This story was originally published on January 8, 2022, and last updated on January 11, 2022.
After debuting the Razer Zephyr mask last year, the gaming thought best to release a new version that brings a feature from the Project Hazel prototype into an actual sellable product.
This new Zephyr Pro mask gets voice amplification, which was lacking in the original Zephyr, which allows the speakers on the side to output up to 60dB for those standing one meter away from you. To conserve that five- to six-hour battery life, there is a button on the side of the mask to disable voice amplification.
If you want to have a bit of fun, you can even modify your voice. The Zephyr Pro offers voice modification to let you live out your dreams of becoming Bane or Batman, perhaps.
The Chroma RGB accents are still here. You can modify the colors with the accompanying app. And like the original Zephyr, you do get to see the mouth through the center of the mask, making it useful for those who are hard-of-hearing or deaf to understand what you’re saying.
The N95-grade filters are designed for three days of use. Razer sells refill packs through Razer.com. And both the Zephyr and the Zephyr Pro use the same filters.
While we have also written the filters that come with the Razer Zephyr as N95-grade in this story, the Razer masks (both this Zephyr Pro and the Zephyr) are not N95-certified. And the company is pulling the terminology from all its marketing materials after drawing flak and rumored regulatory pressure for “deceptive” marketing, which YouTuber Naomi Wu and publications like PCMag pointed out over the weekend.
The company updated the fine print on its “The Science Behind Razer Zephyr” website reads: “Razer Zephyr is not a certified N95 mask, medical device, respirator, surgical mask or personal protective equipment (PPE) and is not meant to be used on medical or clinical settings.” According to Engadget, it also now claims Zephyr’s filters are 95 percent effective at filtering out particles and 99 percent effective against bacteria.
If you’re still interested in getting the Zephyr Pro, Razer offers a USD 199.99 (around PHP 10,266 converted) bundle that includes 99 days’ worth of filters (33 filters). The wearable air purifier alone costs USD 149.99 (PHP 7,700), which is USD 50 (PHP 2,567) more than the original Zephyr. The company hasn’t mentioned how much the replacement filters will cost, and it hasn’t shared the release date for the mask yet. But it encourages buyers to sign up through rzr.to/zephyr-pro to get notified.
UPDATE 1: 2022/01/11 3:18 P.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
Added update about Razer taking out the term “N95-grade” from the Zephyr Pro’s marketing materials
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