So today Razer has officially taken the wraps off their Forge TV. Even if you already own a Nexus Player you will still benefit from this announcement. The purpose of this post is to highlight the key differences and similarities between the two, and to highlight what the Forge TV brings to the larger Android TV ecosystem.
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-forge-tvSpecs:The Nexus Player uses a quad-core Intel Atom 64-bit @ 1.8ghz, a PowerVR 6-series GPU, and, 1GB of RAM. The Forge uses a Snapdragon 805 SOC which features a quad-core Krait 450 CPU @ 2.5ghz, an Adreno 420 GPU, and 2GB of RAM.
The Nexus Player offers support for 64-bit whereas the Forge is limited to 32-bit. Also, the jury's still out on performance, but most benchmarks place the Intel SCOC on par with the Snapdragon 805 (behind, obviously, in apps that aren't made for x86). Overall, I'm confident enough to suggest that performance will likely be in the same neighborhood on both devices. And as a Nexus Player owner, I can tell you that I haven't run into an area yet where the 1GB of RAM has been a limitation. So to me, it comes down to 64-bit versus extra RAM. Pick your future-proofing poison.
It should also be noted that the Forge TV has proper gigabit ethernet and USB 3.0 output, compared to the Micro USB 2.0 found on the Nexus Player. You'll need adapters to get proper USB and ethernet functionality, and even then, you're limited to 100megabit ethernet at best.
Gamepad:The announcement of the Razer Forge TV brings us the first truly good first-party Android TV gamepad. Many of you have read my complaints, but Google/Asus inexplicably FORGOT to have a start and/or select button. And they placed the home button in a location where you'd expect there to be a start button. The end result is poor compatibility with some games (Soul Calibur), difficulty mapping with many emulators, and accidentally exiting the game when you had intended to pause it.
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-cont...s/razer-servalThe Serval gamepad brings the back/home buttons down to the base of the gamepad, where they belong. The power/mode button remains top/center, but is less prominent. It's now flanked by back/forward buttons that are likely/hopefully intended to be start/select mappable.
It also supports wired/wireless connectivity, remembers up to 4 connected devices so you're not constantly pairing it with alternate systems, and seems to support some form of phone mount for on-the-go gaming. Overall, this is the gamepad that we should have originally gotten, and yes, it should work with your Nexus Player.
The Software:The unique software here is support for Razer Cortex Stream. This will allow you to stream your PC games to your HDTV. It will be free for Forge TV owners, and for everyone else. This solution will support older GPUs and non-Nvidia GPUs, so it's more flexible than the current options. Again, it looks like you won't need a Forge TV to take advantage of this. You should be able to purchase it for your existing Nexus Player. One caveat: may not be available at launch for the Forge TV, as the Forge is slated for a 1Q 2015 launch, while Stream is slated to go into beta during 1H 2015. Also, Razer is notorious for missing launch windows (Forge TV was previously slated for Fall 2014).
Storage:I didn't list this under specs because it warrants its own discussion. The Nexus Player has 8GB of storage, and the Razer Forge TV has 16GB. To be perfectly honest, I'm not happy with either option. But with that said, I have 3.1GB remaining on my Nexus Player. That includes several Android games, Kodi, several emulators, and numerous ROMs. I don't have the space to emulate CD-based systems easily, but the old cart-based systems are fine. Having 16GB would give me a little more wiggle room, but 64/128GB options would be preferable for those who want to do serious emulation. With that said, the 8GB of the Nexus Player is more than adequate for someone who wants a streaming device with some light gaming. The additional 8GB on the Forge TV will make the gaming aspect a bit easier.
Remote:The Nexus Player comes with a generic, yet adequate Bluetooth Remote. There's also a remote app, but it crashes a lot, loses connectivity, and it's limited to Android (my wife is an iPhone user). So, the physical remote is a necessity for us. The Razer seems to lack a physical remote. Instead you're to use a smartphone app (different from the Google app, briefly demonstrated on a Samsung phone in the Razer video, linked below). This app is compatible with Android an iOS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_A1gyYRTgcConclusion:We have comparable hardware at a similar price. People who are simply looking for a high-quality streaming device with extras will prefer the Nexus Player, which has an actual remote. Those who are looking for a more gaming-oriented focus will appreciate the Stream app and extra storage and RAM of the Forge TV. However, there's nothing preventing you from using the Serval gamepad with a Nexus Player, nor using Stream with a Nexus Player. Ultimately, the choice of device will come down to your balance between media consumption and gaming.
Or you could be like me - Move the Nexus Player upstairs to the bedroom, the Forge tV downstairs in the living room, and sync the NP's remote to the Forge TV instead (using a gamepad upstairs).