Dune: Awakening will launch with full Razer Sensa HD haptics

Razer Freyja back cushions — (Image credit: Future)

Dune Awakening's system requirements were published just before the weekend, but eagle-eyed spec-scourers may have noticed a familiar Sneki logo popping up. Developer Funcom not only confirmed that the MMORPG will skip early access for a full launch when it hits the airwaves on May 20, but that it will support Razer's Sensa HD haptics straight out the gate. That means developer-coded haptic sensations running via either the Razer Freyja seat cushion (an add-on for the best gaming chairs) or Razer Kraken V4 Pro headset.

That makes it the most recent title added to Razer's roster of Sensa HD compatible games, joining Final Fantasy XVI, Frostpunk 2, Star Wars Outlaws and more. It also comes shortly after Razer announced Simhub integration with its Sensa-enabled gadgets, giving racing fans the feedback they've been asking for since these devices launched late last year.

Razer Kraken V4 Pro | $399.99 $303.46 at Amazon
Save $96.53 - The Razer Kraken V4 Pro is also on sale at Amazon right now, baking the brand's Sensa HD tech right into its cups. That's still a premium headset, but it comes with all the luxury features you'd expect at this price point. That MSRP is particularly high, but at today's record-low the Razer Kraken V4 Pro's value actually looks solid.

Buy it if:

✅ You prioritize immersive audio
✅ You have other Sensa HD enabled games
✅ You want dual connectivity

Don't buy it if:

❌ You don't want the OLED control hub

UK: £379.99 £362.40 at Amazon

Exactly how Dune Awakening uses Razer Sensa HD haptics remains to be seen. The tech is usually reserved for smaller in-game moments - different spells have their own unique feels in Hogwarts Legacy, while Final Fantasy will translate your sword attacks in similar ways.

So far, Dune Awakening has promised us bazookas, ornithopters, rifles, buggies, and jetpacks - all solid contenders for specific in-game haptic responses. There are certainly plenty of in-game opportunities to use these motors but, having reviewed both the Freyja and Kraken, Razer needs to make sure these experiences are powerful and distinct.

Reviewer's hand holding earcup of Razer Kraken V4 Pro with RGB on — (Image credit: Future)

Sure, it's great to feel the jolt of a specific spell as you wander through Hogwarts - but after a certain amount of time they do tend to blend into one experience and there are larger cut-scene and gameplay moments that benefit more from audio-to-haptic features. Switching Sensa HD on means you're sacrificing the vibrations of larger musical swells or explosions, if they're not coded into their own haptic settings.

Razer has recently been digging into its racing audience with its Simhub partnership, so I'm hopeful the tech will take advantage of the various terrain and vehicle opportunities afforded by Dune Awakening in May. Imagine feeling that sand crunching under your wheels or the rev of Holtzman Engines across six individually tuned motors. That's the kind of immersion Razer and Funcom could be playing with here.

Dune Awakening pre-orders are now available on PC, and Razer's Sensa HD gadgets are currently on sale as well.

We're also hunting down all the best gaming headsets and the best gaming desks, or if you're after a new system, check out the best gaming PCs on the market.

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