How far away are decent pc gaming tablets?

[desura]

IIRC currently Haswell IGP's are fairly decent. There are a few tablets built around it. Costing a bit expensive, unfortunately.

Will we ever see a tablet that has a serious discrete Graphics processor? Otherwise, are there any big mobile processor graphic jumps in the future that might make their way to tablets?

 

[Imaginer]

Very close if not already there. If AMD or Nvidia would take some power saving methods or if AMD were to pull off with Mullins and Beema with their APU then we are acutally not too far off.

I do not see much OEMs outside of Razar actually market such a device though. So there maybe pushback from some OEMs for coming to a trade off conclusion that can be pushed to market.

15W MAXIMUM CPU/GPU specified envelope (as I played with my Surface Pro devices) puts heat dissipation at very reasonable levels with the fan being quite quiet in comparison to the game sounds or even using headsets. It can be lower of course, but this would diminish the possible performance envelope from medium to high computing at a cost for catering to very low areas of the envelope.

Graphical performance is had with around 30 FPS at 720p or 1080p given various low to medium settings tinkering and most importantly, how textures are utilized.

The only other issue, is human interfaces and input. PC gaming always has been designed around a sliding pointer device and a keyboard - and to an extent controllers and joysticks. Much like Windows 8's interface transition to entail all possible inputs while keeping cohesion and software compatibility and interworkings, past games cannot utilize a pure touch screen - thus a Tablet Gaming PC would still need to offer keyboard or pointer device options (either a pen, keyboard built in or easily attached and same with a mouse). For sure, it is just a simple port and marketing of current touch screen games to touchscreen capable PCs, laptops, and Tablet PCs. Steam can already tag games with such labels.

New, original games, would be also made for the Tablet Gaming PC, but much like the console controller, the dedicated commonly used gaming inputs would be on screen and obscuring the display and again limited in input keys compared to a keyboard. There would be some novelties in swiping and multi touch input (I definitely would like to see a spiritual Elite Beat Agents on the PC, God knows when Nintendo would get around to it).

But, there is an example out there if executed for the Tablet PC realm, would take off. Things like the Wii U, has shown such a form. If the Wacom Cintiq Companion has set aside bezel space for the physical keys and circle ring, there is no reason for an OEM to not make it - it is just up to the OEM to fine test their sourced components, tweaking their drivers to work with the soruced hardware, and possibly account for cooling and weight balance - much like Microsoft's Surface Team went into designing the internal layout of the device.

In short, it is all there. OEMs need to actually put the effort to integrating hardware and use the right software to allow new and old games alike to work. And if a gaming Tablet PC can be made, then for sure, a light weight gaming ultrabook can be had (at current console performances~ish).

Edit:

Video of current already in market capability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX4BSRriVQo

 

[ImpulsE69]

As good as any touch screen game is, once you ahve to put your hands in the way to control it, it quickly goes down the drain for anything more than push button "turns". There are some decent FPS shooters (for tablets), but they are damn near impossible to play on a touch screen because your fingers always block your view.

 

[Dankk]

The Microsoft Surface Pro 2 is basically a desktop PC squeezed into tablet form, and it's actually capable of playing most PC games. Nothing amazing but it can do it.

Downside is that it's one of the most expensive tablets out there, if not the most expensive.

 

[BSim500]

As good as any touch screen game is, once you ahve to put your hands in the way to control it, it quickly goes down the drain for anything more than push button "turns". There are some decent FPS shooters (for tablets), but they are damn near impossible to play on a touch screen because your fingers always block your view.

^ This. The biggest issue with touch-screen based "gaming tablets" is not technology but ergonomics. Great for "Bejeweled" style puzzle games. Cr*p for FPS, RTS, RPG, etc.

 

[Imaginer]

Downside is that it's one of the most expensive tablets out there, if not the most expensive.

Depends... if one is used to the limited cheaper consumption tablets, then that viewpoint can be had in that sense...

But for most buyers that understand the capability and utilize it in full, it is really a fair if not a competitive price for PC features and performances. (namely a married 10 point multitouch display, pen pressure sensitivity and writing/drawing without worries about palms being interfering, and the computing processing performances - in a mobile factor)

That leads to doing things like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZcTNVU2Ppc

Edit:

Keep in mind, a Tablet PC is more than just gaming as these things can take on many computing tasks (office work, writing, drawing, image doctoring, sound, video, etc). It is also a more flexible platform that isn't solely bound by the OS's store nowadays.

If one wants a sole tablet for PC quality games and the fidelity of PC games at console or tablet prices - then in a business sense, there is still a long way to go. Take note of the Playstation Vita and Nintendo 3DS as example contenders of hardware sourcing and components inside that keep costs down. Also take note of the current smartphone and higher performing tablet pricing (unsubsidized) -- this while keeping in the PC realm of past and present games with the associated input options and the tablet PC mobile factor and balancing screen sizes.

 

[Majcric]

Tablet and PC doesn't belong in the same sentence. A tablet defeats the purpose of a 'Personal' computer.

 

[Imaginer]

Tablet and PC doesn't belong in the same sentence. A tablet defeats the purpose of a 'Personal' computer.

It very well should. Remember Windows XP Tablet Edition?

Also, PC is really short for IBM PC Compatible in the term usage that is carried over. Any sort of similarity down the line and in evolution stems from this. The tablet PC I am touting now (call it a hybrid of sort as well) can be classified as such and is very much still in that same vein.

It may not be personal in the hardware you throw in it yourself, but that is just a small part of the personalization anyways and more of a one time (or very very infrequent) ordeal.

Also, if one is thinking about a tablet as a "terminal" device with all cloud storage and server streaming processing, then yes - the PC shouldn't be explicitly used in such a typical manner but added to add a distinction of the tablet form factor.

"A personal computer (PC) is a general-purpose computer, whose size, capabilities and original sale price makes it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator. This contrasted with the batch processing or time-sharing models which allowed larger, more expensive minicomputer and mainframe systems to be used by many people, usually at the same time. Large data processing systems require a full-time staff to operate efficiently."

 

[frozentundra123456]

Personally I don't see the appeal of anything more than casual type games on a tablet. The small screen and touch interface just seem too limiting to me.

 

[lilrayray69]

It's probably not too far off and would be done like the Surface Pro - you set it up on a tilt so the tablet screen is up and the keyboard in front and you get a little mouse to go with it. At that point it's basically a laptop.

I don't see a huge market for it, but if they market it as being for gaming and/or high performance business application type use then maybe. I doubt anyone would use it as a main gaming system...It'd be more like you go out of town and still want to be able to play like WoW or something.

 

[Demo24]

A few games do support this actually. Surprisingly enough Civ5 has a workable touch mode in it for win8 (haven't tried any expansions), and performance is actually quite acceptable on my surface pro2. Trine 2 just updated itself for touch based systems, I'm installing it today to see how it works.

For anything fps or probably first person it probably just won't work very well. However, there are plenty of games I could see it being a decent alternative. There is something about being right there at the game, and since you are so close to the screen the size isn't that noticeable.

 

[toughtrasher]

Personally I don't see the appeal of anything more than casual type games on a tablet. The small screen and touch interface just seem too limiting to me.

Yeah, couldn't imagine playing hardcore first person shooters on that thing and expect to be competitive.