The Razer Project Fiona is generating some unprecedented hype for a gaming console. Much of that is due to it not being a traditional gaming console — it’s a tablet.
But it isn’t so much about the hype as it is the hi-res video we have of someone actually playing the game on ultra-high settings. Quite simply put, it looks unlike anything we’ve ever seen before (dare we say at first glance a bit awkward).
Its pros, according to several CES attendees, outweigh the cons — largely because of the sidebar controllers, eliminating the need for a touchscreen with tablet gaming, the fact that it will be compatible with Windows 8, and, despite claims of a choppy frame rate when played at highest resolution, it’s easily forgiven, according to the folks over at Geek.com — simply because it looks and plays almost the same way it would on a big-screen plasma television.
The Razer Fiona features a Core i7 CPU, and since it’s Windows-based, will run all of your existing game-pad enabled PC games. Given that portable gaming has become relegated essentially to tablets pretending to be gaming consoles, with app stores ripping off mainstream games, Fiona appears to be the first device that will take advantage of being a dedicated gaming console, while still providing the efficiency of a tablet.
Costs are projected at $800-$900, but certain people have been voicing concerns about how that will affect battery life (obviously not for the best).
Bottom line is that the tablet exhibited enough potential at CES to make lots of people think it’d be a game changer. We’ll see if that actually holds true — and while it’s uncertain as to when the tablet will actually hit stores, the vibe overall thus far is pretty positive. We’ll keep you posted.
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Jeff Nau – who has written 1264 posts on The Jace Hall Show.
Jeff Nau is a main contributor to the Jace Hall Show covering pop culture and music trends in the nerd community. He has contributed to San Diego City Beat, 944, and Ill Literature, amongst others, and spends his spare time working as an artist and photographer.

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