Gaming Giant Razer Buys THX, The Audio Company George Lucas Created for Star Wars

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Most people are probably familiar with THX, thanks to Star Wars. If you’ve watched a Star Wars movie at any point in the last 30 years (and if you haven’t, you’re a liar) then you’ve seen those big bold letters and heard that iconic sound, the “Deep Note,” before the movie starts.

A part of George Lucas’ Lucasfilm production company, THX was created in 1983 to ensure that theaters had high-quality audio systems to accurately reproduce the soundtrack for Return of the Jedi. Though it hasn’t been a part of Lucasfilm in more than a decade, THX’s brand is inextricably linked to Lucas’ movies.

Now the giant in audio quality certification is being bought by Razer, the gaming peripheral and device juggernaut.

According to a press release from THX all employees and management are being maintained and “THX will continue to operate as an independent entity under its own management and apart from the ongoing business of its parent company.” The details of the financial transaction weren’t disclosed.

In a blog post on Medium, THX CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor says that THX will still focus on audio system certifications, THX Live! (its certification for live concerts that debuted with Beyoncé’s Formation tour), and THX Inside (its own line of audio equipment). Ahmad-Taylor did say that he “wouldn’t be surprised if [they] launched a few joint products with Razer,” and noted that, in the game industry, VR in particular is where he expects THX to go.

In the press release, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan says, “This acquisition will allow us to reinforce Razer’s leadership in gaming and extend the brand into broader areas of entertainment, while at the same time empowering THX to develop into a global powerhouse, independently.”

So it seems Razer is more interested in expanding its own brand into other markets, instead of just using THX to sell more devices for gaming.

So if you’re one of those nerds that has a fondness for an audio quality assurance company, don’t let go of your nostalgia just yet—it looks like THX will stick to doing what it’s always done.

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