Games
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Sure, the Alienware UFO can probably run performance circles around the Switch, but it can’t play Nintendo games. The best Switch games include some true must-have exclusives, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey and Pokemon Sword and Shield. The console’s 2,000-plus game library also includes plenty of indie and AAA titles, including Fortnite, The Witcher 3, Celeste, Stardew Valley and Skyrim.
(Image credit: Future)
Since the UFO is a full-fledged Windows 10 gaming PC, it can play the thousands upon thousands of PC games available across storefronts such as Steam, Origin, Epic Games Store and GOG. If it ever comes to market, the UFO’s library would certainly have an edge in terms of the sheer volume of games it can play, from 90s classics to modern hits like Control and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Alienware unveils Concept UFO at CES 2020
The Concept UFO from Alienware lets you play PC games on-the-go. Dell, Laptop Mag
The Concept UFO from Alienware can be played in handheld mode or docked, allowing Concept UFO owners to play their favorite PC games at home and on-the-go. Dell notes that the Concept UFO is going to be a “full PC” running on Windows 10.
As such, you can output what you’re doing (like playing Mortal Kombat 11 on the Concept UFO) to a larger display. In that light, Concept UFO cements itself as a tiny, portable gaming PC rather than a portable console like the Switch. Aside from the ability to “switch” between handheld and dock, there are other similarities to Nintendo’s portable console though, including the device’s detachable controllers.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Dell isn’t the first company to attempt a design similar to Nintendo’s Joy-Cons. Last year, Razer released the Junglecat attachment for their gaming phone that works (and looks) similar to Joy-Cons on the Switch. As for a full internal spec breakdown, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the Concept UFO including price point and performance.
However, we do know a few features like screen size worth keeping in mind, which we’ve listed below.
- 10-inch screen
- USB-C port
- 3.5mm headset jack
- Kickstand
- Rear vents
The Alienware Concept UFO offers a solid kickstand option and rear air vents. Dell, SlashGear
Dell is confident that Concept UFO will be able to stand on its own, offering a different experience than other devices like the Switch or NVIDIA Shield. In a statement made to Tom’s Guide, Dell Consumer Product Reviews Manager Ray Watkins spoke on how the company feels they are different from other products on the market.
“They were primarily based off of tablet and mobile specifications. This is going to be a full PC, so that’s where it’s the first of its kind. It runs for Windows. It’s a PC in a unique body style.”
Dell’s director of engineering, Kevin Turchin, also commented to Tom’s Guide about how Concept UFO is different from other devices.
“I think the biggest differences ergonomically, we spent a lot of energy to really make sure we were hitting that kind of Alienware-level class of ergonomics on the controls. The Switch controls are very generic and don’t even have a decent rumble. And so we’ve set the bar of kind of being the apex for handheld gaming.”
Those feel like fighting words from Dell. You can tell they haven’t come to CES 2020 to play, they fully intend to offer the best portable gaming experience possible. Again, there’s a lot we don’t know about the Concept UFO, though we can safely say it’s captured the interest of many gamers following its announcement.
For a visual look at Alienware’s Concept UFO, we’ve included a fun video from The Verge below that shows the device in action.
For more info on the Concept UFO, it’s recommended that you tune into Dell’s CES 2020 presentation today, January 7,at 10:00 a.m. (PST), 1 p.m. (EST).
Writer
Morgan is a writer, indie game lover, and socially awkward coffee addict. Need something? Morgan can be reached at morgan.shaver@allgamers.comor if you like, you can say hello using GIFs on Twitter.
Performance
Alienware straight up wouldn’t tell us anything about the hardware behind the Project UFO, likely because it doesn’t yet exist. All we know is that it’s running off of integrated Intel graphics. So, whether this is an Ice Lake chip or even a Tiger Lake chip with Intel Xe graphics, we just don’t know.
What we do know is that the device gets the job done. The integrated display is a 720p panel from what we can tell, as each of the games we were given a chance to test out were running in that resolution. These games ran surprisingly well, too, even Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, which isn’t exactly the most lightweight PC game on the market right now.
Now, don’t get it twisted, this device won’t be maxing out the latest games at 720p, either. Most of the games we got a chance to play were squarely on medium settings. And, while that might be disappointing coming from a desktop PC with an RTX 2080 Ti, it’s honestly more than the Nintendo Switch can do at the same resolution.
