The Razer Clio made me fall in love with my gaming chair, but I wouldn't run out and buy one

Spatial audio is one of my favorite gaming headset features, as I love me some immersion. I want to feel like I'm right in the action of my favorite games and distract myself from the horrors of daily life, so my interest was well and truly piqued when I learned about the Razer Clio.

The THX spatial audio-enabled wireless computer speaker devlipers immersive audio quality without the need for a headset, and hooks onto your gaming chair without any troublesome wires. The setup is straightforward; it can integrate with your current speakers, and the audio payoff is grand, but it is undoubtedly one of the most niche bits of audio tech today, and a little on the pricey side, which makes recommending it a bit awkward.

The $229.99 / £179.99 wireless speaker cushion is best attached to Razer-branded chairs, so it's only going to suit a small number of gaming setup types. That being said, I don't ever want to imagine my chair without it, as I love the freedom and immersion it brings to my PC gaming sessions. I just don't think everyone is going to get the same rush of nerdy joy from this unique speaker cushion.

Key Specs

Design

The Razer Clio has a very croissant-like shape. I'm fortunate enough to have my toosh on the Razer Iskur V2, which is one of the exact chairs the Clio was designed for, and it almost perfectly aligns with the upper section of the chair.

Where it differs is its sides, which protrude slightly outwards, but that's exactly what they're intended to do. The 43 mm full-range speaker drivers are found on the left and right sides of the Clio, and these need to stick out some so the sound isn't muffled.

The speaker is all-black, and there's no RGB lighting to be found. That doesn't mean you can't identify it as a Razer product, as it has that iconic green serpent logo embossed on the front-facing side, which is as neon as I've ever seen it on any of my Razer gadgets.

The Clio design is simple, but I'm a fan. It ties into my Razer gaming chair and feels very understated and sleek with its plain all-black colorway. It's also coated in a black fabric to give it a bit more dimension.

On the top of the speaker, directly above the Razer logo, is where you'll find all the on-board controls, which include volume buttons, an EQ button, a source button (that switches between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz), and a power button. Beneath that, and at the back of the Clio, you'll find both 43 mm full-range speakers located at the left and right sides of the device, with the USB-C port hanging out also on the left-hand side.

Features

The Razer Clio is both a cushion and a wireless speaker all rolled into one. However, before I delve into the audio side of things, I want to quickly talk about the features of the Clio as a gaming chair cushion.

Razer graciously states that the adjustable straps of the Clio allow it to fit on "most high-back gaming chairs" but it definitely feels like it's more suited to Razer chairs. My partner has a high-back chair, and while the Clio did eventually fit when I made the straps as loose as possible, it was just barely hanging on and made me incredibly anxious that the $229.99 / £179.99 accessory would fall and smash into pieces on my hardwood flooring at any moment.

Razer does at least acknowledge this by also stating that it best recommends the Clio for Razer chairs the best "enhanced immersive" gaming experience, and I agree. I popped it on the back of my Razer Iskur V2 without issue, and it actually suits the chair more than the head cushion it originally came with.

The original head cushion is a lot more comfortable, however. There's only a light thickness of padding on the center of the Clio, and that's all you get. Fortunately for me, I very rarely have my head resting at the top of my chair anyway, but it's worth keeping in mind if comfort is a big priority.

The Clio is "THX spatial audio-enabled," which basically means you use it alone, or as part of your existing PC audio setup, to create an immersive soundscape for all your gaming needs. This is achieved via Razer's Synapse software, and there's even a THX demo video available that you can test out as soon as possible.

The Clio is equipped with Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless via the accompanying Razer HyperSpeed Wireless dongle, and can be charged via the USB-C port with any 14W USB Type-C charging cable. It takes around 6 hours for a full charge, which will provide up to 14 hours of battery life.

With its Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity at the helm, you could technically use this with a range of consoles, but it's pretty much aimed towards PC players. Having the PC Synapse software is a must in order to get access to the headset's EQ settings and to equip the Clio as your rear speakers to create your own immersive sound system, so console players have to miss out on this niche Razer chair accessory.

Performance

To start testing the Clio, I popped the 2.4GHz wireless dongle into my PC and brought up Razer's Synapse software to set the Clio as the rear speaker, while my Razer Leviathan V2 X Kuromi Edition soundbar was selected as the front. You don't need to have an existing pair of Razer speakers to incorporate the Clio in this way, either, but it just so happened that I was already knee-deep in the Razer tech ecosystem.

I have quite a sensitive noggin', so the first significant thing I noticed with the Clio was the relief of enjoying the benefits of hearing a game's audio in a 3D-soundscape without a tight feeling of a headset pressing up against my glasses and the temples of my head. The comfort was emphasized more as using the Clio meant I had to correct my posture at all times.

My posture has often been compared to that of Shaggy from Scooby Doo, so anything that can help ensure I'm sitting properly while gaming is a plus. In order to hear the Clio properly, I always had to be sitting up straight, so playing Fortnite in this way meant I didn't have the middle-aged gaming pensioner back pains I normally experience after any PC-gaming session.

It wasn't just comfortable, but the game sounded fantastic through the 43mm full-range audio drivers, too. It was sadly a bit on the quiet side, no matter what settings I tinkered around with on my PC and on the Clio, which is unfortunate. However, running around in zero build mode with the twinkling sound of nearby chests sounding off all around me was a treat. I usually need a headset in order to experience that added immersion, but with the Clio, I felt just as aware of my surroundings in-game and out.

