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Photo: Michelle Erhardt.
Choosing a gaming monitor is not an easy choice. Do you want a standard 16:9 monitor that takes up little desk space, or a larger ultra-wide 21:9 or even 32:9 monitor that takes up more space but still displays more of your game? This goes double for laptops that use ultra-wide models. few and far betweenand are absolutely gigantic. Lenovo's new concept for CES, the Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable, aims to give you the best of both worlds.
When the laptop is closed or when you first open it, the Legion Pro Rollable looks like any other gaming laptop. It's a little chunky, with RGB keys and a full numeric keypad, but otherwise unremarkable. It also has a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. But with the press of a button, it can be expanded to an ultra-wide screen with an aspect ratio of 21:9. And while it's not as stunning as the 32:9 aspect ratio screens most pampered gamers use, you can expand it to a 24:9 aspect ratio screen if you want.
This trick is possible thanks to rollable OLED panelsomething that Lenovo demonstrated and even released earlierbut for laptops that slide out vertically and are not designed for gamers. The conversion is quick and seamless, and Windows doesn't even need time to adapt to the new aspect ratio. It feels like you're unrolling a scroll.
In total, the screen space can expand from 16 inches in 16:9 (or Focus) mode to 21 inches in 21:9 (or Tactical) mode and up to 24 inches in 24:9 (or Arena) mode. Aspect ratio numbers don't always correspond exactly to screen real estate measurements, but they're easy to keep track of here.
Having a screen up to 24 inches on the go can be life-changing, and not just for gamers. I'm currently writing this article while traveling, which means I only have to work with my laptop screen. I really miss having a second monitor at home, and being able to switch the screen to ultrawide mode could easily solve that problem. Plus, I might just shrink it down to a more standard form factor when it comes time to pack it up.
The only real downsides would be the weight and price. I don't have specific numbers on how heavy it is, but it wasn't much different than any other gaming laptop I've had in my hands. Sturdy but not overpowering.
What are your thoughts so far?
As for the price, that's what's interesting. Since this is just a concept, there is no information on pricing or availability as it is not guaranteed to appear. However, Lenovo claims that the device I saw is based on the top-end Lenovo Legion Pro 7i. Now it costs about $3000.
This would come at a hefty price, especially since a retractable screen would likely add a couple hundred dollars to the price. However, I wouldn't invest too much in a demo device right now – if it hits the market, you can probably customize it to better suit your needs.
Personally, however, I might be willing to pay that $3,000. Not only is this truly unique in this space, but it conveniently solves one of my biggest problems when I have to use my laptop, which is not having a dual-screen setup. This could even be useful for desktop gamers looking to switch to portable gaming – no more having to choose what type of monitor you want.
