CES 2012: Razer Unveils Fiona Concept Tablet For PC Gaming on the Go

Update: Jan 12. Razer Fiona won the CNET’s CES 2012 People’s Voice Award! — around min 14:00 (video)

Razer continues to surprise and create controversy among gamers. A few months ago, Razer unveiled the Razer Blade — the first true gaming laptop which features the Switchblade technology.

All part of their campaign to demonstrate that “PC Gaming is not Dead“, and that Razer continues to develop innovative products for the PC.

A few days ago, Razer bombarded the social networks with a teaser about a new product they planned to unveil at CES 2012. The product has finally been unveiled. It’s codenamed Fiona.

Some gamers dislike the pricing, but admit the concept sounds great. In theory. The Fiona is both … a PC and a tablet. That sounds hard to grasp, and to wrap around your brain. The tablet looks like a iPod, with two controllers attached to the sides. However, it has a third-generation Intel i7 Core (Ivy Bridge) chip, an SDD and runs on Microsoft Windows 8. Its battery will be akin of that in laptops. It’s also the first tablet featuring THX Dolby® 7.1 surround sound!

It has two controllers, multi-touch screen. You can also attach a keyboard and mouse using a hybrid-interface. The video demonstrates gamers can play games like Assassins Creed: Revelations, Company of Heroes, FireFall, Minecraft, Rift, Skyrim, Warhammer: Space Marine, and other PC Games.

The Fiona Concept Tablet will cost under $1000. A bit pricy, but not a bad option for PC Gaming on the Go. Many features are still unknown, and the final product might look different. Considering it’s running Windows 8, that a lot of space is required to install PC games, and how thin this product seems to be — I am guessing the product will have a SSD. Not confirmed, but it’s what makes sense.

Razer wants gamers to share their feedback over at Facebook, and to click “Like”. If enough people “like” the following page, they will begin development of the product with a pending release date (Q4 2012). CNET is also running a Best of CES People’s Voice Award. Voting will be closed on Thursday, Jan 12th.

It seems countless gamers did love to hear about this product and don’t mind the price. Over 4,686 people already clicked “Like”. There’s a sweet niche of gamers out there who want this product delivered by the end of this year.

Razer: Project Fiona has finally been revealed and the amount of community feedback that we have been receiving has been enormous, all of which will be used to help us create a better final product for you.

Project Fiona has been nominated for Best of CES and we need your help to spread the word and bring attention to Fiona in order to turn this product from a concept into a reality. The more votes, the better chance Fiona has of seeing the light of day and being able to take your PC games with you wherever, whenever.

Vote for Project Fiona for Best of CES and let your friends know about it as well by sharing this post.

Blizzplanet is curious. How would this product benefit your World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Diablo III gameplay? What’s your stand on this Intel i7 Core Fiona PC/Tablet hybrid? In the meantime, I asked Razer to create another video of Razer Fiona playing World of Warcraft and StarCraft II. I’ll update when the video is available.

It’s a tablet. It’s a PC

Project Fiona Concept Tablet runs a PC environment on a powerful next generation processor ready to play all of your favorite PC games. This tablet concept is running advanced applications on an ultra portable form factor, bringing hardcore PC gaming on the go.

Immersive Gaming on the Go

Project Fiona features full force feedback in each of its integrated dual gaming controllers so every bump you drive over, sword attack you block, and explosion you walk away from is giving you a more immersive and intense gaming experience.

Audio on tablets sucks today but gaming audio on Project Fiona has never been better with Dolby 7.1 surround sound and it’s the only tablet today to be certified by world renowned audio specialists THX.

PC Gaming Hybrid User Interface

Project Fiona redefines how you control your tablet. Engineered with intuitive game controllers attached on both sides of the multi-touch display this tablet offers the ultimate tablet gaming experience. Other tablets force you to use touchscreens and accelerometers for gaming which is great for casual gaming but impossible for hardcore PC gaming. This constrains you to casual games that can be played with limited navigation and control capabilities.

