Razer unveils its Android micro console, Forge TV

Rumors have been bumping around from last year that Razer would join in the micro console fun. And the company is the first to really wave a micro console around at CES this year, just when you were thinking micro consoles were a passing fad. The Forge TV is an Android-powered unit, packing mid-level components including an Adreno 420 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB storage, launching in Q1.



It comes with the Razer Serval, a console-style Bluetooth gaming controller, that will also work with your other mobile gadgets and PCs. Similar to Nvidia's PC game streaming solution for Shield, Razer is also offering Cortex: Stream, a GPU agnostic ultra-low latency feed to full-HD via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.



Finally, the Razer Turret at $129 brings the company's peripheral skills to the fore, offering a wireless living room gaming mouse and lapboard in one. Designed to fit on the lap it combines a gaming keyboard and high precision 3500 DPI ambidextrous mouse.



The official specs are: Qualcomm Snapdrago 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, 4.1 in. (105 mm) Width x 4.1 in. (105 mm) Depth x 0.7 in. (17 mm) Height.

All that for $149 with controller (or $99 for the box, $79 for the Serval, the keyboard and mouse are extras) The question is, as more players bundle into the market, where are the buyers? Since no one from Amazon to Sony or Google have made great sales boasts about their products! Razer could be going down the micro console route to prove they are more than just an accessory maker, but unless you own the software library, there's little revenue or margin to be had here.