This device is definitely exciting because it’s basically a fully functioning PC. We know we’re hoping it actually comes out because there’s nothing we want more than to put it through our full gamut of benchmark tests in our labs. But at the end of the day, if we can play The Witcher 3 on the go without making it look as bad as it does on the Nintendo Switch, we’ll call it a win.
(Image credit: Future)
Early verdict
The Alienware Concept UFO is definitely one of the most unique things we’ve seen out of CES 2020 so far, especially in the gaming scene. And, while we don’t know when (or if) the device will come out or how much it will cost, we think it might be worth it for anyone that wants to get some serious PC gaming done on an airplane or something.
Only time will tell if it’ll be able to run all the best PC games, but even if it doesn’t it could be a way to carry around most of your Steam Library with you wherever you go.
There are other portable PCs that can play some PC games, but this would mark the first that’s custom built for PC gaming. That alone makes it a device worth paying attention to, whether or not it ever takes off the ground. We only hope that this pushes other gaming manufacturers to do the same.
Check out all of TechRadar’s CES 2020 coverage. We’re live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
Outlook
The Alienware Concept UFO is still just a concept, and if it ever becomes a real product, it’ll likely cost upwards of $1,000 compared to the relatively affordable $299 Switch. Still, a portable PC like the UFO could find a market with gamers who want to play titles such as The Witcher 3 and Gears 5 on the go without sacrificing much in the way of fidelity or performance.
The Switch already holds its own against the more powerful PS4 and Xbox One for two reasons: it has excellent games, and its versatile design is a joy to use in both handheld and TV modes. It’s hard to imagine a device like the UFO dethroning the Switch, but it would be neat to see a premium PC alternative arrive for folks who want the highest-end experience on the go (at least until we get the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro, that is).
How the Concept UFO is different
There are comparisons to be made to the Razer Edge Pro, as the Concept UFO is running Windows 10 and is accompanied by a pair of controllers, but the advantage that the Concept UFO has, and what makes it different from the rest, is its ergonomics.
(Image credit: Future)
“We actually view as the first of its kind,” Dell Director of Engineering Kevin Turchin said. “When we look at the balance that we’ve achieved between performance and portability it does allow to have a product that we view can be potentially viable in the market looking forward.”
The Concept UFO controllers are a little chunky, but unlike the Razer Edge Pro, the controllers aren’t tied down to a frame that encases the tablet. Instead, the controllers latch magnetically onto the UFO at an angle. The controllers aren’t shrunken little rectangles, either. They actually felt very similar to the Xbox One controller, especially where the analog sticks and D-pad are concerned.
“We worked on probably five or six different concepts — as you can imagine this electromechanical reality is very tough to solve,” Tosh said.
Kevin Turchin’s engineering team partnered with Tosh’s design team on the Concept UFO, and a lot of effort went into how the controllers function, especially how they magnetically latch at an angle and «how the electromechanical aspect of that works to remain consistent jumping between .”
(Image credit: Future)
I loved the way the UFO felt in my hands. It wasn’t too heavy, and the controllers felt so natural to detach and reattach onto the system. I felt like I was on my Xbox playing how I normally do when I boosted and scored a goal in Rocket League. If I do have a complaint, it would be that I’d like the face buttons, the bumpers especially, to have more travel. However, it was surprisingly comfortable to hold and play with.
“We did a lot of work around what we feel is both ergonomically the right size for use as well as balancing that with the kind of engineering aspects of weight, and you know housing everything we need to house,” Tosh said. “I think we’re very confident that the size we’re at is where the concept should be in order to really be evaluated — anything smaller we felt we would have to compromise on battery life or other things, and anything bigger simply becomes too heavy to hold for the aim that we have for the concept.”
Apart from my button issues, I think it’s the Concept UFO is way more ergonomically sound than the Nintendo Switch, which brings us to:
Design
(Image credit: Future)
As stated above, the Concept UFO really looks like a bigger, beastlier Nintendo Switch at first glance. Its 8-inch screen is flanked by a pair of detachable controllers that you can slide off and attach to a grip for use as a standalone gamepad. There’s even a Switch-like kickstand in the back so you can prop the UFO up for tabletop play.
Despite the obvious similarities to Nintendo’s console, the UFO stands out when it comes to aesthetics and ergonomics. The UFO’s Lunar White aluminum design echoes the look of Alienware’s gaming PCs, and even has a bit of custom backlighting around the analog sticks. But what really sets the UFO apart is how it feels to hold.
