Hey, Thinking of Getting the Razer Edge Tablet? Here Are the 6 Big Drawbacks You Should Know

So you’re interested in the Razer Edge Android gaming tablet that just hit the market? As your gadget-obsessed friend, I wanted to give you the inside scoop to help decide if it’s worth the investment.

The Razer Edge shows a lot of promise on paper – genuine portable big-screen gaming with some seriously impressive specs. But early reviews from fellow gamers highlight some definite downsides too.

I’ll walk through the 6 most common complaints in detail so you know what you’re getting into. Because while the Razer Edge delivers ultra-smooth frame rates for gaming on the go, it falls short in a few key areas that could be deal breakers depending on your needs.

Overview – What is the Razer Edge?

Before jumping into the drawbacks, let‘s quickly recap what exactly the Razer Edge aims to deliver:

The Razer Edge is an Android 12 gaming tablet with a 6.8” AMOLED screen, Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 gaming chip, 5000 mAh battery, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 5MP selfie camera, and 5G connectivity.

The Razer Edge poised as a portable big screen gaming rig (Image credit: Razer)

It‘s positioned for gamers who want desktop-quality graphics but in a genuinely portable form factor compared to gaming laptops.

The obvious competition comes from gaming smartphones. But by utilizing a tablet design with integrated controls, Razer claims the Edge provides a more natural ergonomic experience for long sessions.

And that power does come at a cost – $400 for the Wi-Fi model and $600 for the Verizon 5G version at launch. So expect to pay a premium over standard tablets.

Now let’s examine those promised benefits against the top complaints from fellow gamers…

1. Annoying Black Bars from Poor Screen Ratio

One of the most cited complaints is the Razer Edge’s unusual 20.5:9 screen ratio compared to the more standard 16:9 or 16:10 displays.

What difference does aspect ratio make? Because most video content like movies and games are natively 16:9, the Razer Edge shows prominent black bars along the top and bottom when viewing this media.

That wasted screen space and letterboxing effect looks pretty silly in 2022 according to reviewers. It detracts from immersion given the tablet‘s focus on entertainment.

The bars are especially prominent for cinematic games trying to deliver an impactful sense of scale. And there’s no built-in setting to stretch or crop footage to minimize blank space like Apple iPads offer.

If you watch a lot of standard widescreen video, definitely keep this drawback in mind!

2. Bezels Shrink the Viewing Area

Expanding on screen ratio complaints is the Razer Edge‘s surprisingly chunky screen bezels given its modern design.

In an era of nearly bezel-less devices, the Razer Edge harkens back to a past generation with its large uniform side and top bezels.

The Razer Edge‘s generous side and top bezels (Image credit: Windows Central)

Reviewers measured these bezels at over 2cm thick on average. That may not seem huge, but consider that space could have allowed for an even bigger, more immersive display if optimized like rival tablets such as:

Instead, the chunky framework almost makes the Razer Edge look dated versus modern minimalist designs. The top bezel in particular pushes the notification bar extremely high, feeling unergonomic.

3. No Fan Control Hinders Performance Customization

Gaming devices produce heavy heat. Manufacturers combat rising temperatures using built-in fans to circulate air.

Gaming laptops allow you to create fan curves to optimize this cooling effect. Want maximum power? Crank those fans to 100% speed! Prefer silence when casually browsing? Slow them down.

Unfortunately, Razer skipped this basic performance tweak on the Edge tablet. Owners have no software control over the single internal fan. So you can’t customize throttle points or create cooling profiles for different games and usage needs.

The preconfigured fan behaviors also aren’t ideal according to gamers who‘ve tested the device:

• Spins too aggressively at low temperatures when performance isn‘t needed
• Yet still allows some degree of thermal throttling at peak loads

So whether you wanted to push the tablet harder or quiet it down, no luck. For a premium gaming portable promising cutting edge performance, such a glaring omission is an odd compromise.

4. Excessive Battery Drain with Kishi V2 Pro

A major value proposition for the pricier Razer Edge 5G model is tight integration with the new Kishi V2 Pro controller. This clever gamepad physically mounts onto the sides of the tablet for a Nintendo Switch-style unified portable.

In theory, that means you shouldn’t need to juggle multiple devices for mobile gaming thanks to the all-in-one design.

But Based on hands-on testing, the power demands from the Kishi V2 Pro are significant. Owners report over 25% battery drain per hour across titles like Fortnite just using the controller.

Since the Razer Edge already only supports 1 to 1.5 hours peak gaming runtime on its own, adding the Kishi V2 Pro necessitates lugging around battery packs or having a charger constantly plugged in.

That extra cable baggage counters the flexibility that handheld gaming devices aim to provide. Given the $600 package price, faster battery burn is a definite compromise to consider.

5. Marginal Improvements Over Phone + Controller

At nearly $600 fully equipped, the Kishi V2 Pro combo justifies itself only if the integrated tablet experience meaningfully improves over simply pairing an Android phone with a third party controller.

But expert reviewers analyzing the raw gaming performance show that may not actually be the case:

"In terms of games tested on max settings, the Razer Edge delivered great frame rates, but so did the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and ROG Phone 6 paired with a Backbone controller. The Razer Edge certainly felt more immersive as a dedicated handheld, but ultimately achieved similar playable results to phones plus controllers."

Benchmark data comparing key specs tell a similar story of phones catching up:

So while the Razer Edge meets the bar for high fidelity mobile gaming, you can likely achieve close experiences for hundreds less with the right supporting phone and accessories.

6. Irregular Software Updates through Nexus App

The final pain point owners commonly vent about is waiting for essential software updates to hit their expensive new gaming hardware.

Delivered through Razer‘s Nexus Android app, reviewers faced unpredictable update timing often weeks behind rival devices. That leaves you playing the waiting game each time incremental patches get pushed down.

And unlike game consoles where updates aren‘t as critical, Android tablets see regular security and performance improvements. Each delayed update keeps your vulnerable to new threats.

It also prevents accessing the latest features, controls options, and bug fixes retaining that slick out-of-box experience overtime. For a $600 gaming powerhouse, such software shortcomings feel unbecoming.

At the end of the day, every device involves tradeoffs. The Razer Edge nails premium hardware for no-compromise Android gaming. But poor design decisions around the display and lack of customization detract from realizing that portable gaming dream fully according to early reviews.

My verdict after combing through the data – the current Razer Edge works great if you:

• Primarily stream games through the cloud instead of downloading titles
• Want a basic unified portable for casual gaming rather than customization
• Are OK with Below average battery life and occasional software hiccups

But spending $600 for marginal gains over cheaper gaming phone alternatives won‘t satisfy most hardcore players. Until Razer addresses complaints in the next iteration, the Edge fits only a narrow user base.

For alternatives better balancing price, features and functionality, check out my guide comparing the top tablets for gaming on the move here. Hit me up with any other questions!