior Director Marketing at Razer, said, "It's an important endorsement for us that we can provide students with greater access to gaming with the Sensa products. We are a very feedback-driven brand, and we incorporate feedback into our product development whenever possible. Of course, we are also pleased to be able to provide local support here in Hamburg." Razer is also providing the school with several units of both products so that it is not a one-off experience and more pupils have access to them.

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