With the Nintendo Switch being something of a darling of the games world these days it was only a matter of time before a PC manufacturer decided to show that anything Nintendo can do they can do with superior hardware, even if it is in a format that it’s intended audience may not really take to. Which brings us to the Alienware Concept UFO, the proof of concept handheld gaming PC that reminds everybody that, yes, PCs can do anything consoles can do, even if we didn’t ask.
The Concept UFO wouldn’t be much of a concept if the hardware wasn’t superior to that under the hood of a Nintendo Switch, or perhaps even of the hypothetical next generation Switch Pro. As such it is built around an 8in screen with a 1200p resolution instead of the 6.2 720p Switch. There is a 10th generation Intel CPU in there somewhere doing the heavy lifting with its integrated graphics, although not much is known about the performance right now and how said performance would relate to battery life.
The Concept UFO is a full-fledged Windows 10 PC, with all the compatibility this brings with it, so you’d be able to keep up with your desktop games when you’re out and about. There are USB-C ports and it can run a keyboard and mouse if so desired, it also has WiFi, Bluetooth and Thunderbolt connectivity. The side pads can come off and lock together into a full sized pad, but it lacks the Switch ability to use each pad on its own for two players.
It can be easy to scoff at things like this, because there are so many reasons why traditional gaming PC culture doesn’t gel with a handheld system. PC gaming still isn’t entirely comfortable moving to the couch, let alone out into the wider world with its fresh air and birdsongs and other horrors. However putting together a PC system that might, depending on the specification, be a legitimate gaming platform shrunk down into a smaller-than-notebook form is quietly amazing.