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Razer Edge Pro review: can a tablet double as a gaming PC?
Portable gaming isn't what it once was. Sure, you can still snag a handheld device from Sony or Nintendo, but today's video game industry is far more diverse. Gamers on the go have no shortage of hardware to pick from: tablets, smartphones, gaming laptops and purpose-built handhelds are redefining what a mobile gaming platform is. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan must have felt the winds of change blowing his way when he cooked up Project Fiona, now known as the Razer Edge. The company's marketing material frames the curious device as an all-in-one gaming arsenal; it's a tablet, says the product page, as well as a PC and console. Above all, it's modular, a souped-up tablet with a small collection of docks and cradles designed to scratch your gaming itch from all angles. All told, Razer calls it the most powerful tablet in the world. Kitted out with the specs of a mid-range gaming laptop, it may very well be that -- but we couldn't let the proclamation pass without giving it the once-over ourselves.
Razer Edge vs. the competition: fight!
Audacious claims are starting to become a standard component of Razer hardware announcements -- following the Blade's claim to the title of "world's first true gaming laptop" is the Razer Edge: "a full feature PC and the most powerful tablet in the world." It certainly has the full feature PC aspect down -- with an Intel Core i5 (or i7 for Pro) processor at its heart, the Edge is more of a modular Ultrabook than your run-of-the-mill tablet. Then again, that seems to be the Windows 8 slate trend, doesn't it? We pitted the Edge against some of the category's recent stars, including two other tablets, a slider and a full featured convertible laptop. Read on to see how it stacks up.
Project Fiona becomes Razer Edge, starts at $999, sans controller
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has been dreaming about building a true PC gaming portable for years. He's cooked up prototype clamshells, controller-toting tablets, and built two top of the line gaming laptops along the way -- but now his dream is almost ready: the Razer Edge. Look familiar? It should. It's been handled, teased and even redesigned at the behest of Razer's social legions. It's Project Fiona evolved. Hoping to keep pace with community feedback, Razer is kitting out the Edge with a 3rd gen Intel Core processor, a 10.1-inch 1,366 x 768 display, an NVIDIA GT640M LE GPU, 4 to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, USB 3.0 and a 64, 128 or 256GB SSD, depending on the SKU. Min translated the slate's build into some digestible framerates: 59 fps in Dishonored, he told us, and 41 fps in DiRT Showdown. Sound intriguing? It gets better -- the baseline 1.7Ghz Core i5 variant of the Edge will sell for $999 and the beefed up 1.9GHz Core i7 Pro model will run for $1299, keeping the device well below the community's $1,300 to $1,500 price expectations. Even better, the whole shebang is going to be available in the first quarter of this year. Razer had to change more than Project Fiona's name to stay under budget, of course -- the prototype's handlebar controllers have migrated to an optional gamepad dock. It's a win and a loss -- fans in Razer's social media campaign demanded detachable controllers, but their absence makes obtaining the complete "Edge experience" a bit more of a chore -- one that will cost $249 on top of the price of the slate itself. Even so, the move to modular is a good thing, and allowed Razer to develop other accessories: a keyboard dock, life-giving 40Wh battery packs ($69) and a $99 docking station, replete with three USB 2.0 ports, plus stereo and HDMI output for a "home console" experience. Razer says the Edge has specific "modes" based around these accessories -- the tablet alone features the obvious multi-touch tricks of Windows 8, and the keyboard dock gives PC gamers access to the familiar WASD controls they're used to. The launcher we saw at CES 2012 is still there too, giving the docking station a pseudo-console interface befitting of your television (and Steam Big Picture Mode, of course). As we said, collecting the whole set is a tall order, but Razer is hoping to make the task a little easier for gamers after the Pro model -- offering the i7 tablet and controller dock for a bundled price of $1499 ($50 less than if purchased separately). Completionists will need to wait until Q3 to pick up the keyboard dock though, as its form and price still aren't finalized.
