Handheld gaming has reached new heights since the Asus ROG Ally launched in 2023, with new competitors like the Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw, Zotac Zone, Acer Nitro Blaze, and Adata XPG Nia.
In short, it's an explosive moment for handheld gaming.
For proof, look no further than CES 2025, which has given us a new prototype for the Lenovo Legion Go 2 alongside Acer's absolutely enormous 10.95-inch Nitro Blaze 11.
In all of that handheld gaming PC goodness, however, there's one major gaming hardware manufacturer that has yet to enter the fray: Alienware.
Alienware's UFO gaming handheld: Where is it?
Alienware isn't the only major gaming hardware manufacturer that has yet to invest into the handheld scene. Another company is Razer, which has only gone so far as creating Android handhelds like the Razer Edge, or controllers for phones like the Razer Kishi.
But even if Alienware isn't alone, it's an especially fascinating case considering the company showcased a handheld gaming prototype all the way back in 2020, making it five years now since we've seen the Alienware UFO.
During CES 2020, we were blown away by Alienware's Concept UFO, as the device promised to let gamers play PC games from the comfort of a handheld device. To be clear, this was two years prior even the Steam Deck was announced back in January 2022.
Kevin Turchin, who's currently Dell Director of Product Development, but at the time of the Alienware Concept UFO's unveiling was Dell Director of Engineering, claimed "We actually view [the UFO] as the first of its kind." He continues “When we look at the balance that we've achieved between performance and portability it does allow [us] to have a product that we view can be potentially viable in the market looking forward."
Turchin was correct, as he predicted the explosive growth in popularity that handheld gaming PCs would see in the years to come.
At the time of the Alienware UFO Concept, Dell Consumer Product Reviews Manager, Raymond Watkins, claimed "We want to take it further, and how it's received at CES I think will help shape that conversation." He later said "If we got a thumbs up today I don't think it'd be eighteen months for us to get it on the shelves." Watkins is now Senior Manager of Marketing at AMD.
Of course, the Alienware UFO never got off the ground. Eighteen months went by without any updates on its existence, and three and a half years after CES 2020, the Asus ROG Ally launched in June 2023.
So what about now? Alienware just unveiled all of its CES 2025 announcements, and the Alienware UFO was nowhere to be seen. It's been five years now, but Alienware still hasn't brought the UFO back. So what gives?
Jackie Thomas at IGN asked General Manager of Alienware, Matt McGowan, why the company has no handheld. McGowan claims that "We're continuing to look at that category," but he claims "there are deficiencies," specifically highlighting battery life and the want for better graphics. He claims "When that inflection point comes, we want to be there."
It seems as if the UFO wasn't good enough to match the company's standards, and even now, the technology isn't at a strong enough point to satisfy Alienware. Hopefully that will change in the next few years, but at the very least, lots of exciting developments are happening from companies like Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and more.
Alienware has a chance to monitor the market, learn from the mistakes of its competitors, and then swoop in with the ultimate gaming handheld when the time is right. Until then, be sure to check out more of our CES 2025 coverage to get the latest on all things tech.
More from Laptop Mag
