Razer launched a cryptocurrency-based reward program which will give its users a given amount of Razer Silver in exchange for the cryptocoins they mine using SoftMiner, the company's crypto miner.

"When your computer is idle, the Razer SoftMiner desktop application utilizes your idle GPU processing power to supplement distributed network needs for the mining process," says the Softminer page.

Moreover, "You will be rewarded with Razer Silver, which varies depending on the amount of idle time and strength of your hardware or graphics card."

Furthermore, Razer says that the SoftMiner app will automatically stop the mining process when other applications are in use to that the overall performance of the computer is not affected in any way.

On the other hand, the SoftMiner software also makes sure that the cryptocurrency mining process will not be impacted when the machine is idle by making sure that the computer will not switch to the lock screen mode or suspend the miner.

However, despite Razer's reassurances and the promises of running the miner only when the system is idle, real-world usage might contradict its claims in which case things will get from bad to worse.

According to Razer, "SoftMiner uses a substantial amount of your GPU power to ensure you get the highest Razer Silver yield possible. Hence, when the application is running, your PC will likely run slower than its usual speed."

Razer faces harsh criticism from its customers after launching the crypto-based reward program

Even though Razer mentions a benchmark being run before starting the mining process to choose the most optimal mining pool, there is no mention anywhere on SoftMiner's page or the Razer website of the cryptocurrency being mined.

Despite this, given that the miner app only uses the GPU's processing power according to Razer, there is a good chance that the company will use its clients' computers to mine for Bitcoin exchanging it for its Razer Silver loyalty reward credits.

Razer also says that customers who enroll in this reward program and use SoftMiner to earn Razer Silver can "earn approximately 500 Razer Silver or more within a day!"

Last and not least, it's important to mention that Razer is running this crypto-based reward program with the help of the GammaNow software mining service. This means that Razer never actually gets his hands on the cryptocurrency mined by its customers, instead earning a fee from GammaNow.

The company is currently facing harsh criticism on social media for this strange move, with people calling shady and scammy.

Have a gaming rig on idle at home? Here's a new way to score Razer Silver: launch Razer SoftMiner on your PC and start racking up Silver—one step closer to the reward you want, for doing nothing at all.