Alienware’s gaming controller prototype is what Microsoft should’ve built ages ago

techradar.com:

I have seen the future of ubiquitous gaming and it probably starts with a Alienware Project Nyx controller. The gaming PC maker gave me an early glimpse of the device, which is admittedly more concept than product, just prior to CES 2023, where it’s being officially unveiled. Put simply, this controller could influence the future of PC and even console gaming for years to come.

To understand why Alienware (a part of Dell), is fiddling with gaming peripherals, you need to know a little about Concept Nyx, Alienware’s experimental platform for gaming around the home. To support it, Dell’s been working on hardware and software concepts that let you, for instance, take PC gaming from your desktop and laptop to the biggest screen in your home: your TV.

Playing a PC game on your TV isn’t easy. Most gaming computers aren’t hooked up to the family room TV (unlike most consoles, which are), and it’s a trial to get your gaming laptop working with even the best 4K TVs.

For Alienware, the solution is a sort of home gaming server and then a flashy controller: Nyx Games Control.

At a glance, the controller looks like a marriage of Xbox and PlayStation modern controllers (with a little bit of Google Stadia [RIP] thrown in), but it offers a series of features that either one might want to adopt on future console systems.

For starters, there’s a built-in fingerprint reader under the Alienware logo. The authentication system can be used for games or for accessing your NyX Controller profile and the associated customizations.

Instead of a D-Pad there’s the Omnipad, a circular trackpad that responds to a variety of gestures and provides haptic response.

Along the back edge where your thumbs might rest are an easy-to-reach pair of wide scroll wheels