Agreed on latency, but powering such a device is hardly an issue. The battery pack needed to power it for even just a few hours would be pretty compact and could likely attach to the device with ease. It would be no more convenient than whatever wireless dongle you'd be attaching in the first place.
It seems like a laptop with its screen removed and a couple of padded shoulder straps. Given there's less hardware than a comparable laptop, I'm guessing the price premium is due to MSI's expectation that they're not going to sell large numbers of these things.
They should manufacture pads and straps that you can mount on your laptop (maybe throw in a fan or two) for less than $100 and hold down the screen. So much more worth than this contraption.
Newer gaming laptops have impressive battery packs too.
Basically, a cooling fan pad that had a set of adjustable clamps would do that kind of job pretty well. I expect it'd be less expensive and the arrangement would be more flexible since it'd be a simple matter to remove the laptop and put it to use in a more conventional manner. Dedicated systems like these, aside from offering hot swap batteries, wouldn't have much of an advantage that would justify their costs if such things existed.
i'd be suprised if they sold any at all to consumers. a few arcades might take 2-3 each. hardly enough to pay for the expensive tooling those plastic injections machines use.
You're probably right. This really doesn't look like an end-user consumer product given the price and configuration. I suppose VR arcades might purchase them as you've suggested, but how many of those exist? I haven't gone looking, but it doesn't seem like a commonplace sort of business.
That'd be another low-cost alternative. A laptop sans LCD panel with a blank plate where the keyboard would go would be cheaper and require a lot less customization work. The only downside is the engineering of multiple, hot swap batteries to avoid system shutdowns mid-game.
I can't understand why a 1060. There's no point in having an i7 in there and a 1060 surely as it'll be GPU limited. There should be a 1080 option given this is an enthusiast product and also I would assume can not be upgraded if it's based on a laptop. Frankly, you'd be better off buying a decent gaming laptop (with SSD, not HDD) and modifying it so it'll run with the screen closed and attaching straps to it. The only thing you'd loose is the hot swappable batteries but equally you'd probably save a lot of money AND have a decent usable laptop. Remember this is more expensive than a gaming laptop with no screen and a lower spec GPU. Madness.
Honestly, it's a little frustrating how single-usecase this is. It'd be smart to design the "backpack" to stand on its bottom side, and have a pouch for a 13-inch screen-and-clamshell with a Thunderbolt port. The Thunderbolt port then drives the clamshell like it's a laptop.
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Retired Budget Gamer - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
Price should be halved or open a store and rent them.JeffFlanagan - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
These are only useful for VR Arcades. For home use, a wireless adapter for the Vive is now available in China, and will be available world-wide.RaichuPls - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
Wireless adapters introduce latency, and you still need a way to power the Vive...jkostans - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
There is a battery built in (2-5 hours), 2ms of latency. No measurements yet to confirm however.inighthawki - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
Agreed on latency, but powering such a device is hardly an issue. The battery pack needed to power it for even just a few hours would be pretty compact and could likely attach to the device with ease. It would be no more convenient than whatever wireless dongle you'd be attaching in the first place.BrokenCrayons - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
It seems like a laptop with its screen removed and a couple of padded shoulder straps. Given there's less hardware than a comparable laptop, I'm guessing the price premium is due to MSI's expectation that they're not going to sell large numbers of these things.negusp - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
They should manufacture pads and straps that you can mount on your laptop (maybe throw in a fan or two) for less than $100 and hold down the screen. So much more worth than this contraption.Newer gaming laptops have impressive battery packs too.
BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
Basically, a cooling fan pad that had a set of adjustable clamps would do that kind of job pretty well. I expect it'd be less expensive and the arrangement would be more flexible since it'd be a simple matter to remove the laptop and put it to use in a more conventional manner. Dedicated systems like these, aside from offering hot swap batteries, wouldn't have much of an advantage that would justify their costs if such things existed.AnimalStyleFries - Wednesday, November 30, 2016 - link
laptop batteries aren't made to run at the full power as it would being plugged into the outletMorawka - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
i'd be suprised if they sold any at all to consumers. a few arcades might take 2-3 each. hardly enough to pay for the expensive tooling those plastic injections machines use.BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
You're probably right. This really doesn't look like an end-user consumer product given the price and configuration. I suppose VR arcades might purchase them as you've suggested, but how many of those exist? I haven't gone looking, but it doesn't seem like a commonplace sort of business.marc1000 - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
am I the only one to look at this thing and think about Falcon hero from Avengers? lolmaybe someday this backpack can grow wings too!!
lazarpandar - Monday, November 21, 2016 - link
Price is absurd.zodiacfml - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
I'd rather see them take most of the design from an existing gaming laptop and then call it a day.BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
That'd be another low-cost alternative. A laptop sans LCD panel with a blank plate where the keyboard would go would be cheaper and require a lot less customization work. The only downside is the engineering of multiple, hot swap batteries to avoid system shutdowns mid-game.nerd1 - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
WHY? 1060 equipped gaming laptops are around half the price?jordanclock - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
And a 1060 in a laptop makes a lot more sense. The GPU options for this should be 1070 and 1080 rather than 1060 and 1070.philehidiot - Wednesday, November 30, 2016 - link
I can't understand why a 1060. There's no point in having an i7 in there and a 1060 surely as it'll be GPU limited. There should be a 1080 option given this is an enthusiast product and also I would assume can not be upgraded if it's based on a laptop. Frankly, you'd be better off buying a decent gaming laptop (with SSD, not HDD) and modifying it so it'll run with the screen closed and attaching straps to it. The only thing you'd loose is the hot swappable batteries but equally you'd probably save a lot of money AND have a decent usable laptop. Remember this is more expensive than a gaming laptop with no screen and a lower spec GPU. Madness.lmcd - Tuesday, November 22, 2016 - link
Honestly, it's a little frustrating how single-usecase this is. It'd be smart to design the "backpack" to stand on its bottom side, and have a pouch for a 13-inch screen-and-clamshell with a Thunderbolt port. The Thunderbolt port then drives the clamshell like it's a laptop.alonzoriley - Thursday, November 24, 2016 - link
Could have an application for live streaming.