My controllers are gathering dust — and it’s all Razer’s fault

When I want to play a video game, I have no shortage of devices that can help me do that: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC, MacBook, Steam Deck OLED, Legion Go, Ayaneo 2S, PlayStation Portal, Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR2, iiRcade, Playdate, iPhone, iPad, and even on my Samsung TV and Amazon Fire Stick via cloud streaming. If it can run games, there’s a good chance I have access to it.

Though I have so many gaming platforms at my fingertips, lately I’ve found myself using the most unlikely device in my closet: the Razer Edge.

Cutting Edge

Released in February 2023, the Razer Edge was a bit of a peculiar product launch. It was the second attempt in what seemed like a growing line of “cloud gaming handhelds,” which kicked off months prior with the Logitech Cloud G. The idea was to give players a dedicated device where they could stream in peace, free of constant notification interruptions. The impressive, but pricey device felt like it fell under the radar before it even came out, getting outclassed by portable PCs like the Steam Deck and Legion Go. After all, why spend hundreds of dollars on something your phone can already do?

I had my criticisms of the Razer Edge in 2023, but saw potential in the deceptively powerful Android device. Despite that, I quickly packed my Razer Edge into a closet shortly after I finished reviewing it, where it collected dust. I just didn’t feel like I had a use case that other devices I owned didn’t fill already. That’s changed in the last month; now I’m using it all the time.

My breakthrough came when Zenless Zone Zero launched earlier this month. I was curious about Hoyoverse’s action-RPG and wanted to play on a portable device rather than a console. I initially planned to play on my iPhone, but I started remembering how disruptive that experience can be. I’m always getting texts, work messages, and other notifications that get in the way of my play sessions. That’s fine for more casual experiences, but