Is This The Nintendo Switch Killer?

Carly Grizzaffi, Blogger

In my opinion, the 2017 Nintendo Switch is one of the most ingenious video game consoles to exist. If you aren’t familiar with this system, the switch is a hybrid console in that it is both used as a standard video game console and a portable system.  The switch contains a 6.2 inch multitouch display and wireless “Joy-Con” that serve as controllers with standard buttons and a directional analog stick.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year, Alienware, a company best known for its high-tech gaming laptops and pre-configured desktop setups, released a prototype of a new system: the Concept UFO. Essentially, it is a Windows 10 gaming PC shrunken down into a Nintendo Switch-like system with detachable controllers and a doc to hook it up to a larger screen.

The Alienware Concept UFO has potential to be a preferred operating system amongst gamers; more than 60 percent of Steam gamers (Steam being a popular digital video game distribution service) have moved to the operating system the Switch uses, Windows 10. If the Concept UFO has such a popular and capable platform, it could prove to be even more alluring for gamers than the Switch.

While this prototype is fascinating in practice, there is no confirmation that Alienware will be able to execute this prototype as a product. No matter if this system comes into reality or not, Nintendo should beware of Alienware’s fascinating design.

I find the systems use of Windows 10 intriguing because of its potential to run games with great speed and quality. If this product was on store shelves, I likely would have purchased one over the switch, which I currently own. We will just have to wait to see if the product comes onto shelves.