Android gaming devices are getting the attention of major manufacturers again. We recently looked at the Logitech G which I liked quite a bit. It wasn’t very powerful but it was powerful enough for a good amount of retro emulation, casual Android gaming, and game streaming.
In my latest video we look at another Android gaming handheld from Razer called the Edge. It’s more expensive than the Logitech G but also more powerful. Unlike the G the Edge’s controller detaches from the small tablet portion. Razer picked their existing controller, the Kishi V2, as opposed to building something new for this platform. The Kishi is available for smartphones too.
The Edge incorporates a Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 processor – a definite step up from the Logitech G and many other Android tablets for that matter. Razer is actively cooling the chip with a fan to keep its performance consistent. All of this would be great if there was a better game library on the Google Play store. But its emulation performance is outstanding, running PS2 and Gamecube emulation in my testing flawlessly.
They also went with a great display, a 2000×1080 AMOLED running at 144hz. Few games will push the limits of what this display has to offer but it does have some potential with the GEForce Now streaming service which supports 120hz framerates. The display is super wide though – so most games you’ll be streaming will have large black bars on the left and right hand side. It’s even more pronounced when playing a 4:3 retro game.
So while the specs are decent I couldn’t help but thinking what the purpose is here. Razer markets this as the ultimate gaming handheld but doesn’t suggest any games that would take advantage of its hardware. And it sells for the same price as the entry level Steam Deck which is considerably more powerful and has an extensive library of AAA PC games.
If it cost less it might have some appeal. But I’d have a hard time recommending somebody drop $399 on this vs. a Steam Deck or Switch.