Hydra on sale for $40 (or $45)

Post by **spire8989** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 1:30 am

Tech.woot is selling the Hydra for $40 (+$5 shipping) atm. If you're getting the developer kit and don't have a Hydra yet, might be worth it:

http://tech.woot.com/offers/razer-hydra ... ontrollers

Post by **tmek** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 1:34 am

wow this seems like an amazing deal.. am i missing something here?

Post by **spire8989** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 1:40 am

They have sales like this a lot. It's a good way to save $20 if you buy it in the next 22 hours or before they sell out ^_^

Post by **misterhek** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:17 am

Ugh. I don't really want one. But, I do have that nice tax rebate sitting here doing nothing. Guess I'm in for 1.

Good find, spire.

Post by **TheHolyChicken** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:25 am

Now if someone could find the equivalent UK vendor that would be great. I can only find them for £99, which is ~$147 usd

Post by **a7las** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:42 am

I had just ordered one of these on Amazon this afternoon for about $20 more! I was able to cancel that order and buy one off Woot. Thanks for the post, Spire!

Post by **maboo63** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:50 am

damn what a pity

us only

Post by **WiredEarp** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:27 am

@ TheHolyChicken: I just bought one. I used a service that NZ Post has started up here, where you can give a US address and get stuff sent there, then then send it from there to me (like MyUS.com). I thought I'd give it a try since its run by our local post office, so I have a bit more trust in it. I haven't tried it before so it will be interesting to see how smoothly it goes.

For US$45 (NZ$55 atm) it seemed a good deal. Even if I pay $50 to ship to NZ, that still is a good saving, since the Hydra sells for $157 here. Thanks for the heads up spire indeed!

Post by **STRZ** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:31 am

Pricedrops are often a indication that a successor is introduced shortly after. Maybe something developed for VR

Post by **V8Griff** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:00 am

maboo63 wrote:damn what a pity

us only

x 2

Post by **Aeroflux** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:27 am

Thank you Spire! I've been waiting for the right time to get the Hydra. If they come out with a new generation I may consider it, but this will do nicely for learning the basics.

Post by **Marulu** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:34 am

V8Griff wrote:
maboo63 wrote:damn what a pity

us only
x 2

This is such a tease, I would have bought it if they would ship to Europe.

Post by **maboo63** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:53 am

can't we just make a...collective order? someone orders several units and then send it into the world?

anyone?

Post by **AntonieB** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:11 am

In The Netherlands we can buy a "razer naga molten" for 79 euro and get a Razer Hydra with it:

http://www.bol.com/nl/p/razer-naga-elit ... 011180406/

Sorry if posting this kind of 'commercial' links is not prohibited please remove it if thats the case.

I did get my hyrda with this and put my 'razer naga molten' on marketplace and got 30 euro's for it.. so basicly I got my Hydra for 49 euro.

Post by **geekmaster** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:42 am

I already have two Razer Hydras from that half-off coupon code posted here awhile back (including one with Portal 2). Woot has a limit of 3 per person, but only $5 shipping today for all of them. $125USD for all three of them (including shipping). No sales tax from Woot, but too much sales tax from my Razer purchases.

All my other Razer devices came from Woot at the same price too (Razer Naga Molten mouse $40, Razer Nostromo keypad $40). I wonder when Woot will have the next Razer gaming device for $40USD...

Now, what do I do with FIVE Razer Hydras?

Now I can add these to my collection of Microsoft 3D Joysticks (most of them still in unopened boxes). Sadly, mostly analog joysticks, what were obsolete since WinXP. How long until the Hydras go obsolete? When Rift comes out with their consumer Rift?

Who needs a Hydra? PM me your country and I could look up shipping...

EDIT: After receiving PMs, this apparently needs a clarification. I am not offering to give them away for FREE. I will let one (or maybe two) go at my TOTAL cost (1/5 of my total cost of all my Hydras including my sales tax and shipping) plus international shipping. I do not want to LOSE money (only my limited time, which is even more valuable than "potentially" unlimited money). I will wait and see who needs it the worst (what DEVELOPMENT project will it be used for?)... People in the US can buy their own from Woot. The shipping may be cheaper if I repackage them in a smaller box, because that big pretty (mostly empty) box could be costly to ship.

