Razer Forge Brings a New Level of Gaming to the Living Room

Razer announced the Razer Forge TV earlier last year but didn’t really reveal too many details other than it being an Android-based system designed for the living room. During CES, we got all the latest details of this high-performance Android TV micro-console that will bring both hardcore PC gaming and Android gaming into the living room. The new gaming ecosystem consists of the Razer Forge TV micro-console, Razer Cortex: Stream software and two Bluetooth peripherals, the Razer Serval, and the Razer Turret.

The quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, and 16GB Flash storage inside the console should be enough to enjoy all the games you can find in the Google Play store on the big screen, and with up to four players. The Serval controller seen above is a Bluetooth gaming controller with four action buttons, two thumb sticks, trigger, and bumper buttons, but also comes with a phone clip to directly attach a mobile device. It can remember four device pairings, making it easy to switch between devices as well as having Android control buttons.

The Razer Cortex game launcher will be getting a streaming feature during spring time this year. That in return will provide ultra-low latency PC gaming with up to full HD resolution on the new console. It is compatible with any DirectX 9 and above software and works with both Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. No need to build an extra gaming PC for the living room anymore and no limitations like on the Nvidia Shield that only works with Nvidia GPUs.

But a game controller might not be the best choice for every game, actually it’s only good for very few when looking from a PC gamers point of view. Razer of course knows this and created the Turret, a wireless gaming mouse, lapboard, and keyboard unit. You’ll get a full gaming keyboard with anti-ghosting, a magnetic board that prevents the mouse from sliding down and a 3500 DPU ambidextrous mouse. The whole thing connects wireless via Bluetooth 4.0 LE or Wireless 2.4GHz to ensure lag-free gameplay as well as keep up compatibility with as many devices as possible.

“Razer Forge TV is a device that is able to bring together the most popular elements of an entertainment center,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. “It powers popular music and movie apps and plays Android TV games that an entire family can enjoy. For the hardcore gaming audience, it will bring PC gaming to the couch. Razer Forge TV is what we see as the future of consoles.”

Specifications:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
• Quad-Core Krait 450 CPU – 2.5 GHz per core
• Adreno™ 420 GPU
• 2 GB RAM
• 16 GB storage
• Bluetooth 4.1 + HS
• Wireless 802.11ac 2X2
• Gigabit Ethernet
• USB 3.0
• HDMI 1.4 output
• DC Power
• 105 mm Width x 105 mm Depth x 17 mm Height

The console will be available for €99.99 or in a combination with the game controller for €149.99. The Serval controller will set you back €79.99 on its own and you’ll have to spend €129.99 for the Razer Turret lap-keyboard. The software is free if you buy any of these devices, otherwise it will set you back €34.99. Availability for all is set to Q1 2015, so the wait won’t be long.

Thanks to Razer for providing us with this information