Abxylute's 11-inch glasses-free 3D PC handheld is up for pre-order

Hardware manufacturer Abxylute has opened pre-orders for the 3D One, a massive Windows gaming handheld built around a 10.95-inch glasses-free 3D display. The device is currently listed on the company's official store page for a discounted price of $1,599.00 USD, down from its planned $1,799.00 USD regular price.

We just recently spotted this listing and didn't want anyone else to miss it. The hardware originally surfaced as a prototype shown by Tencent earlier this year before moving to a Kickstarter campaign. Now, it has graduated to a direct pre-order model. Just to be absolutely clear up front. Pants Pants Revolution is not sponsored by Abxylute and this article is not an advertisement. We just think the hardware is weird enough to warrant a closer look.

Eye tracking replaces the sweet spot

Anyone who owned a New Nintendo 3DS XL probably remembers the magic of its glasses-free 3D effect. It worked far better than the original 3DS. The 3D One attempts to scale that concept up to a full Windows 11 PC. According to a report from Notebookcheck, the system uses a 2560 x 1600 LCD panel running at 120Hz. Instead of relying on the user holding the device perfectly still, it uses a 180Hz eye-tracking camera to adjust the three-dimensional image in real time.

Inside the shell, the handheld runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor paired with 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. It pulls up to 30 watts in its highest performance mode and runs off a 50Wh battery. The 3D One also includes a healthy selection of ports. You get Wi-Fi 6e and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, plus a standard USB-A port, a USB-C port, a Thunderbolt port, and a microSD card slot. The Thunderbolt connection technically allows for eGPU support, though Abxylute has confirmed that converting 2D graphics from an external GPU into 3D is currently not possible.

Early software quirks and fan noise

YouTuber ETA Prime recently posted a hands-on look at the hardware. He praised the overall build quality, the detachable controllers, and the custom launcher software. The performance also holds up well for a handheld PC. However, he flagged a few issues. The sheer size of an 11-inch tablet makes it unwieldy, and the cooling fan gets loud when the system is pushed into its highest power state. He also noted that the 3D effect can feel a bit gimmicky depending on the game, and the conversion software still has some early bugs to iron out.

That conversion software is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Abxylute has to individually tune game engines to properly enable the 3D effect. They expect to have about 50 major titles reviewed and supported by launch. An AI auto-conversion tool is also available for movies and standard 2D images.

From cloud streaming to GameCube grips

Abxylute has been busy lately. We recently covered their N6 and N9C replacement controllers for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. The company also sells a variety of other portable hardware. Their store currently lists the One Pro, a dedicated cloud gaming handheld designed for Xbox Game Pass and remote play. The One Pro runs Android and handles native mobile games like Genshin Impact alongside its streaming duties.

They also produce the E1, a dual-OS Android and Linux device aimed specifically at retro emulation. The E1 targets the retro crowd with simple access to N64 and PlayStation classics and includes HDMI output for playing on a television. Finally, the M4 is a smaller magnetic snap-on controller for mobile phones.

The handheld PC market is crowded right now, mostly with devices trying to copy the Steam Deck. A giant 3D tablet with detachable controllers is certainly a different approach. Whether that novelty is worth $1,600 is something buyers will have to decide before units start shipping next year.