Hardware brand Acer has this week unveiled the Project DualPlay gaming laptop concept at its ‘Next@Acer’ global press conference in Berlin, Germany.
This comes ahead of the annual Innovation For All (IFA) tech conference in Berlin, which runs from today (Friday September 6th) to Tuesday September 10th 2024 and sees various manufacturers reveal new products.
This new Predator Gaming concept features a touchpad that doubles as a built-in detachable wireless controller.
Players can release the wireless controller from its electromagnetic lock by placing two fingers on the release button located on top of the keyboard. This action also triggers two 5-watt pop-out speakers to emerge from the sides of the laptop.
For multiplayer gamers, Project DualPlay allows another player to game. The detachable controller can be further separated into two Switch-style controllers, which Acer says is ideal for fighting games.
The Project DualPlay device concept is also wrapped with customisable 360-degree dynamic RGB lighting on the keyboard, screen bezels and wide trackpad area. There’s also an infinity mirror lighting bar at the backside and lighting on the detachable controller’s sticks.
Acer said in a press release: “With Project DualPlay, the Predator brand is innovating the gaming laptop market. The concept represents a bold step forward in gaming innovation, promising to deliver unique experiences and engagements for gamers of all levels.”
The concept also received a Best of IFA award:
It’s worth noting again that Project DualPlay is just a concept at this stage, so there’s no guarantee it’ll make it to market.
However, Acer responded to Esports News UK on social media, saying: “Keep your eyes peeled and ensure you’ll have this! We’re doing everything we can to make it happen!”
Acer announces its first handheld gaming PC, the Nitro Blaze 7
Acer has announced its entry into the handheld gaming space with the launch of the new Acer Nitro Blaze 7.
It features an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, with Ryzen AI that optimises performance and responsiveness, plus a 7-inch Full HD (FHD) 1920×1080 IPS display with a touch interface, plus AMD FreeSync Premium technology, and a 144Hz refresh rate.
The Nitro Blaze 7 also has a capacity of up to 2TB of M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD and 16 GB LPDDR5x memory at 7500 MT/s.
Controller buttons include: A B X Y buttons, D-Pad, LB/RB Bumpers, LS/RS Sticks, LT/RT Hall effect triggers, power button with fingerprint reader, volume button, view button, menu button, Acer Game Space button, Pop-up keyboard button, Acer quick menu button and Mode switch button.
The system runs on Windows 11 and features the new Acer Game Space application which supports the addition of games from multiple platforms. It is also compatible with mainstream gaming platforms and includes three months of PC Game Pass.
It also supports Wi-Fi 6E and incorporates various ports for device and accessory pairing including USB4 (Type-C) with fast charging, and a MicroSD card reader to expand storage capacity.
It weighs 670g and measures 25.6 (W) x 11.35 (D) x 2.25 (H) cm.
Pricing and availability is still to be revealed.
Other new Acer Predator Gaming products revealed ahead of IFA 2024
Predator Orion 7000 Desktop: This boasts Intel’s next-gen processors and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. Its cooling system features the Predator CycloneX 360 fan and CPU liquid cooler.
Nitro V 16 and Nitro V 14 Laptops: These laptops aim to offer a balance of performance and portability, catering to students, entry-level gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. The Nitro V 14 has a pearl white chassis, while the Nitro V 16 features a high-resolution display.
Predator XB273U F5 and XB273K V5 Monitors: These 27-inch gaming monitors have refresh rates up to 360 Hz. The XB273U F5 features Nvidia’s new G-Sync Pulsar technology, while the XB273K V5 offers 4K UHD resolution and AMD FreeSync Premium technology.
Nitro XV240 F6, XV270 F5, and XV270U F5 Monitors: These Nitro monitors cater to gamers seeking high-speed performance with refresh rates up to 600Hz and AMD FreeSync Premium technology.
Related article: Drive Lounge Norwich and Acer launch summer esports academy for kids
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
