Dell has revealed a concept design for a portable gaming PC that runs Windows and looks much like a Nintendo Switch.
The Concept UFO, which is being shown off at CES 2020 in Las Vegas on Tuesday, is an 8-inch tablet that can play PC games.
Designed by Alienware, Dell’s computer hardware subsidiary, Concept UFO features detachable controllers either side of a screen, much like the Nintendo console.
It means it can be played as a handheld device or, thanks to an in-built stand, sit upright while the gamer holds a controller in either hand.
The Concept UFO from Alienware, Dell’s computer hardware division, is very reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch with its detachable controllers
Alienware has also developed an extra controller grip that connects to both controllers to form a more conventional-looking single controller.
For yet another gaming option, the prototype can be plugged into an external display for a big screen gaming experience or hooked up to a keyboard and mouse just like a desktop PC.
The prototype is currently just a concept, as the name suggests, but if commercialised would allow users to enjoy more Windows PC gaming options away from the home.
‘This is a concept that we have created for our customers listening to their feedback,’ Preeth Srinivasan, development manager at Dell, told IGN.
The two controllers either side of the screen can be removed an attached to a central unit to form a conventional looking controller
‘We’ve created here a concept that allows us to create a full PC, but it’s a gaming-first experience.’
Mr Srinivasan said the company is working out how long the console can run and gathering feedback on the right sizes and weight for their customers to refine the design.
Alienware announced Concept UFO on Twitter, saying ‘we’re always pushing what’s possible in the realm of gaming’.
The concept will be officially unveiled at CES 2020 at 10am PST (6pm GMT) on Tuesday and will be streamed live via the company’s YouTube channel.
Press at the consumer technology showcase event this week have been invited to test the device.
CNET reported that the World War Z PC shooter game was ‘surprisingly playable’ on the hardware.
The unit would use 10th Generation Intel Core processors along with WiFi, Bluetooth, and Intel’s Thunderbolt porting devices.
The system runs Windows 10 and boasts an 8-inch screen and 1900 by 1200 HD display.
Concept UFO has already received comparisons with the Nintendo Switch, of which the Japanese company has shipped 41.67 million units as of September 2019
Despite its similarity to the Nintendo console at first glance, this is an improvement on the Switch’s 6.2-inch 1280 x 720 pixel screen.
‘With anything you’re going to hold in your hands while you play, it must feel “right” as soon as you pick it up, said Dell in a blog post.
‘Our teams have invested hundreds – if not thousands – of hours on the controller design features and ergonomics.’
Concept Duet is a dual screen device with two 13.4-inch displays that fold to face each other
Dell is also unveiling the Concept Duet, a notebook made up of two 13.4-inch display that fold up to face each other.
With the extra screen, users could host conference calls, check emails and take notes simultaneously on-the-go.
While Concept Duet folds down a central pivot between the two screens, its other new prototype, Concept Ori, folds down the centre of a single screen, reminiscent of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold smartphone.
The 13-inch screen on the Ori offers similar experiences and benefits to dual screens, but with the added advantage of no seams, Dell says.
Concept Ori is a foldable device with a 13-inch screen that folds down the middle of the display itself, much like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold smartphone
The foldable screen can provide two separate displays or one big display, ideally for watching films or reading articles in vertical mode.
In a blog post last year, Dell chief technology officer Glen Robson described dual-screens as ‘a natural evolution of the PC’.
‘Users will eventually shift to on-screen keyboards in the future or rely on voice-activation or pens,’ he said.
‘We are exploring ways to bridge these experiences and embrace the new rules of device interaction.’
