It's been a whole year since we heard anything about the intriguing Dell Alienware UFO console and we'll probably have to keep waiting

Exactly one year ago, Dell made public a handful of conceptual products at CES 2020 ranging from dual-screen laptops to a handheld tablet PC with detachable controllers. The latter concept, called the Alienware UFO, grabbed a lot of attention as it was obviously inspired by the success of the Nintendo Switch. Instead of running on a Tegra X1 SoC, however, the Dell solution would run traditional Windows on an Intel CPU to play any PC game in your personal library on-the-go.

With CES 2021 right around the corner, it remains to be seen if Dell will showcase any of these proof-of-concept designs again or if they will be quietly shuttered. The company gave sneak peeks at the devices last year to gauge public interest and so it's entirely possible that many of these concepts have gone back to the drawing board. The Alienware UFO, for example, was likely running on a 10th gen Ice Lake CPU which has already become outdated now that 11th gen Tiger Lake CPUs are widely available.

Unfortunately, we're not betting on the UFO or any other Dell concepts making an appearance again for CES 2021 simply due to the all-digital nature of the trade show this year. These intriguing but high risk devices will probably be on ice until at least in-person events become the norm again.

Nevertheless, gaming laptops in general are expected to be a big focus for CES next week where Nvidia will more than likely announce the GeForce Ampere series for mobile based on recent rumors and leaks.