Alienware’s Concept Nyx is an at-home gaming server that may never exist – TechCrunch

Over the previous couple of years, Dell (and its gaming model, Alienware) has grown keen on exhibiting off idea units — as a possible take a look at what may be coming down the highway. In truth, it’s a rising pattern within the shopper electronics business at massive, taking a web page out of the automotive world’s guide. Depending on the way you take a look at it, it’s both an intriguing glimpse into a possible future or a little bit of a purple herring.

For Dell, it’s an alternative to gauge neighborhood curiosity for a know-how that’s not fairly prepared for prime time. The greatest recognized current instance is Concept UFO, a handheld gaming console Alienware confirmed off this time final yr, which, thus far, is nonetheless very a lot an idea.

Concept Nyx joins the product this yr, primarily working as an at-home server that can stream video games all through the house. The final thought behind the product lets homes stream a number of video games to a number of units directly, whatever the {hardware} they’re enjoying on. The controller, in the meantime, serves as the first contact, connecting to a wise TV, pc or different gadget and enjoying the sport by way of a Dell app.

There are probably some kinks to work out, together with pricing and the form of compute energy essential to stream a number of video games directly. Adding a bunch of CPUs and GPUs onto a product provides up fairly quick, although none of this sounds too far outdoors of the realm of risk for streaming over house Wi-Fi.

I believe the larger query at hand is how a lot demand there is for a factor. I think a big portion of its potential viewers have already invested in gaming PCs or consoles. And even when they haven’t, such a product must be competitively priced — actually the promise of streaming two (and even 4) video games directly in a home isn’t value a product that prices the identical as two consoles for many eventualities.

The firm writes in a weblog submit:

We have been taking a look at methods to energy 4 recreation streams concurrently, good switching amongst units, and drawing from a central library of all of your video games no matter the place you buy them. Gaming on Concept Nyx goals to be as easy as accessing your favourite music, TV reveals and films. Imagine a easy app loaded on every gadget delivering instantaneous entry to all of your video games for a extra seamless gaming expertise throughout units within the house. Imagine no extra combating with your loved ones or roommates over recreation time (you’ll be able to nonetheless struggle over groceries and laundry). Wouldn’t it’s good to tear down the barricades so that everybody can recreation on their very own phrases?

Again, this is firmly within the idea section, however in its present iteration, Nyx sounds prone to be nixed earlier than hitting the market.