One 3D Printed Case Turns a Cheap Razer Tablet Into the Ultimate Pocket Cyberdeck

Gamers have long been searching for a computer that can be slipped into a coat pocket and used to complete tasks, a dream that now appears to be within reach due to a creative designer who wrapped a Razer Edge tablet within a custom 3D printed shell.

Flip the lid open and a familiar tablet screen greets you, cleanly framed in black plastic with just enough orange trim to make its intentions clear. A compact Bluetooth keyboard sits snugly in the base, and when everything is folded shut the whole thing is no bigger than a large phone, slim enough to disappear into a pocket or bag without a second glance. Those orange accents on the hinges and keycaps are a quiet reminder that this is anything but an ordinary device.

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The project started with a Razer Edge picked up for around $80, a tablet that had largely faded from the spotlight since its release but still packed a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 processor, plenty of RAM, and Android 12 under the hood. It came without the original controllers, but at that price it was too good a candidate to pass up.

There were already some design files floating around online for modular clamshells that could hold a phone, so it was just a matter of modifying them a little to fit the Razer Edge. Then it was simply a matter of using free editing software to make the necessary changes and printing them on a regular consumer printer. This all came together with simple screws and pins for the hinges, and a few lock sliders on the front keep the whole thing shut securely when you’re traveling.

The major challenge was getting the tablet inside without damaging it. A metal ring affixed to the rear of the Razer Edge, combined with a MagSafe-style adaptor on the case, locked everything together with powerful magnets that can be peeled away with some moderate coaxing. The tablet can leave the shell in seconds and return to becoming a tablet whenever it feels like it. The keyboard simply fits into a little tray in the bottom and automatically pairs over Bluetooth. Given its size, the layout is quite decent, and all of the shortcuts for doing daily tasks are available. When the lid closes, everything tucks neatly against the screen.

Power it up and things get interesting fast. Android 12 handles all the everyday essentials without breaking a sweat, and cloud streaming over Wi-Fi or mobile broadband opens up a much bigger games library on top of that. Emulation is where it really shines though, running GameCube titles at 720p with a solid frame rate and pushing PlayStation 2 games to 1.75 times their native resolution on many titles. Lighter PC games load up through dedicated apps and run without issue, and for anyone feeling nostalgic there is even a Windows 98 simulator tucked in there for good measure.
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