Razer! Razer. Come here a minute. Sit down. Let's talk. What are doing? What's this Edge thing? A PC gaming tablet? Don't you realise how incongruous such a device is? What has gotten into you? Don't you know the future of PC gaming is Valve's TV box with Steam's Big Picture Mode?
Oh, you have Steam and Big Picture mode working on the Edge as well? And you've got gamepad support - on a tablet? We're confused. Let's start from the beginning, then.
The Edge itself is a 10.1" tablet, but it's powered by a dedicated GeForce graphics accelerator - making it one of the only dedicated gaming tablets in existence. It also features a full install of Windows 8 for its operating system, which means you've got access to your full DirectX PC gaming library.
Of course, it's going to be difficult to actually play most of that library with a standard tablet touch interface, so the Edge plugs in to a number of dedicated Razer accessories that allow for the right level of control. The first is what Razer calls "Mobile Console Mode", and it's a tray that the tablet slots into with twin-stick controls and triggers sticking out the left and right sides. The result is portable access to your full PC gaming library, but with the limit of console-style controls - so you may want to avoid reflex-heavy first-person shooters.
The second attachment is a laptop-style keyboard dock, with enhanced speakers and an extra battery pack to boot. There's a USB port to plug your own mouse into for the complete PC gaming experience (minus the numpad), but if you want to rock the portable keyboard by itself you'll need to stick to DOS classics, indie platformers, or Euro Truck Simulator 2.
The "Home Console Mode" is a basic dock with HDMI-out and support for multiple USB gamepads, allowing you to plug the tablet into a desktop monitor, or television, and turn it into a bona fide console.
So what we have is essentially a decent gaming system packed into the form factor of a tablet, but one that accounts for the fact that you're not going to want to actually play PC games with a touchscreen by offering peripherals that cater to the various control schemes that different genres demand. And, even if you only get the tablet itself, the prospect of playing Civilization on-the-go might just be worth $999 to you.
RAZER EDGE
Price: $999
CPU: Intel Core 15
GPU: NVIDIA GT640M LE
RAM: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 64GB SSD
Display: 10.1" 1366 x 768
RAZER EDGE PRO
Price: $1,299
CPU: Intel Core 17
GPU: NVIDIA GT64OM LE
RAM: 8GB DDR3
Storage: 1286B/2560B SSD
Display: 10.1" 1366 x 768
