Razer and Qualcomm reveal a Snapdragon-powered gaming handheld perfect for Xbox Cloud Gaming

Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Handheld Gaming Lifestyle Source: Qualcomm / Razer

What you need to know

Qualcomm unveiled a new gaming-focused mobile chipset during a showcase terminal calendar week.
The Snapdragon G3x Gen one gaming platform brings with it various impressive claims, with 144 FPS support, 4K HDR HDMI output capabilities, updatable Adreno GPU graphics, and more than.
Razer partnered with Qualcomm to make the kickoff dev kit, which looks suspiciously like an Xbox-styled handheld.

Qualcomm is known for some of the world'southward most-used mobile fries, and recently the firm held a summit to reveal a slew of new gaming products. Firstly, we have the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 gaming platform, and aslope information technology, the Snapdragon G3x Handheld Programmer Kit.

Qualcomm claims that at that place isn't yet a bespoke mobile gaming handheld device on the market place (apparently they've never heard of the Nintendo Switch). With their new G3x platform, Qualcomm claims they're filling a niche that will allow Android games to bask similar experiences to that we have on console or PC. Interestingly, Qualcomm as well specifically chosen out Xbox Cloud Gaming in their presentation, while showcasing a device from Razer, currently in the pipeline for the near time to come.

Razer Gaming Handheld Qualcomm Source: Razer / Qualcomm

The Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 supports many gaming features that are already bachelor in the Nintendo Switch, such as Display Out to Tv for docking, support for cooling fan technology, and full game controllers. They too touted features that very much aren't yet available on the Nintendo Switch, such as support for 144 FPS, 5G, and Stereo Haptics — the latter of which has been considered by Microsoft as a manner to solve the delta of tactility between a full gamepad and touch controls for cloud gaming.

Indeed, the commencement device Qualcomm has shown off is Razer'due south own handheld dev kit, which very much looks similar something Microsoft might make. It sports the standard ABXY buttons complete with Xbox-colored buttons, aslope commencement joysticks, shoulder buttons, D-pad, and triggers. Embedded in the heart is a large brandish, powered by Android, consummate with an embedded webcam for alive streaming — although I doubt many streamers volition savour the low angle this camera volition produce.

Qualcomm Razer Xbox Handheld Source: Qualcomm

In the presentation, Qualcomm repeatedly cited Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Deject Gaming, and Xbox console streaming as a capability for this Razer handheld, which also sports stereo haptics and 4-mode speakers. It also sports the capability to connect upwardly to a full TV, outputting in 4K with HDR via USB-C. Crucially, this device is also future-proofed with maximum 5G mmWave/sub-vi capabilities, alongside Wi-Fi 6, ii crucial features for enhancing picture show quality while gaming from the cloud.

There are no details with regards to availability for developers, nor when consumers tin can start to wait devices from Qualcomm's OEM partners.

We take been hearing for a while at Windows Primal that Microsoft has been dabbling with Xbox handheld prototypes for some time at present, although something like this Qualcomm platform may exist the family of technologies Microsoft needs to really give it serious consideration. Either way, it looks like having to carry around a controller and a clunky telephone prune may be a thing of the past for Xbox Cloud Gaming thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x chipset, as more and more developers consider the possibilities of the technology.

Qualcomm was keen to note that mobile gaming, as in iPhone and Android, has recently surpassed console and PC combined sitting at 52% of the market. Handhelds like this that can dock like a Nintendo Switch may farther erode that market share, as well, especially if they can power experiences up to 144 FPS with 4K output resolution similar Qualcomm is claiming. Fourth dimension will tell.

Besides this new gaming initiative, Qualcomm also announced two new processors for Windows PC: Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, with impressive functioning improvements. The visitor also announced its latest smartphone processor, the Snapdragon viii Gen i.

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