Razer shows off Starcraft II series of gaming peripherals

Razer has been teasing these for months, but it's just now given us our first look at its new Starcraft II series of gaming peripherals. Those include the Razer Spectre gaming mouse, the Razer Marauder gaming keyboard, and the Razer Banshee gaming headset, which all boast the same Starcraft-themed designs complete with blue LEDs, and all the gamer-friendly touches you'd expect from Razer -- 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response on the keyboard, 5600 dpi resolution and button force adjustment on the mouse, and a detachable mic on the headset, to name just a few features. Of course, they'll also demand a bit of a premium price -- look for the Spectre mouse to run $80, and the Marauder keyboard and Banshee headset to each set you back $120 when they roll out sometime in the third quarter of this year (presumably alongside Starcraft II). Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the whole lot.

Razer Starcraft II peripherals

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Razer Gives Gamers A First Look At Gaming Peripherals For Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft II
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RAZER™ GIVES GAMERS A FIRST LOOK AT GAMING PERIPHERALS FOR BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT'S STARCRAFT® II: WINGS OF LIBERTY™

Carlsbad, Calif. – June 15, 2010 - Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, has joined forces with Blizzard Entertainment, a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games, to introduce an entire suite of peripherals designed specifically for the release of Blizzard Entertainment's highly anticipated real-time strategy (RTS) game StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™. Featuring a look and feel inspired by the StarCraft universe, this line of peripherals includes the Razer Spectre™ StarCraft II Gaming Mouse, the Razer Marauder™ StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard and the Razer Banshee™ StarCraft II Gaming Headset.

"We are all huge StarCraft players here at Razer, so we are really excited to give gamers a first glimpse at the StarCraft II gaming peripherals," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer USA. "The peripherals were created with our newly developed APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System™ and feature a gaming-optimized design inspired by the StarCraft universe to complement the on-screen action."

The Razer Spectre, Razer Marauder and Razer Banshee are all packed with features designed to enhance gamers' play experience. All of the Razer StarCraft II gaming peripherals feature an APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System that provides the gamer with feedback on performance, providing a fully integrated gaming experience that responds directly to the player's performance and speed. Each peripheral also features a gaming-optimized design with an emphasis on portability for tournament play, and is stylized with design elements from the StarCraft universe.

Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse

Tournament-ready and designed for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse is a lightweight, five-button mouse designed to provide precision and control for RTS gamers. The Razer Spectre features the newly developed APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System with a multi-color LED that provides real-time performance feedback through changing lighting hues and adjustable mouse button force settings for optimal mouse click speed and control. Equipped with a powerful 5600dpi Razer Precision™ 3.5G laser sensor and a 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ 1 ms response time, the Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse gives gamers exactly what they are looking for in an RTS mouse.
PRICE:US $79.99; Europe €79.99; Korea 94,800 WON

FEATURES:

* Gaming-Optimized Design inspired by the StarCraft universe
* Lightweight, Fingertip-Grip 5 Button Mouse
* 5600DPI Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor
* Backlit Mouse with APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System
* Mouse Click Button Force Adjustment
* 1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response
* Hardware Configuration Utility

AVAILABILITY:
Razerzone.com: Q3 2010
USA – Q3 2010
Europe – Q3 2010
Korea – Q3 2010

Razer Marauder StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard

Designed for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the Razer Marauder StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard is a full-featured, tournament-ready keyboard maximized for compact design. The Razer Marauder features a multi-color backlit keyboard with an APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System that provides real-time performance feedback through changing color hues to complement the gaming experience. Enhanced with elevated keys for rapid command input and improved gaming performance and a dedicated on-the-fly macro recording system, the Razer Marauder is built with a gaming-optimized design inspired by the StarCraft universe.
PRICE: US $119.99; Europe €119.99; Korea 142,800 WON

FEATURES:

* StarCraft-inspired Design
* Optimized Key Travel Distance
* Backlit Keyboard with APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System
* Optimized Spacing with Laser-etched Keys
* Razer Hyperesponse technology
* 1000Hz Ultrapolling /1ms response
* Hardware Configuration Utility

AVAILABILITY:
Razerzone.com: Q3 2010
USA – Q3 2010
Europe – Q3 2010
Korea – Q3 2010

Razer Banshee StarCraft II Gaming Headset

Designed for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, with a focus on maximum performance, comfort and sound isolation, the Razer Banshee StarCraft II Gaming Headset features a newly developed, multi-color APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System™ that provides real-time feedback on player performance. The Razer Banshee is equipped with a configuration utility for customized adjustments of equalizer, pitch and volume. Other special features include a detachable microphone boom for easy transport and a comfortable circumaural construction, all in a gaming-optimized design inspired by the StarCraft universe.
PRICE: US $119.99; Europe €119.99; Korea 142,800 WON

FEATURES:

* Gaming-Optimized Performance & Comfort
* StarCraft-inspired Design
* Backlit Headset with APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System
* Circumaural Design with 50mm Driver Units
* Built-in Volume & Mic Control Buttons
* Detachable Microphone Boom
* Hardware Configuration Utility

AVAILABILITY:
Razerzone.com: Q3 2010
USA – Q3 2010
Europe – Q3 2010
Korea – Q3 2010

Razer StarCraft II Zerg Edition Messenger Bag
The Zerg Edition of the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Messenger Bag features artwork from the game and is designed to protect gaming gear in style.

