TECNO Pocket Go hits Kickstarter: Handheld gaming PC with a wearable display

The TECNO Pocket Go is a handheld gaming PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, support for up to 16GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage, and a 50 Wh battery. But it stands out from other recent handhelds like the Valve Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go in one key way: there's no built-in display.

Instead, the TECNO Pocket Go is a computer that looks like a chunky game controller. You can buy it as a screenless device and plug it into any display. Or you can buy a bundle that includes an AR Pocket Vision wearable display for gaming on the go. First introduced earlier this year, the TECNO Pocket Go is now available for pre-order worldwide through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Devices are expected to start shipping to backers in December, 2024.

A handheld computer that only works when you plug in an external display is certainly unusual, to say the least. But TECNO is positioning the Pocket Go as featuring a "215 inch micro OLED" display, thanks to a headset that puts two 0.71 inch micro LED displays right in front of your eyes, simulating the experience of looking at a 215 inch screen that's 6 meters (about 20 feet) away.

Keep in mind that the company is only promising a 1080p resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate though, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a noticeable "screen door" effect, where you can see the lines between pixels.

The headset also features a six-axis gyroscope for head movement tracking, a vibration motor, stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm mic/headphone combo jack.

The glasses can also be used with any other devices that support video output over a USB-C cable, so you cold also theoretically pair them with a different PC, game console, or smartphone or tablet.

Likewise, you don't need these glasses to use the TECNO handheld gaming PC. You can plug in any display that supports USB-C input (or use a USB-C to DisplayPort or HDMI adapter if necessary).

The handheld itself features an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor that runs at 10 to 30 watts and features 8 AMD Zen 4 CPU cores with speeds up to 5.1 GHz and 2.7 GHz Radeon 780M integrated graphics with 12 RDNA 3 GPU cores.

While the handheld's memory is soldered to the mainboard, storage is courtesy of a user-replaceable M.2 2230 SSD. The device's 50 Wh battery is also user replaceable.

Other features include an Intel AX210 wireless card with support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, a 65W USB-C power supply, and a set of ports that includes a 3.5mm audio jack, a UHS-II microSD card reader, and two USB Type-C ports with support for charging, data, and DisplayPort Alt Mode for video output.

The handheld has hall effect joysticks and triggers, tripled heat pipes and a fan for cooling, and the whole thing measures 181.7 x 129.7 x 67.4mm and weighs 550 grams.

Pricing depends on which configuration you're looking to buy and when you plan to pay for it:

Kickstarter Early Bird Kickstarter Retail AR Glasses only $349 $399 $539 Gaming PC only (16GB / 512GB) $539 $589 $1160 Gaming PC only (32GB / 1TB) $699 $769 $1515 Pocket Go (PC + glasses, 16GB / 512GB) $869 $899 $1699 Pocket Go (PC + glasses, 32GB / 1TB) $1049 $1079 $2054

The Kickstarter prices don't look bad at all, particularly if you snag an Early Bird deal before the window closes on October 19th. But the retail prices look a lot harder to justify – I can't help but wonder if the company is using the age-old tactic of showing artificially high suggested retail prices in order to make the sale prices look more attractive.

That said, even the sale prices might not be low enough to make the TECNO Pocket Go look like a good deal when rival handhelds with screens are available for similar prices. For example, the Lenovo Legion Go with an 8.8 inch, 144 Hz display, Ryzen Z1 processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is currently on sale for $650. And there's nothing stopping you from plugging it into an external or wearable display.

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