On Wednesday at a global press conference in Berlin, Acer debuted a gaming laptop concept unlike any I've seen before.
The concept, dubbed Project DualPlay, features an entire gaming controller where you'd usually find a thin trackpad. When it's nestled inside the laptop's chassis, the controller's middle section acts just like the trackpads we're used to. And when you're ready to use the controller wirelessly with your favorite games, it simply pops out.
According to Acer, the controller is held in place with an electromagnetic lock, which you can release "by simply placing two fingers on the release button located on top of the keyboard." Pushing this button also triggers another cool feature: two high-fidelity, 5-watt speakers pop out on the sides of the laptop, similar to the beloved pop-up camera on older OnePlus phones.
The controller looks thicker and more comfortable to hold than Switch Joy-Cons, but it functions similarly. The left and right sides of the wireless controller can be detached, making it easy for two people to play at once.
Acer mentions first-person shooters as an option for utilizing the DualPlay nature of this controller, but I imagine that might not be the best experience — thinking about trying to play a first-person shooter with a tiny controller sounds a bit nightmarish.
For sports games, fighting games, or even two-player masterpieces like Cuphead, however, I think the two detachable controller joysticks would work well.
The only other detail Acer shared on this Predator gaming laptop concept is that it'll feature "customizable 360-degree dynamic RGB lighting." The laptop's keyboard, screen bezels, trackpad area, infinity mirror lighting bar on the back, and detachable controller joysticks will all have customizable RGB lighting.
The only existing gaming laptop concept that this remotely compares to is Razer's Project Linda concept, and honestly, Acer's Project DualPlay concept makes Project Linda look pretty tame.
Acer Project DualPlay vs Razer Project Linda
First introduced at CES 2018, Razer's ambitious Project Linda nestled out enough space in the trackpad area to seamlessly fit in the Razer Phone. Laptop Mag actually went hands-on with Project Linda, but despite impressive first impressions, the laptop was never officially released.
Although the demo video didn't show this, the Razer Phone used as a trackpad likely would've needed the Razer Nexus app in order to function as a wireless controller. It probably would've functioned similarly to a mobile gaming controller, just without comfortable handholds.
Comparing this to Acer's new Project DualPlay gaming laptop, I think there's no contest. I'd rather have a detachable wireless controller that's comfortable to hold and doubles as a traditional trackpad rather than a removable smartphone that acts as a trackpad and can act as a wireless controller.
Acer will be in attendance at IFA Berlin 2024, so maybe there's a chance Laptop Mag will see an in-person demo for the Project DualPlay concept if there's a test unit produced. If not, we'll have to settle for flying cars and Lunar Lake laptops.
