RESPAWN by Razer is a 'mental performance drink' made for gamers that tastes pretty good

Every year in tech, it gets a footling weirder whether it's holograms, self-driving cars, watches that can make telephone calls, or Razer — the famous PC gaming company — who is now making a non-energy beverage.

Yep, RESPAWN, which grew out of an April Fool's joke in 2022 by Razer is now a existent thing that you can buy. The drink though is existence called a "mental performance drink" for a practiced reason, which is information technology has no sugar and just enough caffeine to give you a small boost, but not overload your brain or crusade an energy crash later.

Razer was kind plenty to send me a box of the stuff, then hither are my thoughts and what you need to know.

Brain enhancer

RESPAWN by Razer

No jitter, no sugar.

RESPAWN is Razer's try at making a beverage to aid gameplay. With mild flavors, no carbohydrate, and just the right amount of caffeine, it'south besides quite practiced, just don't call it an energy drink.

RESPAWN what is it?

Straight upwardly RESPAWN is a powdered drink that comes in four different flavors with twenty servings per box. The flavors include Pomegranate Watermelon (red), Bluish Raspberry (blue), Light-green Apple tree (dark-green), and Tropical Pineapple (yellow).

Ingredients-wise Razer is de-emphasizing the caffeine, which is a good idea since many people already consume as well much. Each parcel contains 95mg of the stuff sourced from green tea extract. That corporeality of caffeine is equal to 1 loving cup of regular coffee. For comparing, something like the popular five Hour Energy has 200mg while your typical 7-11 free energy potable can hit upwardly to 350mg.

The other main ingredient is 48mg of choline bitartrate, which is a role of the b-complex vitamin family and quite popular in the world of "nootropics" aka cognitive enhancers due to its relation to acetylcholine in the brain. Many studies have shown supplementing with choline bitartrate can lead to increased focus, memory formation, and muscle contraction. It's also found naturally in peanut butter, egg yolks, beef liver, and salmon.

Additionally, at that place's some ground ginger, which is a great anti-inflammatory and your usual array of b-vitamins like niacin, B6, B12, and pantothenic acid.

With just 4g of carbohydrates, no fat, and at 20 calories per serving RESPAWN is by no means healthy, but information technology'due south far better than nigh energy drinks and certainly sodas.

RESPAWN gustatory modality test

Loading up the 20 oz RESPAWN Insulated Metal Shaker — a dissever $29.99 purchase — with the various flavors here'due south my take:

Pomegranate Watermelon (blood-red): I'm non a fan of watermelon flavoring, but this is quite mild, and information technology is only slightly sweetness. I'chiliad unsure of what pomegranate flavoring tastes similar, then this leans more than watermelon. Overall quite good.
Blue Raspberry (blue): This tastes like cotton wool candy. It's okay, merely the sweetest of the bunch.
Greenish Apple tree (green): Razer green? Check. Mild merely satisfying flavor. Done. Nice lingering of apple flavor? Yup. Easily the best choice.
Tropical Pineapple (yellow): Feels tropical like a generic piña colada. Solid flavor contour, tasty, not too sweetness.

It turns out all of the flavors are pretty tasty. The critical takeaway is that while RESPAWN is slightly sweet, it doesn't quite reach the saccharine-ness of regular soda or even those 5 Hour Free energy drinks.

RESPAWN final verdict

While the idea of a beverage for gamers may have started every bit a joke, Razer is taking the launch of RESPAWN seriously. The presser states that Razer wanted "a formula to come across the specific demands of the gaming environment and intense mental activity. At only 20 calories and zero saccharide, there'll be no excesses to weigh y'all downward. Merely the focus you lot need for the next mission."

Compared to most sodas or free energy drinks, RESPAWN cleverly fills a niche in the caffeinated drinks market. It's not about more energy; information technology's about ingredients that are amend suited for gaming with no jitters or energy crashes.

Does that justify the $25 toll for a box of 20 packets? The $one.25 per serving is a lot less than well-nigh energy drinks from the shop, or your favorite coffee from your local café, and so in that sense, it's not cool. Of course, the cost to brand such a packet versus what Razer is charging favors the gaming company highly here – in that location's a reason why the supplement industry is and then massive.

I practise appreciate the whole powdered packed thing too as it makes information technology easy to pack for a trip, or if I'm going over a friend's house to game.

Even for non-gamers, I see RESPAWN as something useful. As a writer and occasional YouTuber, finding the remainder between feeling good or being overstimulated can exist challenging. RESPAWN though, seems to get the chore done and it's something I'll gladly use it when I travel and when at home.

Overall, Razer's RESPAWN may seem absurd, but in sampling their offerings, it's non the weirdest affair they've done. If you're in the market for this type of thing, I tin requite RESPAWN a recommendation.

Pros

Not a lot of caffeine
Skillful ingredients
Flavors aren't too sugariness
Prissy result

Cons

Can get expensive
A bit gimmicky

Brain enhancer

RESPAWN past Razer

No jitter, no saccharide.

RESPAWN is Razer's attempt at making a drinkable to aid gameplay. With balmy flavors, no saccharide, and only the right amount of caffeine, it'due south also quite skilful, but don't call it an free energy drinkable.

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