How the Blacklyte Kraken Pro is redefining the gaming chair space

While it’s possible to make do with any old seat, ergonomic gaming chairs have become an integral part of any serious setup. They’re preferred by professional players, whether that’s esteemed esports competitors or your favorite streamers, and for very good reason. High-performance gaming chairs can offer serious ergonomic benefits, especially if they have been designed to support you through multiple hours of play.

Their high level of comfort can also make them a great choice for remote workers. If you’re going to be sitting in front of a computer for any substantial length of time, a well-designed gaming chair can help you maintain a healthy posture. They can also offer features that you simply wouldn’t find on most office chairs, whether that’s a padded headrest or an optional ergonomic pillow for those who want even greater lumbar support.

Of course, a big part of the decision to purchase any gaming chair is going to come down to the question of style, too. There’s no better way to show the world you love gaming than investing in something that truly says “gamer”. Although they often have quite similar shapes, gaming chairs now come in loads of different colors making it easy to create the perfect color-coordinated setup if you wish. There are also plenty of materials to choose from, with favorites like PU leather and fabric offering their own distinct look and feel. There’s truly a gaming chair for everyone.

How racing-style gaming chairs became the industry standard

To understand the modern gaming chair landscape, it’s important to first look back at where it all began. The origin of gaming chairs can reveal quite a lot about why certain design trends are so prevalent and even point to what we could expect to see in the future. Gaming chairs might seem synonymous with gaming culture, but this hasn’t always been the case.

The very first gaming chairs were actually heavily inspired by car seats. When DXRacer released the seminal Formula Series gaming chair back in 2006, it was in part to deal with an excess of high-end car seat designs that the company wasn’t able to shift thanks to a downturn in the automotive industry at the time. The brand combined the features of traditional office furniture, such as a hard-wearing swivel base and adjustable armrests, with a car seat’s overall ergonomic shape to create something entirely new.

Part of it might not have started life as a product that was intended purely for gaming, but the design nevertheless took off. First marketed in China, the brand gained popularity through its appearance in internet cafes and then began to branch out into the west by sponsoring major gaming events throughout 2014 and 2015.

The DXRacer Formula Series was everywhere and other companies took notice. Former DXRacer distributor Maxnomic entered the scene in Europe in 2014, selling its own versions of DXRacer's Drifting Series in the region. Secretlab then introduced the Throne V1 in 2015, which was heavily based on the DXRacer Formula Series. When Secretlab later arrived in the US, its Omega and Titan chairs were again based on designs by DXRacer and Maxnomic, with a few new features added, which really helped to cement that now iconic gaming chair look.

Fast forward back to today and the car seat origins of gaming chairs are still clear. That back shape is almost inescapable, but it’s not your only option anymore.

Why Blacklyte is ahead of the curve 

The world of gaming chairs is innovative and exciting, constantly drawing upon the design trends of not only gaming products but also the office furniture scene. Mesh chairs, which eschew more padded materials in favor of a lightweight mesh, are gaining popularity thanks to their enhanced breathability. Every year we’re also seeing more and more adjustability integrated into designs. Chairs with in-built lumbar support systems are now common, completely removing the need for any fiddly lumbar pillows.

New companies are also emerging, introducing fresh designs that are quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. One such forward thinking brand is Blacklyte. Founded in 2021, it’s seeking to redefine what a gaming chair can be. It’s at the cutting edge, experimenting with modern technology to deliver chairs that were designed from the ground up specifically for gaming. Every Blacklyte chair also undergoes rigorous quality testing, ensuring only the products that can withstand the most intense gaming sessions make their way into your hands.

Its Blacklyte Kraken Pro gaming chair is packed with innovative features, including a dynamic air lumbar support system that uses an advanced pneumatic mechanism to constantly realign the position of the pillow based on your movements for an all-new level of ergonomic comfort. It’s upholstered in the brand’s premium Delorine material, which offers not only incredible breathability and durability, but also an ultra-soft finish. A magnetic head pillow makes repositioning easy, while the 4D hot swappable magnetic armrests mean that it’s easier than ever to support your forearms and relieve shoulder stress. 

Blacklyte is experimenting with immersive lighting technologies too, introducing the Blacklyte Atlas Gaming Desk - the world’s first sit to stand gaming desk with embedded smart light strips. High-tech gaming algorithms sync the desk’s functional lighting to your PC games, bathing your setup in hues that perfectly match the on-screen action for a truly immersive experience. Lighting is fully adjustable too, with settings for brightness, contrast, and a variety of modes that put you in complete control. A patented cable management system also helps ensure that your dream setup looks picture perfect and makes cable management a breeze.

At CES 2025, the brand is showcasing how it's bringing its innovative approach to gaming setup essentials to the next generation of PC peripherals. Its new mechanical keyboard fuses functionality with sleek design, offering an in-built 3.5” HD display and support for its own modular ecosystem of accessories. The Stream Deck add-on is perfect for creators, simplifying live streaming workflows with fully customizable buttons and adjustable knobs. The numeric keypad, meanwhile, is ideal for those seeking a reliable work-from-home companion or an additional set of buttons for more complex games. Finally, there’s the wireless hand operator which allows you to control your desk height and lighting straight from your keyboard.

Of course, no setup would be complete without a matching mouse and Blacklyte has you covered there. Its wireless mouse has a staggering 8K polling rate, 30,000 DPI, weighs just 55g, and boasts up to 100 hours of battery life. It's even innovating when it comes to mousepads, introducing the Smart Wireless Charging Mouse Pad with integrated Qi2 charging and eye-catching RGB lighting.

So that’s the origins of the modern gaming chair, from its humble beginnings as a repurposed car seat to the ergonomic powerhouses that we know today. You also now understand the drive for innovation that sets Blacklyte apart in such a competitive market and fuels its distinct approach to design. Whether you’re seeking high quality gaming space, or a smart office solution, you can experience unmatched comfort and innovation at www.blacklyte.com.

Dashiell Wood
Hardware Writer

Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.