Look, I admit that sweaty thumbs aren’t even one of my top 10 concerns while gaming, but for those worried about thumb sweat wrecking your KDA in Fortnite or Call of Duty: Mobile (????), then Razer’s got you covered.
Razer calls them Gaming Finger Sleeves, but see the photo above and let’s let’s call these things what they really are: thumb condoms.
Razer says its $US10 ($14) mobile gaming thumb condoms, which come in grey with neon green highlights and are made from a mix of nylon, spandex, and silver fibre fabric, are “woven with high-sensitivity silver fibre for enhanced aim and control,” while “our breathable sleeves keep your fingers deadly cool in the heat of battle.” I’m not sure whose fingers sweat profusely while playing Fortnite, but, OK!
Critically, unlike the kind of latex finger cots you might see at your doctor’s office or used by other medical professionals, Razer’s gaming condoms feature conductive silver fibre to ensure that your smartphone can still recognise your thumbs while also “reducing friction” and delivering “maximum accuracy.” It’s also important to note that although Razer claims its gaming condoms are compatible with “most mobile gaming devices,” there’s a chance the sleeves might not work right on your phone, or possibly might not be as useful on older gaming handhelds like a Nintendo 3DS, which relies on a resistive touchscreen instead of a more modern capacitive touch display.
Razer’s gaming sleeves measure just 0.8mm thick, but there’s almost sure to be a slight learning curve for anyone who is used to gaming au naturel. But Razer says its thumb condoms are one-size-fits-all, and, well, we’ll just leave it at that.
The point of Razer’s mobile gaming sleeves is to help wick moisture away from your thumbs and fingers, while also letting those around you know that you ain’t no casual gamer. And while the sleeves’ silver fibre might not have a benefit when playing games with a controller or keyboard, there’s nothing stopping you from using them while playing console or PC games too.
You only get a pair of sleeves in each $US10 ($14) pack, so you may need to buy a couple of extra pairs if you feel the need to protect additional digits from the dangers of dampness while gaming. Unfortunately, for people worried about sweaty palms potentially affecting your grip, you may have to look elsewhere. But hey, maybe Razer is testing the water before making full-on gaming gloves in the future.