Razer unveiled the Handheld Dock Chroma, a new device built for portable gaming devices like the Steam Deck. The dock allows players to connect their handheld of choice to an external monitor, as well as connect additional accessories through USB ports. It does not have a release date yet, but it will retail for $80.
The announcement is part of Razer’s CES 2025 lineup, which featured multiple gaming announcements. That’s become standard for the hardware maker, who previously revealed its Razer Edge handheld at CES 2023. While it didn’t reveal any new gaming devices of its own this year, the Handheld Dock Chroma continues the company’s push into the portable PC space — this time by creating an accessory for its competitors’ devices.
The Handheld Dock Chroma is a bit like the Nintendo Switch’s TV dock, but for devices like the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Ally. Players can place their handheld onto the adjustable stand, which features an anti-slip rubber mat to keep devices in place, and plug it into the dock via the charging port. From there, the device can be connected to a TV or monitor via an HDMI 2.0 port on its backside. The device can then output games at up to 4K at 60 frames per second (fps)(.
The back of the dock also includes an Ehernet port to enable wired internet play on handhelds, as well as three USB 3.0 ports. The latter allow players to connect external devices like keyboards, mice, or wired controllers to their device. As for power, the dock includes a 100-watt passthrough.
As you might expect from Razer, the dock also features RGB lighting that emits from its underside. That can be toggled with a button on the side of the dock.
The one main difference from the Switch’s dock, aside from its open-faced design, is that Razer’s is built with portability in mind. The stand can be adjusted to fit multiple viewing angles (for those looking to use it as a mobile stand, rather than a monitor dock). It can even be laid flat on the dock, turning it into a compact, travel-friendly box. All of that should make it a go-to option for those looking for a handheld dock, though there are a few comparatively inexpensive alternatives currently on the market.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.