Razer acquires audio company THX

Game hardware manufacturer Razer has acquired audio specialist THX. The move will allow Razer to increase its brand awareness in entertainment sectors other than gaming, while THX will expand its certification business to include headphones and virtual reality.

Razer has acquired the main parts of the company THX Ltd. bought and also brings in the management and the rest of the staff. Both companies do not mention an acquisition amount. As part of Razer, THX continues to focus on its core business of establishing and certifying audio standards for cinemas, home theaters, speakers and games, among others.

In recent years, the company has expanded its scope into image quality and HDR, certifying TVs and projectors. In addition, manufacturers of headphones, Bluetooth speakers, set-top boxes and internet speakers will soon be eligible for the THX logo and the company is working on test programs for virtual reality and augmented reality. These categories are of interest to Razer; the manufacturer produces headphones and speakers for gamers and is one of the driving forces behind OSVR. This is an open platform for virtual reality that has already produced relatively cheap VR glasses with sensors for tracking hand movements.

Razer further states that the acquisition of THX ensures that the brand becomes visible in other product categories than gaming. THX was founded in 1983 by George Lucas, who wanted to use standards to ensure that the audio of his film Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was properly reproduced. The name comes from the science fiction film with which Lucas made his debut in 1971: THX1138. In 2002, THX was divested by Lucasfim Ltd.