Razer’s Project Motoko is the first AI wearable I’d actually want to wear

Smart glasses might be all the rage elsewhere, but Razer’s first try at an AI-equipped wearable doesn’t care if you wear specs or not. Project Motoko crams vision-sensing tech into a pair of headphones instead – and isn’t the only concept the gaming specialist has brought to this year’s CES show.

Essentially a Razer Barracuda lookalike with a camera and multiple mics (both near- and far-field) stuffed into each ear cup, Project Motoko captures a first-person perspective of your surroundings and react in real-time to voice commands. It’ll tackle things like foreign language translation, as well as object and text recognition.

It’s powered by Snapdragon silicon and plays nicely with all the major AI models: OpenAI, Google Gemini, and even Elon’s contentious Grok. The firm even reckons it could be used to train future machine learning algorithms thanks to the natural human-eye viewpoint.

Given I rarely leave the house without my headphones as it is, I’d be less likely to forget them than a smart pin. Headphones have a lot more room to squeeze in components than a pair of smart glasses do, and instantly have a leg up on sound quality. Bigger batteries mean charging won’t be as frequent, either.

I also like the fact they don’t stand out as much as smart spectacles do, and don’t force prescription wearers like myself to either invest in expensive lenses or wear contacts just to use it.

Of course Project Motoko is just a concept right now, with no confirmed release date or price. Trotting out speculative hardware at trade shows is something of a Razer tradition at this point, with CES 2026 also seeing Project AVA and Project Madison.

Project AVA is the more out-there of the two. It’s a desk-bound hologram that gives a physical form to the firm’s AI gaming coach/co-pilot, which offers out tips and commentary based on what’s happing on your PC screen. The cylindrical fish tank is home to one of several customisable anime avatars, which uses the built-in speaker and microphone to react to voice commands. It can even see you using a camera at the top of the unit. Naturally the base lights up Razer green.

I have a feeling Project Madison is the closest to a tangible product. It’s an OTT gaming chair with built-in Sensa HD haptics (just like the Freyja gaming cushion I tested in 2025), speakers with THX Spatial Audio upmixing, and (of course) Razer Chroma RGB lighting effects. Essentially a one-stop shop for all the firm’s immersive tech, it’s going to be mighty pricey if it does actually make it to production.

There were a few announcements that will 100% see the light of day: namely the Iskur V2 NewGen gaming chair and Wolverine V3 Bluetooth controller. The chair uses Razer’s new second generation EPU leather for more breathable cushioning, which will apparently help gamers keep their bums cooler than before. Prices are still TBC, but I’m expecting it to be north of the $650 currently asked for the Iskur V2.

The Wolverine V3 Bluetooth, meanwhile, is a TV-friendly gamepad designed for cloud gaming on the big screen. Razer teamed up with LG for the launch, adding integrated TV controls and 2ms low latency Bluetooth for a direct-to-TV connection when streaming via LG’s gaming portal (which includes big hitters like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now). Its thumb sticks use Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) tech for zero drift inputs, and there are two customisable paddles on the rear in case the usual scattering of face buttons and triggers aren’t enough.

It’ll be available to purchase direct from Razer in the coming months.

• Related: Razer shows pro PS5 gamers some love with the new Raiju V3 Pro controller