(Image credit: Future)
Alienware says it spent hundreds of hours perfecting the UFO’s large, curvy controls and full-size buttons and triggers so that they mimic the feel of an Xbox-style controller even in handheld mode. By comparison, the buttons on the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers are quite tiny, and lack deep rear triggers or a proper d-pad.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
It’s worth noting that both devices are designed for TV play. The Switch achieves this via its included USB-C dock, while the UFO sports a Thunderbolt connection for connecting to supported displays.
Concept UFO vs. gaming laptops
So how much different is the Concept UFO compared to a gaming laptop? Well, instead of getting a keyboard, the Concept UFO gives you a pair of controllers, but as with any Alienware product, you still get those fancy RGB lights. However, the Concept UFO will not be replacing gaming laptops, but rather adding onto the experience.
(Image credit: Future)
“Concept UFO is actually an extension of the gaming ecosystem,” Turchin said. “The inspiration behind Concept UFO was to take a similar gaming experience that we give our customers today on their desktop and notebook machines, but be able to give that experience potentially anywhere that they go. All of the blood, sweat and tears and learning that you poured into — you can now carry that experience anywhere.”
Unfortunately, we can’t get into specs as of yet, but it should be clear that the Concept UFO won’t be nearly as powerful as the best gaming laptops. However, it did run Rocket League, World War Z and Mortal Kombat 11 smoothly from what we could tell while testing it.
And an advantage that the Concept UFO has is that it’ll be easily set up with a software that will aggregate all of your games in one place. No, it’s not Alienware Command Center, but rather its own proprietary software. However, Dell is taking Alienware Command Center “under consideration,” so it’s possible we might see it in the future, if Concept UFO ever comes to market.
Taking the UFO for a test flight
I got to try out prototype demos that were running Mortal Kombat 11 and F1 2019. Both played shockingly well given how small the device is, and I didn’t experience any stutters or input lag. As someone who has played the Nintendo Switch, I quickly took to the handheld form factor, and I have to say that I very much enjoyed playing Mortal Kombat 11 on it. However, there were a few things I noticed almost immediately.
First, the UFO is considerably heavier than a Switch. Turchin said the prototype weighs around 900 grams, or about 32 ounces. That’s almost 3x heavier than the Switch, so I don’t know what the long-term usage would be like.
Turchin said that the design team put most of its emphasis on ergonomics, which is why they went with a handheld design instead of a tablet or perhaps a redesigned 2-in-1 notebook. “We felt strongly that it didn’t matter how well it performed, how good the screen was, or how long the battery lasted if it didn’t feel right when you picked it up,” he said. “It had to feel like a gaming performance device.”
He added that the design and battery were built for both a two-hour commute and playing at home, where users could plug into a power source. I admit that the UFO felt fine for the short time I spent with it, but there’s no way to know how comfortable it would be after an hour or two without actually experiencing that.
That leads me to the second issue, which is that the left side the UFO I was using, probably where the GPU is located, got very hot. It wasn’t enough to burn me, but it was enough to keep me from wanting to hold it for too long. All the while, I could hear its fans go into overdrive trying to cool it. If the UFO ever does become a consumer device, this could be a major issue.
Lastly, apart from the two USB-C ports that it uses for charging and a headphone jack, the UFO doesn’t have any ports on it for connecting peripherals. It doesn’t even have a microSD slot on it for extra storage and transferring data. The UFO probably has a Bluetooth antenna inside, but it can connect to an existing Dell dock, which enables peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard to be attached along with an external display. However, Mortal Kombat 11 looked grainy on the 4K monitor the presenters had hooked up to the UFO. So, using the device as a gaming notebook on a high-resolution monitor might be pushing its limits a little too hard.
Things might also get a little dicey when it comes to text scaling on some games on the small screen. Mortal Kombat was fine, but it’s not like they were showing off a text-heavy role-playing game or a game with a lot of menus. But I suppose that would be a relatively minor problem to have. The point, for now, is that the Concept UFO works, even as an early-stage device. I also found that I really wanted one for myself. It practically stole the show from other devices such as Alienware’s 25-inch gaming monitor and the new AMD Ryzen-based Aurora desktop system.
