A favorite of ours from CES, the tablet hardcore gamers have been waiting for is almost here. Razer is taking pre-orders for the Edge and Edge Pro tablets on Friday, March 1 for an end-of-the-month delivery date. Unfortunately, pre-orders are only in America and Canada; those in Europe and Asia will have to sit tight for the Edges’ international release.
Unlike other tablets on the market, both Razer slates are full Windows 8 machines that are powered by Intel processors and Nvidia discrete graphics (they’re more powerful than most mainstream computers with integrated graphics), yet they’re mobile enough for gaming even when you’re not in front of your desktop. For gamers who don’t consider Angry Birds Star Wars to be a “real” game worth of playing on a mobile device, the Razer Edge and Edge Pro makes it possible for you to continue your world domination in Civilization IV, whether you’re at home or on the road.
Both the Edge and Edge Pro share the same 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 resolution touchscreen, but they have slightly different parts under the hood to suit different budgets. At $1,000, the Edge is slightly more affordable as it has an Intel i5 processor and a 64GB solid-state drive. For a larger capacifty internal storage and faster processor, you’ll need to drop at least $1,300 for the Edge Pro, which packs an Intel i7 processor, Nvidia GT 640M LE graphics, and a 128GB SSD. Alternatively, you can opt for the 256GB SSD for $1,450.
At CES 2013, Razer also introduced a bunch of accessories that can transform the tablet into other form factors. For $250, you can snap the tablet into a gamepad controller that adds physical control buttons to make it easier to play button-smashers (as pictured at the top of the page). Or, for $99, you can dock the slate into the home console dock, which frees up your hands so you can play with a game controller. Along with the tablet, you can pre-order the gamepad controller, home console dock, and extended battery accessories on March 1, but you’ll have to wait until Q3 to order the keyboard dock.
Being able to play all your PC games on a mobile device that you can take anywhere is really the holy grail for hardcore gamers, so we’re excited to see whether Razer’s Edge tablets will be more than just over-priced Windows 8 slates. We can’t wait to give these a try when they land in late March. Stay tuned for our full review.
When she is not tinkering with gadgets, Gloria is covering computing news for Digital Trends. She's a regular contributor to Tom's Hardware and Shaw Media, and has previously written for ZDNet and FastCompany.com. She also served as a judge for the 2013 CODiE Awards for the Best Mobile App for Consumers. In her off(line) hours, you will likely find her skating at a rink or watching a hockey game.
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