Trade shows like CES and E3 are enduring slow agonizing deaths as companies realise they can own the news spotlight for a day with big flashy events of their own. Today, it was Razer’s turn, and at RazerCon 2022, the company announced a bunch of new gear, including more details about its highly anticipated game-streaming handheld.
In true Razer fashion, the company also revealed other products slathered in colour-changing LEDs, headphones for animal-loving gamers, and accessories that promise to make livestreams look more professional and compelling. If you didn’t have time to tune into the event today, here’s our roundup of the best and weirdest reveals Razer made today.
The Razer Edge Revealed
Let’s get today’s biggest news out of the way first. It’s been rumoured for a while, and while we got our first glimpses of the Razer Edge a few weeks ago courtesy of a presentation by Verizon at the Mobile World Congress Las Vegas 2022 show, today Razer revealed almost everything we could want to know about the handheld console, including the different versions that will be made available, and one very surprising detail.
A Tablet With Game-Streaming Ambitions
Unlike the Valve Steam Deck or even the recently announced Logitech G Cloud, which are self-contained handhelds with the controls built right in, the Razer Edge has more in common with the Nintendo Switch when it comes to the hardware. The Edge is actually a touchscreen tablet device that really only becomes gaming hardware when paired with the Razer Kishi V2 Pro: an adaptable controller add-on that’s most often used for gaming on smartphones.
All the Specs You Need to Know
Available in a wifi-only version or an upgraded model with 5G that facilitates gaming almost anywhere, the Razer Edge runs Android. Thanks to the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform under the hood, it can easily natively play mobile games like Fortnite. But it’s the support for playing AAA titles through game-streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, or remote PC play through apps like Steam Link, that are the biggest appeal of the Edge.
It features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate maxing out at 144Hz and a resolution of 2400×1080. That’s a bit smaller than the Steam Deck’s seven-inch, 1280×800 screen, but with more resolution and pixel density. The Edge also packs a 5000mAh rechargeable battery, which sits somewhere between the Steam Deck’s larger and the Switch’s smaller batteries. Razer is promising “hours of gaming” on a charge, but actual battery life will vary based on the types of games being played and whether the handheld is dependent on a wifi or 5G connection.
The Razer Edge also has a physical headphone jack and a front-facing camera, allowing gamers to stream themselves playing without the need for additional hardware.
Razer Edge Pricing and Availability
Several versions of the Razer Edge will be released, with the premium 5G model only being available from Verizon. The cellular company hasn’t revealed pricing or availability details just yet. The wifi version of the Razer Edge, considered the base model, will initially only be offered in the U.S., starting in January of next year. It will include the Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller and sell for $US399 ($554), with pre-orders (a deposit of just $US5 ($7) is all that’s needed, and it’s refundable) now available here.
So it will be more expensive than the Logitech G Cloud, and the same price as the more capable base model Steam Deck. That could make it a tough sell, especially when that price tag doesn’t include the subscription costs of game-streaming services. Convincing gamers to not just use the smartphones they’ve already spent several hundreds of dollars on might be a tough sell.
A Follow-up For the Razer Kraken Kitty Headphones
One of the most compelling reasons to opt for Razer’s gaming gear is the customizability afforded by the company’s generous use of RGB LEDs. With millions of streamers each trying to attract an audience on platforms like Twitch, anything you can do to make yourself stand out will help, and that includes going one step further with a pair of gaming headphones featuring a glowing pair of cat ears on top.
Or maybe you just really love cats. Either way, Razer’s Kraken Kitty headphones have not only been popular enough to warrant a sequel, but one that will appeal to a wider group of animal lovers.
A Multi-Species Upgrade
Razer’s new Kraken Kitty V2 Pro headphones now include three different styles of animal adornments: cat ears, bear ears, and bunny ears. They easily pop on and off, and if you’re into genetic cocktails, you can even mix-and-match them. Each pair also lights up with over 16.8 million different colour options and the ability for the lighting to “react in real time to stream events” or other events, like music playing.
Pricing, Specs, and Availability
The Kraken Kitty V2 Pro headphones also include a detachable Razer HyperClear cardioid microphone, and in each ear cup, you’ll find “Razer TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers with 7.1 digital surround sound” and a mix of fabric and leatherette materials used to finish off the design. The Razer logo on the side of each ear cup also glows with customisable lighting.
Pre-orders for the $US200 ($278) Razer Kraken Kitty V2 Pro headphones will be available sometime later this year, and while the original version included a wireless Bluetooth option, for the time being, the V2 Pro appear to be wired only.
Razer Gets the Blues
Razer is a company very much known for its bright green branding, but today the company released a new product for streamers in an entirely different shade: a portable blue screen that can make a gamer stuck in their parents’ basement look like they’re broadcasting from anywhere on Earth. But why blue, when most streamers and even the visual effects studios working on Hollywood blockbusters all use green screens these days? A green screen makes everything green disappear, and that would include the green logos on Razer’s products.
An All-in-one Pop-up Solution
Simply called the Razer Blue Screen, the backdrop skips all the grip stands and other supportive gear for a self-contained support mechanism that deploys through a simply upwards tug on its handle. The blue screen extends to a height of 94-inches tall, but can also be deployed at shorter heights depending on the setup or where it’s being used. It even has its own built-in feet that flip-out to support the screen, even when fully extended.
Lightweight and Portable
If not being used for a permanent streaming setup, the blue screen can be completely retracted into its base and the legs folded away for easy transport and storage. Unlike a cloth screen, it can’t be bunched up and stuffed into a backpack, but the rolling nature of its design means it’s going to keep wrinkles to a minimum when not in use.
Pricing and Availability
For the best results, the Razer Blue Screen will still need to be paired with lights to ensure it’s uniformly lit with minimal hotspots or shadows, so that the keying software can properly work its magic. But for streamers with limited space, or who like to travel and stream remotely, at $US160 ($222) and available now, this looks like an incredibly easy way to transport and set up an instant studio.
It’s Razer Time
As we’ve learned through years of endless online battles in online forums and social media, there are die-hard fans of every corporate brand imaginable, including Razer, and in addition to defending the corporation they love, they will happily deck themselves out in its branded gear. Last year, Razer partnered with luxury watch maker Panerai on an initiative to help support Conservation International’s work on saving Manta Rays, but this year the two companies are finally announcing a new timepiece together: The Panerai Luminor Quaranta Razer Special Edition.
A Surprisingly Subtle Razer Release
What’s most surprising about the Panerai Luminor Quaranta Razer Special Edition is how subtle it actually is — there’s not a colour-changing LED to be found anywhere on it. Instead, the variation on an existing Panerai timepiece features “Razer’s signature colours” with a green seconds hand on the face, Super-LumiNova accents that glow green in the dark, and green stitching on the watch’s strap, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. The company’s triple-headed snake logo also makes an appearance on the watch’s caseback and on its dial.
Just 500 copies of the Panerai Luminor Quaranta Razer Special Edition are being created, and they’ll only be available through the watchmaker’s boutiques or its online store. As for pricing, this Panerai model usually sells for around $US7,000 ($9,717), but given the limited production run, this could run even pricier.