Can this concept PC end the keyboard-versus-controller debate?

Acer has given attendees of its IFA press conference a glimpse of a future where gamers don't have to choose between a keyboard and a traditional controller.

This foray into experimental PC form factors is called Predator Project DualPlay. Practically what you're looking at here is a larger gaming laptop with a detachable wireless controller shaped like a Steam deck that can be stored where a trackpad would be when not in use. 

This gaming laptop also comes with its own integrated pop-up speakers and, naturally, a set of dynamic RGB lights. Of course, given that this is a concept product more than anything else, it's not a huge surprise that there's not much more detail here than what you can see with your own eyes.

There are a lot of big unanswered questions here, from the battery life and latency of the controller to the specs of the laptop that it comes attached to. It’s not even entirely clear whether the top-most face of the controller is a functional trackpad.

Still, if you think that Project DualPlay is just crazy enough to work, I can’t blame you but I do have some bad news in that it isn't yet a real product. At this stage, what's on offer is closer to The likes of Razer’s Project Valerie than the successor to the Nintendo Switch. In short, don't expect to hear word of an Australian price or launch anytime soon.

Still, given how homogeneous modern gaming laptops have become, maybe that's all it needs to be. For now anyway.