Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Razer Forge TV streams any PC game to your living room, no strings attached

By

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.

Razer-Forge-TV-2

In other words, it doesn’t matter what kind of  GPU you’re rocking. You can stream from basically any machine configuration that is using Razer’s Cortex software, which has a streaming feature that’s set for a beta launch in spring 2015. It works with both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections, and it supports streaming for DirectX 9 games and higher.

Related

That’s in addition to the onboard support for Android gaming, enabled by 16GB of internal storage, a quad-core processor, and — naturally — support for Google Play apps, for up to four players. Forge TV also supports a number of multimedia apps, including YouTube, Hulu, Crackle, Red Bull TV, and iHeartRadio, as well as Google Cast.

In addition to the micro-console, Razer also has a pair of peripherals that help to complete the package. The Razer Serval is a Bluetooth gaming controller that bears no small resemblance to the now-standard Xbox gamepad form factor. It sports all of the buttons that you’d expect to find on a modern console controller, and was in fact built by the team behind Razer’s Sabretooth controller. It’s also got a mounting clip for phones, allowing Android users to continue their Forge gaming on a small screen.

Razer realizes that not every game offers gamepad support, and that’s where the Turret comes in. It’s an ultra-thin lapboard-style keyboard with an included 3,500 DPI mouse that pairs with your device of choice using either Bluetooth 4.0 LE or Wireless 2.4 GHz signals. The Turret is meant to sit on your lap while you game from the couch, with an attached mousepad that uses magnets to keep the mouse from sliding free.

Razer-Forge-TV-12

Neither a Serval nor a Turret is required to use Forge TV, and both peripherals can be used independently with other devices that support wireless pairing as well. It’s possible to control Forge TV using an an assortment of devices: Android, iOS, ChromeBook, Windows, “and more.”

Forge TV is set to ship in the first quarter of 2015, with a $100 price tag. Razer also has a bundle that includes both the micro-console and a Serval controller, for $150. Serval will be available on its own as well, for $80, and it launches alongside Forge TV. The Razer Turret’s release is further out, launching sometime in the second quarter of 2015 with a $130 price.

We’ll be checking all of this new Razer kit out at the show, so stay tuned for more details when we have them.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Adam Rosenberg
Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3
Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Read more
Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far
The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Read more
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?
Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Aside from the focus on firearms and integrating some randomly generated environments, the Remnant series sets itself apart from other souls-like games mainly with its focus on co-op. Both titles encourage you to team up with two friends to fight your way through the mutated monsters that await. After so many years of progress in terms of multiplatform games incorporating full cross-platform support, you might assume Remnant 2 will follow suit and let you make a group with anyone regardless of what platform they're on. However, the truth may be a bit more disappointing. Before you make plans with your squad, here's what you need to know about Remnant 2's cross-platform support.
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Unfortunately, Remnant 2 does not have cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X or PC -- and there's no word about it being added in the future.

Read more