The E3 2013 conversation has been dominated by Xbox One and PS4, but there's a strong pulse of PC gaming coursing through in the L.A. Convention Center's halls.
In a booth decked out in its signature green and black, Razer is holding court with its Edge gaming tablet and the newly announced 14-inch Blade gaming laptop and refreshed Blade Pro.
The latter two run Intel Haswell chips, and with under-1-inch clamped closed profiles, the company is hoping to strike upon the elusive balance of performance and portability.
We caught up with Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan at the booth, chatting about his past as a lawyer, what he thinks about the mobile gaming space and whether Microsoft and Sony's consoles pose a serious threat to his business.
TechRadar: You announced the 14-inch Blade gaming laptop a few weeks back. What's the reaction been like since word got out on the computer with a 0.66-inch thin form factor?
Min-Liang Tan: We're having an insane amount of reaction to it. It's been positive – guys have been asking, Is it possible to actually do this? Is it technically feasible? And things like that. So we've published all kinds of articles on thermals and performance metrics. Pre-orders have been through the roof. It's been really exciting.
[On follow-up, a Razer spokesperson said as a private company doesn't disclose sales figures, but "sales for the newest systems have done really, really well."]
TR: What's the disconnect for people that makes them question the laptop's capabilities?
MT: Most people think it's either thick and heavy with power or thin and light and no performance. But all of a sudden, we're just trying to throw everything out of the window and say, look, it is possible to have something super thin and super light, but still insanely powerful.
So most people are saying, Is this real? Are you overclocking it? And this and that. So we run all of these tests and it's been really great for PC gaming.
And now with the PS4 and Xbox One on the x86 platform, we think this is a great time for PC gaming.
TR: Speaking of those next-gen consoles, Nvidia came out this week and said that while its chips aren't in the machines, the AMD processors they do have actually raise the bar for PC gaming. Razer works closely with Nvidia - do you agree with that sentiment?
MT: I totally agree. I see it as a great move because ... it's now a lot easier for them to develop for the Xbox One, PS4 and for the PC at the same time, so that it's just great for everyone.
TR: You don't feel like Razer is threatened by the new consoles?
MT: I think gamers are going to have a PC, they're going to have an Xbox One, [or] they're going to have a PS4. I think it's a huge plus point as opposed to anything else.
TR: OK, but let's say someone only has a certain amount to spend on either an Xbox One, PS4 or a PC.
MT: I'm sure there are times when you'll have a limited budget, and you only have one choice. But for me, the PC is like a fourth console. It's a fourth console of sorts where it's also a productivity device. It's many things to many people, so I do hope that if they only have a certain amount, they get a PC.
TR: You mentioned when we spoke last month that Razer doesn't look at what competitors are doing, instead challenging yourselves internally. But do you think competitors are looking at the 14-inch Blade with interest?
