The biggest thing that has happened to gaming for the past few years is not really the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X. They are great, they are revolutionary, but they are rather regular and expected. You still need to be sat in one location and get it plugged to a display to fully enjoy them. The most important thing that has happened in gaming over the past few years is portable gaming, or mobile gaming.
What really started this handheld gaming phenomena is not really the smartphone. It is more to do with Nintendo’s Switch. Later, Steamdeck revolutionized the handheld gaming space again bringing the entire strength of Steam’s gaming library for PC games to a handheld device no bigger than a hard cover Harry Potter book.
Then Razer comes along with the Razer Edge. The Razer Edge is unique, not really a Nintendo Switch with exclusive titles. It is not exactly a Steamdeck competitor in the hardware space as well.
Source: Razer
Where the Steamdeck is powered by a swatch of PC like parts, AMD’s Zen 3 CPU with integrated GPU, for example, the Edge is made more like a smartphone. It is powered by Qualcomm’s snapdragon G3x Gen 1 platform. That is also an exclusive for Razer, the most powerful integrated processing chip that Qualcomm can produce at this time clocking up to 3GHz on it eight-core Kryo design.
It makes plenty of sense though the Razer Edge is not made to be a smartphone. It is made purely for gaming on the go and to be the best at it. But since it is Qualcomm, there is some smartphone qualities about the handheld device. You get to opt for 5G connectivity for example, so you can technically game anywhere you want to game. You also get WiFi 6E, which is technically still a brand-new technology even for the PC space.
If display quality is what you are looking for, the Steamdeck and Nintendo Switch has nothing on this handheld. It packs a 6.8-inch AMOLED display that refreshes at 144Hz boasting Full HD+ (2400 x 1080). It is technically the most advance display you can find on any handheld device in its class.
Source: Razer
So, what can a handheld device that is built purely for gaming with smartphone class hardware can do? It can run on Android, obviously. In that case, you can play Android games like PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends Bang Bang. It also comes with Epic Games Launcher app out-of-the-box which also means that it will run games like Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe with no issue.
It is not just made for mobile games though. It is designed with cloud gaming in mind too. So, if you have and active subscription on Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming and you want to take them out to the world, you can.
That is not all though. While you will not be able to install PC games directly on your Razer Edge, you still can play them. The Razer Edge is the only handheld gaming device out there that comes with the ability to play Steam games at 144Hz via Steam Link remote play. You also get access to Moonlight, and Parsec. We are guessing that Razer might get PlayStation remote play available on the Razer Edge soon too. Sure, you want to be constantly connected to the internet, that is why you might want to get yourselves the 5G variant.
The Razer Edge is technically just an integrated handheld device that works like a smartphone. You can detach it from the new Razer Kishi V2 Pro that it will come with. That also means that you can even use the controllers with your smartphone, if you like. But then again, you would want to be using your Razer Edge for all your games.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
The Razer Edge will be available only in the United States for now January 2023 onward. It will only be available in stores and Razer.com in its WiFi only variant at launch. Yes, there will also be a 5G variant as we mentioned, but it will only be available later and exclusively from Verizon. The WiFi variant of the Razer Edge will retail for US$ 399.99 (MYR 1,885*) at launch. Unfortunately, there are no mentions on its availability and official pricing in other regions currently. More information on the Razer Edge can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.71 as of 18/10/2022 on xe.com
Console gaming was given new life with the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Since then, it seems like the new normal for consoles is to walk the tightrope between being portable and being a full-fledged console. Only recently, we saw Valve announce a competitor to Nintendo’s most popular console with the Steam Deck. It seems like the Switch may have another competitor coming its way with the Lenovo “Legion Play”.
I know, I know – we don’t usually cover leaks here at techENT but this was too good to ignore.
We’re all familiar with Lenovo’s Legion brand. It’s the company’s lineup made for gamers. They have been releasing some of the best performing and looking laptops since their inception and, of course, the Legion Phone Duel lineup. It seems like they are looking to include hand-held consoles to their repertoire as well.
The Lenovo Legion Play was accidentally uncovered by users over at GBAtemp.net on Lenovo’s MWC 2021 website. That said, the Legion Play was never officially announced at MWC 2021 or Lenovo’s Tech World. Instead, the images that were discovered were pretty well hidden and their links lead to a blank page.
The Lenovo Legion Play seems to be an Android-powered handheld console. However, the write up indicates that this console may not support any physical media. Instead, it’s referred to as a “cloud-gaming console”. This could mean that Lenovo isn’t developing this alone. In fact, one of the renders features NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW front and centre. However, this clearly indicates that Lenovo is looking to take on the Steam Deck with cloud gaming.
While we don’t really know the full specs of the device, from what was stumbled upon, it looks like quite the machine. It comes with a 7-inch FHD display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display has HDR10 support and the Legion Play itself seems to have built-in controllers, dual speakers and dual vibration motors. It’s also powered by a 7,000mAh battery.
