Razer and Qualcomm have jointly unveiled a new handheld for gaming. What kind of device is it, and can or will it compete with Valve’s Steam Deck?
With the Steam Deck, Valve introduced a handheld console that aims to make PC gaming more mobile than ever before. This showed that Valve is quite ambitious, and many are now waiting for the release of the Steam Deck.
Now another manufacturer has unveiled a mobile gaming device. Qualcomm has now stated at a press conference that it not only wants to bring new processors for mobile computers and smartphones to market, but has also introduced a gaming handheld.
This new mobile device is being developed in collaboration with Razer, a company that many of you probably associate more with mice, keyboards, and headsets.
A Gaming Handheld from Razer and Qualcomm
What kind of device is it? In the images, the new gaming handheld resembles an Xbox controller with a built-in display.
So far, the device presented is a so-called “Gaming Developer Kit.” This is not a fully-fledged console but rather a demo device that developers can use to test things or functions.
Qualcomm and Razer have already revealed several details about the new device:
- Display: 6.65-inch OLED display with Full HD+ resolution and 10-bit HDR: The OLED display operates at up to 120 Hz.
- Camera: A 5MP/1080p60 webcam with two microphones, allowing gamers to record themselves while playing and stream their games.
- Connectivity: 5G mmWave and sub-6, as well as Wi-Fi 6E for low latency, fast uploads and downloads, and a good connection.
- The battery is said to offer a capacity of 6000mAH, and you can also connect many other devices thanks to the USB-C port.
Qualcomm Sees Massive Potential in the Mobile Gaming Sector
In a further statement, Qualcomm explains in more detail that it sees great potential in the gaming sector (via qualcomm.com).
- About 2.5 billion people game daily on mobile devices
- All gamers combined generate 175 billion US dollars in revenue each year, significantly outpacing the film industry (45 billion).
Qualcomm’s statement is also clear, as it aims to blur the lines between desktop, mobile, and console gaming with the new processor. According to Qualcomm, the new “Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform” will allow one to play whatever they feel like on all devices. The new processor is said to provide enough power for this.
How successful could such a device become? So far, there is only a developer kit of the new gaming handheld. Additionally, there are no benchmarks or other reliable materials regarding Qualcomm’s new platform.
On the other hand, one should not forget that Qualcomm can draw on years of experience in the mobile sector, as a Qualcomm processor is built into numerous smartphones. Moreover, Qualcomm is among the five largest semiconductor manufacturers in the world and has the corresponding resources.
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