Razer's Soma Chroma Is A $499 RGB Gaming Chair That Syncs With Games

How is it that after all this time, Razer, a peripheral makers notorious for pushing RGB into practically everything, has not released a gaming chair with native RGB lighting? It is a question we need not ask anymore—the new Soma Chroma addresses this curious gap in Razer's modest but growing gaming chair lineup with integrated and synchronized RGB lighting, and it reacts in real-time to more than 300 games. According to Razer, this trick turns the Soma Chroma into a "living extension of the battlestation to enhance immersion and visual engagement." It's basically a version of Razer's Project Madison concept, but without the HD haptics.

The Soma Chroma is Razer's first RGB gaming chair. It can be tuned across 16.8 million colors and 10 presents to match your mood or surrounding decor, and it draws power from a single USB Type-C cable that can be plugged into a wall outet (via an adapter, of course) or a "standard power bank."

The chair features a built-in control panel on top of the headrest. While perhaps a bit awkard, Razer's pitch is that the top-mounted control panel keeps everything within reach, allowing users to effortlessly switch between lighting effects, brightness levels, and PC (via a 2.4GHz USB dongle) or mobile (via Bluetooth) connections. That latter requires Razer's Furniture app.

Beyond the lighting, the Soma Chroma is built around a reinforced steel frame and five-star wheel base. It is height-adjustable and, according to Razer, suitable for players ranging in stature from 5.3 to 6 feet, with a recommended weight capacity of up to 331 pounds.

The chair is capable of reclining up to 155 degrees. It also features a built-in lumbar arch, though it is not adjustable like the HyperFlex lumbar system in the Iskur V2 that we reviewed a couple of years ago, or the newer Iskur V2 Newgen.

Other features include a dual-density cushion with cold-cured foam and 2D armrests (height and swivel).