Despite its rocky start, I believe in the potential of game streaming. I understand what physical media means to collectors and game preservation and I think it’s an important thing to maintain, but streaming has too many benefits to not eventually become the standard way to play games. Having the ability to instantly launch any game without concern for download speeds or storage space, and the freedom of access that streaming provides, will transform the way people play games. It won’t be overnight, and there will be Stadia-sized bumps in the road, but cloud gaming is the future.

As streaming services like Game Pass, GeForce Now, and Moonlight have become more usable, it was only a matter of time before a console came along designed specifically for game streaming. The first dedicated cloud console, the Logitech G Cloud, launched last October, followed by the Razer Edge in January. Both devices represent the highest specs currently available in a handheld Android device, and have the price point to match - $349 and $399 respectively. This may well put these devices well outside of the price range for anyone but tech enthusiasts and early adopters, but fortunately, they’re no longer the only options.

This week, Abxylute began its Kickstarter campaign for a new, budget-priced streaming handheld, which offers 60FPS, 1080P Cloud gaming on a 7: LTPS display. Abxylute sent me a pre-production unit so I could get a taste of gaming on its new device, and while it’s clear some concessions have been made to bring the price point down so significantly, the gameplay experience is still pretty remarkable.

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The worst thing about the Abxylute might be its name (pronounced ‘absolute,’ if you can believe it). If you can get past that, you’ll find a well-designed device with a remarkable display that performs its main task well. In terms of form factor, it’s nearly identical to the Switch, and fits perfectly into my Switch’s hardshell case. It has analog-style Hall sensor triggers and Hall sensor joysticks, which are said to avoid drift, as well as a gyro sensor. The weight and screen size are identical to the Switch OLED, but the ergonomics are a lot better thanks to a ridged back that hugs your fingertips naturally curl around, and larger shoulder buttons that are easier to press than the L and R on the Joy-Con.

Unlike the G Cloud and Edge, which have the specs to deliver top end performance on Android games, the Abxylute is really only designed for streaming. The company says it has tested “light” Android games and emulation, but it's not optimized for anything other than cloud gaming. The lower specs account for the price difference, but if you’re only looking for a streaming device, then this may be all you need.

The Abxylute has a 1080P, 16x9 display, which is a higher resolution than both the Steam Deck and the Switch. The strength of your Wi-Fi is going to have a big impact on the quality of your image, but I found the display to be one of the Abyxlute’s best features. It’s no worse than the G Cloud, and while the Razer Edge does have a higher resolution, it also has a non-standard 20x9 aspect ratio, which can cause some problems.

I tested Game Pass, GeForce Now, Steam Link, and PSPlay, and had a good-to-great experience with each, depending on how far away I was from my router. On a wired connection, my average download is around 170 Mbps, while the Abxylute averages 50 Mbps just a few feet from my router. That’s a steeper fall off that I would expect, but it’s still fast enough to maintain a steady connection. The console's 2T2R MU-MIMO dual antenna setup is designed to optimize streaming quality, and in practice, I found it to be significantly more consistent than streaming games from my Pixel 6, and much better looking too.

My test unit isn’t fully equipped with all the features, so there is only so much testing I can do. Google Play services aren’t enabled so I couldn’t test any Android games, which meant I also had to use the inferior desktop version of Game Pass. The speakers are underwhelming, but I’m told they’ll be improved in the retail version. Kickstarter backers will also get a non-slip back that will make it a little nicer to hold.

For half the price of the Razer Edge, there really aren’t that many downsides. It has eight hours of battery life, which is worse than both the G Cloud and the Edge, but significantly better than the Switch, Steam Deck, and the device I’ve been using to stream games, my Pixel 6. You also won’t get the nice mouse-click feel of the buttons on the Razer Kishi V2, and the controller isn’t detachable, but buttons feel fine. One thing I hope they change before they go into production is the D-pad, which is squishy, imprecise, and pretty much useless for platformers or fighting games. The Edge is certainly a more comprehensive device, since it can handle Android gaming and emulation too, but Abxylute is a true streaming device, and as the cloud gaming finds its footing, that is exactly what the market needs right now.

The Kickstarter campaign is live right now, and backers can get a discount on the device that won’t be available once the Abxylute hits the market. You can learn more about the console and pledge right now by visiting the Abxylute website and the Kickstarter page.

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