Cameron Faulkner is an editor covering deals and commerce. He joined in 2018, and covers gaming, PCs, accessories, and more.
Razer’s new Pokémon collaboration is a missed opportunity. The four PC gaming peripherals in this lineup are simply reskinned versions of products that already exist, and which cost $20 to $40 more than their all-black counterparts. You really should be getting more for your money here.
For example, the themed BlackWidow V4 X keyboard should include at least one highly detailed custom keycap (switching out Alt for pokéball designs doesn’t cut it). Maybe the Kraken V4 X headset could have included themed pop filters of pokémon silhouettes. I’m just spitballing, which I guess is something that neither Razer nor The Pokémon Company did enough of during this collaboration.
You might be totally happy with how these Razer products look, in which case you can buy them at Best Buy, at Amazon, or from Razer itself. But I know a good collaboration when I see one. MSI’s Toy Story-branded gaming PC components are the kind of high-effort work that I expect to see when a major entertainment brand gets involved. SimCity 2000 Uniqlo T-shirts? Hell yes. A lovingly crafted Final Fantasy-themed Magic: The Gathering set? Say no more. Razer’s Hello Kitty collaboration from 2022 had more pizzazz than its latest. For a franchise with as much personality as Pokémon, wishing for something a little more inspired than reskinned products isn’t asking too much.
