Gaming hardware manufacturer Razer now reportedly a billion dollar company

[Himanshu Arora]

Razer, known for its gaming peripherals and devices, has joined the elite club of billion-dollar companies. According to a TechCrunch report, the San Diego-based company recently attained a valuation of over $1 billion, thanks to new funding from Intel Capital, the chip giant's venture-capital arm.

“We’re already one of the billion dollar unicorns in the tech start-up world and now, we’ve got more resources than ever to allow us to focus on designing and developing the best experiences for gamers worldwide”, noted a leaked internal memo which was handed over to TechCrunch by an anonymous source.

The memo also says the company now counts over 10 million people using its software, with over 2 million logged on daily, and details the appointment of three new board members, with one identified as an investor in the company.

Neither Razer nor Intel responded to requests for comment, but TechCrunch says its sources have indirectly confirmed the memo is legitimate.

Following its mantra "For Gamers. By Gamers", Razer has seen success with its high-end gaming mice and keyboards as well as its Blade gaming laptops and Edge tablets. The company claims to have shipped 11 million connected devices, with 7 million gamers using its products, and is also set to enter the wearables market with its Nabu smartband, due in the coming weeks.

The last round of funding for Razer was in 2011, when the company raised $50 million from IDG and Accel. Just how much money Intel has invested in this latest round is not yet known.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/58498-gaming-hardware-manufacturer-razer-now-reportedly-billion-dollar.html

 

[Evernessince]

Hopefully with the extra money and the new intel board members, they can start making products of higher quality. Their mice and keyboards feel cheap.

 

[amstech]

The f****g DeathAdder man. I don't need to point out the awards its won and tournaments its used in.
I had a DeathAdder for 5 years and its the best mouse I've ever owned and it originally, single handily, put Razer on the map.
I got a G502 Proteus core now.

Hopefully with the extra money and the new intel board members, they can start making products of higher quality. Their mice and keyboards feel cheap.

My BlackWidow Ultimate doesn't feel cheap and neither did my Deathadder. (sold)
Not being a homer I would tell it like it is.

 

[robb213]

My BlackWidow Ultimate doesn't feel cheap and neither did my Deathadder. (sold)
Not being a homer I would tell it like it is.

Razer software is known to cause many BSoD's. While I haven't gotten one in awhile myself, it'll come and go in episodes. If you care to trace any logs you have back far enough, while your system is in tip-top shape, chances are the culprit is a Razer driver; this is assuming you maybe have one once in awhile that cannot be explained, unless you scour it with other programs to link it to a software cause if detected.

They're also taking the cheap route on hardware, such as the knockoff Cherry MX keys on your keyboard in particular made by Khalil--you get what you pay for. I'm not saying they haven't made good hardware, like the Deathadder and older Lachesis, but they're heading away from that which is sadly the norm nowadays.

As it sits now, Zowie, Mionix, Ducky, and others are far superior to them while being the same or lower price. I even see many people I know who used to swear by them, only turn their backs on Razer. And because their input devices are used in many competitive leagues doesn't mean the players like it; it's a sponsorship, which means you get free stuff to use as you wish, as long as you make it obvious what brand it is and speak highly of them in return.

 

[amstech]

As it sits now, Zowie, Mionix, Ducky, and others are far superior to them while being the same or lower price. I even see many people I know who used to swear by them, only turn their backs on Razer.

Agreed.
But Razer isn't the only company trying to save a buck by getting a better deal on their parts. Corsair and Logitech have been caught doing the same, and some of their peripherals weren't exactly reliable shining stars.
As bad as Razer though? No.

And because their input devices are used in many competitive leagues doesn't mean the players like it; it's a sponsorship, which means you get free stuff to use as you wish, as long as you make it obvious what brand it is and speak highly of them in return.

Thats true in general but not for the DeathAdder. Its been an editors/gamers choice for years and still wins best overall gaming mouse comparisons and/or various awards. I know Toms gave it the best RTS mouse recently.

 

[robb213]

Agreed.
But Razer isn't the only company trying to save a buck by getting a better deal on their parts. Corsair and Logitech have been caught doing the same, and some of their peripherals weren't exactly reliable shining stars.
As bad as Razer though? No.

Yep, that's why I'd never consider any of them. It was only until recently that Corsair caught my eye again with their new K70 keyboard, the RGB model with a hefty $150+ price tag. But yeah, Logitech I would say is certainly better, while not the best as you say.

Thats true in general but not for the DeathAdder. Its been an editors/gamers choice for years and still wins best overall gaming mouse comparisons and/or various awards. I know Toms gave it the best RTS mouse recently.

That's what's been surprising me. Of all the moves they've made up to now, they've kept one product up to customer's expectations as it was when it first released back way when. With the amount of people buying it, I would assume it would be clear that people want more quality stuff like that rather than the rest of their selection, but I'll never have the mind of a company marketer to understand

 

[nismo91]

I am now browsing this site using a razer proclick 1.6 (which is essentially a diamondback, based on the PCB) and I have a copperhead mouse in another PC. they are both beyond 6yo and still running strong.

yes the razer driver is horrible, and they will cause random BSODs without me knowing it until I unplugged the damn mouse. using X-Mouse control to remap my side buttons now. it's free and pretty reliable.

not planning to buy another razer products anymore. somehow I think the brand is too associated with gamers or teenagers. but I should mention that both my razer mice are well-built, considering the year they're built.