For gamers who are always on the move, Razer has announced its first-ever handheld Android gaming console, dubbed the Razer Edge. Handheld gaming consoles have been gaining a ton of traction/popularity in recent few years, with every major gaming company jumping on the bandwagon and releasing their own handheld device to lure audiences. Even, Razer is now stepping into the arena with its own invention – the Razer Edge, the first mass-market 5G handheld gaming device that supports sub-6 GHz and mmWave connectivity. The company says that the Edge 5G is the “world’s first dedicated 5G handheld console.”
Razer Edge handheld gaming device | Image: Razer
Apart from 5G, the Razer Edge has plenty of features to get you excited. First and foremost, the console isn’t your average handheld device, in the sense that, the device can be easily popped out from its controller and used as a regular tablet, if and when needed. That controller is Razer’s very own Kishi V2 Pro controller, which boasts a few additional features like a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port and HyperSense haptics. Currently, this somewhat modified Kishi V2 Pro gamepad comes bundled with the Edge device and won’t be sold separately. But who knows?
The device has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ 2400×1080 pixel resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate that will help deliver the best possible framerates and ensure “your games look better and run smoother than the competition.” Razer has even fitted a 5MP 1080P front camera capable of outputting 60fps to help gamers stream their game or jump into video calls with friends.
Razer Edge handheld gaming device | Image: Razer
Under the magnificent display, the Razer Edge comes equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 chipset, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage which can be further expanded to 2TB using the microSD slot. Qualcomm is calling this new chip a “Gaming Platform,” capable of delivering “cutting-edge performance and the entire arsenal of Snapdragon Elite Gaming technologies to run all Android games, play content from cloud gaming libraries, stream games from your home console or PC, and enjoy entertainment from your favourite Android apps.”
For connectivity, the Razer Edge boasts Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E and gets all the juice via a 5,000mAh battery. The device comes with Android 12 pre-installed and can run Android games natively or stream PC games from one’s computer library. Since the handheld is cloud compatible, you can even play cloud games from services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or Nvidia GeForce Now.
Razer Edge handheld gaming device | Image: Razer
Razer seems to have put in a lot of thought while creating the Razer Edge and has done everything to help it stand out from the existing crowd. Based on the sheer amount of features available, the Razer Edge seems to be an all-rounder of a gaming device. The Edge can natively run Android games, has cloud game streaming functionalities baked in and there’s even 5G, which means you will be able to do more than just gaming on this.
If all of this has got you hyped and ready to throw down your money, then you can reserve a Razer Edge right now by paying a mere USD $5. The Wi-Fi-only Razer Edge edition is priced at USD $399.99 (a full $50 cheaper than Logitech G CLOUD Gaming Handheld). The company is even offering a Founders Edition, which packs in the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (2021) earbuds for USD $499.99. As of writing, the 5G version of Razer Edge has no release date and will be exclusive to Verizon.
Razer Edge handheld gaming device | Image: Razer
