With the last entry in the Skywalker Saga just around the corner, it’s unsurprising to see various Star Wars-themed peripherals start to pop-up. For those looking to pledge their allegiance to The Empire, Razer has released an entire line of Stormtrooper-inspired gear. These include the Razer Kraken headset, BlackWidow keyboard, Goliathus Extended mousepad, and Atheris mouse. Ranging from $34.99 to $109.99, purchasing these items can be a hefty financial commitment.
We spent nearly a week with each item, testing them in a variety of scenarios to see how they do both for gaming and casual use. Since all of these items can be purchased without the Star Wars iconography, we will be also weighing in the aesthetics of each item a bit more than we normally would. After all, you want to make sure your Star Wars gear actually evokes the feeling of Star Wars, right?
Below is our breakdown for each piece of gear, along with our rating, and the item’s specs.
Razer Goliathus Extended – Stormtrooper Edition
- Material: Polyester Knitted Fabric (Surface), Natural Foam Rubber (Base)
- Length: 920 mm
- Width: 294 mm
- Thickness: 3mm
- Price: $34.99
There are a lot of mousepads you can purchase nowadays, but the Razer Goliathus might be one of my favorites. As someone who has always preferred extended mousepads to normal ones, the Goliathus is easily one of my favorites. The mat is quite long, allowing full coverage for your keyboard, arms, and mouse to rest on.
On a hardwood surface, the mat did not budge an inch when used during extended use. I tested a variety of mice with this mousepad, all worked wonderfully and with little issue. That being said, the Goliathus is definitely made for Razer products since you can calibrate the mouse to the pad itself.
Visually, the mousepad is gorgeous, prominently displaying five Stormtroopers in the middle of the pad with “Stormtrooper” in big white letters. The images definitely evoke the feeling of The Empire and the black stripes look terrific with the BlackWidow keyboard. While there is a little worry that the white may fade over time, this is certainly a terrific mousepad for anyone who’s a fan of Star Wars.
Our Rating: 5/5
Razer Atheris Mouse – Stormtrooper Edition
- Wireless
- 7,200 DPI Optical Sensor
- Length: 99.7 mm
- Width: 62.8 mm
- Weight: 0.145 lbs
- Price: $59.99
Certainly the most divisive of the Stormtrooper gear, the Atheris mouse is a visually gorgeous, if underwhelming peripheral. Starting with the good, the mouse prominently displays a Stormtrooper’s helmet on the top. This looks terrific alongside the rest of the Star Wars gear, even if your hand covers most of this image up. There are no lighting or chroma effects for this mouse, which is a bit strange given the keyboard lights up white.
Sadly, the Atheris mouse is simply too small – especially for someone with bigger hands like myself. Coming in at just under 4 inches, the Atheris is quite compact which makes it quite awkward for use in a competitive scenario. My hand could never comfortably sit on it for a long time and the glossy top makes the mouse feel slippery when you’re trying to quickly move it around. Even though it boasts some textured rubber grips on the side, my fingers would occasionally slide off the top portion.
All of the buttons work as intended, but if you don’t have a smaller hand than this is one we cannot recommend. That being said, if you are someone who is crimped on space or travels a lot then the Atheris is an okay choice. The USB connector is stored underneath the faceplate, which makes it very difficult to lose when on the go.
While cool looking, the Atheris mouse is not even close to the best mouse that Razer offers.
Our Rating: 2.5/5
Razer BlackWidow Keyboard – Stormtrooper Edition
- 87 Keys
- Length: 14.2 in
- Width: 5.2 in
- Weight: 1.46 lb
- Price: $99.99
Perhaps the best part of the Stormtrooper set, this variation of the BlackWidow keyboard is fantastic. This silent mechanical keyboard is fairly compact, as it ditches any additional buttons and the number keypad on the left. While this might be a negative for some, I found the removal of this section quite nice for someone who doesn’t have a massive amount of desk space. However, if you are looking for something more substantial I recommend the Huntsman Elite.
Every key is instantly responsive and much quieter than a normal mechanical keyboard. However, you still get that satisfying click whenever you tap on it. This version also comes with O-Rings to further dampen the noise if you don’t like the constant noise. Outside of my daily writing, I tested this keyboard with Heroes of the Storm, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The BlackWidow performed wonderfully and without any lag or response issues.
Visually, the BlackWidow looks terrific thanks to the white backdrop, black keys, and elegant design on the plate. You can instantly tell this is a Star Wars keyboard thanks to the stormtrooper in the bottom right corner and the Imperial emblem on the Esc key. All of the keys are also backlit with a white glow, giving it an aesthetically pleasing look in the dark. The only additional color is the Caps button which turns green when pressed. Unfortunately, there is no way to further modify the colors of this keyboard so if you don’t like the all-white backlight then you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Yet as a whole package, the BlackWidow Stormtrooper Edition is a terrific keyboard that performs perfectly both in and out of intense gaming situations.
Our Rating: 5/5
Razer Kraken Headset – Stormtrooper Edition
- Weight: 0.71 lb
- Cable Length: 4.27 ft
- Connection: Analog
- Works With: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Smart Phones
- Frequency Response (Microphone): 100Hz – 10 kHz
- Frequency Response (Headphones): 12Hz- 28 kHz
- Price: $109.99
The final piece of the Razer Stormtrooper PC gear is the Kraken headset. This compact headset offers solid sound quality and comfortability while embracing the Star Wars aesthetic. Colored black and white, the Kraken is a superb looking headset that does a terrific job tying into the Razer Stormtrooper brand. “Star Wars” is in bold black letters across the top with the Imperial seal hidden away in each of the ear cups. There are also some horizontal black stripes at the base of the headband which mimics the same ones found on the mousepad and keyboard.
All of this looks terrific, as Razer has done a great job visualizing this product. Much like the mousepad, the Kraken screams “Star Wars” at first glance and is certainly more visually pleasing that some of Razer’s previously licensed headsets. That being said, the Kraken is a bit compact, which appears to be a theme with this set. It fits snugly on the head and the cups are just big enough to fit without having my ears mashed inside of them. The retractable microphone is also great, even if it doesn’t come out too far.
Sound quality on the Kraken varies, especially when it comes to bass. There’s not a lot of power behind this headset, so don’t expect to hear thunderous bass sounds when listening to music. Volume is controlled on a simple sound wheel found on the cable, along with the ability to mute your mic. Sadly, the dial doesn’t really stick once you’ve decided on a volume and I found myself accidentally bumping it when on the go or moving with the headset on. It can be a bit frustrating to always adjust this wheel since just rubbing the dial against my clothes is enough to move it.
If you’re looking for a sturdy, slightly affordable headset than the Kraken is worth considering. However, if you enjoy having a lot of bass or are on the move, then it might be worth looking elsewhere. While it’s certainly a great looking headset, I’m not sure the increased price is justified.
Our Rating: 3.5/5