The OneXPlayer X1 Mini is the most feature-packed handheld gaming PC yet

Swappable SSDs, detachable controllers, detachable keyboard, kickstand, face unlock…

By Sean Hollister, a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.

Steam Deck, ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go a bit too simplistic for you? The OnePlayer X1 Mini is the most gadget-y handheld yet. The upcoming 8.8-inch, 144Hz Windows gaming tablet has:

Two detachable gamepads, like a Nintendo Switch
A magnetically detachable keyboard cover, like a Surface tablet
A kickstand
An easy-access SSD slot under that kickstand (new for handhelds, I believe!)
An Oculink port to connect one of a growing number of eGPUs
Windows Hello automatic face log-in, as well as a fingerprint reader power button
A 65 watt-hour battery, one of the largest in handhelds
Multiple USB4 ports
A controller grip to snap its Joy-Con-alikes together into a wireless gamepad
“Harman EFX tuned audio”

You won’t forget where the WASD keys are, that’s for sure.

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And, importantly, it’s got a AMD 8840U processor instead of a Intel Core Ultra chip.

Not completely toolless — there’s still one screw.

See, the OneXPlayer X1 Mini is a smaller 8.8-inch version of the 10.95-inch OneXPlayer X1 put on sale earlier this year — and that one shipped with the same Intel Core Ultra chip that recently underwhelmed us in the MSI Claw. OneXPlayer has already dramatically cut the price of the larger Intel-powered handheld, and has just announced an AMD 8840U powered version of it as well.

Top: OnePlayer X1 Mini. Bottom: OnePlayer X1

But if I had to pick between 10.95-inch or 8.8-inch versions, sight unseen, with the same size 65Wh battery (yes they’re the same size) I’d probably choose portability. Unless the 8.8-inch keyboard is really cramped or something.

A note on crowdfunding:

Crowdfunding is a chaotic field by nature: companies looking for funding tend to make big promises. According to a study run by Kickstarter in 2015, roughly 1 in 10 “successful” products that reach their funding goals fail to actually deliver rewards. Of the ones that do deliver, delays, missed deadlines, or overpromised ideas mean that there’s often disappointment in store for those products that do get done.

The best defense is to use your best judgment. Ask yourself: does the product look legitimate? Is the company making outlandish claims? Is there a working prototype? Does the company mention existing plans to manufacture and ship finished products? Has it completed a Kickstarter before? And remember: you’re not necessarily buying a product when you back it on a crowdfunding site.

Either way, I really want to try it, even though it’s a moderately pricy one: $1,099 and up, with early discounts to $799 or $800 for the entry-level 16GB + 1TB version. All of them come with the magnetic keyboard, gamepads, even a mouse and USB hub.

Here’s the full price list, via NotebookCheck; the X1 Mini is funding on Indiegogo now.