Razer Edge 5G Gaming Handheld - What We Know So Far
It seems the handheld gaming market is heating up. Where previously Nintendo was dominating the high-power portable gaming scene with the Nintendo Switch, new high-profile contenders like the Steam Deck and the Logitech G Cloud are muscling in — apparently, even PlayStation might be giving portable gaming another go in the next few years, despite the complete failure of the PlayStation Vita. Now, it looks like Nintendo will be finding an unlikely competitor in the team of Razer, Verizon, and Qualcomm.
This unexpected combination will, apparently, be bringing the world's first 5G mobile gaming handheld: the aptly named Razer Edge 5G. Verizon's official announcement put a particular focus on the device's 5G capabilities, and for good reason: Users will be able to access their games from the cloud or an internet-connected console with the flexible portability of any 5G data-enabled smartphone, as well as the hardware power and battery life of a dedicated handheld gaming platform. Considering the Logitech G Cloud and Steam Deck can only use wifi to stream their games, this could make the Razer Edge 5G a real game-changer in the handheld market. Here's what we know about it so far.
When does the Razer Edge 5G release?
The official Verizon announcement was pretty sparse on details, offering nothing in the way of concrete dates save, for the fact that Razer will be releasing more information on October 15, during RazerCon 2022. Verizon's PR Manager, George Koroneos also announced the new handheld in a tweet that featured a short trailer — and from the looks of it, the device's design seems largely complete. The 25 second teaser showed detailed close-ups of the screen, control scheme, and shoulder trigger buttons.
Barring any major changes, the Razer Edge 5G will have a fairly standard control scheme with the addition of an extra, third shoulder button as seen in the Razer Kishi V2. As noted by Digital Trends, the extra buttons on the Kishi were re-mappable inputs. Hopefully the Razer Edge 5G carries over this customizability and offers some extra accessibility and convenience in control mappings for users. For now, prospective buyers will have to wait until October 15 for the official unveiling of the handheld device.
How much will the Razer Edge 5G cost?
Unfortunately, none of the companies involved in the Razer Edge 5G's development have provided any details on how much the device might cost just yet, leaving potential buyers waiting to find out what the price point will be. With the Logitech G Cloud selling at $350 with a preorder discount price of $299, the Nintendo Switch models ranging from $299 to $350, and the six Steam Deck models priced from $299 to $649, it seems likely that the Razer Edge 5G will fall somewhere within the price points of its main competitors as well.
An important thing to note, however, is that the Razer Edge 5G might be closer to the Steam Deck in price than the Logitech simply due to the fact that it can store and play games natively in addition to streaming— something the Logitech cannot do. With the added advantage of 5G connectivity — bringing it a step above even the Steam Deck in terms of portability — and the use of the brand-new Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, potential buyers might be looking at a fairly hefty price point for this new handheld console.
What are the specs for the Razer Edge 5G?
Once again, there aren't many solid details on the specs for the Razer Edge 5G as of yet — but a quick look at the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 capabilities sheds a bit of light on what users can expect. According to the official Qualcomm product briefing for the Snapdragon platform, it offers 144fps at up to 4k resolution at 10-bit HDR, with cross-platform access that includes users' game libraries from Microsoft Game Pass as well as Steam on top of the native Android games. It also boasts "industry-leading performance per watt" optimization for a lengthy battery life at top performance.
Furthermore, Engadget speculates that the other hardware specs for the Razer Edge 5G might match the dev kit prototype demonstrated by Qualcomm and Razer near the end of 2021. This prototype device sported a "120Hz, 6.65-inch OLED display, four-way speakers and built-in controls" as well as livestream capabilities in the form dual mics and an HD camera. In tandem with the Snapdragon specs and 5G access, it looks like there's a chance Razer will be releasing a beefy, top-of-the-line machine that takes high-performance portable gaming to the next level.