Razer’s Project Fiona: A Tablet with the Guts of a Gaming PC
by Jonathan Audric Matias
Razer demonstrated a 10-inch gaming tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012, codenamed “Project Fiona”, designed to provide precision controls via two Playstation-Move-like controllers attached to both sides of the screen and graphics worthy of a gaming laptop.
Project Fiona is powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU, and, although not detailed, supports the inclusion of a discrete GPU from either AMD or Nvidia. Of course, more powerful hardware means a greater drain on the battery so expect the battery life of a laptop rather than that of a tablet. It is important to note, though, that on the show floor, IGN’s Scott Lowe, ExecutiveEditor of IGN Tech, claimed that “it was a handmade prototype hardwired to a poweradapter, [meaning] there’s a good chance there was no battery inside.”With force feedback (rumbling in the controllers) and Wi-Fi capability, it seems Razer is taking their foray into building gaming hardware quite seriously.
Running on Windows 8, Project Fiona will also have an Android OS overlay to “offer sufficient horsepower for true PC gaming, as well as tablet-like portability” (CNET). This means third-party store clients like Steam and Origin can run on the tablet along with Razer’s own proprietary game launcher. Games like Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will be playable on the device—as long as they support controller-based input. Sorry, RTS fans.
Keep in mind that this is only a proof of concept, but nevertheless keep an eye out for this device in the months to come.
Sources:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/01/10/ces-razer-debuts-windows-8-based-gaming-tablet
http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/01/10/ces-hands-on-with-razers-gaming-tablet
(photo courtesy of technabob.com)
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