For those who’ve been underwhelmed by the small screens of current handheld devices, Tencent has stepped up with an interesting proposition. According to Videocardz, Tencent has unveiled a new gizmo that straddles the line between handheld and portable console: the Sunday Dragon 3D One. It’s a beast of a device, powered by an Intel Lunar Lake CPU, and it comes with an impressive 11-inch display meant to draw you right into the action—assuming your hands can manage it.
Now, digging into the specs, the 3D One is quite the powerhouse. It boasts the Core Ultra 7 258V, which packs a punch with four Lion Cove P-Cores, four Skymont E-Cores, and Intel’s Arc 140V iGPU featuring eight Xe2 cores. Our tests reveal that Intel’s latest processors are catching up to AMD’s Strix Point, specifically the Ryzen AI 300 APUs, in terms of gaming prowess. With 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 RAM, it’s more than ready for modern tasks, although this memory is soldered onto the CPU die, which means upgrading isn’t an option. However, there’s some good news regarding storage: the “high-speed” 1TB SSD they mention should be upgradeable, which will appeal to those needing more speed or storage.
What’s intriguing is that the 3D One could be the initial Lunar Lake handheld to hit the market, provided it launches this year, as opposed to MSI’s Claw 8 AI+, which won’t see the light of day until 2025. However, temper your expectations; Videocardz hints that we’re looking at a prototype, at least for now. Sporting an 11-inch 2560×1440 display with a 120Hz refresh rate makes this device more of a mini-laptop substitute, given its sizeable footprint. In comparison, competitors like GPD are getting ready with their Pocket 4 mini-laptops, which peak at 8.8 inches. Adding a twist, Tencent is incorporating real-time eye-tracking for a glasses-free 3D experience, known as autostereoscopic. They’ve reportedly fine-tuned a few games, such as Path of Exile, Blade & Soul, and Arena Breakout: Infinite, to work seamlessly with this 3D tech.
The included controllers aren’t just tacked on. They feature Hall Effect joysticks, linear triggers, and even have two buttons at the back that you can customize to your liking. Plus, these controllers are detachable, so if you find a third-party set that catches your fancy and matches the 3D One’s unique size, feel free to swap them out. Also, the device supports 100W fast-charging, although the actual battery specs remain under wraps.
The design of the 3D One might make you raise an eyebrow. While handhelds typically aim to be ergonomic and truly handheld for marathon gaming sessions, they often fall short with their smaller screens that don’t really do justice to today’s rich game environments. This ambitious device remains a work in progress and might be limited in terms of availability, both geographically and because of its niche appeal. So, while it’s an exciting development, it’s one we’ll need to keep an eye on.
