Verizon announced (opens in new tab) on Wednesday that it had teamed up with Razer and Qualcomm for an always-connected portable game console that uses Google's Android operating system and allows to play Android games and games streamed from the cloud or a stationary game console.
The Razer Edge 5G game console leverages Qualcomm's Snapdragon G3X Gen 1 (opens in new tab) system-on-chip explicitly designed for portable gaming devices. Qualcomm introduced the SoC a little less than a year ago but still has not disclosed its specifications, so the only thing we do know for sure is that the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform supports gaming at an up to 4K resolution at up to 144 frames per second, rendering in 10-bit HDR, Wi-Fi 6E, and 5G (including both sub-6GHz and 5G mmWave) connectivity. In addition, the platform allows you to attach a 4K TV or a display to the console and an XR accessory using a USB-C port.
Razer built a reference software developer kit equipped with a 6.65-inch Full HD+ OLED screen for Qualcomm (opens in new tab) , though it is unclear whether the Razer Edge 5G relies on the design aimed at game designers.
Razer has been trying to enter console gaming ( with Oyua ) and portable gaming ( with Razer Phone ) markets for a while without significant success. Perhaps its Razer Edge 5G will always be connected and essentially rely on remote gaming platforms developed by third parties, and Android will be a more successful product.
Razer plans to announce more details about its Razer Edge 5G gaming system at its RazerCon (opens in new tab) event on October 15.
