Razer, maker of peripherals, creator of computers, and, increasingly, innovator in gaming culture, is at it again. They've paired their newest digital initiative, the zVault - a digital currency for gamers, with Razer Cortex, their free-to-use PC performance boosting software launched in 2014.
Whether or not Razer Cortex is an effective game booster is a discussion for another article (I personally haven't used it, but have heard that experiences range widely depending on hardware). However, the latest version announced today gives gamers real incentive for using it as a game launcher. The software will now feature a "Paid to Play" initiative that will let gamers earn zSilver digital currency by playing PC games launched with Razer Cortex. Razer had previously been offering a zSilver bounty by using the Razer Cortex beta on a daily basis; but this is different. Min-Liang Tan, Razer CEO and co-founder had this to say:
The concept of everyday gamers getting paid to play has never been done by a hardware brand in the gaming industry. Gamers may reap the benefits of a rewards system simply by doing things they’re already doing.
To earn zSilver, players only have to download and install Razer Cortex, then use it to launch one of the top games such as Paladins, League of Legends, DOTA 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and, my favorite Overwatch. Once you're playing, you'll earn three zSilver per minute, up to 900 per day. That's it - there's no feedback you have to provide or survey to fill out, just play games like you always do and get rewarded for it. Not a bad hustle.
So what can you do with your newfound digital riches? You can cash in zSilver for Razer hardware such as the Razer Mamba Chroma gaming mouse, Razer Blackwidow Chroma, or discounts on various Razer products. Hardware costs around an average of 200k zSilver, so if the only zSilver you earn is through Razer Cortex, you'll be playing 1,110 hours over 222 days. That's about five hours of gaming every day (after the initial two weeks where you'll earn twice as much per minute) before you'll have enough zSilver to afford a mouse or keyboard.
And in the grand tradition of Razer's mythical household products (this time it's not an April Fool's), Razer’s introducing a limited edition Razer Mug Holder, with Razer Chroma lighting technology. It's not available for retail sale, so the only way to get one is to redeem 100k zSilver (or 111 days of playing games for five hours a day). I'd be snarkier about the mug holder; but I have to admit, it looks pretty swanky. And if it actually hooks up to the Synapse app to coordinate with your other Chroma-powered peripherals, it will be a nice addition to your gaming setup.
To download Razer Cortex, head over to the official site. To learn more about zSilver, check out Razer's zVault page. What will you be playing to earn?
