US Gamer
The Forge TV runs Android TV, much like Google's own Nexus Player, bringing the best of the Android mobile operating system to your home entertainment center.
The black box is powered by Qualcomm's 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor with an Adreno 420 GPU. It also sports 2 GM of RAM, 16 GB of storage, USB 3.0 and HDMI ports, Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11ac WiFi connectivity, and an Ethernet port if you're the wired sort. Pretty standard hardware offering here.
Hardcore Gamer - The OUYA community has been wondering about Cortex for quite some time. Ever since OUYA was acquired by Razer, Cortex has been heralded as coming soon to the Forge, but nothing concrete was released until today.
Razer has an interesting concept on their hands with the Forge TV. But will it be able to differentiate itself in a crowded market?
Seeing all these little set top boxes and micro consoles just makes me more convinced that Sony and MS will go full throttle this route for their next system.
Sony has already jumped in with PS TV and PSNow. It won't be long before MS takes their Xbox brand in a similar direction.
I use a wireless HdMI transmitter and wireless Xbox controller to PC game on my couch and it works great for me. I have a feeling that is a better solution than these tiny boxes which don't even come close in power to my gaming PC. Might be a market for it with some people though. I do like that Turret setup though I may check that out. I can't bring ARMA or Starcraft into my living room yet and that my be the solution, though it appears how well it may work will be dictated on posture or it may not be very ergonomic depending on how you sit.
Most PC enthusiast like myself will just build our own systems.., just for kicks - rather than shell out on something like this.
With cloud gaming, PC streaming, and increasingly powerful mobile graphics, I have to agree. Xbox One and PS4 may be the last conoles that resemble their predecessors.
It's going to be harder to ask consumers to pay $300+ for one platform when little devices like the Forge TV can juggle multiple platforms and cost less.
People are buying consoles at a faster rate then ever in history, yet even with with that fact you think they won't buy the next console at the same price?
Consoles are an appliance homes have just like tvs.
But what if the console makes decide to go this route only. It seems like this would be a cheaper alternative then having to manufacture and invest in graphics chips and other hardware.
If this was the only option from the big 3, people would still be lined up to buy them even more so than the current ones on the market.
Dealspwn writes: "Hardware manufacturers are desperate to corner the market on Android Micro-Consoles, despite the market seeming to say, "no thanks, we've got tablets, smart TVs, consoles and PCs already" at every turn. From the OUYA and Gamestick to the MOJO and Nexus Player, these Android-powered boxes have yet to really prove their worth for us gamers, yet there's no shortage of contenders.
Now the behemoth of pricey premium PC products, Razer, has decided to enter the fray with the Razer Forge TV. It's a gorgeous bit of kit, but at first glance, you'd be forgiven for wondering why they even bothered.
However, it turns out that there might be a killer twist in the tale... or at least a nifty extra feature that might make it a tempting niche purchase for PC gamers."
Great question
Casualcore gamers, lol. Who knows, most casuals don't want/need a console, and hardcore gamers will always go with the big 3 when buying a console.