Razer said on Thursday that its Intel-based gaming tablet, the Razer Edge, will come packed with Valve Software's Steam platform. This will allow PC gamers to download and install their library of Steam-based titles right out of the box. The tablet also works seamlessly with Steam Big Picture, the company said.
"Razer has one mission in mind: to innovate for PC gamers worldwide," says Min-Liang Tan, co-founder, Razer CEO and creative director. "Providing users with access to Steam will enable Razer Edge users to play their favorite games with greater ease than ever before."
Reviews for the Razer Edge Pro have begun to surface, and one of the major complaints revolves around the battery life. It supposedly provides a solid 45 minutes of PC gaming -- 3.5 hours as a standard tablet -- before the device must be plugged into the wall, a total departure from the idea that gaming on the go should last longer than an hour. There's an extra optional battery adding another two hours of juice, but that sets the consumer back another $69 (USD).
Another complaint has centered on its weight. With the optional $250 Gamepad attached, it weighs roughly four pounds – the 3G version of Apple's iPad only weighs 1.46 pounds. That said, after a while, PC gamers may find themselves wanting the $100 docking station instead to connect a keyboard and mouse, and play PC games the way they were intended.
As stated in a brief hands-on back at CES 2013, Razer has essentially created a new market with the Edge, cramming a powerful AIO PC into a 10-inch form factor. The battery drain and overall weight is expected given what's packed inside – you could say it's a slate since its focus is on high performance, not elegance. Pricing also starts at $999, so Razer may have a hard time convincing PC gamers to drop their cheap Android tablets and iPads.
Still, so far the Razer Edge Pro reviews have been overly positive across the board despite these two complaints. With Steam installed, PC gamers will have more than 2,000 titles to choose from right out of the box.
"The Razer Edge has more than enough power to play the latest and greatest Steam titles and it is completely built with PC gamers in mind," says Greg Coomer, product designer at Valve. "The tablet is a great way to experience everything Steam has to offer, including Big Picture mode."
The Razer Edge gaming tablet can be purchased directly from Razer, or from Amazon starting at $999. Actual units will begin shipping soon.