I'd like to sit and pretend that this made me better at the game, but I still found myself getting shot at by Sabrina Carpenter and some Power Rangers and being at least 10 spots away from that glorious Victory Royal.

As far as online games go, I also tried out multiple matches of Marvel Rivals, a game that's been my obsession for most of this year. As my competitive game of choice, I'm always going to prefer a headset as ANC-enabled cups like the Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless help isolate unwanted sounds and focus on the game. Hearing the creeks of my house and my cat's zoombies while using the Clio didn't help me get closer to my Lord status as Jeff the Land Shark, but it was still a fun experience.

Jeff's "yummy yummy" cries sounded more ominous coming from the Clio behind my head, and where times I even glanced back in case Scarlet Witch was really behind me, ready to blast me out of existence with her chaos powers. I also made sure to get some single-player action the go. For me, this meant seeing how the Razer Clio-enabled sound system dealt with the likes of Baldur's Gate 3, especially when it came to the game's triumphant score by Borislav Slavov.

I quickly went about creating a new player character just to run through the game's opening, as there's a lot going on in just that beginning segment. Every roll of the dice from the first battle to the moment I escaped the terrifying Nautiloid ship sounded even more clicky and heavenly than the last. It was almost as if I were playing a genuine D&D session with my friends, which was nice, as I haven't actually done that in a while.

What was apparent by now was that I could actually hear finer details and nuances of the Baldur's Gate 3 soundscape as the 43 mm full-range drivers of the Clio were positioned closer to my ears. It wasn't to the level of a gaming headset, which is why the Clio is never going to replace my favorite bit of gaming tech any time soon, but the upgrade from just sticking to my everyday soundbar is why I don't ever want to imagine my sound system without the Clio in the future.

The best bit about testing the Razer Clio was that it ended up not being about gaming at all, and instead, it became my favorite way to listen to music at my desk.

The Razer Clio made listening to everything from my favorite band, Bombay Bicycle Club, to my latest obsession, the local Scottish band Slim City, sound incredible. A lot of the bass frequencies of either band would come from the Clio, rather than the front speakers, which made every song sound all the more exciting - like I was at a live show.

It sounded even better once I switched to the 'music' preset, which is one of three available via Synapse, or a button located on the top of the speaker, and this was the same case when it came to popping on TV shows and movies. I'm deep into Dexter Resurrection right now, and the iconic leitmotif that plays at the end of every episode felt as goosepimply as ever with the Clio's movie audio preset. I don't have a surround sound system in place in my living room, so this was as close as I could get, and I loved every moment.

What I didn't expect to love about the Razer Clio was that it meant I could have a better piece of mind when listening to music, or playing games in my office. As a woman, I sometimes get very anxious working away at my desk, and more so with a headset on, as there are times when I suspect there might be someone in the room with me.

Of course, there never is, unless you count my cat. However, that anxiety has meant that I never feel truly comfortable with a headset on, and the Clio has given me back that sense of agency and comfort. Now, I can still have an immersive experience with my games and be hyper aware of any sounds and goings on in my home.

The only hindrance for me, besides the very quiet sound and brow-raising price point, is that it's sadly really a PC-only accessory. My PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and home consoles are all set up in the living room and nowhere near a Clio-compatible gaming chair. And to make matters more annoying, you really need to have the PC Synapse software running to get the most out of the Clio.

I'm a big horror girlie and would have loved to experience the upcoming Silent Hill f, which I've pre-ordered for my PS5, through the Clio.

Should you buy the Razer Clio?

The Razer Clio is one of my favorite accessories that I'm always eager to show off to friends when they ask if I've reviewed any cool bits of tech lately, and yet, it's very awkward to recommend.

It's niche, and niche bits of tech are only going to suit a teeny weeny subset of players. In this case, those tiny players are going to be PC gaming fans with a high-back Razer chair, who rely heavily on spatial audio in games but don't always like to have that restricting feeling of a PC headset on their head. If that sounds like you, then the Clio would fit right at home amongst the rest of your setup.

Even then, the $229.99 / £179.99 MSRP is a lot to pay for what is essentially a large wireless speaker with some straps, no matter what way you look at it. If it were closer to that $150 / £100 mark, got a little bit louder, and was compatible with more non-Razer branded chairs, I'd be more than happy to sing its praises to everyone. However, you'd be better off grabbing a speaker like the Razer Levithan V2 X for $99.99 at Amazon, which is regularly found even cheaper, if you want to expand on your existing Razer audio tech ecosystem.

How I tested the Razer Clio

I tested the Razer Clio over a couple of months by attaching it to my Razer gaming chair and incorporating it as part of my current sound system setup. During those many weeks, the Clio was set up as my rear speaker, with my current PC soundbar set as the front speakers, while I tested a range of games from Fortnite, Marvel Rivals, and single-player experiences like Baldur's Gate 3.

Additionally, I used the Razer Clio while playing music via Spotify, which included listening to a range of genres and bands, from Bombay Bicycle Club, Slime City, and the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. Lastly, I also used the Clio while catching up with TV shows like Dexter Resurrection via Paramount+ + and the latest shows and documentaries via Netflix. For more information on how we test speakers and other audio tech, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

Fancy a headset instead? Our guides to the best PS5 headsets, best Xbox Series X headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch headsets are full of high-quality cups ideal for your beloved console of choice.