Fans of Resident Evil and immersive horror will need to jump through some hoops if they want to own a specialised neck speaker.
With the return of Leon S. Kenney and his quippy one-liners, Resident Evil Requiem stands to be a surprisingly funny game. On the flip side, though, it’s also looking to be the scariest the series has ever been, at least when playing as the far less experienced Grace Ashcroft.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Capcom adds VR support as a post-launch update, like it’s done with previous Resident Evil games, to really ramp up the fear factor.
Until that happens, the next best thing is an officially licensed neck speaker that will launch alongside Resident Evil Requiem and promises to make playing the game even more immersive.
The speaker is the result of an official partnership between Capcom and Panasonic, complete with Resident Evil packaging and the game’s logo printed on the speaker.
‘Maximise the terror of Resident Evil Requiem with the newly added horror mode, which sharpens the senses of breathing, footsteps, and distant moans, bringing the approaching footsteps of death right up to your ears,’ reads the product description.
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We couldn’t tell you how comfortable the device would be to wear, especially for extended play sessions, but it’s certainly novel.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it will be easy to get hold of, at least outside of Japan, since Panasonic’s website makes no mention of worldwide shipping.
Even if you could import it, or happen to be in Japan at the time it comes out, the neck speaker costs ¥35,200, which is roughly £165.
With any luck, Capcom and Panasonic will make the speaker more globally available at a later date. If not, the website mentions that the horror mode won’t be exclusive to this specific speaker and will be added to other products in its Soundslayer range.
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Such speakers are available here through Panasonic’s UK website, including ones you can wear around your neck, though it’s a small range and we can only spot one that’s slightly cheaper than the Resident Evil speaker at £159.99, with the other two priced at £299.99.
Plus, according to Panasonic, the horror mode will only be added to other speakers after 2026, meaning you have to wait at least a year or so after Resident Evil Requiem’s launch.
By that point, Capcom may have already begun prepping for another Resident Evil remake. Although nothing’s formally confirmed, it’s been claimed that a Resident Evil – Code: Veronica remake is coming out in 2027, with a Resident Evil 0 remake possibly following in 2028.
Whatever the case, it’s not wholly unreasonable to expect a Resident Evil game for 2027 and/or 2028 as Capcom usually releases new entries on an annual basis.
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