Source: Liliputing
From the renders, we can make out a D-pad, two analogue sticks, the A, B, X, Y buttons, and shoulder buttons. There may possibly be a few more buttons on the face of the console. The overall design looks really sleek – reminiscent of a PS Vita. Renders also show a custom interface atop Android. The interface seems to take a few cues from the Nintendo Switch. With games being front and centre while other apps take the backseat under them.
While we don’t really know much else, the Legion Play could have been a really interesting device to have in the market. It could also be priced more affordably than their Legion Phone Duel. However, we can’t be sure if the machine will ever see the light of day. Lenovo could choose to forgo launching the Legion Play indefinitely or we could see it launched in the next few months.
When Nintendo Switch was first teased, the PC gaming market went a little wild. Independent manufacturers took bold steps and packed all they can into a package that resembles the Nintendo Switch running the Windows platform. Despite the fact that most of these devices packs a notebook PC APU with no discreet GPU, they sold them as handheld gaming devices. To be fair, those were good attempts to squish portable gaming devices (gaming laptops) to an even more portable size. In theory also, you get the best gaming experience that is PC gaming.
Obviously, cramming PC grade hardware into constricted space is no mean feat. Most of the handheld gaming ‘PCs’ are thicker than your college textbooks and are as heavy as a brick. You need to fit cooling fans, thermal management systems, storage, RAM, and whatever else you have on a regular laptop into the small package. On top of all of that, you need to fit the controllers too. We thought that we will never see the day a handheld gaming device that can run PC games looking like a Nintendo Switch anytime soon.
Imagine our surprise then when Valve came out to say they have made a handheld gaming device that runs all your PC games. While it should not be a big surprise, it did catch the world off guard a little bit. Valve is not new in creating console peripherals for the PC gaming industry though. They were also responsible for creating something called the Steam Controller a few years back, we never saw the product ourselves though.
Source: Steam Deck
The Steam Deck, they call it. It really looks like a Nintendo Switch that is permanently stuck to two third-party Joy Con controllers. You do not get the funky colours of the Nintendo Switch though. Instead, you get a completely gun metal black finish that gives it a more edgy look.
It is built to run the Steam interface on its 7-inch 720p (1,280 x 800) LCD display with 60Hz refresh rate. It is built to run games on your Steam Library on that exact same display at that resolution too. You can get better displays from smartphone devices today, obviously. The issue with better and faster displays is that it presents a very real bottleneck for modern PC games, so some level of sacrifice would be required on portable handheld devices.
Keeping the display running at full chat is an AMD Zen 2 architecture CPU (four-core, eight thread) that is also paired to RDNA 2 GPU (eight CU) custom APU for the Steam Deck. You get 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM that is non-replaceable. 16GB of RAM is ample though for a gaming PC. They even pack it with up to 512GB in an NVMe PCIe SSD format to keep things trundling along at breakneck speeds.
The controller layout does look a little weird because the D-pad lines up with the joystick. The layout is necessary though to fit the touch pads for a more intuitive navigation for the Steam Deck. The 7-inch display is also a touch sensitive display, if you really cannot figure out the controller navigation.
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Source: Steam Deck
Obviously, the Steam Deck runs on Steam’s custom interface. However, it is also built as a PC complete with a dock and everything with proper I/O. That also means that you can run it as a PC on a desktop display or a TV if you really want to. It runs on Linux though, so you do not get the Windows experience here. Still, you can run third-party apps on Steam Deck, something you cannot do on any other gaming consoles.
Valve’s Steam Deck comes in three flavours when it is available later in December 2021 and beyond. These are not colour options though, rather three storage options. At the most basic you are getting a 64GB eMMC internal storage. A step above that is a 256GB NVMe SSD. At the top of the food chain is a 512GB storage option. All variants come with a MicroSD expansion slot, so you still can get a MicroSD card for more storage if you need to. Prices start from US$ 399 (MYR 1,676*) for the most basic version and tops out at US$ 649 (MYR 2,727*). Compared to the Nintendo Switch, the entry level price is still more expensive. At the top as well, the Steam Deck is approximately US$ 150 (MYR 630*) more than current generation gaming consoles. You do not get to bring around your Steam Library with you on the other consoles though.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.20 on xe.com as of 16/07/2021
It seems just like yesterday that we saw the full spec sheet of the highly anticipated Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) and the console’s new controller, the Sony DualSense. In that demo, we saw plenty of PlayStation 5 exclusive that promises no load times and even more impressive graphics that can be projected to a 4K display at 120Hz. Only the most powerful of PCs can have that kind of power these days. Of course, with newer CPUs and a powerhouse in the latest generation GPUs, 4K resolution at 120Hz might be a cake walk for next generation gaming PCs.
