When a brand like Razer launches a new “edition” of its existing tech, I always prefer the design to go big or go home. Transforming my favorite goth-bunny girl’s head into a pair of Kuromi Edition Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed earbuds is definitely a go-big moment.
The $119.99 earphones don’t just re-color the charging case pastel purple and slap on some existing Sanrio artwork and call it a day. Instead, the entirety of the existing gaming earbuds case has been swapped out with Kuromi’s head, which even goes as far as to include her hood-covered ears and a 3-dimensional version of her cute skull-bow motif. This all comes at a $20 extra cost to the plain buds, but if I’m paying more for a “Kuromi Edition” anything, I’d much sooner prefer brands go the extra mile like Razer has with this new model.
The Kuromi Edition earbuds have yet to appear at the UK Razer online store quite yet, but you can alternatively pick up the brand’s Kuromi accessories starting from £62.38 at Amazon today.
Look, I’m not a fan of the inflated cost of gaming tech that’s the result of a collaboration with a tech brand like Razer and an existing IP or brand. I get why it exists, as the licence fee needs to be recouped somewhere, but at a time when the RAM storage crisis is making everything related to this hobby more expensive, it sucks that representing your fandom through accessories comes at an inflated price.
If that price does exist, I at least expect the theming to go all out, and thankfully that appears to be the case with these new earbuds. Not only are there sculpts of Kuromi’s ears, but the widow’s peak of her hood plays host to the case’s LED indicator, and the bottom of her head can be hooked up to a USB-C cable for charging.
The buds inside aren’t plain either, and share the same pastel purple coloring while including a pattern of skulls down their side. The only thing that’d make it sweeter would be if Razer featured more skulls instead of its traditional snake logos on each earphone, but I can make do without it when there’s plenty of Kurmomi-ness left to admire.
On the inside, they’re the same Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed buds as always. Equipped with 7.1.4 surround sound, touch controls, they’re designed with “gaming and everyday listening” in mind. They’re also multi-platform friendly and could be an alternative to your go-to gaming headset, as they have 2.4Ghz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2 support too.
If you do prefer your subtleties when it comes to Razer accessories however, you can always check out the Pikachu and Eevee Collection instead. The set doesn’t include a pair of earbuds, but does opt for a “less is more” sentiment by draping its Pokemon Edition tech in a dusty pink coloring and cute art with no 3D ears to be found. I prefer a bit more over-the-top whimsy for my licensed tech, but each to their own.
View all Razer Kuromi Edition accessories at Amazon
Prefer a pair of cups instead? Check out the best PC headsets for gaming, the best PS5 headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch headsets we’ve tested so far.