Razer's 'Project Fiona' becomes 'Edge' tablet, available Q1 [update]
Razer's 'Project Fiona' tablet is now the 'Edge,' a much more Razer-like name for the device. It's still designed to play recent PC games, with physical controls on the sides of the tablet. A version with an Intel i5 chip, 4GB of RAM, Windows 8 and a 64GB SSD is "available now" for $999, the company revealed at CES. A "Pro" model including a Core i7, 8GB of RAM, and either a 128GB or 256GB SSD is also available for $1299. This version is reportedly capable of running Dishonored at 59 frames per second.Update: both configurations will actually ship in Q1, not "now," Razer told us, despite the press release's assertion that "both models are available now."Those controllers have now become an optional (read: extra) dock, which can be swapped out for other accessories, like a keyboard dock and a dock with HDMI out and USB ports.Engadget got some hands-on time with the Edge at CES; for more information, check out their extensive writeup.
Razer announces crowdsourced specs for upcoming 'Project Fiona' gaming tablet
After Razer easily scored the requisite 10,000 Facebook likes needed to proceed with its "Project Fiona" 10.1-inch Windows 8 gaming tablet, it asked potential players to decide for themselves how to spec it. And here's a shocker: the consensus was to go hardcore or go home. Voters said it should be similar to the prototype with at least Intel Core i5 or i7 processing zip, mid-tier discrete graphics for max pixel-pushing and weight be damned -- twice the heft and thickness of an iPad was a-ok with the group, for power's sake. Detachable controllers were also considered a must (as we thought earlier), and for all that, wannabe gamers on-the-go were willing to pay somewhere between $1,300 and $1,500. A firm ship date has yet to be announced for the device, though a variant has already made it past the FCC -- which usually bodes well for a timely arrival.
Razer's gaming tablet drops by the FCC, leaves handles at home
Looking for a gaming tablet you can really grab? Don't look at the latest FCC filings then -- Federal regulators appear to have snagged some exclusive hands-on time with Razer's upcoming Project Fiona, and its trademark handlebars are nowhere in sight. The nunchuck-esque controllers we saw at CES didn't make it in the FCC's label location outline (seen above), but an attached accessory list makes note of a Razer-branded controller, powered by a 2800mAh battery, hinting that this prototype's gamepads might well be independent or detachable. The same document lists a 5600mAh battery for the tablet itself, as well as a model number: RZ09-0093. The Federal documents show a heavily redesigned device, falling in line with Razer's recent community campaign: CEO Min-Liang Tan has been asking fans to help design Project Fiona on his Facebook page. Over the past several weeks, the community has weighed in on accessories, price, CPU / GPU configurations and more. This FCC prototype may not be the final design, but if nothing else, it's proof that the device is evolving. Check out the Government's inside scoop for yourself at the source link below.
Razer's Project Fiona gaming tablet may see the light of day if enough of you want it
Gaming peripheral manufacturer Razer isn't backing down on its "Project Fiona" gaming tablet, despite keeping it locked away for the past nine months. The company is, however, assessing interest in the concept -- first revealed at CES 2012 -- by asking fans to "Like" its Facebook page. If the page exceeds 10,000 likes/shares within a week, CEO Min-Liang Tan says, "we'll work on making the concept a reality and launch the product." He also says Razer's whittled down concepts for the device, though he's open to "suggestions for specs, form factor, pricing, features," and even "etc." It doesn't sound like it'll make its previously planned "second half of 2012" launch window, but Razer says nothing's changed on that front just yet. As it stands, the device sports a 10.1-inch multitouch high def screen, an Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, an unknown (but allegedly beefy) GPU, and two nunchuck-esque controllers mounted to either side of the screen. It's also said to run Windows 8 -- make no mistake, this is a PC in the form of a tablet. But you still have the power to change it! Do us a favor and don't request rear touch capabilities. Update: That didn't take long -- Razer's week long campaign ended in just over a day, reaching its 10,000 like goal. What's next? Concepts, says Min-Liang Tan. The company's CEO will be sharing possible designs on his Facebook page starting next week, and will let popular opinion mold the firm's first gaming tablet. It looks like building products from community feedback is Razer's new modus operandi.
