Years before the Steam Deck and its many rivals hit the scene, Dell showed off a vision for its own gaming handheld at CES 2020.
Called the UFO, the concept device never made it to market. However, given the success that Valve and others have had in the space, it’s easy to wonder whether anyone at Alienware is regretting or re-thinking that particular decision.
Asked directly about it at a briefing event in New York, Alienware Managing Director Matt McGowan said that the form factor is one that Dell still has its eyes on...even if it isn't ready to dip its toes into the conversation just yet.
“There needs to be a strong inflection point in technology and user experience to deliver on a really great handheld gaming experience,” he said.
According to McGowan, the category is still in its early days and even the best products it has to offer consumers come with caveats when it comes to things like battery life, performance and refresh rate.
Not for now doesn’t mean never though. McGowan said that handheld form-factors are still something that Dell and Alienware continue to tinker with in its internal labs.
“We're continuing to look at technology on where those intersections hit such that we can enter that category in a meaningful way,” he said.
For now, the focus is on returning the Alienware roster to its roots with the new Area 51 desktop and laptops. Later down the line, a revamped Aurora is expected to follow.
Then, Alienware will be moving into new territory with a more affordable line of laptops intended to pick up where the Dell G-series left off.
“Ultimately, we want everybody to be an Area 51 customer [but] not everybody can afford that. Not everybody aspires to be that. Some people just want to play games and they have [to do] it on a budget,” McGowan said.
Asked whether an Alienware laptop with a more competitive price-point would end up in competition with the likes of the Steam Deck, McGowan suggested it isn’t as simple or close as the price-points might suggest.
2 min read
