This Gaming PC Stuffed Inside of a Controller Has a 215-Inch Screen
That is, a virtual display thanks to a pair of AR smart glasses.
A handheld gaming PC like the Steam Deck may be the most convenient way to game on the go, but sometimes a 7-inch display just isn’t enough. Some handheld makers like OneXPlayer are stretching their handheld screens to 11 inches, but then we’re just hitting the upper limits of what counts as a “portable” device.
At MWC 2024, smartphone maker Tecno announced the Pocket Go, a handheld gaming PC that’s crammed inside a typical game controller form factor. But where’s the screen, you say? We’re glad you asked: It’s inside the AR video glasses that come with it.
Instead of squeezing a portable display onto a controller, Tecno paired its handheld with AR video glasses to give you the equivalent of a 215-inch screen that’s viewed from roughly 20 feet away.
Combining Handhelds with AR
Since the Pocket Go doesn’t have a physical screen, the controller half with all of the gaming PC guts is 50 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than other Windows gaming handhelds. The device is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 8840HS chipset and packs 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. To make sure everything runs cool, Tecno stuffed in a PC-size fan and three copper pipes. With all that, it makes sense why the Pocket Go looks like a chunkier version of an Xbox controller.
As for the controller itself, Tecno went with a standardized design that features asymmetrical joysticks, a D-pad, four buttons, triggers, and bumpers. It looks like the two halves of the Pocket Go connect via a USB-C cable, which is possible thanks to the controller’s two USB-C ports and 3.5mm audio jack. Tecno says the Pocket Go has a replaceable 50Wh battery, which should add to its repairability.
In addition to displaying a 215-inch virtual display, the AR glasses also support head tracking and vibration, and it even has a six-axis gyroscope. What if you wear glasses? Not to worry: The Pocket Go has adjustable diopter settings to match your corrective lenses.
The Pocket Go gets around some of the typical pain points of other handhelds, like a small screen.
The Future of Handhelds?
As exciting as this gaming handheld concept is, Tecno hasn’t mentioned anything about the Pocket Go’s pricing or availability at MWC 2024. Considering the revealed specs so far, it’s clear that Tecno’s handheld will be amongst high-end portable gaming devices like the Asus ROG Ally or the MSI Claw A1M. With the AR video glasses, it’s likely the Pocket Go will be even more expensive than the typical $699.99 starting price of its competitors.
Realistically, I don’t expect a lot of people to convert from their traditional gaming handhelds to this experimental design, and Tecno probably knows that. There’s no telling when the company plans to release the Pocket Go, but it could easily spur some innovation in the ever-expanding handheld market.
