Razer Switchblade Sure, any laptop is by definition a portable, but actually trying to play PC games on the go can often be a cumbersome experience — especially if it’s a game that works best with a keyboard and mouse. But Razer, a company known for making PC peripherals, is attempting to change that with a new prototype for a full-fledged Netbook-like device designed specifically for portable PC gaming.
Called the Switchblade, the device works on the Intel Atom platform, has a 7-inch screen, a fold-out design with the option to lay it flat on a table, and — the main features — an “ultra-sensitive multi-touch screen” and a “dynamic tactile keyboard.” The keyboard can be customized for control commands specific to whatever game you’re playing, such as assigning keys for movement, skills, and spells in World of Warcraft, or turning them into standard keys for typing.
“One of the biggest problems with bringing PC gaming to a mobile platform is replicating the mouse and keyboard user interface in a handheld format, and we’ve solved that,” says Razer CEO Ming-Liang Tan. He goes on to say that the Switchblade’s keyboard is not only customizable, but “changes and adapts on the fly with the games you play.”
Weirdly, though, what Razer doesn’t demonstrate — neither in the promotional pictures nor the announcement video below — is someone actually using the Switchblade in a way that really does replicate the mouse and keyboard setup. It remains unclear exactly how (and how well) that’ll work using a touch-screen and adaptive keyboard, especially when, say, playing an FPS that requires fast and accurate aiming.
Again, though, the Switchblade is currently only a prototype — there’s no word on when or even if it’ll eventually head for mass production and retail release. In the meanwhile, we’ll try and get a closer look at the Switchblade at CES to get a better sense of how all its features come together.
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