Razer Edge Cloud Gaming Handheld Launches in January Starting at $400
Razer teased its new gaming handheld recently, and we didn’t have to wait long for the full unveiling. At RazerCon this past weekend, the company laid out all the details for its upcoming Razer Edge gaming device, which is as much a tablet as it is a traditional handheld. The Edge will be available in Wi-Fi-only as well as 5G in partnership with Verizon, but we only know the pricing for the Wi-Fi edition: $399.99. That’s $50 more than the base price of the new Logitech G Cloud.
The previous teaser was almost suspicious in its brevity, offering just a few seconds of the device in between all the flashy glowing Razer logos. The Android 12-based device has a 6.8-inch OLED screen at 2400×1080, which would have been squarely in the tablet range in the past, but today some phones have similar displays. It comes with a new version of Razer’s mobile controller, called the Kishi V2 Pro. This controller adds haptic feedback and a 3.5mm headphone jack, a rarity these days, even on tablets. With the controllers attached, the Edge tips the scales at 400 grams, about twice as heavy as the average smartphone.
Razer mostly shows the Edge with the controllers attached, but you can use the device as touch-only if you want, and the 144Hz refresh with 288Hz touch sampling should make it fantastic for touchscreen gaming. Inside, the Edge has a flagship-level Snapdragon G3x system-on-a-chip, and unlike most phones, the Edge has an active cooling system to prevent throttling during long gaming sessions. You also get a 5,000mAh battery rated for 30 hours of gameplay, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. If you’re going to play Android games, this device should be as good or better than even the most powerful gaming phones on the market.
Though Razer calls it an Android gaming handheld, it’s the cloud gaming features that set the Edge apart. This device will be optimized for Xbox Cloud gaming, and the GeForce Now app will be bundled too, and there’s no reason you can’t install the Amazon Luna app from the Play Store. There’s even a webcam so you can livestream while you play games on the Edge.
With the Wi-Fi edition of the device, you’ll have to find a robust wireless network (supporting up to Wi-Fi 6E) to stream your games, but the 5G version (with both sub-6 and millimeter wave compatibility) offers more portability options. However, Razer has not announced pricing for that device, and the Verizon exclusivity means you might have to go to the carrier directly and pay an inflated price with bundled 5G service. Both models will be available in January 2023, and interested gamers can reserve one with a refundable $5 deposit starting now.
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