(UPDATED) The most affordable Xbox handheld worth buying probably isn't what you think, and the sale didn't end with Black Friday
The Razer Edge is a surprisingly affordable alternative to the major gaming handhelds.
There's a reason so much of Black Friday and Cyber Monday seems dominated by gaming handhelds, as that market has rapidly expanded throughout 2024. Most of the focus has been on the biggest, most powerful, and most feature-packed PC gaming handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally, though, which can be costly. Fortunately, there's a more affordable, underrated alternative for those who don't need all that power.
The Razer Edge is a capable Android-powered gaming handheld with a smooth AMOLED display, detachable controls, and access to an impressive library of games — and over a year after its release you can add one to your setup for nearly half of its original price. You read that right, the Razer Edge is available for only $212.48 $247.95 at Amazon, which is honestly a great price on a mobile gaming powerhouse that can also play more Xbox and PC games than you'd expect.
• Check out our LIVE hub for all the best PC gaming handheld Black Friday deals
Razer Edg w/ Razer Kishi V2 Pro
Was: $399.99
Now: $212.48 $247.95 at Amazon
"...the Razer Edge's superior hardware and versatility, as well as its genius virtual controls (seriously, everyone needs to copy this), still make it one of the best Android gaming experiences you can buy. If you want the ultimate library of games in a handheld console, you need all the power you can get, and you don't want to be tethered to your smartphone (or spend a whole lot more money to get a flagship), the Razer Edge is fantastic." — Zachary Boddy
✅Perfect for: Those who want a more casual, affordable gaming handheld that still boasts impressive hardware and features.
❌Avoid if: You want a gaming handheld that can handle native PC games — this is essentially a supped-up, gaming-focused Android tablet.
Display: 6.8-inch AMOLED, FHD+ (2,400 x 1,080) resolution, 144Hz refresh rate. Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1. Memory: 6GB LPDDR5 RAM. Storage: 128GB UFS 3.1 w/ microSD card slot (up to 2TB). Features: 5,000mAh battery, dual speakers w/ THX Spatial Audio, remappable controls, Razer Nexus software, Razer HyperSense audio-to-haptics, touch control emulation. Weight: 247g (Edge only), 386g (Edge & Kishi V2 Pro). Warranty: 1-year Standard, 3-year availability for replacement parts. Launch date: 2023.
👉See at: Amazon.com
Return period: 30 days (Most items). Price match? No. Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: Amazon Prime w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, music, video, ebook, & audiobook access, & more.
💰Price check: $249.99 at Razer
🤩Alternative deals: Razer Kishi Ultra Mobile Controller for $149.99 $129.99 at Amazon or Razer Kishi V2 Pro Mobile Controller for $149.99 $74 at Amazon
Recent updates
Dec. 3, 2024 @ 2:25 p.m. ET — Final update now that Cyber Monday has concluded. This deal is still live at the time of this update, but the price has gone up from what it was before, and is closer to where you can often find this product discounted to.
🔥The hottest post-Cyber Monday deals🔥
- 💻HP EliteBook 14 (Ryzen 7 PRO) | $899 at HP (Save $2,023!)
- 🎮Xbox Series X Digital Edition (1TB) | $398 at Walmart (Save $52!)
- 🕹️Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months) | $29.29 at CDKeys (Save $11!)
- 🎮Lenovo Legion Go (Z1 Extreme) | $534.44 at Amazon (Save $166!)
- 💻Surface Pro 11 w/ keyboard (X Plus) | $999.99 at Best Buy (Save $350!)
- 💽Seagate Xbox Series X|S Card (2TB) | $199.99 at Best Buy (Save $160!)
💽More Cyber Monday deals that won't quit💾
- Dell: Lowest PC prices of the year for a little longer after Cyber Monday
- HP: Aggressive "Cyber Week" deals on laptops while supplies last
- Lenovo: Still save up to 68% on laptops, desktops, and select doorbusters
- Samsung: Week-long holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more
A misunderstood gaming handheld that deserves some love
We here at Windows Central believe in being honest about how we feel, so I'm not going to sit here and lie that I'd happily trade my ASUS ROG Ally X for the Razer Edge... Because I wouldn't. The ROG Ally X is the best gaming handheld I've ever used, and it's far more powerful and capable than the Razer Edge. The ROG Ally X also costs over three times as much as the Razer Edge does, even with its own Black Friday discounts, so that's to be expected.
