The Razer Edge Review
by Vivek Gowri on March 28, 2013 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Tablets
- Mobile
- Razer
- Razer Edge
Display
The display was always a key part of the gaming tablet idea, and I was glad to see Razer spec a 1366x768 IPS panel, sourced from LG Display. The lack of 1080p is initially a disappointment given the price point, but I’ve discussed the reasons for a 1080p panel being unnecessary. The emphasis on display panel quality in the tablet market has been great to see, since it’s led to the widespread adoption of various wide-angle panel types. When Razer first talked to me about the Edge, I was told it had a TN panel. I basically threw a fit about the display choice, but when the preproduction units were shown at CES, they were clearly using IPS panels. Whether I was initially misinformed by Razer by accident or if the panel actually changed between early December and CES, I am not sure, but either way, it worked out.
Performance is pretty good – the contrast ratio is solid at 708:1, while the maximum brightness of 358 nits is also competitive. The uncalibrated colour temperature is a pretty neutral 6600K. I’d like to see lower black levels, but that’s the next step. The IPS panel offers the standard 178 degree viewing angles, which are very useful when gaming on the go. It also means people can crowd around you and see what you’re doing, so any embarrassing deaths or crashes will be for public consumption, as I found out when playing Half-Life 2 on the Edge with a group of my friends.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
89 Comments
View All Comments
Blibbax - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
"would be awkward or impossible to play PC games are no longer so"Where can you use this that you couldn't use a similar sized laptop, though? This is what I don't get about tablets in general.
jamyryals - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Many, many people disagree with you about tablets.freedom4556 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Think about it in terms of gaming though (as in, with a mouse or gamepad). Many, many people with tablets only play Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Cut the Rope.A5 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
That doesn't mean those are the only games on the platform. That's like saying PC gaming is worthless because most people only play The Sims or WoW.freedom4556 - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
That's not what I said, though. The original comment was "why a tablet when a laptop goes everywhere it does without the compromises?" The reply was many disagree with that (implying tablet sales were an indicator of gamers choosing tablets.) My reply was meant to say that real gaming wasn't happening on those tablets, and as such didn't indicate that gamers were ok with the compromises. I don't personally believe the the battery life, performance and cost are worth the "gaming tablet" concept, but then I don't like playing games on PC with the Xbox 360 controller. I prefer the wider range of motion and larger key count of a mouse+keyboard.Netscorer - Saturday, March 30, 2013 - link
His point is that tablets excel in touch-based games and activities. Once you start playing regular PC games that do not use touch, the whole advantage of a tablet compared to a laptop becomes iffy. Add enormous weight and short battery life and I, frankly, too do not see a point in this hybrid.VivekGowri - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Take a laptop - small, large, anything - and try to play an FPS or a racing game while riding the bus or subway. Or sit on your couch and try. It's somewhere between difficult and impossible to do, even if you use a touchpad and not an external mouse.The Edge works like a massive Gameboy Advance or PSP - just hold the controllers and go from there. It's closer to a portable console in experience than a notebook PC, even if it has PC silicon inside.
kyuu - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
Plug in an Xbox controller, or use a wireless one. Heck, I believe you can connect a PS3 controller via bluetooth as well. I think you could play an FPS or racing game on a laptop fairly well that way.RoninX - Thursday, March 28, 2013 - link
Great review.Vivek, I have a Razer Edge Pro on pre-order, and I was wondering what you used to carry it around on airline flights. Is there a particular type of bag or case that works well to carry the Edge while docked with the gamepad? (Preferably one that's easy to pull out mid-flight.)
Thanks!
VivekGowri - Friday, March 29, 2013 - link
I just put it in my 17" notebook backpack (High Sierra Elite, $30 at Costco). You'll need at least a 15" backpack to fit it, the dimensions with the gamepad controller attached are roughly 15.9x7.7x1.3" - the width is about an inch and a half more than then MBP15, but only .75" more than the Dell XPS15z so your mileage may vary. 17" notebook bags hold it with ease though.