EDIT2: One of them is taken, but I will let another go too. I think 3 is enough for my for now. They cannot be used too close together anyway. I want enough for a virtual "threesome" (shared VR experience).

Post by **Baristan6** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 8:54 am

STRZ wrote:Pricedrops are often a indication that a successor is introduced shortly after. Maybe something developed for VR

In one of the Project Holodeck videos they mention that a new version of the hydra is in the works, but at $40 I won't be waiting.

Post by **Dnhkng** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:14 am

AntonieB wrote:In The Netherlands we can buy a "razer naga molten" for 79 euro and get a Razer Hydra with it:

http://www.bol.com/nl/p/razer-naga-elit ... 011180406/

The price looks good, but after Google-translating and completing the account creation form, it wouldn't let me buy one from Germany

Anyone seen a similar price in Europe somewhere?

Post by **zalo** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:57 am

Just got one for $50 with tax and shipping.

Post by **STRZ** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:05 am

Dnhkng wrote:
AntonieB wrote:In The Netherlands we can buy a "razer naga molten" for 79 euro and get a Razer Hydra with it:

http://www.bol.com/nl/p/razer-naga-elit ... 011180406/
The price looks good, but after Google-translating and completing the account creation form, it wouldn't let me buy one from Germany

Anyone seen a similar price in Europe somewhere?

Polish dealers seem to have good offers (unten) http://geizhals.at/de/?fs=razer+hydra&in=

Post by **geekmaster** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:09 am

Baristan6 wrote:
STRZ wrote:Pricedrops are often a indication that a successor is introduced shortly after. Maybe something developed for VR
In one of the Project Holodeck videos they mention that a new version of the hydra is in the works, but at $40 I won't be waiting.

They mentioned prototypes of new units with different operating frequencies so they can operate in the same space. These $40 units need to be spaced apart (different users) as shown in Project Holodeck photos showing two users.

The API supports 4 controllers per base, so perhaps the new units have a plug for a couple more hydra hand controllers. If they overcame the latency issue in the early wireless models (that never became commercially available), perhaps new units could benefit from that too, but we can only speculate.

Post by **3dRat** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:25 am

is Hydra really cool? or just seems to be cool?

I mean someone here thinks he cannot play games without it anymore?

I'd like to know, thanks

Post by **3dRat** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:25 am

edit: fool of me posted twice... bad rat...

Post by **MSat** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:43 am

3dRat wrote:is Hydra really cool? or just seems to be cool?

I mean someone here thinks he cannot play games without it anymore?

I'd like to know, thanks

For regular gaming using a TV or monitor, it's not very compelling, but I could imagine that for VR it would be quite amazing.

Post by **3Tree** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:35 pm

I'm tempted to repurchase these at this price...

Although the wires would get in the way and having to be pretty close to the base was annoying...

Post by **oculusfan** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:45 pm

I can't get over the Wii. I was one of the ones excited for the Wii, in line to get one day 1, anticipating the release for months. I bought in to the motion control hype...and it turned out to be a huge let down. Other than a game or two here and there, and the small tech demo Wii Sports, motion controls were a major headache and I'd much rather use a mouse/keyboard.

Maybe it will be different for VR, but I find it hard to get excited about motion control again after being burned so bad by Wii.

Post by **cybereality** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:47 pm

I already have a Hydra (and barely use it) but somehow that cheap price is making me want to buy another one...

Post by **AntonieB** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:55 pm

Well I think the Hydra is worth nothing at all at the moment.. almost no support in games and the support there is is not really that much.. things like mouse emulation / button binding.. etc etc.. so for that I would absolutly not say one should by it. (Portal is like the only game really supported)

But on the other hand.. if you are into programming / designing games and you want to experiment some with real 3d motion control its the cheapest way to get some results.

And probably in combination with the Oculus Rift there is some more to say for the Razer Hydra.

Post by **spire8989** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 3:08 pm

AntonieB wrote: But on the other hand.. if you are into programming / designing games and you want to experiment some with real 3d motion control its the cheapest way to get some results.

And probably in combination with the Oculus Rift there is some more to say for the Razer Hydra.