Razer tests the waters with Project Fiona at CES
Razer's Project Fiona looks just like you'd expect a prototype to look. Despite a thick but standard tablet-style body and 10.1 inch touchscreen, it has some unfinished aluminum struts sticking out of either side, with not-quite-perfect joysticks and buttons placed unceremoniously on the top. In short, it's a manufactured idea and not a real product just yet. And Razer's purpose at CES last week was to judge, reps told me, just how good that idea actually was. Playing with the Project Fiona tablet doesn't feel quite right, but not because the games don't work. The Intel Core i7 processor powers a full Windows 7 installation (though it will eventually run Windows 8, says Razer), and the two prototypes at the show had full PC games on them, including the excellent Warhammer 40K: Space Marine. It ran quite well, but it was still difficult to play -- those joysticks and buttons just aren't fully in the right places. My thumbs did find and learn to use them after a few minutes of play, but it's unclear why, when Razer is already borrowing the "console controller" setup, the buttons are so strangely placed. After about twenty minutes of handling and playing with Project Fiona, I came to the biggest question about the prototype: Why?
MMObility: Some new gear, and some new news
It's been a pretty exciting time in mobile gaming this week. Not only am I finding more reasons to love minimal specs and portable gaming, but I see even more applications coming down the pike that will make mobile gaming even more exciting and possible. I envision a future in which cloud computing, storage and high-speed internet make devices thinner, lighter, and faster. Of course, this all depends on several factors from developers who might wish to take advantage of the technologies to companies that will provide the pipeline to us all. In my opinion, it's not a matter of if but when this switch to portable, cloud-based gaming happens. It just makes sense when you look at all of the ways we have switched to a more cloud-based world. I write these articles through the cloud; I do my banking on a website that is hosted somewhere far, far away. If you've ever bought a product online, you have trusted the internet in more ways than one. So let's take a look at some of the exciting new mobile goodies I discovered this week!
The MMO Report: Baby names edition
This week on The MMO Report, Casey discusses the un-disbanding of the Multiverse project and associated Firefly/Buffy IPs, Wakfu's bright and bizarre character classes, DC Universe Online's timely crafting update, and Razer's new Fiona gaming tablet. He also notes that Bethesda came away the clear victor in the Fallout Online settlement. Now, where's our Fallout MMO? Finally, Casey dips into the mailbag to dispense advice to aspiring game designers and gratitude to a pair of gamers who are planning to name their first child after Casey himself. Says the Beard: "I am equally honored and aghast... I'm just a loudmouth with a camera who reads hit-or-miss jokes about nerd stuff off a teleprompter so that someone can put it on the internet." Watch Casey blush at the prospect of little baby beardlings in the full MMO Report video tucked behind the break.
Is Project Fiona a miss for WoW?
At this week's Consumer Electronics Show, Razer unveiled its sexy new tablet/PC hybrid called Project Fiona. The title alone is newsworthy, since Project Fiona's name doesn't really fit in with Razer's usual names like Switchblade, Anansi, Naga, and so on. Much like everything else about Project Fiona, its name is a departure from the norm. While the Razer website still cautions that Project Fiona is a conceptual device and thus the final product specs may vary, the hybrid will run Windows 8, boast Intel Core i7, and communicate with Bluetooth 3.0. That means the tablet could, theoretically, run WoW just fine, maybe pairing with a wireless keyboard to enable typing and social interaction. Right now, Project Fiona is expected to work with game delivery systems like Steam and GameFly, but the tablet seems like a natural fit to take WoW with you on the road. The hybrid uses side-mounted controllers for many game actions, and if the tablet is configurable, you should be able to fit most in-game actions on the buttons fairly easily. Of course, the question is whether Project Fiona makes sense as a WoW gaming system. If the hybrid does come in under $1,000, then it would be a very attractive alternative, mobile platform. The form factor feels a little weird for an MMO, but the 10" screen definitely lends itself to a casual, on-the-go experience. It probably wouldn't replace a full-featured PC as a raiding computer, but Project Fiona is definitely tempting as a second, mobile gaming computer.