PRICE: US $89.99; Europe €89.99; Korea 10,880 WON

FEATURES:

* Tear-resistant, weather-proof heavy duty 1680D ballistic nylon outer shell
* Single shoulder sling design for added mobility
* Easy one-handed release chest clasp enables quick and convenient access
* Built-in compartments for laptops, gaming peripherals and portable gaming device
* Padded inner lining protects electronic devices and provides ample shock absorbency while on the road

AVAILABILITY:
Razerzone.com: Q3 2010
USA – Q3 2010
Europe – Q3 2010
Korea – Q3 2010

About the Razer Group:
Razer™ is the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming products and peripherals that are designed "For Gamers. By Gamers™". Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Razer's award-winning line up of products includes desktop speakers, headsets, keyboards, mice, software, and gaming surfaces. Since 1998, Razer has collaborated with leading professional gamers to develop, manufacture and market cutting-edge gaming peripherals using proprietary technologies that give gamers the competitive edge. Razer products offer the best in precision, sensitivity, usability and distinctive product design and have a reputation for being leaders in gaming peripheral technology.

For more information, please visit http://www.razerzone.com/.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.:
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (http://us.blizzard.com/), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes eleven #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

[cge10 Posted Jun 17th 2010 10:28PM]

@guroth lol a e4500 @ 3.6ghz, not even close. i will upgrade this summer to a T1055 and a Crosshairs iv extreme then things will run better. The reason i asked is on the software it says 500 recommended for most PCs.

[Hydra Posted Jun 17th 2010 5:34PM]

TRON KEYBOARD

[Prince David Posted Jun 17th 2010 5:37PM]

The keyboard looks great but the mouse looks awfully uncomfortable.

[Pingles Posted Jun 17th 2010 5:42PM]

The company I work for manufactures blue LEDs. Please buy this keyboard.

[enjourni Posted Jun 17th 2010 5:52PM]

Lame reaches a new level. The mouse looks exactly like every other razor mouse (except the starcraft 2 logo), and the keyboard is basically a keyboard– no special starcraft macros, not even basic volume/media keys. Essentally if you like blue LEDs and starcraft logos, buy this. Otherwise it's completely worthless.

[pretol Posted Jun 17th 2010 6:17PM]

@enjourni
Oh no, it's special... it's missing the arrow keys (who needs the up/down/left/right control, right?), and it's also missing the home/insert/end/etc. cluster above the arrows (who does office work, when you can play video games?)

[BHFoster Posted Jun 17th 2010 6:30PM]

@pretol
haha, it's for special people :)

[max1001 Posted Jun 18th 2010 10:50AM]

@enjourni
Starcraft macro? WTF is starcraft macro? Also, it is customize for SC2. The LED changes color depending on game event.

[PCG Posted Jun 17th 2010 5:57PM]

i normally love the look of razer stuff... but i really do not like the look of these.

is a 5600 dpi mouse overkill? im tempted to say my 3200 is overkill.

i love my destructor and barracuda though!

[pretol Posted Jun 17th 2010 6:20PM]

@PCG
Because you need 5600dpi precision to select your dummies, and to precisely send them to the patch of resources (god forbid they're send 2 pixels off into a pit of death, which is near every resource on starcraft maps).. It just makes sense!!! [sarcasm]...

[Dspritzman Posted Jun 17th 2010 6:09PM]

Does the 50mm driver in the headset make a big difference?

[pretol Posted Jun 17th 2010 6:13PM]

keyboard rice...

[BHFoster Posted Jun 17th 2010 6:26PM]

Okay Engadget why not talk about the APM ( Actions Per Minute ) function on it...?

Also terran sucks.
ZERG is whatsup.
Heart Of The Swarm..

[Minoxide Posted Jun 17th 2010 8:31PM]

@BHFoster
Probably because its still a silly frivolous function

[Minoxide Posted Jun 17th 2010 8:32PM]

@BHFoster
KIKIKI

[StevieH Posted Jun 17th 2010 7:06PM]

Some space age peripherals... look, they've got vernier thrusters on the things too!

[murc Posted Jun 17th 2010 7:12PM]

holyshit, was their an LED sale?!

[bathellfire Posted Jun 17th 2010 7:52PM]

Wired keyboard with lots of lights (looks ugly) and costs $80? riiiighhtt!

[Minoxide Posted Jun 17th 2010 8:28PM]

So essentially your paying 120$ for a normal back lit keyboard, with nothing that would accually be beneficial for playing SC2...

Hot keys, a HUD, anything....

[MrLinux Posted Jun 17th 2010 10:34PM]

only thing I dont like about razor peripherals is the size of everything seems to be targeted at kids or people with small hands, Cost isnt a problem for me but if the bloody thing is to small I cant buy it. Anyway I got a nice Logitech M950 thats made for adults and works great in games.

[skewt Posted Jun 18th 2010 12:17AM]

Might be a worth replacement for my Saitek Eclipse (just about the only computer component I've owned I'd ever give a 10/10). But not a fan of the arrow key positioning. Plus the PR photos are gaudy with that added glow.