Along the corridors of Computex 2024 in Taipei (Taiwan), we came across an Asus ROG Ally X-style PC console that had so far gone unnoticed. Normal, it is only a prototype developed by XPG (Xtreme Performance Gear), under the brand of the component manufacturer ADATA, and bearing the very unsexy name of XPG NIA (probably a working name.
We were able to take it in hand on the stand and hang on, the device is ambitious to say the least and for various reasons that we will list and detail below.
Foveal rendering: when VR meets the PC console
The most impressive promise, but also the one with the greatest chance of not passing the prototype phase, is the presence of a foveal rendering. This is a technology well known to fans of VR (virtual reality), which only creates a perfect rendering of the image where your eye is looking by tracking it.
The XPG NIA therefore integrates a camera on the front and draws on eye tracking technology from a company called Eyeware, which only requires a simple classic webcam. Enough to save money.
Why is it interesting?
The advantage of foveal rendering on such a machine could be to improve performance, in particular the number of images per second generated. The machine could in fact reduce the amount of calculations necessary for each image since it would only have to create a rendering for the area visible to the eye.
A fairly ingenious idea on paper, because PC consoles rely, for reasons of portability, on modest chips. Here, the manufacturer is banking on an AMD Phoenix chip based on the Zen 4 architecture (equivalent to a Ryzen Z1 or Ryzen Mobile 7000/8000).
Why is it very (too?) ambitious?
Despite this good idea, the challenge seems very high, since in the case of VR, the screen is very close to the eye, thus facilitating the sleight of hand of fovean rendering. In the case of a portable console, the eyes can cover a larger display area in one piece.
Linux for OS with Proton, but Windows installable
Let’s move on to the second attractive point of XPG’s proposal, and not the least. While apart from the Steam Deck, based on a fork of Linux called SteamOS, all other consoles of this type run under Windows, the XPG NIA would like to rely on Linux.
For video games, is this really a good idea? Yes, the Steam Deck example proved that this was possible. The main problem with Linux for video games has traditionally been not taking advantage of the immense library of games available on Microsoft’s OS, the PC’s platform of choice for decades.
But the arrival of Proton, developed by Valve and available as open Source, changed everything. This software allows you to run games designed for Windows on Linux seamlessly.
For the moment, the people we met did not detail which Linux distribution was their preference, even if Ubuntu, undoubtedly the best known, was mentioned. Let us also add that for those who are put off by Linux, the manufacturer plans to provide drivers for Windows, allowing the installation of the Microsoft OS on the machine. Moreover, the machine present at Computex was running Windows for the purposes of the demo.
More comfortable design and open to modding
Third and final interesting point about this prototype: its design. The latter is a bit different from what we are used to.
Already, rather than trying to make the machine as small as possible, the manufacturer assumes “prioritizing comfort” and therefore integrates fairly bulky handles. The goal being to get closer to an Xbox controller no doubt, even if there is still work to get the buttons and sticks up to standard, the prototype available on the stand was lacking a lot in this regard.
Another somewhat fiddly element, the screen is placed on rails and is connected to a hinge system, which allows it to be raised to be at 60 or 70 degrees. XPG explains that it wants to avoid the “turtle neck” for its buyers. This seems like a lot of effort for a fairly negligible gain at first glance.
To finish on the design, the triggers have two distinct modes that can be changed using a sliding button on the back. Either the pressure on the trigger is rigid, more suitable for FPS for example, or it offers a longer stroke to gain precision when pressing the button in a racing game for example.
Prices and releases of the XPG NIA?
The representatives of the brand encountered on the stand form a wishful wish: that the price oscillates between 500 and 600 dollars. This seems ambitious on paper without the economies of scale of a giant like Asus, Valve or MSI. Assuming that they succeed and adding around 20% VAT, this would amount to a cost of 720 euros in France.
XPG would like to release its PC console sometime in 2025. Ideally in the first half, but more realistically in the second half, we are told on the spot. Until then, many elements can evolve compared to the prototype, including the chip. Hoping, however, that the first generation will reach France, which is not at all guaranteed at this stage.
This article is written as part of a press trip organized by ASUS to Taipei at Computex 2024. The brand was not involved in its writing.
-
-
