For many PC gamers, spending money on the latest titles and the hardware to play them on is a given, but often the question is what to buy? Razer aims to sway your decision with its new zVault rewards currency, which gives you discounts on the latest Razer PCs and peripherals.
The concept is a twist on the classic rewards scheme you might be familiar with from your credit card company, airline, or Best Buy. You pick up Razer's currency, called zSilver, through everyday activities and purchases. Optimizing your PC's performance using Razer Cortex will give you a few zSilver (the exact earning rate depends on your activity). So will making purchases using your zVault digital wallet, which you can top up by purchasing packs of zGold ($1 nets you 100 zGold).
As for where you can spend zGold, the currency is accepted for in-game purchases from Hi-Rez Studios (games such as SMITE and Paladins) and Smilegate West (games such as CrossFire and Lost Saga). You can also spend it at GamersGate and IndieGala, which are online stores that sell games via Steam keys.
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Redeeming zSilver will make the most sense for people who would otherwise buy Razer hardware, but even then the scheme doesn't appear to be particularly rewarding. During an early trial period of zVault that began in January, Razer offered participants one zSilver for each zGold they spent. zSilver can be redeemed for things like a $10 Razer gift card for 13,000 zSilver, which means that you get a rebate of less than one cent for each dollar that you spend in the program.
Compare that with the best cash back credit cards on the market, like the Citi Double Cash, which offers two cents for each dollar spent. In other words, zVault is fine if you're already going to be using Razer Cortex and shopping at places that accept zGold. But at the current redemption rates, it's not a lucrative rewards program that would entice you to adopt Razer products if you currently buy your gaming gear elsewhere.
Razer does plan to offer more promotions for redeeming zSilver in the future though, and the company is giving everyone with a Razer ID a starter gift pack of 2,000 zSilver. So you might as well sign up even if you don't plan on spending any money through the program.