What I can tell you is that, when I reviewed the Razer Edge, I praised it for its performance, AMOLED display, and the versatility of the Android ecosystem. That was when it cost a whopping $400, but now you can get your own Razer Edge for nearly half that amount. That being said... Why should you?
Well, as I already mentioned, the Razer Edge isn't like other gaming handhelds on the market. The ASUS ROG Ally may be a full-blown Windows PC (and with its current deals, a better value than the Xbox Series S in my opinion), but it's big, heavy, and — again — a lot more expensive. By comparison, the Razer Edge feels more like a beefy smartphone or compact tablet that's designed from the ground up for gaming.
The core of that experience is Android. The Edge is powered by the same operating system that runs over a billion smartphones, and that gives it access to three massive libraries of games: the huge and growing catalog of mobile games in the Google Play Store (which increasingly includes actual console and PC-level games with controller support), a thriving community of classic game emulation platforms, and ways to stream almost any Xbox and PC game you want through services like Xbox Cloud Gaming.
To make all of that feel as great as possible on its gaming handheld, Razer stuffed Qualcomm's most powerful, gaming-focused ARM chipset of the time inside, added a buttery smooth 144Hz OLED display, and included its Razer Kishi V2 Pro mobile controller in the box. That means you get great performance all around, and the Razer Edge boasts unique features like virtual control emulation (so you can still use the physical controls in almost any mobile game, even those that only support touch) and audio-to-haptics, which converts game audio to haptic feedback in real time.
I wish the Razer Edge was shaped more like a traditional handheld console and that Razer was more aggressive with its software additions — like the Logitech G Cloud Android handheld, actually — but for those that want a casual, compact, less costly way to game on the go, the Razer Edge is a fine choice. When the Razer Edge only costs $212.48 at Amazon, it's a great choice. Of course, those with small tablets or powerful smartphones can turn their own device into a capable Android-powered gaming handheld with the Razer Kishi Ultra mobile controller, which is also on sale for $129.99 at Amazon.
Razer Edg w/ Razer Kishi V2 Pro
Was: $399.99
Now: $212.48 $247.95 at Amazon
"...the Razer Edge's superior hardware and versatility, as well as its genius virtual controls (seriously, everyone needs to copy this), still make it one of the best Android gaming experiences you can buy. If you want the ultimate library of games in a handheld console, you need all the power you can get, and you don't want to be tethered to your smartphone (or spend a whole lot more money to get a flagship), the Razer Edge is fantastic." — Zachary Boddy
👉See at: Amazon.com
🤩Alternative deals: Razer Kishi Ultra Mobile Controller for $149.99 $129.99 at Amazon or Razer Kishi V2 Pro Mobile Controller for $149.99 $74 at Amazon
When did Black Friday end?
On paper, at least, Black Friday ended the moment Midnight chimed on Nov. 29, 2024, or the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. However, that didn't necessarily mean all the deals up and disappeared at that time. Many persisted throughout the weekend and into Cyber Monday, even as many others ended or went out of stock. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become more of a four-day sales event than two separate days.
When did Cyber Monday end?
While it feels that Black Friday and Cyber Monday seemingly start earlier each year, the four-days sales event tends to end its annual run on a similar note. Cyber Monday marks the tumultuous finale on Dec. 2, 2024, ending when the day does. The vast majority of deals do tend to end when Cyber Monday is over, and the deals that remain often become less aggressive, with smaller price cuts. You're not likely to get another chance at most of those deals until next Black Friday rolls around.
Are there still deals after Black Friday and Cyber Monday?
It's not as if the entire world returns to MSRP after Cyber Monday ends, but many of the best deals absolutely do end before Tuesday arrives. Some retailers and companies will continue Cyber Monday promotions throughout the week, but even then, many of those discounts won't be as steep. You can keep an eye on Windows Central's deal coverage for help finding the sales that are still worth your time, since the majority of Black Friday and Cyber Monday coverage online will now be concluded or out of stock.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.