Technologies

Razer Edge Review in Progress: Caught Between Switch and Steam Deck

Razer’s new gaming handheld isn’t enough of any single thing so far. Could it be enough for you?

The Razer Edge isn’t Razer’s first gaming handheld. That honor goes to the original Razer Edge, a large experimental gaming PC tablet that I reviewed a decade ago. Handheld gaming hardware has come a long way since then, and so has Razer, a company known for stellar laptops and gaming peripherals. I wish I could say the Razer Edge was as good as most serious gamers might hope it would be, but this first effort seems meager after being spoiled by Switch and Steam Deck.

I watched my 14-year-old son play Elden Ring on the Razer Edge one morning, and I asked him how it felt. He’s already beaten Elden Ring and keeps playing it on the Xbox Series X. He told me he wouldn’t go back to the Razer Edge to play for several reasons. First, the controller quality. He felt it was a big step back from playing on an Xbox controller, and he isn’t wrong.

The Razer Edge is an Android handheld, a 6.8-inch phone-type mini tablet that comes with a clip-on USB-C controller. Razer already has Kishi game controllers for phones, which are similar to the Backbone One and can turn phones into little gaming handhelds for around $100. The Edge is basically that same type of controller, bundled with its own mini tablet. At $400 for the Wi-Fi version, the price isn’t awful. You could think of this as paying $300 more for a 6.8-inch AMOLED-dedicated mini tablet, which is equipped with a brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon G3X gaming-focused chipset.

I’m reviewing a Verizon version with 5G that costs more. It’s $600, or $360 if you sign up for a $10/month 5G wireless plan. I briefly tried the Razer Edge in Las Vegas earlier this year, but here are my thoughts after playing at home for longer.

It’s not a Steam Deck

If you think you’re getting a Steam Deck-alike here, well… you’re not. The Edge is pure Android and runs apps off the Google Play store. You’ll have a standard selection of Android games that you’d also get on your phone, many of which work with the Edge controller scheme. You could use the Edge mini tablet to access other Android apps, like Gmail, Marvel Snap or Chrome.

You can run streaming games on the Edge, similar to your phone or tablet. I locally streamed Xbox games and played Xbox Game Pass games streaming from the cloud. There’s Steam Link local-game streaming (if you have a gaming PC) and Nvidia GeForce Now cloud-streaming game support, too. Verizon anticipates you’ll use the Edge to stream games on the go, via 5G.

While the Edge can decently run the streaming games I’ve played on the Xbox so far, it doesn’t feel as impressive as I’d hoped for. The controller seems a step below normal game console controls. The triggers and buttons are fine, but shallower and more hollow-feeling. Also, although Razer supports haptics on these controllers, I have yet to play a game that can use them (and haptics are a big deal for me).

The Edge’s display, while beautifully vivid, is long like a phone. PC and console games end up pillar-boxed, shrinking the playable space and leaving extra-large bezels on the sides. It turns what seems like a big screen into one not quite so big — and for console games designed for big screens, it makes text and menus super small and hard to read.

It’s not a Switch

The Edge also lacks a few things that I’ve taken for granted on the 6-year-old Nintendo Switch. The Switch can easily dock with a TV to become a regular sofa console, or it can be a handheld. It also has detachable wireless controllers and a kickstand. The Edge, meanwhile, is designed to be purely a handheld. And its controller, which stretches and plugs into the tablet, doesn’t work wirelessly. There’s no kickstand, either.

I would love a more modular design — for instance, if I wanted to prop it up on a table with a kickstand or dock. The handheld design is OK, and after all, the Steam Deck does the same (though the Steam Deck has an optional dock like the Switch). But the Steam Deck’s controls feel more refined. The Edge has the limits of a handheld-only design with few perks.

It’s not a phone

Also, it’s good to remember that the Edge isn’t a phone, even if it resembles one. The 5G model can connect to cellular, and you could certainly try video chat or other calls with it. However, the Edge only has one camera (front-facing), and it lacks a fingerprint sensor.

It also has some pretty noisy fans in the back that purr while the system is on, meaning it definitely isn’t water-resistant. The fans kick in quite a bit, even when the system seems to be in sleep mode. I’ve found battery life on standby can disappear fast, but then again, this is with 5G on.

Still, you could easily use the Edge as a small handheld tablet for reading, videos, mail, social media and whatever else. It’s a fully equipped smart device, although the 128GB onboard storage means you’ll probably want to add a microSD card. I haven’t felt the need to do so yet, mostly because all the games I’ve wanted to play are streaming.

A good idea, but an imperfect landing

I’m only harping on the downsides because Razer has excellent game controller products, and the company can clearly make fantastic hardware. I’d love to see more thought put into how a handheld could be not only serviceable, but designed perfectly, with more modularity and a display with a better aspect ratio.

There’s also a weird element with the target audience and software library. The Switch leans on Nintendo’s eShop, and the Steam Deck has Steam. The Razer Edge has a split focus on Android games, Steam Link, Xbox Game Pass and other streaming options like Nvidia GeForce Now. Much like the Logitech G Cloud, another Android device aimed at streamers, it feels a little redundant or superfluous.

While the Edge is functional enough, if you own a newer smartphone, you could simply buy a controller accessory instead. The Razer Edge doesn’t excel in any one area for me, and that’s why I’d like to see the overall idea pushed further. Whether Razer and Qualcomm will choose to do that remains to be seen.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …