Update: We spoke with Alienware at E3 and got some more details on it VR Backpack Concept.
Alienware already announced a ton of desktops at E3 2016, but it also had a virtual reality backpack up its sleeve.
Meet Alienware's VR backpack Concept designed in conjunction with Zero Latency, a multiplayer free-roam VR experience similar to The Void. In an interview with TechRadar, Alienware's PC Development/Planning Manager Joe Olmsted explained the device is essentially their latest generation Alpha R2 thrown into a specially designed pack with a large battery.
The outside shell looks very similar to HP's own concept portable virtual reality system, but it seems to have more in common with Zotac's VR Backpack. The underlying system is powered by Intel Core i5 processors with either a desktop-grade Nvidia GTX 960 or AMD RX 470 GPU.
Although it one of the most polished VR backpacks we've seen yet, Olmstead explained their VR Backpack concept is only meant to be a concept vehicle and it won't be coming to retail any time soon.
Instead, users will more likely be able to play with the backpack at their local virtual reality arcade. Alienware is working closely with Zero Latency to power its six player co-op zombie apocalypse game.
The game basically places players into a 600-square-foot space where they're have to contend with the undead and scarce resources. However, through some clever programing and tracking where the user's headset and their prop gun are pointing, they will unknowingly keep walking around in the same circle.
Although it's not coming to market, Olmstead humored our questions on how much it would cost, revealing the price would likely rise into the thousands. Interestingly, the most expensive component is actually the battery due to the extremely high-capacity cells a portable PC needs to draw from.
We'll get more details about the VR Backpack concept at CES 2017, so stay tuned for more on Alienware's portable VR system.
- E3 2016 just keeps rolling along
