Razer Plans To Release A Mobile Gaming Device This Year

Gaming laptop maker Razer has confirmed that it will be releasing a new mobile device that’s dedicated to gaming. Details on the upcoming Razer mobile gaming device are scarce, but the company is planning to release it before the the end of 2017.

“I can say that we are coming up with a mobile device specifically geared towards gamers and entertainment,” Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan told CNBC’s Managing Asia. “We are hoping to have it come by the end of the year, so that’s something we’re working on.”

Rumors of a new Razer mobile gaming device have been circulating for quite some time now. Back in July, Bloomberg reported that Razer was developing its own mobile phone that would cater to gamers. The company is also aiming for an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong later this year, which could value Razer at as much as $5 billion.

Razer’s CEO was a little bit vague on when the company’s new mobile gaming device will be released, and he did not give out other details on what it would actually be. It’s very likely that the fate of its new device might hinge on the success of the company’s planned IPO, as pointed out by Android Authority.

“We would love to have that war chest to allow us to invest in R&D. We are known to have disrupted many industries,” Tan said when he briefly discussed Razer’s planned IPO. “We're the first in the gaming peripherals side of things, we were first when we invented the first true gaming laptop, we've gone on to provide one of the largest software platforms for gamers. Having that war chest from the IPO would allow us to do all that and much more. And that's what we want to continue doing: to make cool products.”

Tan mentioned that Razer’s new mobile device won’t only be for gamers, but it will also be for entertainment. When asked on whether Razer will soon become an entertainment company, the CEO responded by saying that “we already are,” according to Ars Technica. He pointed out that gaming’s already the largest segment of entertainment and that the only things left that they haven’t explored are movies and music.

Last year, Razer acquired THX, a company that’s known for developing high fidelity audiovisual standards for movie and home theaters. Razer could definitely use THX’s collection of IPs and engineers to develop a mobile device that can offer a unique audiovisual experience for watching TV shows and movies.

Additionally, Razer has acquired console maker Ouya and the smartphone maker Nextbit. Razer already has everything it needs to develop its own gaming and entertainment mobile device, the only concern now is if it’s going to be a tablet or a smartphone.

Razer already came out with a gaming tablet, called Razer Edge, back in 2013. The tablet allowed users to attach additional controller accessories on the sides to turn it into a handheld gaming system. The concept is very reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch, which is already seeing huge success since it was first released this past March.

Whatever Razer is planning, it definitely would be interesting to see what the company has in store for its fans. A Razer smartphone would be a surprise, but a tablet form factor seems like the best approach. That is of course if Razer’s IPO later this year is successful.