While some thought the portable consoles dead and buried because of the rise of mobile gaming, a certain Nintendo Switch has come to shake up the situation. While the options for smartphone gaming remain numerous, portable gaming devices still have potential. And if Valve has already decided to take the plunge, two other actors have decided to join forces to go more cautiously.
Qualcomm and Razer have just unveiled a portable console based on Snapdragon G3x technology. For now, both partners insist that this machine is not for sale. Indeed, it is a question here of a “development kit. “Development kit which aims to allow game creators to see what is possible on such a machine.
According to Qualcomm, the machine will allow you to play both locally and via the cloud. The console will run on Android. But it will also be able to launch games in the cloud and streaming game services on both console and PC. From a graphics point of view, the handheld console will be compatible to display True 10-bit HDR. But it can also be connected to an external screen.
A 4K-capable portable console on paper
And according to Qualcomm, the display will be able to go up to 4K with a framerate of 144 fps. The manufacturer also indicates that its development kit will be compatible with Variable Rate Shading. In terms of connectivity, this portable console should be compatible with mixed reality headsets. And when it comes to its internet connectivity, it will also be 5G compatible.
For its part, Razer insists that this is not a portable console announcement intended to be marketed:
This is not a hardware announcement from Razer. The Snapdragon G3x Development Kit is a device from Qualcomm. Our work with Qualcomm on this collaborative partnership aims to attract more publishers and developers and achieve our shared vision for creating the future of portable gaming.
A possible commercial future?
In short, Qualcomm wants here to show game creators what can be achieved on a mobile device thanks to its technology. The American company wants to position itself against NVIDIA. The latter, in addition to offering its Shields, also equips the Nintendo Switch with its Tegra X1 chip. For its part, Razer simply provides help in terms of handling.
In conclusion, it is possible to wonder how this portable console / development kit will be received. Could it lead to the creation of a commercialized console? Impossible to say at the moment.
What do you think of this Qualcomm “portable console” announcement? Do you think it will remain at the simple development kit stage? Do you think the market is big enough to support multiple portable consoles? Tell us all in the comments below.
