If I had to choose just two brands or companies that occupy the most of my time here at Windows Central, I'd likely land on Razer and Minecraft. Beyond simply being a part of the video games industry and each owning an iconic green, there's not a ton of overlap there.
Well, it took longer than I expected, but Razer and Mojang Studios just announced a limited-edition Minecraft collection, featuring four of Razer's most popular PC gaming accessories freshly skinned in distinctive Minecraft liveries. All four products are available starting today, so there's no time to waste breaking down everything you need to know.
The Razer Minecraft Collection overview
As I mentioned, four of Razer's best-selling accessories are getting the Minecraft treatment, and they're all available starting today.
- Razer Kraken V4 X Minecraft Edition wired gaming headset for $99.99 at Razer — compared to the standard Kraken V4 X for $80
- Razer Cobra Minecraft Edition wired gaming mouse for $59.99 at Razer — compared to the standard Cobra for $40
- Razer BlackWidow V4 X Minecraft Edition wired gaming keyboard for $169.99 at Razer — compared to the standard BlackWidow V4 X for $130
- Razer Gigantus V2 Minecraft Edition soft mousepad for $29.99 at Razer — compared to the standard Gigantus V2 for $10
To obtain the entire Razer Minecraft Collection, you're looking at $360. If you're just looking for a sick new PC gaming setup and don't care about the Minecraft aesthetics, you can get the standard variants of these products for $260, so there's a $100 premium for us Minecraft fanatics.
I do think the price increases are more reasonable than the Razer Kuromi Collection I reviewed, but it's still worth mentioning that you'll need to pay more to add these to your collection.
You can see more about the Razer Minecraft Collection at Razer.com.
Razer Kraken V4 X Minecraft Edition
We haven't reviewed the Razer Kraken V4 X wired gaming headset, but I have reviewed the Razer Kraken V4 wireless gaming headset, which shares a similar design language and feature set. For those who don't mind a wire, this is a very solid, value-driven gaming headset at $80. Paying an extra $20 for the Minecraft version doesn't seem too bad.
If you buy the Razer Kraken V4 X Minecraft Edition, you'll get an in-game Minecraft code for the Ender Dragon Shawl cosmetic item.
I think I personally prefer the Razer Kraken V4 X without the Creeper-ification, but this is a good-looking limited edition that does the theme justice. I especially love that there are creepers on the inside of the earcups.
Razer Cobra Minecraft Edition
Once again, we haven't reviewed the standard Razer Cobra, but my colleague did review the Razer Cobra Pro wireless gaming mouse, a higher-performance and cable-free variant. The quick rundown? This is a great mouse for those that want to balance comfort, features, and performance. You're paying an additional $20 for the Minecraft Edition, which feels a little steep, but you're still getting a solid peripheral.
If you buy the Razer Cobra Minecraft Edition, you'll get an in-game Minecraft code for the Overgrown Arm cosmetic item.
I'm not the biggest fan of this design, if only because a grass block is front and center and that seems like an odd choice for a mouse. At least you know you'll be grounded while playing. Sorry (not).
Razer BlackWidow V4 X Minecraft Edition
It may not surprise you to hear this at this point, but we've reviewed the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, not the more affordable BlackWidow V4 X. This keyboard still falls under Razer's "let's throw everything and the kitchen sink in" gaming keyboard lineup, but with less RGB lighting and fewer additional features. The Minecraft Edition comes with a $40 premium attached, which is right in line with the rest of the collection.
If you buy the Razer BlackWidow V4 X Minecraft Edition, you'll get an in-game Minecraft code for the Ender Dragon Shawl cosmetic item.
This is my favorite product in the collection. This time, the grass block being the foundation of the keyboard makes a ton of sense, and I love the little Creepers around the arrow keys. It's sad that the awesome grass block keycap isn't actually included in the price of the keyboard, though. Oh, and I tried to find where you can get it, too, but to no avail.
Razer Gigantus V2 (Medium) Minecraft Edition
We're not really in the habit of reviewing basic, soft mousepads, but we do know that Razer — like most reputable companies — has no issue making quality products here. The Minecraft Edition costs three times as much as the standard black-and-green, though, which does feel excessive.
If you buy the Razer Gigantus V2 (Medium) Minecraft Edition, you'll get an in-game Minecraft code for the Overgrown Arm cosmetic item.
Once again, I'm not that excited by this design. It doesn't seem much more interesting than the mountains of off-brand Minecraft mousepads you can find if you look for them, and you're paying an extra $20 for this one. But, hey, it's official.
A good collection targeting more interesting products
I loved the designs of the Razer Kuromi Collection, but lamented that Razer only selected its cheapest products to receive the limited-edition treatment. The Razer Minecraft Collection still doesn't include any flagship products, but these products are far more in line with what I expect most people to have on their desk.
It's unfortunate, though, that the designs themselves aren't as interesting as I'd hoped they'd be. The Razer Kuromi Collection, despite being a collection of lower-end products, has more character in my opinion.
These aren't bad by any means, but there were so many interesting directions Razer and Mojang Studios could've taken with Minecraft's countless blocks, mobs, and biomes. Creepers and grass blocks are absolutely the most basic choices.
Still, it could make a lot of Minecraft fans happy, especially if you have a young one in your life in need of some quality peripherals for their gaming setup.
In other news, Minecraft just began testing adorable new egg designs and more unique wolf personalities. On the Razer side, I recently published my review of the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma... and also my review of the Razer Monitor Stand Chroma (I stay busy).
