When I asked for more wood-paneled PC cases, I didn’t realize we’d be getting another one so soon; On Wednesday, gaming PC case maker Fractal announced two more small form factor cases, one of which includes a slatted wood panel — but it’s also expanding its product line to include gaming chairs and headsets. games for the first time.
Her first gaming chair, the Refine, looks a lot closer to a Herman Miller than something from Secretlab. But its mesh seat is as tall as a traditional gaming chair, and has the same ergonomic features built into modern, high-end office and gaming chairs.
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It has adjustable lower back (lumbar) support, headrest and 4D armrests, or armrests that have four adjustment points: height, swivel, forward/backward and closer or further away from your body. The chair can also be reclined and locked in 13 different positions, and if you don’t like sitting against mesh fabric, there’s a rigid, fabric-padded version.
The Refine will be available worldwide sometime this summer in five variations: a light or dark mesh fabric, a light or dark solid fabric, and a dark Alcantara fabric. Standard versions will be $549.99, priced similarly to higher-end gaming chairs from rivals, but the Alcantara version is much more expensive at $899.99.
The most notable feature of Fractal’s first gaming headset, the Scape, is its wireless charging support. Most gaming headset companies sell stands separately from the headset itself, but I appreciate that Fractal is including one with its headset because it takes the guesswork out of finding a compatible third-party device.
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Of course, an included stand is not enough to make a purchase decision, as the quality of the drivers is most important. (If we get our hands on this headset, we’ll let you know what it sounds like.) But the Scape headphones have some quality-of-life features, like a detachable microphone with mute return.
It also supports connectivity via Bluetooth 5.3 and a low-latency dongle. Fractal didn’t explicitly say it was a 2.4GHz dongle in its press release, but that’s a common wireless option for gaming headsets. The company also didn’t say anything about battery life, but if it can last at least 30 hours to match something like the SteelSeries Arctis 7P Plus, that would be ideal.
Fractal’s first gaming headset will be available later this year for $199.99 in two colors: light and dark.
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Fractal’s Era 2 is a redesign of its Era ITX case for small form factor gaming PCs. Instead of an all-metal body, the magnetic top panel is made of walnut and has over a dozen cutouts for ventilation that run nearly its entire length. (It’s reminiscent of one of casemaker North’s other wood-accented cases.) Fractal says this new design helps keep the case cooler compared to the original Era, which it still sells; it comes with a panel of solid wood or tempered glass, and its ventilation runs around the outer edges instead of the panel itself.
The Wind 2 also has four additional vented sides, and the rest of its panel is anodized aluminum and slides in one piece. It can also accommodate water cooling and graphics cards up to 12.8 inches (326 mm) long. Fractal didn’t say in its press release how wide the GPU it supports, nor how many liters in volume it is, but given that the previous Era supports dual-slot graphics cards up to 11.6 inches (295 mm) long and is 16 liters in volume. , I’d be surprised if the new version didn’t.
It will be available later this summer for $199.99 in three color options: silver, charcoal gray and midnight blue.
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Fractal’s new Mood Case has a completely different vibe compared to the Era 2. It’s taller, cloth-wrapped, and doesn’t look like a stereotypical gaming desktop at all, but it has some of the same design features as the Era 2. The fabric panel slides in one piece and accommodates graphics cards up to 12.8 inches (325 mm) in length. Again, Fractal didn’t mention the thickness of the GPU, or liters of case volume, in its press release.
There’s also a 180mm fan located at the top of the case that pulls hot air up and out; based on my experience with similar PC and pre-built cases in the past, the Mood should dissipate hot air just as effectively as a traditional case.
It will be available on June 18 for $149.99 in two colors: black and light gray.