Adapted from a full featured PC gamepad, Project Fiona’s integrated dual controllers coupled with its advanced multi-touch screen are designed to make complex game navigation ergonomic and intuitive without compromising on the portability of the tablet. You’ll be able to carry out headshots and command troops in-game with ease.

This first-of-its-kind PC gaming tablet with integrated dual controllers is definitely not for playing casual games about unhappy birds or zombie-killing flora.

Tech Specs

Hybrid user interface for PC gaming
Intel® Core™ i7
10.1″ 1280×800 display
Full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch
3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer
Force feedback
Dolby® 7.1 surround sound
WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth® 3.0

Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Nevada, – Jan 10th, 2012 – Razer™, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, is proud to announce their newest gaming concept design – the Project Fiona PC Gaming Tablet. Unlike other tablets designed for general use and casual gaming, Project Fiona is a tablet concept designed to play the most popular PC games of today with an intuitive control setup for a phenomenal on-the-go gaming experience.

Powered by Intel® Core™ i7

Razer worked closely with Intel to harness the power of its third generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor in Project Fiona. As a result, Razer’s tablet is more akin to a fully functioning PC; and yet in a form factor and platform highly familiar to everybody.

Instead of relying on developers to work on a suite of brand new applications for Project Fiona, many PC games today run natively on the tablet concept without the need to be ported, optimized, or developed from scratch.

Moreover, Project Fiona will feature one of the most powerful processors integrated in a tablet form factor. Instead of the casual and mobile-only games that run on under-powered tablets, Project Fiona will run full-fledged PC games that have never run on a tablet form factor before until today.

“Project Fiona’s combination of high performance Intel-based gaming hardware and innovative tablet design is specifically focused for PC gamers. It will unleash the PC gamer to play their existing and future high-end games in one of the most exciting new form factors – a tablet,” said Brad Graff, Director of Partner Marketing, Netbook & Tablet Group, Intel.

PC Gaming User Interface Designed For a Tablet Form Factor

Razer’s multi-award winning user interface and ergonomics team have developed an all-new hybrid user interface scheme for Project Fiona. Featuring integrated dual game controllers with ultra-precise analog sticks, Project Fiona runs gamepad-enabled PC games right out of the box.

Along with the game controllers, Project Fiona is also designed with ultra-precise accelerometers and a highly sensitive multi-touch screen. This provides game developers with new game experiential opportunities to develop around the hybrid game control experience offered by Project Fiona. It also ensures current-generation PC games run on the tablet concept, as well as any existing games optimized for the touchscreen interface of a tablet.

Future games developed for Fiona are expected to take advantage of not just the integrated gamepad controls but also integrate core game functionality controls for the touchscreen and accelerometer-based controls.

“While multi-touch screens have become the de facto user interface for tablets, they are not the right interface for serious PC gaming,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO, Razer. “The user interface we have designed for Project Fiona allows all existing PC games to be played right out of the box and also provides game developers new opportunities as they develop next-gen games on a highly-intuitive platform. Both developers and gamers are going to love the new user interface that combines the best of a gamepad, multi-touch screen and accelerometers for an all-new gaming experience on-the-go.”

The Most Immersive Gaming Experience on a Tablet

To further intensify the gaming experience with Project Fiona, Razer’s integrated dual controllers deliver full force feedback, so every explosion or gun recoil can be felt in the gamer’s hands.

THX® Ltd., which works with many of the world’s most innovative audio and video home entertainment manufacturers, agrees that the tablet adds tremendous flexibility to a gamer’s lifestyle. “Video games, music and entertainment that previously were mainly enjoyed within the home can now be enjoyed anywhere through tablets such as the Razer Concept PC Gaming Tablet,” said Chris Golson, Senior Director, Business Development, THX.

Developer units of the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet will be made available soon. Interested parties should email developer@razerzone.com for more information. Project Fiona will be on display at Razer’s booth in South Hall 3, #31473.