Razer | Kuromi Collection PC peripherals review

It's no secret that I enjoy an aesthetic brand collaboration for PC gaming accessories. They often add a bit of colour and a design touch we'd normally don't get to see. When most peripherals come in black, white, camo, and maybe pink, anything else is a welcome change. But sometimes we get an especially cool cross over, that dips its toes into a new look creating some really cool gear. That's exactly the case with Razer's Kuromi collection, which brings Sanrio cheek to this series of gaming peripherals.

The Kuromi x Razer set includes a headset, soundbar, keyboard, as well as a mouse and mousepad. Technically it also includes a chair, but we couldn't get one of those shipped out so I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist. This is largely because it looks excellent and I'm a bit bummed I don't have it to go with the rest of this black and purple gear. They all feature a really cohesive design that takes from the ever popular Kuromi character, the cheeky self-proclaimed doppleganger to the My Melody star.

For the unfamiliar, Kuromi is bunny with the black jester style ears, complete with ball adorned neck rough. She also has a devil pointed tail and a skull on her head. These signify her tomboyish outer personality but hides that she can actually be quite sweet and girly in private. All this has made her a bit of an icon for all those baddies out there with the tough cheeky outsides but goey soft insides. While she's a pink and black coloured character, her pallette is generally a bit cooler so the conversion to black and lilac on the peripherals works really well. It even has my non-Sanrio friends a bit jealous.

Starting with the soundbar, underneath the Sanrio finish sits the Razer Leviathan V2. The front speaker panel is purple with the Razer logo front and centre, and the plastic shell is black with a mix of Kuromi designs on the top and sides. This is topped off with the light purple buttons for easy on device control. From the front you wouldn't even pick the brand tie in, so it can be understated or if you can glimpse the top you can put your fandom on display. To finish the look there's a programmable RGB light strip along the bottom which will be Korumi pink by default.

For $40 more than the standard Leviathan V2, I think the trimmings are worth it. Just. It looks really great in front of a computer, so you can see it from all angles, and if you have it sat against a wall it can help with the tinny tone otherwise offered out in the open.

For those moments when you want to game with a bit more privacy then the headset is your go-to. This is the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 Bluetooth and it's one of the highlights of the set.

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You don't get the 2.4 GHz connection, which is a shame for gaming, but it'll pair with anything fairly effortlessly and delivers impressive sound. The jester bunny ears on top lack any RGB lit flare, but are ridiculously cute, perfectly oversized, and have a weirdly lovely feel to them. Plus I know they look adorable because my 86 year-old nan walked in on me playing DOOM: The Dark Ages in them and started giggling with approval. She wouldn't normally like this kind of thing but she was thoroughly taken by the headset.

The sound is great, and the hidden microphones have excellent recording quality for being inside the cans. I didn't expect it to be anywhere near this good, but I was happily taking phone calls, talking in Discord, and recording voice notes all on this headset without feeling like I had a lack of quality to pay for my cuteness. They also have really good range, allowing me to walk around my house and still keep yapping. Plus inside the cuffs are little hidden Kuromi outlines which just really makes it feel a little extra special. It feels well worth the $30 price hike on the normal black variant to have the cutest headset around.

The mouse and mousepad come as a set, so they don't have quite the same direct comparison in price. Basically these cost $40 more than the mouse by themselves, so even though I'd have to say they're among the most boring of the lot, it feels reasonable, and they do still look really cool.

This Wired DeathAdder is a bit understated featuring lilac trimming with the chaotic Kuromi line drawing motifs, and I can't help but be won over by the Kuromi skull shaped LED on the top, even if it's not customisable. It is, however, one of my least favourite accessories because I much prefer a more robust mouse with more buttons, and maybe even the ability to go wireless. It's a shame that this collab only painted one choice for the mouse, as I think it is a real personal choice in PC gaming.

The Goliathus mousepad is my least favourite of the set, just because the design is a bit simple, with a single large sassy looking Kuromi in the middle that's always covered by my mouse, but I do like the fade out to outlines on the outer edges. The good news is it doesn't have much of a smell to it and feels very smooth to use. It's cute, for sure, but not quite the same level as jester ears on a headset.

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For your other input needs, the keyboard is one of Razer's Ornata V3 Tenkeyless units, and is one of the cooler looking boards I've had the pleasure of using. I'm not sure the design fully justifies the $50 extra over the black edition, though, that seems a bit steep no matter the customisation. The lilac keys pop wonderfully against the black main chassis, and I enjoy the difference the circle media keys at the top add to the design.

Being able to use these buttons to control the sound on the speaker also just feels right. The magnetic wrist rest fits with it perfectly, though it's not plush which I think would have been a better and more thematic fit. Ultimately, though, it's a keyboard that looks as sweet as Kuromi is on the inside and also feels really satisfying to use with good actuation and fast responsive keys.

I've been happily ripping and tearing through DOOM solo, but I wanted to try gaming with this set in a slightly more competitive setting. A friend invited me to play Fortnite, which I haven't really touched before, and within a few hours we'd claimed victory royale. Lightsabering my way to victory in a match while sporting Sanrio fandom sure feels like a combination I never expected to collide, but there I was with my chicken dinner and sweetheart styles. I felt like the ultimate baddie and I think that's exactly what this collection about.