Agreed. I wouldn't buy it to play video games, but as a programmer and developer, this is a good way to get some immersiveness with my rift which will hopefully be coming in a month or two :3

Post by **twofoe** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:01 pm

I wonder if GeraldT could weigh in. I think he's been experimenting with the Hydra in Unity, and has commented in the past that it's difficult to implement due to poor support from Razer. Is that true, and would you still recommend getting one to the average indie dev?

Post by **GeraldT** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:27 pm

YES, YES, YES, YES !!!! Get a hydra - dev or gamer, you should buy at that price no question asked. You will get a free Portal DLC from them if you write them an email. So there is already a lot of worth in that purchase.

Also as a developer for the Rift YES it is worth the effort. I am not a top notch software developer and I am not used to work with quaternations and think in 3D, so I would have loved to have a well documented and ready to go Unity project. And I really don't understand why there is none. Someone more experienced in these matter will have a much easier time implementing it.
Also there is Alex T. who has created a very nice beginners package. You will find him if you are looking for Hydra stuff very soon (I won't name him for the simple reason that I love him helping me out so much and I don't want him to get a gazillion emails from people that just think they might want to make a game - free help is awesome and usually does not last long if abused).

But once you have it working it is sooooo awesome. I don't have a Rift, but I can see this working very, very well already. Shooting over your shoulder on enemies behind you (been there, done that) is awesome. I can only think how it will feel with the Rift on to fire to your left with one gun and to your right with the other gun.
I have played with different aiming mechanism which I am frankly not close to sharing, but if you have an ounce of imagination in your body you will explode with ideas the moment you got control of the Hydra.

I am already, thanks to the Hydra, at the point where I have put the adventure on ice and will go for competitive multiplayer. Because using the Hydra with the Rift CRIES for such a game (and frankly I learned that I suck as a level designer for adventures ... so I need to make some money to get external help!).

Post by **twofoe** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:35 pm

Done!

Post by **geekmaster** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:40 pm

6 hours left on woot.

Post by **twofoe** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:44 pm

geekmaster wrote:6 hours left on woot.

Or until they're sold out

Post by **geekmaster** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:45 pm

twofoe wrote:
geekmaster wrote:6 hours left on woot.
Or until they're sold out

Whichever comes first.

Now that I got my Razer Nostromo keypad for $40 on Woot!, and my Razer Naga Molten mouse for $40 on Woot!, and some more Razer Hydras for $40 on Woot!, any guesses what the next $40 Razer device on Woot! might be?

Post by **WiredEarp** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:19 pm

I dunno Geekmaster, but you sound worse than me. 3 Hydras? LOL. I was so tempted to add an extra one to my order!

You must have a nice collection of stuff at your place

@ GeraltT: multiplayer shooters are going to be GREAT in VR. I too am looking forwards to being able to do some two gun shooting!

Post by **GeraldT** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:35 pm

WiredEarp wrote: @ GeraltT: multiplayer shooters are going to be GREAT in VR. I too am looking forwards to being able to do some two gun shooting!

I remember Dactyl Nightmare being the coolest experience I had so far in VR, but I expect most available games to be rather weak.
Also it is a great genre to start simple and evolve while building up a community. The only problem for me is programming the server part, but hey I love to learn new stuff and I have done similar stuff in the past for business applications, so I hope it won't be that much of an issue.
And I count on you guys getting Hydras besides your Rift so we can have many a multiplayer session by the end of the year

Post by **zalo** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:23 pm

I love that the hydra has joysticks and buttons on it making it comparable to an Xbox controller and a leap combined. So far, it's the only practical motion control scheme I've seen for competitive gaming.

My original plan was to have the left hand hold an Xbox controller, and to have the right hand interact using the leap, but now I don't have to compromise!

At $40 ($50 with shipping and tax) this is an absolute steal, and I look forward to making some cool VR interaction mock-ups with it. And you should look forward to playing with them, so buy a Hydra and don't be left out!

Post by **maboo63** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:04 pm

now we just need such an offer here in europe...

Post by **DFP** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:38 pm

I beg you guys when you implement Hydra support into your games, allow the forearm to work mostly parallel to the ground and not more often perpendicular as they seem to do with current supported games. (Of course if you plan for your in-game arm to directly correlate with your actual arm position, you can just ignore this.)

Post by **STRZ** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:48 pm

maboo63 wrote:now we just need such an offer here in europe...

Look on the previous site, some dealers sell the Hydra in Poland for 47€