Verdict
The Razer Edge 5 G is a near stab at create an all - in - one cloud and mobile gaming twist , with a good controller and access code to 5 gravitational constant information . But it ’s just not singular enough from your speech sound to apologise the leverage for most people .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Razer is one of the numerous manufacturers that have chosen to plow their hand to handheld gambling over the last yr or so . The Edge 5 gigabyte ’s focus is in its name , how does it fairish ?
This version of the Razer Edge require to remove the most obvious barrier to corrupt gaming ; constant access to the cloud . Here there ’s support for Verizon ’s wideband 5 G electronic web for admission toXbox Cloud Gaming , Nvidia GeForce Now , Steam Link , and everything the Google Play Store has to bid . you may charge your ( totally legally acquire ) retro fixed storage on here too and practice the Play Store ’s aper .
The Razer Edge 5 G is a slight , rectangular 6.8 - inch touchscreen twist that runs on Android and has 5 G and Wi - Fi . It has a powerful Snapdragon processor and 8 GB of RAM . strait intimate ? Well , it is . much speaking , most of the people reading this already own a machine that has all of this and quite a mess more – a smartphone .
certainly , it comes with the easily attachable Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller , but you’re able to get a similar merchandise for your phone too . Like the popular Backbone model , or more traditional Bluetooth controllers from 8bitdo and party .
So , what is the power point of it ? Well , the Razer Edge 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate is design for one purpose – as a consecrated gaming equipment , minus the distractions of your daily digital animation and the worry about stultify your phone battery with high frame rate gaming . hellhole , this thing ca n’t even make a phone call if you want it to . Is that worth $ 600 to you , plus an additional data architectural plan ranging from $ 15-$30 a calendar month ( $ 180-$360 a year ) ?
Since the initial launch of the Razer Edge 5 G , it ’s have more direct competition in the form of theLogitech G Cloudwhich , unlike the Razer , is available outside of the US . However , Logitech ’s variant lack wireless connectivity beyond Wi - Fi , interchangeable to the non-5 constant of gravitation rendering of the Edge .
Then , there are fellow handheld gaming gimmick with a gravid nidus on native gameplay , like theNintendo Switch , Asus ROG Allyand ValveSteam Deck . These have vitreous silica clear enjoyment causa . You buy them because of x , y , and z. The Razer Edge 5 G , on the surface , does not . So let ’s cut into deeper …
Design and build
The Razer Edge 5 gm build is smartphone side by side , but with much magnanimous bezel than you ’d await from a 2020s handset with a high screenland - to - body ratio . I ’m not sure why Razer made the conclusion to round the bezel at the corners rather than go with a fully rectangular showing . It ’s an odd decision that makes the bezel attend even bigger .
The bezels make the Edge 5 thousand larger overall ( 171.3 x 78.6 x 7.9 mm ) than theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra(163.4 x 78.1 x 8.9 mm ) which has the same 6.8 - column inch display size of it . The bezels are still much slimmer than the Nintendo Switch though .
So , it ’s a girthy savage , but in almost all cases you wo n’t be throw it with one hand like a smartphone . It ’s 264 g ( 401 g with the control attach ) compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra ’s 234 g , so not all that heavy than a flagship sound .
Part of the additional size of it is due to the fans on the rear of the handheld , which drive to keep it nerveless while playing demanding game . They get middling gaudy during play experiences . There are flyspeck speakers at the bottom of the gimmick that , as you ’d look when you see them , pump out awful phone .
Tearing up the Mexican landscape playingForza Horizon 5on Xbox Cloud Gaming sounded more like a wasp farting . Fortunately , there ’s a 3.5 mm headphone old salt built into the controller and there ’s Bluetooth compatibility too .
Controller
The bundled Razer Kishi V2 Pro is a spring - loaded , expansible pad that fits neatly into the USB - C port on the French telephone itself . The left side of the handset is slightly maneuverable when bond , so you’re able to slip to keep it even .
If you ’re used to your Xbox controller , for instance , you might retrieve the Kishi controls a little squished , as some people have complain . When trying ( and largely failing ) to execute annihilative combo in Mortal Kombat 11 there were a few miscues on the shoulder buttons , especially with the M1 and M2 shove in there . I prefer the style the Nintendo Switch line up the button and the trigger for few false printing press .
I am a fan of the analogue D - Pad here though , and the button are very tactile and responsive . There ’s also controller remapping for the M1 and M2 button , which can become L3 and R3 buttons for usage onPlayStation Remote Play .
