Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

This liquid-cooled Android tablet runs PC games natively, and now everyone can buy it

read original more articles
Why This Matters

The REDMAGIC Astra 2's global launch marks a significant advancement in gaming tablets, combining high-performance hardware, innovative liquid cooling, and native PC game emulation. Its powerful specs and unique design make it a compelling choice for gamers seeking a portable, high-quality gaming experience on Android. This development signals a shift toward more versatile, PC-like gaming devices in the mobile industry, expanding options for consumers and pushing the boundaries of mobile gaming technology.

Key Takeaways

REDMAGIC

TL;DR After launching in China last month, REDMAGIC’s liquid-cooled gaming tablet is launching globally.

The REDMAGIC Astra 2 comes with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 185Hz OLED display, and a massive battery with fast charging.

Although the tablet is launching globally today, it won’t be available for purchase until later in August.

As promised last month, REDMAGIC’s newest liquid-cooled gaming tablet is now launching globally as “Astra 2.” It is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, supports native PC game emulation, and features one of the snazziest designs you’ll find on Android tablets.

The chief highlight of the design is the new blue-hued liquid-cooling mechanism that the Astra 2 flexes through the back glass and even under the logo. REDMAGIC has further embellished it with RGB lighting, making the tablet’s utility even more important. The coolant can operate over an extreme temperature range of -60ºC to 125ºC (-76ºF to 257ºF). But unlike REDMAGIC’s latest gaming phone or a host of previous devices, the tablet lacks a physical fan to cool the system even faster.

On the front, there’s a 9-inch OLED display with an 185Hz refresh rate, 2.4K resolution, and a dedicated Synaptics chip for faster touch response. Underneath, you get an 8,300mAh battery, split into two cells for faster charging. The tablet also supports fast wired charging at 80W, and even though you’d get a brick in the box, you can use just about any USB-PD compatible charger to reach those speeds.

In addition to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the tablet also packs a RedCore R4 gaming chip, which drives additional customization features that can run on top of games. There are two configurations with RAM and storage options, including 12GB + 256GB and 16GB + 512GB. Both these options are also available in two different colors: Black Eclipse and Silver Starfrost.

Beyond this, the tablet gets not one but two USB-C ports with USB 3.2 Gen 2, which also supports DisplayPort output. The global variant comes with REDMAGIC OS 11, which is based on Android 16. The ZTE-owned brand does not make promises about future Android updates.

REDMAGIC Astra 2 gaming tablet: Price and availability Talking of availability, while REDMAGIC announces the tablet for global markets today, it won’t be available until next month. REDMAGIC plans to make early-bird vouchers available by mid-August, with pre-orders beginning later in August. It’s also set to be available around “late August,” but there’s no clarity on the exact dates in each case.

... continue reading