RAZOR'S $100 FORGE TV WILL TRY TO BRING PC GAMING TO THE LIVING ROOM

Though it has only been less than two years since their reveal, Valve’s Steam Machines are basically vaporware at this point. The hype was almost overbearing for a while, with gaming hardware companies announcing their own takes on the Steam Machine on a regular basis, and gaming communities passionately discussing whether the initiative would be Valve’s next big thing or next big flop. After countless controller redesigns, effectively no console announcements, and even Alienware changing its Steam Machine to a more standard gaming PC, it would seem that the hole in the living room PC gaming market is as big as it has always been. With the reveal of the Forge TV, a $100 Android gaming console capable of PC game streaming, Razer looks to plug up the hole that many thought Valve would fill.
While both Android gaming consoles and Steam Machines haven’t caught on, Razer is hoping the combination of the two — plus the brand’s popularity, sleek aesthetics, and a fancy lapboard-and-mouse combo — will help. First, the Forge TV acts as an Android TV device, meaning it runs Android games from Google Play (in HD, of course), supports four-player local co-op, runs Android apps (and thus streaming media services), and has Google Cast support so you can access it through a variety of mobile devices and PCs.
What sets the Forge TV apart from other Android consoles is that its companion software, Cortex, has the capability to stream games from your PC to your living room — and Cortex isn’t limited to one service. Cortex can not only stream Steam games, but can stream content from Battle.net, Origin, Uplay, and even games stored locally — all at 1080p.
To achieve these lofty goals, the Roku-sized, Android 5.0 Lollipop Forge TV console is powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 and Adreno 420 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and a seemingly meager 16GB of onboard storage. Its connectivity options offer 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, and Gigabit ethernet, and the console also has one HDMI 1.4 port and one USB 3.0 port. It won’t hold a candle to your gaming laptop, and its simply mobile tech stuffed into a tiny 105mm x 105mm x 17mm body, but it should be more than enough to handle Android games and streaming.

Judging by the constant controller redesigns, where Valve has hit a snag with its Steam Machine initiative is actually making traditional PC gaming controls comfortable in a non-desk environment. Translating a traditional keyboard-and-mouse control scheme to a console controller layout has thus far been tough for Valve, so instead of look for a single solution, Razer is offering up both options: an Nvidia Shield console-like controller-and-device combo (seen above), and a lapboard-and-mouse combo (seen below).

The Bluetooth Shield-like controller, dubbed the Serval, apes the venerable Xbox controller layout, and has a clamp to attach your phone or tablet. Whereas a controller with a smartphone clamp isn’t anything new, Razer’s lapboard, the Turret, aims to be. It’s a tenkeyless keyboard (meaning no number pad) with an ambidextrous mouse and magnetic mouse pad that can attach to either side of the board. The wireless lapboard can last up to four months on a single charger, and the wireless mouse can handle up to 40 hours of nonstop use. Its battery charger doubles as a slim vertical stand, so its easy to store.
The Forge TV alone sells for $99.99, and costs an extra $50 if you add a Serval controller. A standalone Serval runs $79.99, and the Turret lapboard costs $129.99. The entire shebang releases in the first quarter of this year.