Disclaimer: TECNO paid for Pocket Tactics to attend IFA 2024 but had no input in editorial coverage.
At MWC this year, I first got my hands on the TECNO Pocket Go, and I’ve been counting down the days since for another go. Fortunately for me, the tech brand came to IFA this year with the handheld AR gaming console, and after another demo, I think I might want this thing more than the Nintendo Switch 2. Yes, I’m being serious.
While brands like Acer and MSI are keen to step into the market as Steam Deck alternatives, TECNO has gone in a different direction with its portable console. It combines AR glasses with a Windows handheld that doubles as a controller, offering a form factor unlike anything else on the market. There’s also the option to plug the controller right into your display or TV if you aren’t into AR. I normally wouldn’t class myself as an AR fan, but this thing might have converted me.
In terms of the visuals themselves, the view inside the micro-LED glasses is ultra crisp and smooth, helped in part by the fact the console utilizes an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU, the same one you’d find on some decent mid-range gaming laptops. This CPU is somehow packed into a super ergonomic controller that is smaller and lighter than some of the best portable gaming consoles around. That means no sore wrists after playing. As someone who games by night and writes by day, I can appreciate that.
When I first tried the Pocket Go, I thought the AR glasses might be a little on the flimsy side. Fortunately, this time around, they seemed much more sturdy without feeling like there’s any additional bulk to the form factor, which is always a big deal when you’re wearing the device on your head. These glasses also feature diopters on either side of the frame, so you can adjust the visual to see your needs. That visual is incredible, by the way, with consistent frame rates and enough space to see just outside the glasses if, like me, you don’t want to get so immersed you forget where you are.
My only lingering concern surrounding the Pocket Go is that the back of the controller was a little toasty while I had my short demo. This issue isn’t unique to the AR handheld, as made clear by our Steam Deck OLED review and ASUS ROG Ally X review, but as your hands are so much closer together than they are when using the Pocket Go compared to those other handhelds, it can lead to slightly sweaty palms. I’m assured that the thing packs some impressive cooling tech, but TECNO might need to dial it up a touch before release.
Speaking of release, I, of course, had to ask when we can expect the TECNO Pocket Go to launch. While I didn’t get a clear answer at MWC, this time I did, with a TECNO representative telling me that the console’s Kickstarter campaign begins in November. Better yet, while TECNO products often don’t come to the U.S.A. and Europe, I’m told that Pocket Go will, and that is incredibly exciting. Of course, we’ll be sure to share more details when the Kickstarter campaign goes live.