The Kishi V2 Pro is really well-off to grip and ergonomically sound . There ’s also rumble support ( where extend natively within games ) , which not all of these clip - on restrainer do .
Specifications
The dish of cloud gambling is that a fate of the heavy lifting is done by the swarm infrastructure – whether that ’s the RTX 4080 - poweredGeForce Nowtier or theXbox Series X - powered Game Xbox Cloud Gaming platform . That means , in theory , you may play a AAA game likeCyberpunk 2077 in all itsray line , high - frame rate halo without having to take around a full rig with you .
However , to do those experience DoJ , you still ask some able on - add-in specs . Namely , when it comes to the display . The 6.8 - inch AMOLED display offers a FHD+ ( 2400×1080 ) closure and a 144Hz refresh pace ( an Ultra performance mode approachable through options , default is 120Hz ) , which is the same refresh rate as many of the top PC monitor . While the 5 G connectivity will enable you to wager anywhere , the show does n’t stand up too well against the bright Florida sun .
The 16:9 locked aspect ratio for Xbox Cloud Gaming also intend gamers will deal with some black bars either side of the action at law of this 20:9 gimmick .
The SoC , the 2021 Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 , is tune up for gambling . Essentially , it ’s an overclocked edition of the Snapdragon 888 + smartphone crisp . It ’s made up of eight - cores – 4x ARM Cortex A55 , 3x A78 and a exclusive X1 . The inbuilt GPU is the Adreno 660 . Together , they are capable of 120fps mobile gaming at Full HD and 4 K at 60fsp ( bear in intellect the display is n’t up to of 4 K ) , even without the cloud substructure contain the weightiness .
This Snapdragon configuration of french-fried potatoes was built for mobile gaming on Android , and Razer cooperate in the growing , so it treat everything the Google drama Store titles can shed at it with sang-froid .
Battery life
A big merchandising point for the Razer Edge 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate is bombardment spirit – your smartphone ’s battery life sentence , that is . If you struggle to game on your smartphone because you know you wo n’t have enough juice to get you home in the evening , tot up this gimmick to the mix might be the resolution . Or , you know , you could just bribe an external battery pack for a fraction of the price of a Razer Edge 5 gigabyte and meet games on your smartphone until your heart ’s content .
Anyway , the Razer Edge 5 G ’s 5,000mAh battery life is secure for around five hour of cloud play . However , if you ’re using 5 gee you might get a small less than that . That ’s batch for a foresighted wagon train ride , for object lesson .
Over Wi - Fi at the 120Hz background , 45 minutes of playing HiFi Rush from Xbox Cloud Gaming left me on 85 % and a couple more hours withForza Horizon 5and Mortal Kombat 11 had me under 50 % , so I ’d say Razer ’s estimates are pretty on point . On the highest performance mode ( 144Hz ) using 5G , Halo Infiniteknocked me down a firm 17 % after 30 minutes .
You are belong to need to turn the handset off between school term every time though , else you ’ll simply come back to a compressed console . There ’s no nap mode , for some ground . Razer differentiate me there ’s a microcode update on the room to prevent the equipment from awaken every time the controller is pertain ( unexpectedly or otherwise ) , which should help oneself but not limit the problem .
The barrage fire full recharge in 2 hours and 8 minutes , while it was back at 50 % after 50 minutes of charging via the Adaptive Fast Charging tech . I ’ve seen reports that the equipment can get quite red-hot while charging , but that just was n’t the lawsuit in my experience . you’re able to also leave the accountant attach while charging thanks to theUSB - Cport , but this is awkward as the cablegram gets in the way of the grip .
Performance
This Razer Edge 5 g-force offers upright central processing unit performance despite not necessarily need to . In Geekbench 5 benchmark examination , the Razer Edge 5 yard strike a multi - core score of 3419 and a unmarried - essence grudge of 1172 . That ’s about on equivalence with last yr ’s Samsung Galaxy S22 base poser ( 3574 , 1163 ) , but you ’ll get more oomph from the 2023 model running theSnapdragon 8 Gen 2 , or a dedicated gambling French telephone like the ASUS ROG Phone 6 ( 1304 , 4302 ) .
In term of GPU , 3-D Mark test high - performance scenarios ( like how the console manage heating system ) over a stop of time . The Razer Edge 5 yard scored 1527 in the Wild Life Extreme trial , compared to theASUS ROG Phone 6which mark 2816 . In the received Wild Life test , the Razer Edge 5 G scored 5570 , compared with the Galaxy S22 ’s 7272 .
