Razer’s Forge TV is a $100 box that lets you play Android games on you TV, stream internet video, or stream PC games from a computer on your home network to your living room.

It’s launching in the first quarter of 2015, and Razer will offer a bundle with a game controller and the PC game streaming service for $150. There’s also an optional gaming keyboard and mouse set that are designed to let you play PC games while sitting on a couch.

Razer is showing off the Forge TV at the Consumer Electronics Show, so I stopped by the company’s booth for a preview.

forge_06

The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. It supports 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB 3.0.

It’s running Android TV, which is Google’s latest version of Android designed to bring smart TV features to any television. You can download apps and games from the Google Play Store, stream audio and video content from YouTube, Google Play, Netflix, and other sources, and cast videos to your TV through the Google Cast function in supported Android, iOS or web apps.

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What makes the Razer Forge TV different from the first Android TV box to ship (2014’s Google Nexus Player), is the heavy emphasis on gaming. Well, actually, that’s just one of the things that sets this model apart. It also has more far more ports and a completely different type of processor.

While Razer isn’t showing the game streaming technology that lets you play PC games yet, the Forge seems like a pretty capable device for Android gaming, and the game controller looks like a pretty strong selling point.. which isn’t surprising, since Razer is perhaps best known as a maker of PC gaming accessories.

 

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8 replies on “This is the Razer Forge TV $100 Android game console (video)”

  1. I don’t game at all. but was thinking about buying this as a media streamer as its got some pretty sweet hardware. i’ll definitely wait for reviews, but the lack of remote isn’t great for my purposes. I got three young kids, who will probably be interested in that gaming crap soon enough

  2. I must say, so far I’m pretty disappointed in CES showings. Nothing I’ve seen so far is the least bit enticing

      1. A wireless controller is not included in the $99 basic package.

        Look at the Nexus Player and Fire TV, both their basic packages include a remote for $99. Are you really going to buy a controller for $50 more if you just wanted it as a TV box. This is beyond weird, I don’t even see a remote optional accessory

        1. i don’t really think you will buy this as just another TV box

          i’d guess that $99-Version is more thought for people that already own controllers (like people owning a PS4, or like me, just the controller for that).

          1. I suppose you are right with that assumption.

            Must admit, re-thinking about it, it does seem a good offering. I had thought when I heard Razer were launching an Android TV console, that it would be over $200. So $150 with a controller is pretty good from them.

    1. You usually need a decent air mouse to use these boxes properly.
      If they throw in a dirt cheap remote then reviewers use it during reviews and complain about it.

      I see this more as a competitor to the Shield tablet being used in console mode.

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