When we hear about name Razer, it’s all about those premium gaming laptops. For many airsoft players, it’s a familiar brand since many are gamers themselves and especially during the pandemic have resorted to playing FPS and online multiplayer shooter games when unable to go out and play during lockdowns.

But now we hear about a project by Razer and it is something interesting that would make us wear face masks for hygiene and protection, pandemic or not. Project Hazel is an N95-grade Smart Mask that is also ventilated and comes with what the company calls to a “Voice Amp” technology so that speech is not muffled when one speaks though the mask.

Announced at the ongoing CES 2021, the company unveiled Project Hazel which the company has been developing as part of its commitment under the Razer Health initiative. Before Project Hazel, the company has donated over a million masks to health care and frontline workers as its contribution to the fight against the coronavirus.

“Razer acknowledges the uncertainty in the road ahead, and so it was our duty to help protect our community members and prepare them from invisible threats,” said Min-Liang Tan, co-founder and CEO in a press release by the company. “The Project Hazel smart mask concept is intended to be functional, yet comfortable and useful for interacting with the world, while maintaining a sociable aesthetic.”

The Project Hazel Smart Mask is made from recycled materials as Razer is committed to sustainability ethos. It uses disposable filters and the disc-type ventilator is rechargeable. It comes with a carry case which is a charging box for the ventilator and inside is a UV light for disinfecting the mask.

As it is transparent, the wearer’s expression can be seen and is helpful when interacting with people of poor hearing who resort to lip reading. It has a low light mode in which the internal lights turn on so people can see your expression in low light conditions. The RGB lights will indicate if the mask needs to be recharged or when the filter needs to be replaced.

Razer is asking the community for help to refine the project. If they ask us in the airsoft community, the first thing we’ll as is that it is impact resistant and durable enough to withstand flying BBs that it won’t crack and be able to provide mouth and lower face protection. There is no indication if the prototype is a proof of concept or something that the company would like to see in production.

Certainly, even if it will not have the protective features for airsoft, Project Hazel looks like a smart mask that we may need for everyday use even if there is no pandemic to worry about.  Let’s just hope it will not be priced like the premium gaming laptops Razer sells.