Alienware unveiled its Nyx concept for home games streaming at this year’s CES. ― Picture courtesy of Alienware
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 5 ― At CES 2022, Alienware is presenting a brand-new concept that will let users enjoy PC games at home on any computer, TV or smartphone screen. This concept takes the form of a specific application, and would turn a PC into a veritable home games server.
CES 2022 is yet to open its doors, but Alienware is already causing a stir. With its Nyx concept, Dell’s gaming subsidiary plans to offer users the possibility of creating a veritable home gaming network. Essentially, it’s a local streaming tool capable of simultaneously broadcasting up to four games from a PC to other devices in the home.
While cloud-based streaming solutions, like Google’s Stadia, are becoming more and more popular among gamers, this new concept is ultimately reminiscent of Sony’s Remote Play, which was launched some 15 years ago and already allowed users to enjoy their PlayStation games via other devices, including tablets and laptops.
With Nyx, the idea is to be able to enjoy the same game on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or TV screen, over a single Wi-Fi connection. In Alienware’s demonstration, each player uses an identical wireless controller, which allows them to play games on their own screen. It’s even possible for two players to play two different games on the same display, splitting the screen in two. In addition, a player can quickly switch from one game to another ― still using their controller ― simply by switching screens.
To achieve this, Alienware plans to develop a cross-platform application called Nyx, which would allow access from a PC, TV or smartphone to any game in a user’s library, regardless of the platform on which it was purchased. As such, the PC would effectively act as a server for all other players in the home. Eventually, the goal is to achieve better latency than with online games streaming services available by subscription.
The latest edition of CES runs January 5 to 7, 2022, in Las Vegas. ― ETX Studio