Home » Onexplayer 1S Hands-On: Gaming On-the-Go

Onexplayer 1S Hands-On: Gaming On-the-Go

Written By Abe Olandres
Published • March 6th, 2022
Hands-onLaptopMobile
0

Many will find this device quite unfamiliar the very first time they see it. It looks like a handheld console, similar to the Nintendo Switch, but it’s also a fully functioning Windows 10 device that works like a cross between a tablet and a laptop.

This is the Onexplayer 1S, a unique gaming console dedicated to folks who want to enjoy their AAA games everywhere they go — whether they’re on the road or while camping out on a quick vacation (all thanks to its portable form factor and long battery life). This device first landed in the Philippines back in November via DataBlitz and originally sold for Php59,995.

As a gaming device, you get a lot of control options with the Onexplayer — there are thumb-sticks (Japanese Original ALPS Rocker) on each side of the display, a directional pad on the left and ABXY buttons on the right.

The power button is found inconspicuously at the back which also serves as a fingerprint sensor (Touch ID) for logging in to Windows. The volume buttons are also found hidden at the back along with a mute button. Along the top corners of the device are the Linear Analog Triggers and Touch-Click Bumper which are mostly used with FPS games.

At the front, there’s a small button to bring up the on-screen keyboard (bottom-right corner of the display). Do a long-press of that key and it enables mouse-mode so the thumb-sticks can be used to navigate (A button for left-click, B button for right-click). Just below that button is the Turbo key that switches the Power Limit of the CPU from 20W/35W to 28W/40W so you get a boost in performance when gaming.

Other smaller keys around the borders of the display are the Start button (top right), Back button (top left), and a Home button (bottom left) — all of which are shortcuts when you’re inside the game’s home screen (and quickly switch between the game and the desktop homescreen). There are also a lot of useful shortcuts like pressing the Home key and Turbo key at the same time to take a screenshot of the game.

As for the ports, there’s enough of them here — 2 x USB 4.0 Type-C ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, microSD TF slot/card reader, and 3.5mm audio port. For wireless connectivity, there’s Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi-6 support. You can actually charge this device if you have a high-capacity powerbank so you get more gaming time while on the go.

The first time you get your hands on the Onexplayer 1S, you’ll be surprised that this little device packs quite a punch. Running on an Intel 11th-gen Core i7 with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD storage, the Onexplayer was designed primarily for gaming but can switch to different modes when needed.

In TV Mode, you can extend the kickstand at the back, set the console on the table and hook it up to an external display like a widescreen monitor or 4K TV and you can enjoy a bigger screen while playing your favorite game or just watching YouTube or Netflix.

With an 8.4-inch display, ONEXPLAYER 1S is just enough as a portable gaming device. Screen resolution maxes out at 2560×1600 pixels which is more than what we expect with this display size. Nothing spectacular here but we’d say the IPS display is good enough for our needs — clear, crisp and bright enough even in the outdoors.

In Laptop Mode, just span the magnetic keyboard at the base of the device you are you can efficiently work with the Windows 10 environment with ease. It has a 10-point touchscreen for quick navigation or you can activate the on-screen mouse as indicated earlier.

The keyboard isn’t much but it’s more or less very similar to the ones for the Surface Pro (if ever you’ve used one) or the early netbooks (if ever you’re old enough to remember them). Typing on the rather cramp keyboard can be challenging at first but you’ll get the hang of it and eventually do between 20-30 WPM in no time.

While we have no doubt that the Intel Core i7-1195G7 processor is more than capable, we cannot say the same with the Intel Xe Graphics G7. The GPU clocks 400MHz (guaranteed base clock) and goes all the way up to 1.4GHz. We didn’t expect much but so far, most of the older titles that we’ve played on the Onexplayer were above average in terms of performance and frame rates. In most cases, the graphics is smooth even on native resolution.

Oftentimes, the main concern with portable gaming devices (aside from performance) is battery life. The Onexplayer is packed with a large 15,300mAh (3.85V) Li-Ion battery so you’ll have enough juice for most of the basic tasks. For gaming, it will highly depend on the title and settings. We reckon 3 to 5 hours on gaming and 7 hours and longer for most productivity stuff.

Besides, since you can just plug a high-capacity powerbank via the Type-C port, you can get it juiced up anytime. Otherwise, the 65W rapid charger should get the device back to full capacity in no time.

The Onexplayer isn’t for everyone and most folks might look at this as a very niche product; but to those who find the charm of a powerful portable gaming device, this could be a perfect fit.

The Onexplayer 1S is now available in DataBlitz stores across the country with a suggested retail price of Php57,995 (click here to buy). The optional accessories — the magnetic snap-on keyboard sells for Php1,695 and the carrying bag csost Php895.

Onexplayer 1S specs:
8.4-inch IPS Display @ 2560×1600 pixels, 358ppi
10-point touch screen
Intel Core i7-1195G7 2.9GHz, Turbo Boost 5.0GHz
4 cores, 8 threads
‎Iris Xe Graphics 96Eu
16GB DDR4 RAM
1TB m.2 SSD
WiFi-6
Bluetooth 5.0
2 x USB 4.0 Type-C ports
1 x USB-A 3.0 port
3.5mm audio port
microSD TF slot/card reader
15,300mAh Li-Ion battery
Windows 10
‎11 x 5 x 0.8 inches (dimensions)
1.81 pounds (weight)

onexplayer 1s review philippinesonexplayer philippinesonexplayer review philippines

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.