Previews

CES 2013: Hands-on with the Razer Edge

Handheld gaming PC with a full-size price

CES 2013: Hands-on with the Razer Edge
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We're not short of tablets that can transform into other things, but most usually involve some sort of keyboard.

The Razer Edge is different because, in addition to transforming into a traditional laptop via the keyboard attachment, this bad boy can mutate into a legitimate home console (via the HDMI output) or mobile console (via the clip-on gamepad controller).

And, unsurprisingly, it's this mobile console mode that has piqued our interest the most.

Straight off the bat, the Razer Edge is a top-spec PC in a tablet. And we mean 'top-spec'.

So, you can either opt for an Intel i5- or i7-powered model, with prices starting at $1,000 for the i5-powered 'regular' Razer Edge and $1,500 for the i7-powered 'Pro' model. Ouch.

That's a lot of money, but the Razer Edge can function as a full-blown Windows 8 PC, too (that's the full Windows 8, not Windows RT). And with an Nvidia GT graphics chipset under its hood, the Razer Edge is a serious bit of kit for gamers that don't like to compromise on performance one bit.

The Razer Edge's battery life is rated at around ten hours for gaming, with an optional battery pack available for those who require it.

It has to be said, though, that it feels rather big when you actually get your hands on it.

With its 10.1-inch 1366x768 display already making the tablet quite large, and then the gamepad controller bolted on the edge adding to the bulk even more, it's quite a bit bigger than your average handheld console. It's quite heavy, too.

It will certainly take a bit of getting used to, but it is perhaps a little unfair to moan about the size or weight when it probably isn't intended to be used on the bus or on a park bench.

What's important, mind, is that the controls are ergonomically sound, and that's certainly the case here. Not only can you get a firm grip of the tablet, but all of the controls are easy to access.

It won't take you too long to get perfectly used to the Razer Edge's large screen and begin to see everything else as a bit of a toy.

Thanks to the price of even the non-Pro model, though, no one in his right mind would consider this tablet / console / laptop / all-round gaming solution a toy.


Jonathan Morris
Jonathan Morris
From starting out as a games tester for Mastertronic, Virgin and Sega in the late 1980s, it may seem odd to then ditch everything to write about mobile phones that, at the time, lasted 20 minutes between charges. He always had a hunch mobiles would become quite popular, but possibly didn't realise how powerful (and, ironically, returning to 20 minutes between charges). Jonathan's job is to continue advising on the best hardware to buy, in order to enjoy games that have advanced considerably since those long days and nights testing Double Dragon on the C64.