A lot of new hardware has been revealed at CES 2017, and the craftsmen at Lenovo are no exception. They have unveiled a new gaming laptop complete with brand new hardware, a hefty hard drive, and a new feature that will turn many heads: VR headset support.
The new laptop, the Legion Y720 has the following specs. It packs a 2TB hard drive, an Intel i5-7300NQ processor, an absolutely face-melting NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, and it can have up to 16 GB of RAM based on how much you’re willing to invest into this portable behemoth (remember the MASSIVE 64 GB RAM Acer laptop from yesterday?.
It also has a wide variety of additions and features. There’s a built-in Xbox One controller receiver so no need to get a USB adapter or any other middleman. There are also three USB 3.0 ports and a Thunderbolt/USB Type-C port. It also comes equipped with Dolby Atmos sound, which is an understandable move from any fans of the tablets Lenovo manufactures. There is also the ability to upgrade the display to an incredibly crisp 4K, though they are mum on how much more that will add to the price.
But of course the reason why people are talking about this machine is the VR support and it’s admittedly impressive. Thanks to a built-in application called the Entertainment Hub, the user can basically view or experience movies or games that aren’t normally VR supported, with the said media upscaled to accommodate the visual standards of the device. Thanks to a hands-on test of the hardware by the folks at Engadget, the Hub seems to work really well for movies but is a little clunky for gaming. For films, the headset sets the user in an empty movie theater with the video of choice being displayed on the virtual big screen. It’s a clever way to get around current limitations while also giving a personal viewing experience.
Sounds like the perfect birthday gift for someone you know who is on a VR kick but travels a lot. But all of this hardware isn’t cheap. The base model sits at $1,399 and it only goes higher from there. There are also a few issues with the Entertainment Hub itself, as its unclear whether or not it will be possible to import personal videos or movies, along with the usual glitches and hiccups that come with such experimental software. The Legion Y720 is scheduled to be released in April.
