Razer Edge Gaming Tablet Review

Ambitious, exciting, but ultimately impractical.

→ March 28, 2013 The Razer Edge is an ambitious, but flawed product. The feeling of being able to play Crysis 3 or BioShock Infinite on a device not much larger than the Surface Pro is exhilarating and at times unbelievable, but it's also an expensive, less effective alternative to a gaming laptop.
The Edge is a 10.1-inch Windows 8-based tablet with the internals you'd expect to find in a low- to mid-range gaming laptop. Its base configuration is priced at $999 and comes with a 1.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GT 640M LE (1GB), and a 64GB SSD. Bumping up to the Razer Edge Pro nets you a faster 1.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, the NVIDIA GT 640M LE (2GB), and either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage priced at $1,299 or $1,449. The caliber of specs are lower than the price would otherwise merit in a laptop, but the cost can be attributed to the unique form factor.

But the disparity also has less of an impact because the chipset is driving fewer pixels. The Edge comes with a 10.1-inch 1366x768 display for a pixel density of roughly 155 pixels-per-inch (ppi) — far below the iPad's 264 ppi and the Surface Pro's 220 ppi. The lower resolution of the display is certainly noticeable, but by no means distracting. Fortunately, it's made up for, in large part, by its great color representation and wide viewing angle. Game environments look rich and vibrant, but not over-saturated.
The tablet itself is constructed from a combination of glass, aluminum, and plastic, sporting Razer's signature black matte finish with bright green accents on the buttons and rear-facing logo. The company seems to have strived for a sleek aesthetic with a clear gaming influence. By the numbers, the Edge may not seem that much thicker than other tablets — measuring at 0.80-inches thick as compared to the Surface Pro's 0.53-inch girth and the iPad's 0.37-inch casing —but in person, the difference is readily apparent. The same could be said for its weight, which clocks in at 2.1-pounds. The combined impact makes it awkward and straining to hold prolonged periods, but obviously the Edge wasn't intended to be an eReader.

As a Windows 8-based tablet, the Edge is capable of running both Microsoft and third-party apps optimized for the "Metro" UI, but it can also access the traditional Windows desktop and run any program you can find on a desktop or laptop, including digital services like Steam or Origin and the vast libraries of games therein. The standard model comes with 64GB of solidstate storage, but for my review Razer supplied us with the 256GB SSD Edge Pro. Anyone considering buying an Edge should absolutely spring for one of the higher capacity models. With many new PC titles falling closer to the 15GB mark, the added storage space is crucial for having a decent library installed. I was able to install 18 games, including Crysis 3, BioShock Infinite, Battlefield 3 (including all DLC), Dead Space 3, Far Cry 3, NFS: Most Wanted, and more with plenty of room to spare.
And if the added storage weren't enough, the jump from dual-core to quad-core processor and double the RAM make the Pro variants worth the extra cash.
But, of course, the big question is how well the Edge runs games — and the short answer is: exceptionally. At native resolution with High settings, BioShock Infinite runs at a consistent 35 frames-per-second or more. Those craving richer textures and effects can crank things up to Very High or Ultra and get decent results, but intense action will send the framerate to the teens or 20s. It can even run Crysis 3, though only at its Low spec. Still, it's an impressive feat and Crysis 3, even at its worst, looks incredible. Because of the lower-power hardware, the highest achievable settings can vary largely by title, generally capable of running high or max settings on games that were a few years old and lower settings for more recent content.

Again, the Razer Edge isn't going to break any speed records, but it's more than capable of running just about any title to date and the near future.
The Edge's biggest flaw, however, is control method. While some PC games, like Civilization V, are touchscreen friendly, most of the time Edge owners will need some sort of attachment to play games. The Edge has one USB 3.0 port for players to attach a gamepad or other accessory, but Razer has also crafted an array of its own accessories. Razer's gamepad allows players to snap the Edge into place with two controllers mounted to the sides, providing two analog thumbsticks, action buttons, a d-pad, triggers, and four shoulder buttons.
The gamepad is the preferred way to use the Edge; eliminating the need to carry around multiple accessories and avoiding wire clutter. But it's also the least ergonomic and precise. The gamepad positions the action buttons and d-pad directly below its analog thumbsticks, which makes quick taps difficult and uncomfortable. If you're trying to swap weapons in a shooter or action title, the process of curling your thumb to tap Y is considerably slower than on a traditional controller.
If you'd rather prop the system up and use a controller or perhaps a mouse and keyboard, Razer has produced a unique dock, which connects to the tablet's proprietary connector. The dock props the system up, adds three USB slots, an HDMI port, microphone/headphone inputs, and a power cable passthrough. In effect, players can plug in multiple controllers for games that support splitscreen multiplayer and/or output video from the Edge to an HDTV via HDMI. The system can effectively run games at 720p at stable framerates on external displays, but cranking up the resolution to 1080p can result in diminished returns.

But despite the versatility the Edge offers as a portable or home console with the gamepad and speaker dock, the dependence on one or more accessories to have an enjoyable games experience is less than ideal. And, by association, completely negates the benefit of having an all-in-one tablet. The accessories are also absurdly expensive. The gamepad retails for $249.99, while the dock costs $99.99.
And then there's the battery life. With its built-in rechargeable battery, the Edge lasts for 5 or 6 hours for general tablet use, but once you fire up a game, that number drops to anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. Given the type of graphics the Edge delivers, its limited battery life is far from surprising, but it still makes for a poor user experience. Edge owners can prolong battery life by buying Razer's extended battery pack, but that only adds about an hour of use, requires you to own the gamepad, and costs $69.99.
For the best possible experience with the Razer Edge, you've got to spring for one of the two Pro models (either $1,299.99) or $1,449.99), the gamepad ($249.99), and the extended battery ($69.99), which brings the pre-tax total to $1,619.97 at best or $1,769.97. It's a lot of cash to spend on a device that doesn't nail the tablet experience, but also falls short as a gaming machine. As cool of a concept as it is, if asked whether someone should invest in the Edge or a gaming laptop, I'd have to recommend the latter.