Производительность
Непосредственно Alienware не расскажет нам ничего об оборудовании, стоящем за Project UFO, скорее всего потому, что его еще нет. Все, что мы знаем, это то, что он работает на интегрированной графике Intel. Итак, будь то чип Ice Lake или даже чип Tiger Lake с графикой Intel Xe, мы просто не знаем.
Что мы знаем, так это то, что устройство выполняет свою работу. Насколько мы можем судить, встроенный дисплей представляет собой панель с разрешением 720p, поскольку каждая из игр, которую нам дали возможность протестировать, работала в этом разрешении. Эти игры также работали на удивление хорошо, даже «Дивизион 2» Тома Клэнси, который сейчас не самая легкая игра для ПК на рынке..
Теперь, не крутите, это устройство не будет максимально использовать новейшие игры на 720p. Большинство игр, в которые мы получили возможность играть, были прямо на средних настройках. И хотя это может быть разочаровывающим для настольного ПК с RTX 2080 Ti, это, честно говоря, больше, чем может сделать Nintendo Switch с тем же разрешением.
Это устройство, безусловно, впечатляет, потому что это практически полноценный ПК. Мы знаем, что надеемся, что это действительно получится, потому что нет ничего, что мы хотим больше, чем провести его через весь спектр тестов в наших лабораториях. Но в конце концов, если мы сможем играть в The Witcher 3 на ходу, не делая его таким же плохим, как на Nintendo Switch, мы назовем это победой.
(Изображение предоставлено: Будущее)
Alienware Concept UFO play time: Mobile mode
(Image credit: Future)
If you’ve ever played with a Nintendo Switch, playing with the Concept UFO should be like riding a bike. I’m already a fan of the weightiness of the device, but I was really sold when I played Mortal Kombat 11 and World War Z. The action was fast-paced, with smooth frame rates.
Was it as smooth as playing on a high-powered PC? Of course not. We’re not even sure what’s powering this thing (see more below). But just the fact that I was doling out vicious combos to D’vorah with Jackie Briggs was a feat in of itself, one that I’d like to see repeated during my subway commute.
Despite being larger than the Switch, playing on the UFO was just as comfortable. I didn’t experience any arm fatigue as I went through a half hour of combat. That’s important because that’s the main way that I play my Switch. Using the kickstand or docking the system are nice ways to play, but as a commuter, I need the ability to play while sitting or standing.
Alienware Concept UFO kickstand mode
(Image credit: Future)
Still, using the UFO in kickstand mode is pretty cool. The controllers easy detached from the main setup and slid onto either side of the bridge effortlessly. Just line up the powerful magnets, slide them onto the bridge and you’ve got a solid controller. Alienware has made a few tweaks to the face buttons and shoulder bumpers since my hands-on sessions in October and December. Where the button travel was a bit too shallow, now you have firm springy feedback, which is important on a controller, particularly with the bumpers. However, I would love the ability to tweak the bumpers myself, similar to what you can do on a SCUF controller –– hair triggers FTW!
The ridges of the analog sticks are nice and grippy and protrude out to what felt like the default stick height. Again, I’d love the ability to either adjust height or swap out sticks all together. My favorite part about the sticks are the little LED rings around them. Currently when you connect the controllers to the either the bridge or the display panel, the rings light up to let you know they’re properly attached. And if you press a series of buttons simultaneously, the rings cycle through a rainbow of colors — it’s a very Alienware touch.
Можно ли поставить полноценный и игровой ПК в таких габаритах?
Игры для ПК действительно соответствуют таким размерам? Это вопрос, который вы задаете себе, когда видите идею Alienware. Нет никаких сомнений в том, что технологии развиваются и что такие компоненты, как процессоры и графические процессоры, улучшают мощность, энергоэффективность и уменьшают свои размеры. Проблема состоит в том, что когда кто-то думает о компьютерных играх, логично представить оборудование с самого начала большего размера, чтобы предложить более эффективную систему охлаждения.
Эта медитация UFO Concept имеет вес в три раза больше, чем у Switch. Но если, как говорится, он способен запускать игры с тройным А, ясно, что ему понадобится энергия, и это приведет к большему потреблению энергии. Таким образом, запуск батареи может стать его ахиллесовой пятой, и чтобы он всегда был подключен, он теряет свою грацию против других опций, таких как Intel NUC.
