Following CES 2026 and the broader conversation around the role of AI in gaming, Razer is sharing more about how we think about AI, how it fits into the future of gaming, and the principles shaping our development efforts. These ideas reflect what Razer CEO and Co-founder Min-Liang Tan discussed during his appearance on The Verge’s Decoder podcast.
Razer CEO Dislikes GenAI Slop in Gaming
“As gamers… what we’re unhappy with is GenAI slop. When I play a game, I want to be engaged. I want to be immersed. I want to compete. I don’t want to see characters with extra fingers or shoddily written storylines.” said Min. AI has played a role in gaming for decades, evolving from the predictable patterns of early arcade titles like Pac-Man into the adaptive NPCs and procedural systems of modern open worlds. What has changed recently is the rise of generative AI tools that can create large volumes of content quickly, sometimes at the expense of quality. For Razer, the question has never been whether AI belongs in gaming, but how it should be used to strengthen the craft of making games.
Human Creativity Should Be Augmented by AI, Not Replace It
Min: “the way we see it is that AI is a tool to help game developers make better games… rather than replace human creativity… and that’s something I personally feel very passionately about, and that we want to figure out.” Razer’s long-term AI investments, reported at over US$600 million, focus on where AI can truly make an impact: identifying issues earlier, automating repetitive tasks, and expanding what developers can create. This frees teams to focus more time on the creative decisions that define memorable gaming experiences.
This philosophy also guides how Razer explores new ideas. CES has always been a place for experimentation, where we used concepts like Project Carol to gauge commercial interest and test early interaction models and technologies, before releasing as a commercial product. Project AVA follows that same exploratory spirit.
Exploring AI Hardware with Project AVA
Project AVA began as a conceptual virtual esports coach that we launched at CES 2025. As AI capabilities advanced, it became an opportunity to imagine how a virtual AI assistant could take on a more expressive, physical form.
“With AI, we could finally bring that personality through… the tipping point was great hardware, great software, and now great intelligence coming together as a semi-physical avatar you can chat with.”—Min
At CES 2026, we showcased Project AVA as a holographic AI desk companion capable of understanding context, interpreting on-screen activity through PC Vision Mode, and responding in real time. The holographic component, a 5.5‑inch animated display with eye‑tracking, expressive motion, and natural vocal sync, is designed to make digital interaction feel intuitive.
Users can select from avatars created by Animation Inc., including Razer’s Kira and Zane characters, as well as SAO, a popular Japanese influencer, each with distinct aesthetic styles and conversational personalities.
For the CES prototype, Razer chose xAI’s Grok model to demonstrate Project AVA’s conversational expressiveness and speed.
“We picked Grok because it currently has the best conversational personality… but AVA is an open platform.”—Min
Project AVA is being developed as a multi-model platform. At launch, AVA will be compatible with various LLMs, offering users flexibility in their choice of LLM use.
This flexibility mirrors Razer’s broader AI work, including Project Motoko—our wearable AI headset prototype powered by ChatGPT. This strategy aligns with Razer’s broader approach to AI exploration, which prioritizes flexibility, responsible experimentation, and the ability to adopt the suitable conversational or task‑oriented models for the best user experience.
Building Towards a Responsible AI Future
As Project AVA continues its transition from concept to product, supported AI models and implementations will be aligned with responsible design principles and predicted behavior. The goal is to build a physical AI companion that is capable and adaptive, while remaining trustworthy and user-controlled.
To better understand early interest during development, Razer introduced a fully refundable $20 reservation deposit in the United States. This deposit is not a preorder and can be canceled at any time before final product details are announced.
AI companions are an emerging category, and the expectations around them will continue to evolve. Razer’s role is to explore this space with care, grounding our approach in creativity, transparency, and user control. The same long-term perspective that shaped Razer’s earliest contributions to gaming and esports guides our approach as we enter this next chapter.
Watch the full Decoder interview here: