Razer’s Android-powered micro-console can stream PC games

Many companies have been trying to put gaming PCs in the living room ever since Valve made the idea popular with the announcement of its Steam Machines. Razer is taking a more unique approach than most companies, however, by releasing an Android-powered micro-console that won’t be able to play games by itself. Instead, the device will stream the games over the internet. 

You’ve seen the rest of the Android micro-consoles, now see the best. That’s Razer’s message, at any rate. Co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan knows very well that there’s a crowded market for tiny boxes that stream Internet content straight to your TV, but the company’s Forge TV aims for the same audience that Razer products have always aimed for: serious gamers. That’s why it’s a games-first device. The diminutive Android micro-console box supports the expected big-screen mobile gaming, but that’s hardly the marquee feature. Razer’s big hook with Forge TV is the ability to stream gameplay from a networked PC at home directly into your living room. It’s not anything new at first glance. Nvidia’s Shield offers much the same thing, provided you’re using a specific segment of the company’s newer graphics cards. Forge TV differentiates by anchoring PC streaming to software rather than hardware.