Engadget fiddles with Razer's 'Project Fiona'
Razer's "Project Fiona," a tablet with an Intel Core i7 processor and the ability to play "current-generation PC games," is on display this week at CES. The crew at Engadget got to spend some time with the device, and made a moving-picture document of the experience.
Razer's Project Fiona hands-on (video)
Breaking new ground in the nearly nonexistent market of "hardcore gaming tablets" with renders is interesting, but there's nothing quite grasping something tangible. Razer's project Fiona, for example, is something to grasp -- sporting twin joystick handles on either side, it begs to be held. We couldn't help but oblige, and dropped by Razer's CES booth for a few minutes with the bold Windows 8 slab. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan gave us the skinny -- read on get it yourself.
Project Fiona raises the stakes for gaming tablets, packs Ivy Bridge, Windows 8 and integrated controllers
We weren't exactly looking for the "Switchblade of CES 2012," but Razer's latest concept, nicknamed "Project Fiona," may take the title anyway. This concept gaming tablet flanks a 10.1-inch multitouch screen with a pair of nunchuk-like four-button controllers, lending the slab a bit of flightstick flair. Its dual-stick wings won't help you fly through ShadowGun however -- this slate is a Windows machine. An Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor hopes to keep Fiona fragging with the desktop kiddies, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan told us, giving it the chops to run modern PC games right out of the box. The Prototype was built specifically with mobile PC gamers in mind, said Min-Liang, and will feature a hybrid user interface (a hub activated via a upcoming Windows 8 app) designed to help gamers immediately jump into local multiplayer matches. He described a group of friends seamlessly jumping into a round of Hawx 2, and "dogfighting face to face." It sounds like he wants Fiona to revitalize the Lan party. Although most PC games should be fully playable without any special tweaks or modificaitons, Min-Liang said developers would have the option of adding Fiona specific controls to a game, such as a touch control scheme, or accelerometer joystick emulation. Optimization isn't necessary but exclusive control schemes will be possible. In addition to its Ivy Bridge chops, the concept gaming slate features enhanced audio with Dolby Home Theater v4 and built-in force feedback. Razer wasn't ready to talk battery life, but said that they hope to launch the slab in Q3 or Q4, after Windows 8 launches, for under $1000. How's it play? We'll let you know as soon as we get our hands on it. Until then, feel free to read on for Fiona's official press release. Update: Check out our hands-on!
Razer's 'Project Fiona' is a gaming tablet prototype ... and it plays PC games
Perhaps the PlayStation Vita's leggy 5 inch screen just isn't enough for your dedicated gaming portable needs. Perhaps -- and this is just a theoretical, of course -- you think Sony's promise of console quality games on the Vita isn't nearly as important as full-on console games on the go. Enter Razer's "Project Fiona PC Gaming Tablet." It's merely a prototype (at least for now), but this may be the go-to portable for you at some point in the future, fictional crazy person. Razer unveiled the prototype concept this week at CES, ending an ambiguous, weeks-long promotional campaign (seen after the break). According to a press release issued by the hardware company, the Project Fiona tablet comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, and is capable of running "current-generation PC games" -- Firefall, Assassin's Creed: Revelations and H.A.W.X. 2 are shown in the teaser, offering examples of some titles that will apparently work on the device -- surprise surprise, Ubisoft is jumping at the chance to showcase its wares on a new gaming device. Razer claimed in the announce that "many" PC games will "run natively" on the device without any need for specialization. Beyond being a super powerful gaming tablet, Project Fiona also keeps up with the Joneses by including "ultra-precise accelerometers and a highly sensitive multi-touch screen," which is intended to give developers a chance to cater their PC games to the device. It also has now de rigeur forced feedback, so you can rumble while commuting. Unlike Razer's previous gaming prototype, the Switchblade, the company isn't giving out a hard price for Project Fiona, but said it'll be "under $1,000" when it's expected to launch in "Q4 2012."%Gallery-143664%
