This seems like a familiar place, doesn’t it? We’ve heard whispers and murmurs from the rumor mill and Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan himself that the company has plans for the mobile gaming market. In a sit-down with CNBC, however, Tan let the cat out of the bag and confirmed that Razer is working on a mobile device and hopes to release the device by year’s end.
In the interview, Tan confirmed that the device will focus on gaming and entertainment. Based on the words Tan chose, he certainly knows what the device could end up looking like and what it could exactly do in terms of functionality, but did not say so in the interview.
Per Tan:
I can say that we are coming up with a mobile device specifically geared towards gaming and entertainment. We are hoping to have it come by the end of the year.
Tan chose his words carefully as to when the device might be available for a good reason. Later on in the interview, Tan discussed Razer’s plans to go public sometime later this year, with the CEO saying that, “Having that war chest from the IPO would allow us to [invest in R&D] and much more. And that’s what we want to continue doing: to make cool products.”
Why Nexbit joining Razer has us really excited
From the sounds of it, it seems like Razer’s ability to properly build out and release its mobile device hinges on how successful (or unsuccessful) the IPO goes. If the IPO goes well and Razer generates a good amount of capital from it, then the odds of an end-of-year debut for the company’s mobile device should be pretty high.
Even if the IPO goes well, however, it is tough to predict what the device could look like. In the last year, Razer acquired audio company THX, gaming company Ouya, and smartphone maker Nextbit. All of these acquisitions allude to a stronger presence in the entertainment industry, but does not help in determining what the device will look like or how it will work.
That doesn’t mean we won’t take a few cracks at guessing, however. With the Nextbit acquisition, Razer could release a gaming-focused smartphone, particularly since the Nextbit division operates as an independent entity within Razer. Then again, it could turn Project Fiona, shown off back in 2012 as a portable gaming tablet with removable controllers, into a reality.
There are many avenues that Razer can go down with the mobile device. Regardless of what it is, the announcement brings back memories of the original Nvidia Shield and has us excited about what the device could be. Make sure to sound off in the comments to let us know what you want from a Razer mobile device.
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