Source: Sony
Still, the PS5 is an impressive avenue to next generation gaming alongside the Microsoft Xbox Series X and Series S. For Malaysia at least, we will not be getting the Microsoft gaming consoles. That is as far as we know anyway. That does not mean you cannot get your hands on one though, just not officially supported in the country at the moment.
The PS5 though, that is going to make it into Malaysia. The older generation console, the Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro was made available almost immediately when they made the launch announcement. With the new PS5, we can expect the same thing as well.
According to Sony, the PS5 will be available in most markets from 19th November 2020 onward. That would most likely include Malaysia too, except if there are issues with the custom clearance and shipping. Still, pre-orders are supposedly open already for most regions. There are certain regions that gets the PS5 earlier though – United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. But it is just a week earlier on the 12th of November 2020. That also means that finding going to another region to source for your PS5 may not be worth it.
Source: Sony
Still, the thing that even we want to know is how much money do we have to fork out to own a piece of kit like the PS5. As pointed out before too, there are two types of PS5 that will be available later in the year. One is a Digital Edition that has no Blu-Ray tray. The other is a traditional PS5 with a disc tray. The Digital Edition is the cheaper option at US$ 399.99 (MYR 1,657.91*) and the regular PS5 will set you back US$ 499.99 (MYR 2,072.40*). Yes, I know I said that it is less than US$ 500 (MYR 2,072.54*). Technically I am not wrong though, it is US$ 0.01 less than US$ 500. If you go for the Digital Edition, it is way less than US$ 500.
*Approximately based on conversion rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.15 as of 17/09/2020
It is hard to believe when we say that the Sony PlayStation 4 platform is already about 7 years old now. When it was launched, it was ‘The’ next generation console to get your hands on. It was supposedly less powerful than the Xbox at that time, but it came with a chock-full of exclusives that made the Xbox look boring.
In its 7 years of service, there has been some great games that was made on the PlayStation platform. Plenty of the titles that came even later in its life cycle was very respectable titles still. Games like Grand Theft Auto V that was launched about the same time the PlayStation 4 was launched gained high praises for its graphical prowess and gameplay. That still holds true even today. Then there is games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Last of Us. These games launched just a few years ago still held up to the standards of games today. These games are still regarded as some of the best games today even when you compare them to games you can play on PC.
Mind you, all these games that are filled with praises and great graphics are played on 7-year-old system. That is a testament to the prowess of the system itself in Full HD 1080p gaming. They’ve launched a specific model to accommodate the rising trend of 4K televisions though, the PlayStation 4 Pro with 4K Ultra HD capabilities but limited to 30fps. That is okay though because most TVs do not go over 75Hz in refresh rate. Still, pushing the original PS4 hardware to take on 4K gaming also adds some heat issues and a slightly different power regulation measures. The PS4 Pro handled that nicely and is still a benchmark in 4K gaming. Heck most PCs still maintain their gaming resolution to 2K. That is also to keep the refresh rate higher though at 120Hz at least to get 120fps.
Seven years on and it is time for the PlayStation 5. It is time for the next generation gaming console. It has also been teased since 2018 technically and we have seen renders of the PS5 floating around in the world wide web. None of them, in our hopes, was true renders though. PS5 finally revealed some things early on in the year and just about a month ago. They revealed that, like the Microsoft Xbox, the PS5 console platform will feature AMD’s latest chips with RDNA 2 and Ray Tracing. It is touted to be less powerful than the Xbox too, just slightly. They claim that the Sony PS5 is about 10x faster than the previous generation console thanks to the more powerful hardware and cleverer SSD storage management and usage. People from Epic Games claim that the PS5 console is more powerful than any current generation gaming PC with an Unreal Engine demo.
There was a lot of hype around it especially after Sony revealed the Dualsense controller. Mind you, we have already seen how the other competing gaming console looks like. The Microsoft offering is black and box; purposeful. The renders of the next-gen Sony console does not look promising with weird valleys in the design and huge bulges that is less than attractive. At least he controller looks good though. It looks bulkier with more ergonomics as a part of the design consideration. It looks more comfortable than before. It looks better than before too. It departs from the traditional Sony Dualshock design that became an icon of a controller in the gaming world.
With the console and controller mix too they promise an even more immersive gaming experience with not just ultra high-resolution and sharp graphics, and pulling horsepower; but also with immersive 3D audio even without purpose built audio systems. They are building that immersive audio into the Dualsense controller too. More than that, the trigger buttons on the PS5 are now adaptive to the games you play and its requirements. Now, we are more excited than ever to see the PS5 console itself. We hoped, we prayed that the new console does not look like anything that has been in the renders.
