Razer is tapping into the cloud/mobile/handheld gaming craze with the Edge 5G. It’s a unique device, packed with a powerful Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 mobile chipset for native Android gaming, as well as 5G and Wi-Fi 6E support for on-the-go cloud gaming.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Razer Edge, it’s basically a phone that you can’t call or text with combined with Razer’s Kishi V2 Pro controller. The controller isn’t the same as the $100 Kishi V2 you can buy now — it’s almost identical, but Razer added haptics for the Edge.
With the Edge 5G, Razer is capitalizing on the explosion in cloud, mobile, and handheld gaming. It’s a special gadget with a potent Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 mobile CPU for gaming on native Android as well as support for 5G and Wi-Fi 6E for mobile cloud gaming.
If you are not familiar with the Razer Edge, it is essentially a phone that cannot be used for calling or texting along with the Kishi V2 Pro controller from Razer. Although the controller is nearly identical to the $100 Kishi V2 you can currently purchase, Razer added haptics for the Edge.
There are two versions available, one through Verizon that just has Wi-Fi 6E and the other that has both 5G and Wi-Fi (Razer even claims that there is a discount with Verizon if you add a line). But be clear: you prefer the 5G version. The Razer Edge’s actual cloud gaming experience while you’re out and about uses 5G instead of Wi-Fi, unlike Logitech’s poor G Cloud gaming handheld.
The screen was quite helpful. A 2,400 x 1,080 screen with a 144Hz refresh rate is featured on the Edge 5G. Although programs like Steam Link support 144Hz, Android games do not by default (developers must manually activate it).
The Razer Edge has excellent feel. When compared to a gadget like the Steam Deck, the Kishi V2 feels wonderful to use and has a far more compact overall design. Within the Android operating system, Razer has an own section. This covers native Android games like Dead Cells as well as your cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass.
This hub, if anything, is what makes the Razer Edge unique. You may easily remap controllers, customize your haptics, and more in addition to your games. Outside, you still have the complete Android experience, but for cloud and mobile games for now, a UI designed specifically for controllers is still lacking.
The main query is whether that hub is $400 value. It’s not true, despite Razer’s apparent confidence, that the Edge 5G can compete with handheld gaming systems like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. The phone in your pocket competes with the Razer Edge 5G. The only features I can distinguish between the Razer Edge 5G and the Kishi V2 are the haptics, which cost an additional $300, and the Razer Edge’s lack of phone and text functionality.
The greatest device of this category is the Razer Edge 5G, however it’s mistaken to buy one when your phone offers more features. According to Razer, a gadget like the Edge gives you a dedicated gaming platform while conserving battery life on your phone.
Price is definitely not helpful. At $400, the Razer Edge 5G competes with the Steam Deck while costing $100 more than the Nintendo Switch and lacking native support for the vast majority of titles Valve’s portable can play. There is no place for a gadget like the Razer Edge 5G if the goal of cloud gaming is to give less expensive options to folks who cannot afford a console or PC.
