For decades having a decent portable gaming experience has been a dream for many, which meant mostly bringing a GameBoy with you. But now, portable gaming is rivalling the at-home experience, with devices which also run EmulationStation. Two of them caught many gamers' eyes, so let's put them to the test: Razer Edge vs Steam Deck.
The two devices are similar in theory but offer quite different gaming experiences overall, so it is interesting to see which one is more powerful and decide which can offer the best bang for your buck.
Let's put the portables to the test and see which experiences they offer.
Razer Edge vs Steam Deck
With the Edge being released at the start of 2023, its performance is seriously giving Steam's portable experience a run for its money. But let's first look at the performance of each device.
Performance
Let's look at the respective performance of the two devices.
Specs | Steam Deck | Razer Edge |
|---|---|---|
Screen Size | 7" | 6.8" |
Screen Resolution | 1280x800 | 2400x1080 |
Refresh Rate | 60hz | 144hz |
OS | Steam OS 3.0 | Android |
Storage | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB |
RAM | 16GB | 6GB, 8GB |
CPU | AMD APU Zen 7 | Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 |
Battery | 5,200 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
As it is easy to see, the Razer Edge definitely seems to have the upper hand in terms of display, with a faster refresh and a higher resolution, even though the size is similar to the Steam Deck.
The Deck makes up for it by having a stronger CPU performance and a higher RAM as well, so in the end they even out. The battery is a similar affair, as it mostly depends on the games you're playing so it is difficult to say which device will last you the longest.
Design and features
While the Steam Deck definitely seems to feature better controls than the ones on the Edge, the latter is basically an Android tablet. That means that it is entirely possible to use other controllers on it if you're not at home with the one that Razer has provided in the box.
As for the price points, the Steam Deck is priced from 399$ depending on the chosen configuration, it can go as high as 680$ for the 512GB model. It is slightly more than the Razer Edge which has just a fixed price point of 400$.
The Steam deck clearly has an advantage over the Edge as it is already configured to run your entire Steam library, as well as compatibility with the Xbox GamePass. The Edge runs exactly the same platforms as well, plus it gives you access to the Play Store library of games if that might interest you.
Razer Edge vs Steam Deck - which to buy?
So, in the end, neither device has the upper hand, they seem to be tailored for different experiences and gamers.
The Edge seems to be better suited for overall portability (since it's also missing a way to connect it to your TV), while the Deck has been out for a while now and seems to be a safe bet too.
Which one will you go for?
Before you make a decision, we recommend you read our GPD Win 4 vs Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch vs Steam Deck comparisons.