Однако на данный момент это продукт, который Dell не планирует выпускать в продажу. Итак, мы остановимся на самом интересном, а именно на том, что вы экспериментируете с другими типами решений. Так что настанет день, когда вам не понадобятся сверхмассивные и тяжелые «ноутбуки», чтобы иметь действительно мощный игровой автомат. Конечно же, ноутбук не нужен, если такие решения, как Стадионы и аналогичный прогресс, как и было обещано.
Знакомство с концепцией Alienware UFO
Кто такие Alienware?
Это сотрудник Sony, ставший негодяем, или перебежчик из Nintendo, совершающий прорыв в мире? Ответ отрицательный, и вы можете удивиться, когда узнаете, кто на самом деле стоит за созданием Alienware Concept UFO.
Это Делл.
Вот так; ноутбуки и экстраординарные компьютеры – это умы, стоящие за брендом Alienware и, по сути, за концепцией UFO. С самого начала это должно дать вам представление о том, что это за штука и на что она способна.
Что такое Alienware Concept UFO?
Ладно, не будем ходить вокруг да около. Многим это не понравится, и я прочитал много статей, которые противоречат тому, что я собираюсь сказать, но это нужно сказать.
Это в основном Nintendo Switch на стероидах
То есть на самом простом уровне точное описание того, как эта штука работает. Он имеет два съемных контроллера (оба с функцией грохота), которые можно использовать либо как единичные радости, либо скрепить вместе в кобуре для использования в качестве обычного геймпада.
UFO имеет подставку для настольных игр, а также может быть подключен к ПК через кабель USB-C. Хотя сходства неизбежны, на этом они заканчиваются.
Price and availability
Because this is just a concept, we don’t know when the Alienware Concept UFO will see the light of day (if it does, in fact, see the light of day), or how much it will cost. We honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this device didn’t launch until 2021. As for the price, because it’s such a unique product that’s packed with RGB lighting and sophisticated PC hardware, you should expect to pay a pretty penny for the Concept UFO – this isn’t exactly a direct Nintendo Switch competitor.
Still, for anyone that loves the idea of the Nintendo Switch but wishes that it had a little more power and the massive library that the PC offers, the price may well be worth it.
(Image credit: Future)
What is the Alienware Concept UFO?
The Alienware Concept UFO is – as its title suggests – a concept device from PC gaming brand Alienware that may or may not become available to the public at a later date. This product is so left field from what Alienware usually produces that the company wants to gauge the excitement and interest in the prototype before committing to an official launch.
But what actually is the Alienware Concept UFO? The most simple way to describe it, is a gaming PC in Nintendo Switch form. This is a handheld gaming device that runs Windows 10 – full-fat Windows 10 at that – so you can access all your PC game libraries from Steam, Epic Games Store and so on. This also means the portable isn’t restricted to gaming, but can be used as a regular portable computer, just as long as you attach an external keyboard.
Of course, this is still very much a concept rather than a consumer-ready device. Alienware remains tight-lipped on specs, and a retail price hasn’t even been decided on, but the idea of being able to play PC games on Switch-esque portable is certainly an exciting premise.
Related: Best Gaming Laptop
Alienware Concept UFO specs: Mostly a mystery
(Image credit: Future)
Since this is a concept device, Alienware’s keeping all the pertinent specs under wraps. So I’m going to make a few educated guesses. I’m thinking that the UFO is currently an Intel-powered device, utilizing at least a 10th Gen Core i5 processor and Intel Iris Pro graphics. As cool as it ran, I don’t think they’ve stuck a discrete graphics card into the mix yet, but that’s not to say that it’s not possible down the line. Although that would be walking a tightrope of performance vs. battery life.
Since UFO borrows heavily from the Area-51m’s design, the engineers have prodigiously been applying those lessons to the UFO. This could come in handy for cooling solutions if Alienware decides to get froggy and add a discrete graphics chip. If they are going to go this route, I’m hoping they’ll consider something like an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti, but wouldn’t be surprised if they used one of the MX chips to mitigate price, power consumption and battery life.
However, since AMD is looking to make its presence felt again in mobile PC gaming, I wouldn’t be surprised if a custom AMD chip showed up. AMD already has a stranglehold on the console market, I can’t see the company wanting to concede this hot little number to either Intel or Nvidia. It also doesn’t hurt that Frank Azor, co-founder of Alienware and the face of the brand for the last decade, now works at AMD as the chief architect of gaming solutions. All I’m saying is that the possibilities are both endless and exciting.