There ’s no competition when it comes to putting the on - gadget gaming capability of the Razer Edge 5 G up against the Logitech G Cloud , with the Razer trouncing the Logitech in the Wild Life Extreme mental test . The Razer Edge 5 G hits 1527 , compared to the 1058 of the G Cloud . , The resolution cause sense with the Logitech lark about an older Snapdragon 720 universal gravitational constant , which merely is n’t on the level of Razer ’s customs flagship gaming chip .
When combined with the active cool element ingrained within the Razer Edge 5 guanine , there is n’t much drop - off in inning rate over a sustained period of meter .
However , hitting the high-pitched benchmarks kind of hold the percentage point of a machine designed for cloud gaming . The ethos is that you do n’t involve the highest spec machine to get a great experience and , in number , that keeps the Mary Leontyne Price down . In fact , if you have a low - end smartphone , there ’s a just reason to buy this as your gambling gadget .
With cloud play , the top specs live in the swarm so you do n’t have to grease one’s palms them . Xbox Cloud Gaming , for example , runs off an actual Xbox Series X , GeForce Now off a remoteRTX 4080 .
So , how does the experience abide up ? Well , being a console gamer without a PC subroutine library to speak of , I spend much of my time play Xbox Cloud Gaming titles .
You will lose a quite a little of the video pizzazz and coruscation due to the compaction used by Microsoft to deliver these games , but anecdotally , frame rates are consistent . Infrequently when playing HiFi Rush ( hardly the most visually demanding claim out there ) there ’d be a slight partitioning in the image for a frame or too , but no buffering or screen door snag takings over Wi - Fi or 5G. Naturally , this is connectivity pendent .
Of naturally , when you ’re playing games designed for the largest screen in the business firm , you ’re going to have result . The tutorial for Mortal Kombat 11 were much indecipherable , but it ’s the nature of the beast . If you ’re buying this to roleplay your console table games on the go , it ’s something to consider . assay which game have accessibility circumstance that enable you to increase the sizing of computer menu school text .
As well as the cloud - powered serve , there ’s also the electrical relay option like Remote Play for PlayStation consoles , Steam Link to connect to your main rig and play the game that way . you may also hook up to your Xbox cabinet and get at your game if you do n’t have Game Pass and admission to Xbox Cloud Gaming .
The Google Play option are much limitless , and you may toy with the touchscreen until your heart ’s content . The SD card slot lets you load any fixed storage you have and play them via emulators like Dolphin or RetroArch .
So , from the high - end AAA PC games over the swarm , to the 8 - bit NES classics . That ’s quite the width of gaming . But again , this is nothing you ca n’t do on your existing smartphone . Do you need another twist ?
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Should you buy it?
The Razer Edge 5 1000 can reach the same services and act the same game as your phone , but you wo n’t be distracted and you wo n’t have to interest about battery life .
Look , you in all likelihood own this gadget already – a 5 G , touchscreen gadget with admission to swarm servicing , removed play and a mobile app store . There are lots of gambling comptroller around and battery packs to extend the liveliness of your phone .
Final Thoughts
I like the Razer Edge 5 one thousand , I really do . It ’s well retrieve out and dead dial in on its core focus – to completely remove boundaries to playing your preferred games anywhere , leaving no stone unturned .
However , the Razer Edge 5 G is grueling to recommend unless you ’re determined to completely segregate your gaming life from your smartphone life . What more could Razer do to make this twist more substantive ? Nothing really . The visual modality has been fulfill well , but it just feels very unessential .
There are now plenteousness of alternatives on the food market too , with theLogitech G Cloudcoming in at a lower $ 349/£329 monetary value , but miss 5 grand , or strong aboriginal gaming - rivet devices like theSteam DeckandAsus ROG Ally .
Trusted Score
How we test
We tested the Razer Edge 5 gigabyte by play a variety of different games , while also using benchmark tests to determine performance . We also measured the battery living by play game .
FAQs
No , it ’s available in the USA , undivided to the Verizon connection . There ’s a Wi - Fi - only variation too that costs $ 399 .
Yes , through the Steam Link feature of speech which hooks up to your play rigging and relays the action from there . you could also reach the Nvidia GeForce Now cloud platform for all your PC games . It ’s not powerful enough to handle the great AAA PC game via the built - in specs
dead . There are emulation apps like Dolphin and RetroArch and you may insert a microSD bill of fare to play your ( lawfully acquired ) retro plot libraries .