Source: Sony
Fast forward to way too early this morning and our prayers were answered with the reveal of the PS5. Thank the heavens, it does not look like anything the renders put out. Thank heavens, Sony was able to keep the project under wraps for such a long time. Thank heavens, they have lined up a bunch of exclusives to be released within the first year of the PS5 launch in the late 2020s to the early 2021s.
The Sony PS5 looks like nothing in this world. It looks more like a sculpture than anything else you can put your finger on. It is a far cry compared to the sharp, boxy slate design we are used to with the PS4. Instead, the sharp boxy design continues only with the Microsoft Xbox Series X, a boxy bin like structure that is more purposeful and stealthy. The PS5 is made so that you can really show off.
It comes in two variants too, a regular PS5 with a Blu-Ray disc insert for the usual Blu-Ray media that we are used to since the PS4. Then there is a curious PS5 with no disc tray. They call it the Digital Edition and that starts to make a little bit of sense since games are purchased online and digitally these days.
Source: Sony
Still, in its first launch phase, you are getting the first generation of Sony’s anticipated Dual-sense controller. There will be a Sony PS5 headphone to purchase as well. We assume that this is going to be fully optimised with Sony’s proprietary Tempest audio engine. There is also a Nintendo Wii-esque controller that we assume would be a VR or AR motion controller that you need to pair with a tracking camera which they are also selling together later on when the PS5 launches. There are no PS VR headset in sight just yet.
Back to how it looks. There are plenty of smooth curves on its body that is standing tall. The only sharp edges are the two plates on each side holding everything upright and in its place. Those plates reveals a black cutaway cross structure that holds the integrity of the PS5 and encases all the horsepower inside. There are plenty of ventilation holes revealed here too, presumably for cooling and airflow: important in something that holds as much power as a very high-end gaming PC in less space than a mini-ITX build. We wonder at its thermal performance and throttling now though.
Source: Sony
In a sense, this looks beautiful. This looks more like a show piece with its large white panels and distinctive, yet muscular curves and grooves. It looks powerful, yet elegant and modern. It looks like it belongs on your coffee table as a centerpiece more than in your TV shelf as a gaming device.
We still do not know how it will actually perform though. All we know so far are just numbers. From the demos, it is looking good too. The only issue is that we are not directly having our hands-on with it just yet, so it is difficult to say.
Still, like when they launched the PS4, they lined up very compelling titles out of the box within the first year of its release. We can expect even more than what they have already showcased too. Within the announcement itself, we are already excited to place our wallets on the counter for one PS5.
Source: Sony
First of all, the announcement starts with Grand Theft Auto V (GTA). Yes, it is an old game. As old as the PS4 itself. But Rockstar is not announcing any new GTA titles anytime soon and the best we will get at this time is GTA V. Rockstar and PlayStation announced that the title will be available for free to current GTA V players on the PS4 console. Players on PS4 console will also be getting 1 million in-game currency every month until the PS5 launches. Great deal? Great deal.
Then they continue with not just a handful of games to be released just for the PS5. It looks like they announced a whole year worth of games if you play them one by one. It is as though they are giving you a reason to buy the console at least to keep it for a year worth of binge gaming.
We have our highlights of course, and we are lovers of exclusive titles. One of the ones we are really excited about is Horizon: Forbidden West. We love the first title, and we are still playing it (we suck at games, please forgive us). The award-winning Spider-Man on PS4 is followed up with Spider-Man: Miles Morales too. Then, there is Grand Turismo 7 (we are also quite big on racing games). We are unexpectedly excited for Sackboy: A big Adventure, because we played Little Big Planet 3. Then there are titles like Resident Evil VIII: Village, and Hitman III. If those titles do not get you excited, we don’t know what will. Best of all, you can still play all your titles from the PS4 if you already have them, thanks to backward compatibility this time. They are still based on the Blu-Ray media system anyway. The list of PlayStation exclusive titles that will be launched within the first year of the PS5 release are listed below.
Exclusive Games 2020/2021 Release
Spider-man: Miles Morales
Grand Turismo 7
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Project Athia
Stray
Returnal
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Destruction: All Stars
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Goodbye Volcano High
Oddworld: Soulstorm
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Jett: The Far Shore
Godfall
Solar Ash
Hitman III
Astro Playroom
Little Devil Inside
NBA 2k21
Bugsnax
Demon’s Soul
Deathloop
Resident Evil VIII – VIllage
Pragmata
Horizon: Forbidden West
The Sony PlayStation 5 will be launched later in the year 2020. We are looking at the fourth quarter of the year for the highly anticipated console. We kind of know which console we will get our hands-on first with this reveal. Still, as per said by plenty of sources in Sony, we can expect prices to land somewhere near the US$ 500 mark, most likely more than that, but less than US$ 600 hopefully. We are keeping our eyes open, so stay tuned. What do you think of the Sony PlayStation 5 now that we have seen it? Which would you get? Comment below.
