Razer Introduce their new Nostromo gamepad

Razer recently have posted on their facebook page, a rebranded product originally developed by Belkin, the well known n52 gamepad which was released a few years back and its here again with new updated drivers and new features.

Razer and Belkin did co-operate again back in 2007 developing the upgraded version of the first Belkin n52 and named it the N52te tournament edition.

Here is the press release of the the n52te back in 2007:

October 4, 2007 – Belkin International, Inc., announces its new n52te, a hybrid gaming keyboard built to dominate in FPS (first-person shooter), MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role-playing games), and RTS (real-time strategy) computer games. An improvement over its predecessor, the critically acclaimed n52, the n52te is enhanced by Razer’s killer performance software, which boasts a competitive advantage with portable player profiles, robust customization tools, and cool blue backlighting.

Today Razer uses their own technologies to provide a more comfortable, accurate and “deadly” product to meet today’s competitive gaming demands.

The design is the same as the n52te, with a 16-button keypad, eight-way directional thumb pad, soft-touch rubberized wrist pad and 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse gaming buttons.

What changed except the name (now recalled Razer Nostromo) is that you can switch instantly between eight key-maps instead of just three of the n52te and also you can store up to 20 gaming profiles, twice as many as the n52te.

Razer also claim to have changed the chip of the game pad and redefined the drivers & program to make them more “deadly” for the opponents.

The Razer Nostromo is now available to order for $69.99 (USA site) / €69.99(EU site), with an estimated ship date of November 29th worldwide.

Here is the press release from Razer website
Here is what Razer web site claims

And here is a short description of what the new Razer Nostromo features are:

Ergonomic form factor for precision and maximum comfort:
The Razer Nostromo’s 16-button keypad layout and form factor are ergonomically optimized for easier, highly intuitive access to critical gaming commands, improving your key activation accuracy while letting you game in comfort. And for those marathon sessions, a soft-touch rubberized wrist pad cradles your palm and significantly reduces hand fatigue and wrist strain so you can rain digital death on your opponents without pause or mercy.

16 Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly keymap switching:
Razer Nostromo’s 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse™ gaming buttons and 8-way directional thumb pad are engineered for rapid key actuation and crisp response. A programmable 8-way directional thumb pad that you can use either for movement or modifier keys rounds off your instruments of mass destruction. In addition, you can switch instantly between 8 keymaps by assigning the different keymap toggles to any button on the keypad.

Customize to your game with Razer’s configurator software:
The Razer Nostromo’s all-new configurator software is as easy to use as it is deadly, allowing you to conveniently customize all the buttons with any game command or key binding to open up a massive repertoire of killer combinations with your fingertips.

For users who like the design of the n52te and don’t own one might have a look at this product closely. If you already own a n52te and your satisfied with it you don’t really need to have an upgrade yet till the design will be completely changed.

Although if your interested the new features then this is the Christmas gift for you.